Autumn Chameleon

Hello everyone, hope you're all well and enjoying some winter weather at last. As you may have guessed from the title, this post is all about a chameleon that we found on a private trip into the South African Bush with the lovely rangers from Mongena Game Lodge. The plan of this "morning" excursion was to look for insects and reptiles, basically all the small things that are often forgotten about in favour of the larger charismatic mammals. I say morning as we left very early to watch sunrise in the bush and got back around lunchtime! 

We found many very cool bugs and even a shrew but the one thing I really wanted to see was a chameleon and after much searching in the bush we couldn't find one, being autumn they were starting to go into hibernation so we knew it would be tricky, but on returning to the vehicle what should we find right in front of it but a flap-necked chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis).  

This poor little chap was very cold and covered in dew drops which strangely made it even more beautiful, so here are some of the photos I took of the chameleon covered in dew drops and looking for some sun to warm up in. 

I was so happy to see my chameleon and be able to spend so much time with it, a huge thank you goes out to the rangers for their perseverance in looking and for their patience while I photographed it. I'm definitely hooked on these wonderful little creatures and look forward to planning another trip soon to go and look for them and spend more time with them and the other wonderful smaller things. 

For now though, time to go. Have a lovely day. 

Bye for now. 

Victoria x