(Please let me know should I have commited misidentification)
So I have recently came back from trip devoted to find H. orientalis, A. colchica, L. montandoni and V. berus but let me start with my previous finding in Polish mountains, namely when I was going to Prague in May I stoped in Jakuszyce and found subadult alpine newt under a wood on land. I went there to find adders but found a newt, not too bad though.
Its habitat.
Now the recent trip to mountains- to be exact to Gorce mountains.
On the day of our arrival we went to the national park and found several human-made ponds. Some of them hosted larvas of alpine newts
larvas of Bombina variegata variegata
and common frogs during metamorphosis.
The pond with species mentioned above.
Later that day we reached another pond
this time we found adult male alpine newt
female alpine newt
and probably females of Lissotriton montandoni
but also with common frogs during metamorphosis
and larvas of newts.
We proceeded uphill, along streams and found in one of them
larvas of Salamandra salamandra salamandra.
Nearby
I found adult common frog
When it was becoming dark we visited yet another pond
which hosted grass snakes, tadpoles of B.v. variegata and freshly metamorphosed B.b.bufo.
The next day we intended to reach Turbacz (about 1300m over sea level) and in our way we found Anguis colchica.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/26PEvJC]
It seemed not to have earhole but the pileus was typical of eastern slow worm
so I assumed it was A. colchica, all the more it was found east of Vistula river (area of that species).
Its habitat
In our way to Turbacz we found many viviparous lizards but no single adder
spot the lizard
this is a gravid female I suppose
untypically spotted specimen with regrowing tail
habitat of a viviparous lizard, moor frog was found nearby
Having reached the Turbacz peak and descending from the top I found larvas of alpine newts in a wheelrut
some of them were in early stage of larval development
The following day we visited Niedzica castle and Czorsztyn castle in Pieniny mountains. In the surroundings of the former there were notifications warning people about adders but I found no single specimen unfortunately.
Maybe the notifications were put there to keep people off lawn
Then we set off to reach Gorc peak and found common toads there both in daylight when we were climbing the mountain and by night when we were descending. This specimes was found at night in Koninki as well.
Habitat of a common toad.
When descending we found a moor frog
and a beautiful adult Salamandra salamandra salamandra
place where it was found
The following day we set off to reach Tobołczyk mountain (969m over sea level). When descending from the top I found big spotted Rana temporaria temporaria.
Later I encountered nice ponds
with Bombina variegata variegata, we found adults, tadpoles and freshly metamorphosed specimens
and specimens during metamorphosis
In that place we found also alpine newts during metamorphosis
and Montandon's newts during metamorphosis as well
It was raining but we found no salamander. When it stopped I went to place where adders were allegedly observed in spring but found only viviparous lizards and grass snakes.
Specimen of viviparous lizard which was born this year.
Juvenile grass snakes.
Adult viviparous lizard which has problems with molting.
Their habitat
In the day of our return I found young moor frog
in property of museum