Help save suburban chameleons
The greater Durban area is home to two species of Chameleons.
Sadly now days most of us have a better chance of winning the lotto jackpot than what we do of finding a Chameleon in our garden. But why, what has happened to cause such a drastic decline in Chameleon numbers?
The other major threat to Chameleons and other wildlife is the indiscriminate use of pesticides, we must remember that poison whether it be for ants, aphids, cockroaches, rats or weedkillers, is wildlife poison. For example, the poison you spray to control ants will kill almost all other living creatures that it comes into contact with.
I have also had numerous requests from people who want me to find them a Chameleon so that they can keep it as a pet, this is something that I will never do, they should be appreciated within their natural environment and conserved for future generations. It is also illegal to keep our indigenous species of Chameleons as pets and one can face a hefty fine if caught.
Fortunately we are lucky to have quite a few safe areas in the Durban area where these beautiful reptiles can live undisturbed by humans.
Some like minded friends and I started a Facebook interest group last year called “Save Our Suburban Lizards”, anyone in the Durban area is welcome to join and to please share your pictures of the five different species of lizards that we are concentrating on. We also have a website and an email address and would really value your imput to help us map and monitor some of the more vulnerable lizard species in our area. For more info on Chameleons and other lizards please visit or email o@durbanlizards.co.za
Web Site:www.durbanlizards.co.za
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