Egg retention and mortality of gravid and nesting female chameleons (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) in southern Spain

In a year of drought conditions, gravid chameleons showed difficulties at t he time of oviposition and made unsuccessful attempts at nesting. Two femal es died while constructing nests and 10 females retained eggs in the oviduc t after oviposition; death was subsequently confirmed for three of the latt er. Female chameleons that died whilst laying eggs, or those that retained eggs, were smaller in body length and body mass and were in poorer physical condition than females that survived long after nesting. After depleting t heir reserves by allocating them to egg production, it is unlikely that som e females were able to complete the gravid period in sufficiently good cond ition to survive the effort of nesting and oviposition.