Chameleons in Marsa El Brega (Lybia)
While other areas of Africa are regularly the subject of publications and expeditions, the herpetofauna of Libya has not been fully researched. Little is known about the reptiles of the coastal region of Marsa El Brega in particular. Marsa El Brega is located in the north of Libya directly on the Mediterranean Sea and therefore has a Mediterranean climate. The vegetation consists mainly of a desert-like landscape with low shrubs such as Nitraria retusa and small date palm oases in between.
A Hungarian herpetologist has investigated the reptile populations in Marsa El Brega during two expeditions. Unfortunately, the exact procedure for finding animals is not mentioned in the article. All animals found were photographed and species phenotyped according to existing field guides.
The author found a total of 25 reptile species in the Marsa El Brega region, including two Chamaeleo chameleons, one each two days apart. The coordinates given for the find site are in the outskirts of the town of Brega, right next to the garden of a bed’n’breakfast facing the beach. The author cites stray dogs and cats as the greatest potential threat to the local herpetofauna. In addition, the coastal area investigated was heavily littered.
Some reptiles from Marsa El Brega, Libya (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae, Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae, Lacertidae and Scincidae)
Attila Haris
Natura Somogyiensis 45: 17-26, 2025
DOI: 10.24394/NatSom.2025.45.17
