Garden chameleons

[batchick]

We've been finding a lot of chameleons in our garden this summer. Thought you all might appreciate a look.

 

[cherylim]

Seriously? Your garden?

WHY do I live in such a boring country?!

 

[Tortus]

Where do you live? You could open your own pet store.

I've always been envious of people who live in locations where cool "pets" run wild. The closest things we have around here to popular pets in the wild are eastern box turtles.

 

[batchick]

We are in Cape Town, South Africa. We worried we'd seen the last of them, as the electric fences take out several out years, but this year we've had a load of them.
We've also go a great lizard, but I don't know what kind it is and he's too skittish to get a shot of.
Cherylim - we have a number of other animals you could probably cope without having. Encountering puff adders when you are running isn't all that fun.

 

[Tortus]

Do you ever see wild leopard tortoises? If so are any of them pyramided?

I see a lot of wild eastern box turtles around here, but I live in the sticks. There's a road about 3 miles from here through the woods that has tons of them during the summer. I'll be sure to take some pics when they're out and about.

 

[batchick]

Haven't seen many wild leopard torts, we see more angulates. We know a few people with garden leopard torts - none of them pyramiding. Nor are the angulates.

 

[cherylim]

Just the idea of reptiles roaming free impresses me. I always love that when I visit a foreign country - seeing the lizards running about.

We supposedly have a couple of snake and lizard species here in the UK, but I've never seen them. The Common Lizard (that name's a lie!) reportedly has a habitat about a half-hour drive from me, but I only found out late last summer so next summer I'm making a point of driving over to look for them. I'd imagine they're almost impossible to find.

The only other 'wild' reptiles are abandoned turtles that have bred. Again, I know of two places where these are supposed to be, and one is a half an hour from me whilst the other is about an hour and a half and I have confirmed sightings of those from family members. Come to think of it, I'm due to be in one of those areas tomorrow for a business meeting, so I may have to stop and look at where exactly they might be come warmer weather...

 

[Tortus]

The only wild lizard I see around here is the blue tailed skink. During the summer they're crawling all over the porch. But don't catch them by the tail...it will fall off and wriggle around like a worm.

We have a lot of snakes but I honestly don't know what most of them are. Garter snake, black snake, hog nose snake are the only names I know. People claim to see copper heads (a viper more common in the southern US), but it's usually a garter snake and they kill it anyway.

People are fairly ignorant when it comes to reptiles. My grandmother came from down south, and when she moved here every snake she saw by the water was a "water moccasin". A deadly viper. Yet, we don't have water moccasins around here...

 

[Jacqui]

Always fascinating to see what others see as a part of their normal world and never think too much about it, yet to the rest of us is an amazing sight to see.

 

[Tom]

I'm green with envy. Thanks for the pics.

 

[wellington]

I'm with Tom and Cherylim. I just purchased a chameleon and here you have them roaming your garden.ugh Love my city, but wish we add reptiles running around wild. Thanks for sharing your pics. Anytime you want to share pics, we want to see them

 

[Yellow Turtle]

I found once long time ago in my old house. It was really great experience seeing them camouflage the color between the plant. See no more of them nowadays.

 

[allisonwonderland]

The only wild lizard I see around here is the blue tailed skink. During the summer they're crawling all over the porch. But don't catch them by the tail...it will fall off and wriggle around like a worm.

We have a lot of snakes but I honestly don't know what most of them are. Garter snake, black snake, hog nose snake are the only names I know. People claim to see copper heads (a viper more common in the southern US), but it's usually a garter snake and they kill it anyway.

People are fairly ignorant when it comes to reptiles. My grandmother came from down south, and when she moved here every snake she saw by the water was a "water moccasin". A deadly viper. Yet, we don't have water moccasins around here...

My mom actually had a water moccasin in her pool once. My step dad is scared to death of snakes and wouldn't go near it to get it out, so I had to use the big net thing on a stick to fish it out and toss it into the woods before anyone would try to kill the poor bugger! I took a picture before I got it out, though, because I didn't even know what kind it was until that evening! Wish I knew where that picture was...

 

[batchick]

Climbing up the Restios. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.
OK. I could - now what do I do?

Down here they are commonly called Hamba Kancane (Pronounced Hamba Gash - or thereabouts), which means Go Slowly/Gracefully.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

You're so lucky!

 

[kyle82tx]

chameleons?! thats so cool... ive only noticed an anole lizard and some other tiny lizard that hangs around the porch at my house lol