How can I find Chameleons out in the field

[ShockingPink]

I'm on the Isand of Samos, Greece and will be doing a population survey on the Common chameleon. I was just wondering if any one could give us any tips on locating them. Theres not much literature on finding the Chameleons and this is the first time I will have worked with this species.

I have been told they reflect torch light due to the chromatophores in thier skin, and they are easy to locate in the evening? Any comments on this would be much appreciated.

 

[chameleonneeds]

Yip thats probably the best way, with a torch but use quite a strong torch.
My friend said that you can also find them easily if you go looking the day after a heavy rain.

Good luck

 

[ShockingPink]

Thanks, I'm going to attempt a few preliminary searches before we begin sampling. Not much rain here though at the moment i'm afraid.

 

[Sepioteuthis]

I found some common chameleons when I was in Malta. We found 2 adults and 2 juveniles in the same area. The adults were in shrubs near the ground and the young ones were up at about eye level.
Here are a few pics, showing the plants we found them in.

Adult

Juvie (same one in both photos)

In case anyone is wondering, we didn't collect, just photographed them.

 

[eisentrauti]

Nice pics !

 

[ShockingPink]

Pictures are ace!

 

[ShockingPink]

I found some common chameleons when I was in Malta. We found 2 adults and 2 juveniles in the same area. The adults were in shrubs near the ground and the young ones were up at about eye level.
Here are a few pics, showing the plants we found them in.

Adult

Juvie (same one in both photos)

In case anyone is wondering, we didn't collect, just photographed them.

I see you found these during the day, were they quite easy to find or did you do a lot of searching? Your pictures are very good.

 

[Sepioteuthis]

I see you found these during the day, were they quite easy to find or did you do a lot of searching? Your pictures are very good.

I think we spent about a total of 4 or 5 hours in that area (split over 2 days). We didn't stop to examine every bush or tree. We just walked around and kept our eyes open.
The first one I almost walked into - it was basking on a branch overhanging the path.
Overall I'd say that they were fairly easy to find, but I have a feeling that we walked past many more than we actually saw. I kind of wish we had gone back at night with a flashlight.

 

[kinyonga]

What are you doing the survey for? It will be interesting to see if there are any there. I believe there has been some controversy about it.

C. chamaeleon was the first chameleon species I hatched. They were awesome chameleons...and I'm glad they are still in the wild.

 

[ShockingPink]

We are doing an up to date population survey and then following with a conservation campaign to make the locals aware of their status on the island and to get better protection for them. The last population survey was conducted by Maria Dimaki et al, in 2000. They only found 67 individuals but there sampling effort was split between Common chameleon on Samos and the African Chameleon on Pylos.

We are concentrating solely on C.chamaeleon so we hope to achieve more accurate results. They were definately here last year, one of the locals is an organic farmer and she often found them in her olive groves.

I have a blog on the Archipelagos web site if your interested in following the progress of our study http://blog.archipelago.gr/?p=675

Summer has come a little late this year so we are going to begin some preliminary searches in a few weeks time.

 

[kinyonga]

I have read a few papers written by Maria and associates. Mariano Cuadrado also has quite a few papers dealing with the C. chamaeleon. I have talked with him a few times.

Being that these were the first chameleons I hatched and the only chameleon that lives in such northerly climate, I have had a continuing interest in them.

I had 2.3 WC's in the mid 90's. Even though they were all adults when I got them they lived quite long lives with me. Every egg hatched except one (which "exploded"). I kept quite a few of the babies and many of them (both male and female) lived to be close to 6 years old.

Will you be counting the numbers of males and females as well...or just the total numbers?

I will definitely be following your research! Thank you for the link! I'm glad to see that they are concerned about their protection in Greece! I wish you every success with this project!

 

[Docility]

wave a super around and see what happens =P, but really at evening about an hour b4 the sunsets look at low branches , and twords the ends of them. they will be out on them so they can more easily feel vibrations of foraging night time creatures while sleeping

 

[ShockingPink]

Samos, Common chameleon

Found our first Samonian Common chameleon. Check out link below

http://picasaweb.google.com/nicola.dshaw/CommonChameleonChamelaeoChamaeleon#

 

[kinyonga]

Beautiful! Not full grown yet! Mine never got that bright yellow on them....mine were more the colors shown in the pictures posted by Sepioteuthis.