Night falls over the Bay of Cádiz. The mire, which
seemed to stir with all the life it supports, appears to
now sleep. Most of the numerous birds that character-
ise this area have flown away in search of a place to
rest until sunrise.
It looks as though nature has disconnected but noth-
ing could be further from the truth. Among the pine
branches , lentisks and brooms that occupy this coastal
forest, something is on the move. A ghost that with its
slow but sure steps is obscured from even the most
trained eyes. With mechanisms that have developed
over thousands or millions of years of evolutionary trial
and error: changing colour and infinite patience.
It is the common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaele-
on), the only one of the Chamaeleonidae family present
in Europe. If it were easy, we could see them, as they
are present in all of the Andalucian coastal provinces
between Almería and Huelva, as well as in Portugal, in
the town of Faro. The Bay of Cádiz is privileged to be
home to a habitat that holds an important population of
this mysterious reptile.
Atlántida Medio Ambiente has been developing an
interesting activity over the last few years to improve
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OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
the surrounding populations awareness of this animal.
Following in the footsteps of zoologists that have con-
ducted chameleon censuses throughout Andalucia,
groups of people are organised to go on night time ob-
servations and to collect data from each specimen. An
exciting experience is guaranteed from beginning to end.
The place chosen for this activity is a special one,
the San Fernando Botanical Garden. Between the
months of July and August, at nightfall, participants
light up every corner of vegetation until they find the
chameleons. When discovered, they seem to enjoy be-
ing the centre of attention. With proper controls from
the staff of Atlántida Medio Ambiente, the participants
can discover their secrets: their eyes independent of
each other, their fingers welded together and formed
like tweezers, their prehensile tail that they use as a
fifth leg and most spectacularly, their ability to change
colour according to their mood.
After the experience, each animal is returned
to its branch. The goal has been achieved, with
a group of people that now view this animal with
new eyes and who will undoubtedly become advo-
cates for its conservation.
39