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Common Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon). Great Malaga Path

Diputación de Málaga
Camaleón común (Chamaeleo chamaeleon)

Common Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon). Great Malaga Path

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Phenology
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Animal Life > Reptiles

IDENTIFICATION  

Medium-sized reptile (28-30 cm long from the head to the tail). Laterally compressed body, head with a well-developed ridge, prominent eyes covered with a single eyelid, prehensile tail and opposite fingers in groups of two or three, forming clamps. The eyes can move in every direction and independently from one another. It can change colours very quickly thanks to a complex system of pigment structures in the skin cells. This way, it can disguise itself in its environment, taking on the colour of its surroundings.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE (HABITAT)? 

It prefers wooded habitats, like olive groves, almond trees, gardens and bushy areas: for example, brooms. It also appears in sun plots and gardens in little towns. Generally, it prefers dry and warm environments, with sparse trees and bushy vegetation, where it can be mistaken for the branches and leaves. It avoids mountainous areas and does not go away from the coastal strip.

HOW DOES IT LIVE?

An arboreal species that feeds on medium-sizes flying insects, which it catches by releasing its long and sticky tongue. Its hunting strategy consists of stalking its preys staying nearly static, although its eyes do not stop moving. Once the possible prey is detected, it moves very slowly, focuses its two eyes on the goal, measuring the distance very accurately, and finally it throws its never-ending tongue at dizzying speed to catch the victim with the sticky and thickened tip of its tongue. It is a solitary animal, except during the mating season. During the coldest months, it hibernates in the holes of trees, although during some warm winter days, it can be active during the sunniest hours.

HOW DOES IT REPRODUCE ITSELF?

The mating season usually occurs from the end July to mid-September. Males come down from the trees and bushes, actively looking for females. When they meet a female, they protect their territory from other competitors. In autumn, females dig a tunnel in the ground, where they lay about 10-30 eggs. The hatchlings do not hatch until the end of the following summer. The newly hatched chameleons instinctively climb to a tree or a bush near to where they were born.

WHERE CAN WE FIND IT IN MALAGA AND ON THE STAGES OF THE GREAT PATH?

This species is relatively common in the areas where it lives, although it is difficult to observe as it is hard to detect. It is present all along a narrow strip of the Málaga coast, from Estepona to Maro. It delves into the Guadalhorce valley, the Málaga mountains and also in the Axarquía, where it rises to a higher elevation and gets more numerous. In the Great Path, we can find it on stages 1 to 10 and 29 to 35.

LEVEL OF PROTECTION - THREATENED (INVENTORY)

It is included in the Andalusian List of Wildlife Species under the Special Protection System. Its main threat is the deterioration of its habitat, that has suffered huge changes because of the important urban development of Costa del Sol. However, it seems that its distribution has been expending during the last decades, mainly because of a better knowledge of its population, although some animals treated as pets also escaped and some chameleons were intentionally released in different areas.

CURIOUS FACTS  

Chameleon's ability to change colours results in many beliefs quite far from the truth. One of the most surprising may be the presumption that putting a chameleon in a red environment could make it explode as it cannot take on this colour. Actually, the chameleon's ability to change colour does not only depend of the place it lives and its need to disguise itself; but it is also physiological and allows the chameleon express anxiety.  So, thanks to its colours, a chameleon can tell if they are dying or sick, aggressive or sleepy. The colour changing ability also regulates temperature.

SIMILAR TYPES (IT CAN ME MISTAKEN WITH...) 

Unmistakable type in Málaga.

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