Common chameleon

Description

The common chameleon or Mediterranean chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) is a species of chameleon native to the Mediterranean Basin and parts surrounding the Red Sea. It is the only extant species of Chamaleonidae with a range that naturally extends into Europe. The average length of the common chameleon is 20–40 cm (8–16 inches), with females often being substantially larger than males. The colour of the common chameleon is variable, between yellow/brown through green to a dark brown. Whatever the background colour is, the common chameleon will have two light coloured lines along its side. It has a small beard of scales and some small hard scales on the top of its back. Many assume the color changes undergone by the chameleon are a result of its attempting to camouflage itself, when in reality the chameleon changes its color as a response to light and temperature stimuli and as an expression of its emotions (like chameleon body language). Often when caught for analysis, the chameleon may turn a dark color. Their colors are also important for intraspecies communication,especially during the mating season. In Europe, it is only autochthonous to: southern Portugal, southern Spain, southern Italy, Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete. Nevertheless, it has been successfully introduced into other Greek islands, Canary islands and Malta. In Malta, Jesuit priests are thought to have introduced this species around 1880 in a small private garden in St. Julian's. Since then, this species seems to have flourished and spread across the island, with sightings being reported in Gozo, Malta's sister island. A small population is reported to be present in Apulia in southeastern Italy. In North Africa and the Middle East, it occurs in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Western Sahara, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. In Greece the species is now only found on the island of Samos, having disappeared from the other islands in recent years. Conservation efforts on Samos are being led by the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation to preserve the remaining populations, but the species is not currently evaluated under the IUCN redlist.