at Schlangenbad, Hessen

[Paul Bachhausen]

Hallo,
saturday we visited Schlangenbad, with the AGAR.
It was a cold day (app. 17 °C), sometimes sun.
So not many Reptils, but:
Zamenis longissimus:


Natrix natrix:

Lacerta agilis:

Zootoca vivipara:

Bufo bufo, Coronella austriaca, Anguis fragilis
more photos look:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/salamanderseiten/sets/72157645170053041/
Paul

[Manfred Gessner]

Hello,
Yes, that's a good place for herping.
I visited Schlangenbad before two weeks.
Thank's for sharing.

[Ruggero M.]

I've seen your pictures, and two pictures interest me very much.

1) Kompost fuer Eiablage. Who built this structure and why? Expressly for snakes? In this case, I'll love Germany more than I already do!
2) The dead aesculapian baby. Where did you find it? Why was it killed?

Thanks for your kindness!

P.S. Are still existing the traffic signals for "snake crossing"? Have you pictures of them?

[Paul Bachhausen]

Hello Ruggero,
1.) yes, it is built for snakes Zamenis longissimus and Natrix natrix by the AGAR Hessen
http://www.agar-hessen.de/
2.) We could not find any reason for the death of this little snake. It was on a small street, but no injuries were seen.
Paul

[Peter Oefinger]

Nice findings, Paul. Stunning for me that there is a stable poplation in such a densely populated area.

P.S. Are still existing the traffic signals for "snake crossing"? Have you pictures of them?

As far as I remember, this sign refers refers to the Rhineland-Palladium Natrix tessellata populations and tells people to get off their bicycles - actually no one cares about the sign...

[Ruggero M.]

Thanks friends! I had seen those signals in a german book and, if I remember well, they were installed expressly for the aesculapian snakes... but I don't remember where exactly.

[Paul Bachhausen]

Hi Ruggero, on our "Salamanderwanderung" to Nahe last year https://www.flickr.com/photos/salamanderseiten/sets/72157634275643595/ I made a photo of the signal that Peter wrote.

Paul

[Ruggero M.]

Wow thanks! All Europe should learn from this...

[Mario Schweiger]

Those signs are in many countries in Europe. Beside Germany also in Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic.
Here one from Czech at the northern most population of Z. longissimus.
Especially made compost pile for egg depositing and hibernation of the Aesculapian (works perfect )

Mario

[Ruggero M.]

Thanks Mario, I'm happy of this.
The countries of southern Europe are not interested in the protection of snakes... I think in particular of Italy, but not only.