My year so far in Denmark

[Kristian Munkholm]

Hi all,

I put together a little report covering my year so far at home for another website http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7057.

It's written for a mainly non European target audience who can not be expected to have the same level of knowledge of our species as you guys so I won't repeat the full post here. I also just can not be bothered to rewrite the whole thing so instead I'll just show a few of the pics (sorrry about the crappy quality). If you want the full version with more pictures & lots of words I'm afraid you'll have to follow the link


Lissotriton vulgaris


Triturus cristatus


Bombina bombina


Bufo bufo


Bufo calamita


Bufo variabilis - or whatever you want to call them


Hyla arborea


Pelobates fuscus


Pelophylax kl. esculentus


Pelophylax kurtmuelleri - or whatever... (introduced)


Rana arvalis


Rana dalmatina


Rana temporaria


Trachemys scripta (introduced)


Anguis fragilis


Lacerta agilis


Zootoca vivipara


Natrix natrix


Vipera berus


Missed species:
The alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris, and marsh frog, Pelophylax ridibundus, both have very small and – by Danish standards – remote ranges, neither of which I've visited this year

[Tom Hoogesteger]

Nice! Almost complete! You can still try to include Coronella austriaca and Zamenis longissimus before the season ends.

[Kristian Munkholm]

Nice! Almost complete! You can still try to include Coronella austriaca and Zamenis longissimus before the season ends.

Now, if I could just get my hands on that time machine...

I might make a go for Ichthyosaura this year, though. ridibundus - not gonna happen, too expensive and time consuming to go to Bornholm.

[Tom Hoogesteger]

Maybe no real chance Zamenis longissimus, but If there is any potential Coronella-habitat left in Denmark, it would not surprise me at all if the snakes would, in reality, still be there.
Think of it, in the Åland islands Coronella austriaca was first found in 1881. Since then, 5 individuals were found until 1948 and none at all between 1948 and 1974.. And in reality C. austriaca is not that rare in Åland. So you can imagine what the frequency of findings would be if the population numbers are really low. It not being found in more than 100 years would not be that difficult to believe..

[Kristian Munkholm]

Maybe no real chance Zamenis longissimus, but If there is any potential Coronella-habitat left in Denmark, it would not surprise me at all if the snakes would, in reality, still be there.
Think of it, in the Åland islands Coronella austriaca was first found in 1881. Since then, 5 individuals were found until 1948 and none at all between 1948 and 1974.. And in reality C. austriaca is not that rare in Åland. So you can imagine what the frequency of findings would be if the population numbers are really low. It not being found in more than 100 years would not be that difficult to believe..

There is definitely no chance for Zamenis - whatsoever!

With regards to Coronella, there are still people who believe them to be here and continue searching. I must admit I have lost faith and turned to the dark side. Coronella has never been common in Denmark and while there is habitat left that should be suitable these pockets just seem too small and fragmented not to mention too well studied to conceivably hold hidden populations. Due at least in part to its place in the food chain it simply doesn't occur in as high densities as the other nordic snakes and therefore needs larger tracts of suitable habitat to sustain a viable population. Fragmentation of suitable habitat is probably the main reason for their demise in Denmark.
Though never common it has been quite widespread though, seemingly occupying rather diverse habitats. Efforts to refind it have been centered around a few somewhat reasonably sized areas with nice habitat and rumoured sightings after 1914. I am absolutely convinced it does not occur in any of these places, otherwise it would have been documented by now. If we are to be surprised by a Danish Coronella I believe it will instead be from an overlooked location where it is found entirely by accident.