Abstract
ABSTRACT We present the feeding habits of the common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) at Taramay, a small coastal valley in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula. Fecal pellets collected from sexed and measured specimens trapped in the field were used for diet analysis. Thirty-four fecal samples provided a total of 777 identified prey items. All prey were arthropods and the numerically dominant groups were Diptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, and Heteroptera. We failed to find sexual differences in diet preference, but there was a seasonal shift in the prey consumed. Orthoptera, the largest prey type, was consumed less in spring than summer or autumn. Examination of grasshopper phenology in coastal habitats of the southeastern Iberian Peninsula, and of the change in chameleon habitat utilization and mobility during the mating period, verified that the common chameleon appears to consume grasshoppers in approximate proportion to their abundance. Prey consumed were smaller than in previous studies. We believe the...
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