Pictured Above: An adult African Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepsis) captured in the light of Chris James’s mobile phone.
Scores of juvenile chameleons are being moved to safety by a Limpopo macadamia and avocado farmer, who first noticed them while out patrolling for nut thieves.
What started as security patrols to prevent theft in macadamia orchards in the Soutpansberg has turned into a rescue operation for the tiny green African Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepsis).
Chris James, a third-generation farmer in the Louis Trichardt district, said he started to notice the little reptiles in his macadamia orchards while out on nightly patrols.
“I discovered they were quite luminous at night when they are asleep. They lose their camouflage and become a uniform light green or yellow, which means with a decent light they are very visible. Once you have spotted them, your eye sort of gets fixed on them. You can’t not see them.”
But it was after good rains that the farmer particularly noticed them in the inter-rows between the macadamia trees. “Those I had seen in the trees over the years were mainly adults. The ones I was seeing now were all juveniles.”
He consulted an expert who estimated the chameleons were about four months old.
Chameleon comeback
James – who also breeds bees – said he had begun greening the areas between the rows of macadamia trees to feed his swarms. “When there are no macadamia flowers then at least the bees still have food. I allowed the grasses and natural flowers and weeds to grow. I think – there’s no science behind it though – that this resulted in a chameleon ‘comeback’, because I hadn’t seen them there before.”
A quick count one evening totalled 40 juveniles in just one area. “There were areas where they were more prevalent, and it dawned on me that once we started clearing the orchard inter-rows before harvesting, I would turn the little blighters into green smoothies with the mowing equipment,” James quipped.
At about the same time, a group of youngsters from a local church were visiting the picturesque farm. “I have quite a lot of natural bush and a mountain, so we often have students and youngsters coming for group outings,” he said.
James told the visiting group that he had a problem and asked if they like to help him solve it. It turned out to be the highlight of their visit. In a matter of two hours, the group had captured 60 chameleons in four hectares of inter-row.
The chameleons were then released into a field of wild Basil, which is kept planted up to provide food for the pollinating bees. “It never gets mown or mulched so they will be quite safe there. The flowers draw a lot of insects, which means lots of food for them, too.”
The purple flowers of the wild Basil field attract insects which Chris James hopes will provide food for the juvenile chameleons he and his volunteers have released there. More than 60 of the young reptiles were taken out of harm’s way in a night, with many more rescued subsequently.
Little research
But, James said, he was now asking himself the question: “What will be the impact of the slashing and mulching between the rows of macadamia trees in my orchard? Have we been killing these poor little chameleons and almost wiping them out? And how does the practice affect the insect population, specifically?”
While there seems to be little in the way of research on record, James said there were more questions about the positive impact the chameleons might have on pest populations in his orchards. “Specifically stink bugs, which are a big problem in macadamia orchards generally. We don’t know if the chameleons eat them, but I am sure they won’t turn a juicy stink bug down if it comes their way.”
James said since the students had visited, he has continued to collect the chameleons every night. “It’s sort of taken off, and I have lots of help now. On my evening patrols I just walk through a block of trees before we cut between the rows, and we have rescued many more chameleons. Hopefully I will now increase the population on my farm for years to come.”
Principal Scientist at the South African National Biodiversity Institute Krystal Tolley described James’s initiative as ‘great news’. “So often, vegetation is removed without regard for chameleons or other animals. This is such a great conservation story as it shows how we can prevent things from becoming threatened by keeping them safe.”
Rolf Dennison from the noted Ultimate Exotics Reptile Breeding Facility in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, said all chameleons in South Africa were protected and could not be kept as pets without a permit. “Fortunately that means they are not exported on to the world’s pet markets.”
But, he added, the little creatures – which are widespread in the country – were under threat from road kill, loss of habitat and particularly from domestic cats. “Their natural predators are monkeys and boomslangs, but the impact that domestic cats have on chameleon populations is devastating,” he said.
