Chameleons of Southern Africa

My training was in Adult Internal Medicine.I have no special knowledge in this field.Since retiring , I have rekindled my interest in Wildlife-- mainly of Africa-- although I am now also reading about other regions.I was very pleased to find this book-- it gives me details on the Chameleons in Southern Africa.See in expanded Amazon description above.Each species is discussed, as well as some that are currently unclassifiedThere are general chapters at the start on::Distribution and ClassificationEvolution and the Fossil recordEcology and AnatomyBehaviour and ReproductionThe Amateur NaturalistThis is followed by the various groups of Chameleon.Drawf Chameleons, Undescribed Drawf Chameleons.Typical Chameleons,Pygmy ChameleonsGlossary. ( I found the Glossary very helpful--- as a person who knew next to nothing it gives the language of Chameleon identification and Chameleon life )Each Chameleon gets::There are 1 or more photos, especially where there is a difference between males and females. There are occassional close ups.Most seem to have a number of photos showing the chameleon, there may be photos of the chameleon in display, or a frightened female.Occassionally a chameleon is shown on a finger / in a hand so you can better judge their sizeDistribution maps are shownText covers description, colour action, distribution, habitat, sometimes variants are shown, of the juvenile form etcIn the early chapters you see ::Chameleon fighting, chameleon carefully passing each other of a thin stem-- one on top, the other passing underneath.Reproduction ( I hope I have my facts right )Chameleon either lay eggs that the female then digs a hole in the earth to bury. You see a chameleon female with her "nose " dirty from the digging.The young hatch some months later-- depending on temperature etc and have to dig themselves of the place they were buried. They then have to avoid predators and the then find a place to migrate to.The other way is that the females keep the eggs in their bodies in seperate sacs. Near the time the young are born, the sacs are attached to a leaf say and then the young then break out of the sac. There is a good picture of a mother and the newly born chameleon that broke out of the sacs. They are very small.The young are on there own from birth-- there is no family supportSummaryI have been spending my time learning about the mammals of Africa.I really enjoyed this book on Chameleon-- I still have a lot to learn.The text is well written.The photos are numerous and crystal clearThe distribution maps show that some species are fairly well spread, others are found in very limited areas.

A true gem in its genre.This book is small, but is specialised on the Chameleons of Southern (especially South)Africa. All the knwon species are represented by good quality photographs as well as all the known undescribed species up to date.A beautiful book for any herp enthousiast with an interest in Chameleons and who want to go further then the general (captive) chameleon books. Also great as fieldguide use, although it may be to specialised for this use and you would like to take a more general reptile guide with you.Text is short and gives an written description of the animal involved.All species also have an distribution map on their page.A must have !

It is interesting to read about the chameleons of Southern Africa. Most of these are not available in the pet trade in USA.

Love this book, i love learning about animals. Great addition to my collection. Fantastic photos and information, really impressed with it.

Great little book, we need more guides like this focusing on the natural history of Chameleons rather than more tedious 'How to keep' books.

Awesome book, while the shipping took a little longer due to covid19 measures, the value of this book is worth to wait for

Excelente libro!