Kwabahlali bakudala, onogwaja babenezindawo zokuphulukisa njengoba babemelela umoya wabantu abadala.
Uma ngabe zonke izinhlobo zezibankwa ezikhona eMexico, ezingamakhulu amaningana, zingabekwa phambi kwethu, bekungaba lula kakhulu ukuhlukanisa izinhlobo eziyi-13 zamankentshane kuzo zonke. Izici zohlobo lwe-Phrynosoma, okusho ukuthi "umzimba wamazwane", ziyizicucu zemigogodla eyisimo sezimpondo ngemuva kwekhanda - njengohlobo lomqhele -, isidumbu esiwumzimba opholile, umsila omfushane kwesinye isikhathi izikali ezinwetshiwe engxenyeni eseceleni yomzimba. Abanye abantu banombono wokuthi lolu hlobo lubukeka njenge-dinosaur encane.
Yize lezi zibankwa zikwazi ukugijima, azihambi kangako ngendlela umuntu angacabanga ngayo futhi kulula ukuzibamba ngesandla sakho. Sesinazo, izilwane zithobekile futhi azilwi ngokulangazelela ukuze zizikhulule, futhi azilumi, zihlala zikhululekile entendeni yesandla. Ezweni lezi zinhlobo zithola igama elijwayelekile lama- “chameleons” futhi zihlala kusukela eningizimu yeChiapas kuya emngceleni we-United States yaseNyakatho Melika. Zisikhombisa zalezi zinhlobo ezisatshalaliswa e-USA kanti esisodwa sifinyelela engxenyeni esenyakatho yalelo zwe naseningizimu yeCanada. Kukho konke ukusatshalaliswa kwazo lezi zilwane zihlala ezindaweni ezomile, ezingwadule, ezindaweni eziwugwadule, nasezintabeni ezomile.
Amagama ajwayelekile angasetshenziswa kalula, futhi aze adidanise isilwane esinye kwesinye; Lokhu kunjalo ngegama elithi "chameleon", njengoba litholakala kuphela e-Afrika, eningizimu yeYurophu naseMpumalanga Ephakathi. Lapha ukusetshenziswa kwe "chameleon" kusetshenziswa eqenjini lezibankwa zomndeni wakwa Chamaeleontidae, ezingashintsha umbala wazo ngokukhululeka okumangazayo ngemizuzwana embalwa. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, “onwabu” baseMexico abenzi ushintsho olukhulu kumbala. Esinye isibonelo yigama elijwayelekile abalitholayo ezweni elingumakhelwane elisenyakatho: izinzwane ezinama-horny, noma "izinzwani ezinezimpondo", kodwa akusona iselesele kepha yisilwane esihuquzelayo. Amankentshane anikezwa umndeni wezibankwa ngokwesayensi obizwa ngePhrynosomatidae, okubandakanya ezinye izinhlobo ezihlala ezindaweni ezifanayo.
Njengoba kwaziwa iningi lethu, izibankwa zidla izinambuzane ngokujwayelekile. Amankentshane wona, anokudla okukhethekile, ngoba adla izintuthwane, ngisho nezinhlobo ezilumayo nezilimazayo; zidla amakhulukhulu azo ngasikhathi sinye, zihlala zihleli, cishe zinganyakazi ekhoneni noma endleleni yokuvulwa kwesiqhwa esingaphansi komhlaba; babamba izintuthwane ngokusabalalisa ngokushesha izilimi zabo ezinamathelayo. Lesi isici esivamile phakathi konwabu baseMelika nabase-Old World. Ezinye izinhlobo nazo zidla izinambuzane nama-coleopterans, yize izintuthwane zimelela umthombo wokudla ocishe ungapheli ogwadule. Kukhona ingozi ethile ekusetshenzisweni kwayo, njengoba kunezinhlobo zematode ezikhubaza onwabu, ezihlala esiswini sazo futhi ezingadlula zisuka kwesinye isibankwakazi ziye kwesinye ngokungenisa izintuthwane, okuyisibambi sesibili. Imvamisa kunezibankwa inani elikhulu lama-parasites angenabungozi kumuntu noma kwesinye isilwane esincelisayo.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi lomhlaba kukhona isibankwa esidla izintuthwane, esifana kakhulu nonwabu. Yi "demon enezimpondo" yase-Australia, esatshalaliswa kulo lonke izwekazi; Njengezinhlobo zaseNyakatho Melika, imbozwe izikali, eziguqulwe ngendlela yezinhlayiya, ihamba kancane futhi inombala oyimfihlo kakhulu, kepha ayihlobene ngokuphelele, kepha ukufana kwayo kungumphumela wokuziphendukela kwemvelo okuguqukayo. Leli dimoni elinezimpondo lase-Australia lohlobo lweMoloch kanye nonwabu baseMelika babelana ngento eyodwa ngokufanayo: bobabili basebenzisa isikhumba sabo ukubamba amanzi emvula. Ake sicabange ukuthi siyisibankwa esingenamanzi izinyanga. Bese kuthi ngolunye usuku imvula encane ina, kepha iswele izinto zokuqoqa amanzi emvula, sizophoqeleka ukuthi sibheke amathonsi amanzi awela esihlabathini, ngaphandle kokumanzisa izindebe zethu. Amankentshane axazulule le nkinga: ekuqaleni kwemvula andisa imizimba yawo ukuze ibambe amaconsi amanzi, ngoba isikhumba sawo simbozwe ngohlelo lwamashaneli amancane we-capillary asuka emaphethelweni azo zonke izikali. Amandla omzimba wesenzo se-capillary agcina amanzi futhi awahambise emaphethelweni emihlathi, lapho afakwa khona.
Isimo sezulu sezingwadule sikhuthaze izindlela eziningi zokuziphendukela kwemvelo eziqinisekisa ukusinda kwalezi zinhlobo, ikakhulukazi eMexico, lapho ngaphezulu kwengxenye yama-45% wendawo yayo iletha lezi zimo.
Ngesibankwa esincane, esihamba kancane, izilwane ezidla ezinye ezisemoyeni, lezo ezihambayo, noma lezo ezifuna ukudla okulandelayo, zingabulala. Akungabazeki ukuthi ukuzivikela okuhle kunakho konke onobuvane kungumbala waso oyindida kanye nokuziphatha kwawo, okuqiniswa ngesimo sokunganyakazi ngokuphelele lapho esongelwa. Uma sihamba ezintabeni asikaze sizibone zize zihambe. Bese begijimela esikhotheni esithile bese besungula ukufihla kwabo, ngemuva kwalokho kufanele sizibone kabusha, okungaba nzima ngokumangazayo.
Kodwa-ke, izilwane ezidliwayo ziyazithola futhi kwesinye isikhathi zikwazi ukuzibulala futhi zikuqede. Lo mcimbi uncike ekhonweni labazingeli kanye nosayizi nobungcweti benyamazane. Ezinye izidlo ezaziwayo yilezi: oklebe, amagwababa, ababulali, abasebenza emgwaqeni, amantshontsho, ama-rattlesnakes, ama-screecher, amagundane ezintethe, ama-coyotes nezimpungushe. Inyoka egwinya unwabu iba sengcupheni yokufa, ngoba uma inkulu kakhulu, ingabhoboza umphimbo wayo ngezimpondo zayo. Izinyoka ezilambe kakhulu kuphela ezizothatha le ngozi. Abagijimi bangagwinya yonke inyamazane, noma ngabe bangathola ukuhlukunyezwa okuthile. Ukuze zizivikele kulowo ongahlasela, amankentshane azondlalela phansi, aphakamise uhlangothi olulodwa, ngale ndlela enze isihlangu esicwebezelayo, esingaya ngasohlangothini lomhlaseli. Lokhu akusebenzi ngaso sonke isikhathi, kepha uma ikwazi ukukholisa umhlaseli ukuthi inkulu kakhulu futhi ine-spiny kakhulu ukuthi ingafakwa, unwabu luzokwazi ukusinda kulokhu kuhlangana.
Ezinye izilwane ezidla ezinye zidinga izivikelo ezikhethekile. Uma i-coyote noma impungushe ethile, noma isilwane esincelisayo esilinganayo, ikwazi ukubamba unwabu ingadlala nayo imizuzu embalwa ngaphambi kokuba imihlathi yayo iyibambe phezu kwekhanda, ukuletha igalelo lokugcina. Ngalowo mzuzu umhlaseli angathola isimanga sangempela esizomenza ame bese elahla isibankwa emlonyeni wakhe. Lokhu kungenxa yokunambitheka okunyanyekayo kanyamazane. Lokhu kunambitheka okungathandeki akukhiqizwa ngokuluma inyama yakho, kodwa ngegazi elidutshulwe yimigudu yezinyembezi esemaphethelweni amajwabu amehlo. Igazi lesibankwa likhishwa ngamandla liqonde ngqo emlonyeni wesilwane. Yize isibankwa sichithe insiza ebalulekile, sisindise impilo yaso. Amanye amakhemikhali onwabu enza igazi lalo lingathandeki ezilwaneni ezizingelayo. Nabo laba, ngokuqinisekile, bazofunda kulokhu okuhlangenwe nakho futhi ngeke baphinde bazingele olunye unwabu.
AmaChameleon kwesinye isikhathi angaxosha igazi emehlweni abo lapho ephakanyiswa, kulapho esike sazizwa khona ngalomuzwa. Izakhamizi zangaphambi kweSpanishi zazazi kahle ngaleli qhinga lokusinda, futhi kunezinganekwane “zenyamazane ekhala igazi”. Abavubukuli bathole imidwebo ye-ceramic yalezi kusukela ogwini oluseningizimu-ntshonalanga yeColima kuya enyakatho-ntshonalanga yehlane laseChihuahuan. Abantu abahlala kulezo zifunda babehlale bethakazelwa ontanga.
Kuyo yonke inganekwane izibankwa okukhulunywa ngazo beziyingxenye yesiko nezinto eziphilayo zaseMexico naseMelika. Kwezinye izindawo kunenkolelo yokuthi zinezinto zokwelapha, ukuthi zimelela umoya wabantu abadala noma ukuthi zingasetshenziswa ukuqeda noma ukuqeda ukuthakathwa okuthile okubi. Singasho nokuthi abanye boMdabu baseMelika babazi ukuthi ezinye izinhlobo azizaleli amaqanda. Lolu hlobo lwama- chameleon "e-viviparous" lwaluthathwa njengento esizayo ekubelethweni.
Njengengxenye ebalulekile yesimiso semvelo esikhethekile kakhulu, onwabu basenkingeni ezindaweni eziningi. Balahlekelwe indawo yokuhlala ngenxa yemisebenzi yabantu kanye nokwanda kwabantu. Kwezinye izikhathi izimbangela zokunyamalala kwabo azicaci kahle. Isibonelo, isele elinezimpondo noma i-Texas chameleon cishe alisekho ezingxenyeni eziningi zeTexas, kungasaphathwa izifunda zaseCoahuila, iNuevo León neTamaulipas, okungenzeka kungenxa yokungeniswa ngephutha kwentuthwane engajwayelekile yendoda. Lezi zintuthwane ezinolaka, ezinegama elijwayelekile "idlozi elibomvu lomlilo" kanye negama lesayensi iSolenopsis invicta, zisabalale kuso sonke lesi sifunda amashumi eminyaka. Ezinye izimbangela ezinciphise nezinyamazane ezingamaqoqo ngukuqoqwa okungekho emthethweni nokusetshenziswa kwazo kwezokwelapha.
Amankentshane ayizilwane ezifuywayo ezilusizi ngenxa yezidingo zawo zokudla nokukhanya kwelanga, futhi awaphili isikhathi eside ekuthunjweni; ngakolunye uhlangothi, izinkinga zempilo yabantu ngokungangabazeki zinakekelwa kangcono yimithi yesimanje kunokuzomisa noma ukubulala indlala lezi zilwane ezihuquzelayo. EMexico, ukuzinikela okukhulu ekutadisheni umlando wemvelo walezi zibankwa kuyadingeka ukwazi ukusatshalaliswa kwazo kanye nobuningi bezinhlobo, ngendlela yokuthi izinhlobo ezesabekayo noma ezisengozini yokuqashelwa ziyaqashelwa. Ukubhujiswa okuqhubekayo kwendawo yabo yokuhlala ngokuqinisekile kuyisithiyo ekusindeni kwabo. Isibonelo, uhlobo lwe-Phrynosoma ditmarsi lwaziwa kuphela ezindaweni ezintathu eSonora, kanti i-Phrynosoma cerroense itholakala kuphela esiqhingini saseCedros, eBaja California Sur. Abanye bangaba sesimweni esifanayo noma esiyingozi kakhulu, kepha asisoze sazi.
Indawo ezungezile ingaba nenani elikhulu ukufeza ukuhlonza izinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo eMexico.
Ezinhlotsheni eziyishumi nantathu zamankentshane ezikhona eMexico, ezinhlanu zigcwele uP. Asio, P. braconnieri, P. cerroense, P. ditmarsi noP. Taurus.
Thina maMexico akumele sikhohlwe ukuthi izinsiza zemvelo, ikakhulukazi izilwane, zazinenani elikhulu kokhokho bethu, njengoba izinhlobo eziningi zazithathwa njengezimpawu zokukhulekela nokuhlonipha, ake sikhumbule iQuetzalcóatl, inyoka enezimpaphe. Ikakhulukazi, abantu abanjengo-Anasazi, uMogollones, uHohokam kanye noChalchihuites, bashiye imidwebo eminingi nobuciko obufanekisela onogwaja.
Umthombo: UMexico ongaziwa uNombolo 271 / Septhemba 1999
