A leopard’s spots never change
but these Madeiran wall lizards
are something else varying their colour
to suit their surroundings
Endemic to the island
you see these comedians
these chameleons
everywhere
in shades of brown or grey
or with a greenish tinge
or finely flecked
with dark markings and
white or creamy underparts
though some of the males
have red or orange underparts
and blue throats
but these bright colours fade
if the animal is disturbed
Under attack
the brightly coloured tail
will break off and wriggle
for a few minutes
to distract the attacker
allowing the lizard to escape
They feed on ants
or scraps of vegetation
but tourists beware
they will take a nip
if you place you hand
where it’s really not wanted
John Lyons