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Photograph of students from the University of Malaga carrying out a study of chameleons in the Artola dunes. SUR
Chameleons help regenerate sand dunes on Marbella beach
Nature

Chameleons help regenerate sand dunes on Marbella beach

Ten University of Malaga students have written a study on the protected species which is settling into the natural environment and breeding

María Albarral

Marbella

Tuesday, 28 January 2025, 12:53

The Artola dunes in Marbella are one of the most important natural spaces on the Costa del Sol and a popular place for nature lovers to visit. Human activity over the years has been damaging this environment but now a series of initiatives are being implemented to regenerate this enclave.

Since 2016 chameleons have been in charge of regenerating the dune area and the ProDunas Marbella association and the University of Malaga (UMA) have published a pioneering study on the activity of this protected species in dunes.

The study 'Estructura de una población de camaleones Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linneo, 1758) introducida en el Monumento Natural Dunas de Artola (Marbella)', (structure of a population of chameleons Chamaeleo introduced in the Artola dunes), has been published in the Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española n°35(2) (bulletin of the Spanish herpetological association). The article collects the results of the samples carried out in 2023 and offers an exhaustive analysis of this population introduced in the dune ecosystem from 2016 to 2020, during which 20 specimens were released in total.

Three years after the last release, ten students from the UMA set to work to study the evolution of this species in the dunes. The team of authors, formed by Rafael Negrete, Miguel Á. Cabalín, Adrián Ruiz, María L. Castillo, Iván Toro, Marta Soto, Lidia Zamora, Emma Volkmann and Dr David Romero Pacheco, has developed a key study to understand the biodiversity of the dune ecosystems of the Costa del Sol.

Conclusions

Among the conclusions reached one is particularly encouraging: they are reproducing. "These animals are both predators and prey, so they are balancing this ecosystem", Rafael Negrete, the main author and student of Biology at the UMA, told SUR, saying that "specimens of hatchlings and young chameleons have been found".

As the scientific article revealed, there are no known records of C. chameleon in the study area prior to the 2016 introductions. but the findings conclude that the Artola dunes are an ideal ecosystem for this species. This is because it has a soft sandy substrate that facilitates the construction of nests, a moderate extension that allows reproduction and a dense arboreal substrate that facilitates vertical shelter and the ability to escape from predators and other dangers.

The main threats to the development of the chameleon in the study area include housing developments and the construction of roads, which fragment their habitat. The public use associated with this area includes hiking and tourism activities that intensify the damage caused by displacement on the dune, causing damage to the native wildlife.

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surinenglish Chameleons help regenerate sand dunes on Marbella beach