I'm not here... - The barrier islands of the Ria Formosa "hide" chameleons (Chamaeleo chamaeleon), masters of silent camouflage!

Their senses guide scaly bodies to the nearest insects, which are trapped by a unique tongue.

Lost in a vision - This little guy is a Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica).
The old tales tell of the demise of entire human families if one of these reptiles falls from a ceiling into a pot of soup.
Well, it is false. This species is harmless.
They would not hurt a fly. Well, maybe they would, it is actually one of their natural preys.

Ain't nothing like basking - The Sun is the ultimate power source for cold-blooded reptiles, that need to adjust their body temperatures.

This viperine water snake (Natrix maura) is chilling under the morning warmth and above fallen cattails. Beauty wears stripes ;)

Shell shy - Hello! You seem shell shy my hardened friend. Come out of your muddy habitat and give me a wink.

See you soon mediterranean terrapin (Mauremys leprosa).

Mean look - Scales slithering..... Pupils gazing.... Tongue sensing.... Attack!

The montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) is the largest snake species in Europe. Reaching up to 2 meters long on a "good day". It may be menacing, but unless you are a mouse, you should be fine.

Quick, capture it! - Hooooooding the recoooord for the faaaastest speeecies of waaaall liiiizard in the woooorld.... The spiny-foot lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus)!

It is like a top notch race lizard. That must be why it has stripes along the body. Seriously, if you see it run on sand, you will understand the admiration.

Majestic basking denizen - The European Pond Terrapin (Emys orbicularis) is a rare sighting. Living in fresh water ponds and basking under the Sun's warmth, it has seen better days in terms of the conservation of its habitats.

This hypnotic individual was crawling at a pond's edge and I'm glad I was there.

Who is there? - Tongue out! A horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) creeps on the concrete road of rural Alentejo. The tongue serves as a collector of chemicals from the air or ground.

Or maybe, just maybe, it can be a snake salute while slithering.

One step at a time - The large psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), surveils the florest floor looking for pleasures and needs pushed by instincts.

Yet, it is not the only one doing so. Beware of the... Prowling photographer!