JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Vol. 51, 2005, pp. 157–164

NOTE: DISTRIBUTION AND CONSERVATION OF THE COMMON , CHAMAELEON, IN ALGARVE, SOUTHERN

ANDREIA MIRALDO, ISABEL PINTO, JOÃO PINHEIRO, INÊS ROSÁRIO, MARTA MAYMONE, AND OCTÁVIO S. PAULO* Centro de Biologia Ambiental/ Departamento de Biologia , Faculdade de Ciên- cias da Universidade de Lisboa, P-1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal

Although the is well protected by European laws, in Portugal this is classified as “insufficiently known” in the Red List of Portuguese Vertebrates (SNPRCN, 1990). This status stresses the urgent need for more scientific studies in order to provide the information necessary for its effective conservation. The Chamaeleonidae comprises a total of 85 species that are distributed mainly throughout Africa and Madagascar. Chamaeleo chamaeleon represents the most northern and wid- est distribution of the group. Iberian Peninsular belong to the Chamaeleo chamaeleon chamaeleon (Linnaeus) and the populations of southern and Portugal constitute the northern limit of its distribution. There are references to the presence of chameleons in the in Linnaeus’ System Naturae in 1766. Nevertheless, their occurrence in Portugal was only documented in 1945 by Themido (Themido, 1945), who stated that the species was introduced around 1920 in the woods between Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo Antonio, the southeastern corner of Por- tugal. More recently a study about the origins of the common chameleon in the Iberian Peninsula added the hypothesis that the Algarve populations were probably founded by individuals from the Atlantic coast of , probably from Essaouira (Paulo et al., 2002). If that origin is confirmed, it supports the possibility of a colonization earlier than the one referred to by Themido (1945), as Essaouira was historically an important trading port as far back as the 7th century BCE. This will have implications on the ap- plicability of IUCN criteria for classifying species in Red Lists. Due to the common chameleon’s reduced capacity for natural dispersion (Blasco et al., 1985) and the overlap of its distribution area with those most developed by man, the loss and fragmentation of habitat are the main problems for its conservation (Hódar et al., 2000; Mellado et al., 2001; Cuadrado, 2002). It has been known for a long time that the common chameleon populations in Portu- gal are limited to the Algarve region, and although several studies were made revealing specific localizations of the species in that region (Crespo, 1973; Crespo and Oliveira, 1989; Paulo, 1989; Blasco, 1997), a more precise distribution area of the species in Portugal does not exist.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] Accepted September 2005. 158 A. MIRALDO ET AL. Isr. J. Zool.

The Ria Formosa Natural Park funded a research study in 1989 (Paulo, 1989), and a second study, begun in 1994, concerning the biology of Chamaeleo chamaeleon in Por- tugal. The distribution and the main threats that can affect the survival of the common chameleon in Portugal are discussed in this paper. Some areas with different levels of importance for species conservation are also pointed out. This information is considered the first step towards the evaluation of the actual conservation status of the common chameleon in Portugal and should culminate in the development of a Conservation Plan for the species. The survey was conducted within the Algarve region between 1994 and 1999 and also in 2002. Fieldwork was carried out between July and October, the months of peak individual activity (Blasco et al., 1985). The distribution of Chamaeleo chamaeleon was determined using direct observa- tions, which comprised transect samplings made either on foot or by car. Along each transect all trees and shrubs were surveyed and chameleons were detected visually. The sampling was done in order to comprise all kinds of habitats that can be found in southern Portugal. Some parameters of the prospected area were registered (e.g., tree and shrub species present, total percentage of vegetation cover). Road transects were done along main roads driving at low velocity (30–40 km/h), in order to detect chame- leons killed by road traffic. Whenever an individual was detected the nearby habitat was registered. All geographical information regarding transect sampling location and position of detected chameleons was stored in a Global Positioning System (Garmin 12 XL) and integrated into a Geographic Information System program. The distribution of the com- mon chameleon is represented through occurrence points in a Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) 25 km2 grid.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITATS Figure 1 includes all data points where transects were done. A total of 231 foot transect samplings and 50 car transect samplings were done. The distribution area of the common chameleon in Portugal (Fig. 1) coincides with the Algarve littoral zone and is limited by Vila Real de Santo António to the East and Lagos to the West. Nevertheless, the popula- tion seems to be very fragmented mainly between Quarteira and Lagos. Although in the UTM cell containing the city of Faro and in the one just northwest of that the presence of chameleons was not confirmed, the existence of some pine forests nearby, the presence of the species in all surrounding cells, and some interviews of locals suggest that these cells might belong to the species distribution area. The most eastern zone of the distribution area, between Vila Real de Santo António and Monte Gordo, seems to be the one where the chameleon population is least frag- mented. The kind of habitat where the species occurs is characterized by the presence of coastal Pinus pinaster and Pinus pinea pinewoods with Retama monosperma shrubby stratum and also dune vegetation areas, where the common chameleon may reach high densities (Paulo et al., 1997, 1999; Pinheiro et al., 1998).