Common dragoncito and climate change: when the enemy accompanies you...
- In some areas of the Basque Country there is already a well-known neighbor, the common dragon. In the south of Navarre, for example, it has been for years (at least since the 1980s) going up and down its walls and surroundings of its houses, especially during the night, in areas with light, where to find food. However, on the coast of Euskal Herria and in many places in the interior, it is an animal that still surprises. It draws people's attention whenever they're in a home. And it's no wonder. In fact, dragoncito has reached many places in the Basque Country, but a few years ago it barely looked.
Common dragonite (Tarentola mauritanica)
GROUP: Vertebrate / Reptile.
SIZE: about 15 cm without glue.
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Especially in urban areas.
WHAT DOES IT EAT? Invertebrates.
The simple dragon gets the hard: the enemy becomes a friend. The warming of the winters caused by climate change has taken advantage of to stop in areas not previously conquered, and today it is already one of the indigenous species, as it has been observed that not only is it reversed, but it is reproduced in many places. If it is practically impossible to see them in a few years, it has become stable populations on the Basque coast. It comes to stop the dragonite.
It has come, yes, but it is also interesting how it has come, for those who want to know the dragonite better. This little reptile of the geese group has a characteristic and surprising. It has a huge ability to move around the wall. That is why it has been thrown into the railways and has often traveled with the help of man, from one side to the other, in a hidden way, finding new homes. As noted above, those that may not previously be appropriate but have been adapted to climate change.
It's an insectivore. It's nocturnal and you often see it on the walls of the house, around streetlights or lights, looking for insects that come near it. The spider is also fond, and that's why many don't look with bad eyes: whoever has a dragon at home will also have less spider!
Science, however, still has important challenges for this species. The consequences of their presence are still unknown. Damage to native species or their habitat. What was a foreign species is becoming an indigenous species, and it seems that in Europe it is also going to have an upward trend as temperatures rise. But as important as that will be knowing the impact of your arrival. Not all alien species are invasive.
With its small size (15 cm without tail) and grey-brown body, dragoncito has drawn the attention of several scientists and from there have emerged some inventions that have then been brought to market. Although it has already been looked at before, there is no doubt that following the dragonite in the future will not be useless. Because you never know what the path an enemy friend will follow…
