The common chameleon
Rota is one of the few places on the Cádiz coast where this reptile is still holding on, and where it is looked after.
Rota's treasures · Chameleon
What it is
A treasure that's hard to spot
Few animals capture the richness and the fragility of Rota's surroundings as well as the chameleon.
It lives in the pine wood and in scrubland; it moves slowly and shifts colour to camouflage itself and regulate its temperature, so it is often right beside us without being seen. Rota protects its habitat and, since 2017, has had a municipal by-law safeguarding it — one of very few of its kind in Spain.
It can be watched from the pine wood boardwalks all year round, though it is easiest to see from July to September. The rule is simple: look and photograph from a distance, never touch or disturb it, so that whoever comes next can enjoy it too.
The chameleon of Rota: the most surprising species in Cádiz
The plan