Hello. It's been two years since I last posted on this forum. In the meantime, I'm on the third chameleon season now. I've seen about 15 chameleons each season since March 2012. Two were flapnecks, and the rest were Bradypodion transvalense.
When I find a chameleon, I handle it for an hour or two, and show my school kids not to be afraid. This is a country where chameleons are often killed on sight. People have many superstitions about them, such as believing that a chameleon is born where lightning strikes. Most of the preschoolers in my school are not afraid of chameleons anymore, instead, they are excited and interested by them. They gather round when one is found, and I allow the calmer, more predictable kids to handle them. I think some of their parents have even grown more fond of the chameleons over the years, as some now also show an interest instead of recoiling in horror!
There is an expression around here- "as angry as a chameleon". Last week I found out what that meant, when two bradypodions fell out of a tree. They had been fighting. This was the angriest chameleon I've ever seen, and the only chameleon I've never wanted to handle. I have seen chameleons hiss on occasion, but I've never seen them actually attack. This one attacked a stick I placed in front of it. I didn't let it get too near its opponent, a much smaller chameleon. I separated the two completely after some photos.
Angry Bradypodion:
The opponent of the angry Bradypodion:
Another bradypodion found the week before:
And here are three more random lizard pics from Swaziland, in Southern Africa:
Agama in March 2014:
A flat lizard on the Lebombos:
Side of the Lebombo lizard:
When I find a chameleon, I handle it for an hour or two, and show my school kids not to be afraid. This is a country where chameleons are often killed on sight. People have many superstitions about them, such as believing that a chameleon is born where lightning strikes. Most of the preschoolers in my school are not afraid of chameleons anymore, instead, they are excited and interested by them. They gather round when one is found, and I allow the calmer, more predictable kids to handle them. I think some of their parents have even grown more fond of the chameleons over the years, as some now also show an interest instead of recoiling in horror!
There is an expression around here- "as angry as a chameleon". Last week I found out what that meant, when two bradypodions fell out of a tree. They had been fighting. This was the angriest chameleon I've ever seen, and the only chameleon I've never wanted to handle. I have seen chameleons hiss on occasion, but I've never seen them actually attack. This one attacked a stick I placed in front of it. I didn't let it get too near its opponent, a much smaller chameleon. I separated the two completely after some photos.
Angry Bradypodion:
The opponent of the angry Bradypodion:
Another bradypodion found the week before:
And here are three more random lizard pics from Swaziland, in Southern Africa:
Agama in March 2014:
A flat lizard on the Lebombos:
Side of the Lebombo lizard:
