Mountain lake in Switzerland

[Guillaume Gomard]

Hi all,

I post below some pics which were taken 2 weeks ago in Switzerland while trekking around a mountain lake (around 1400m asl). The weather was really favorable with a succession of sun and clouds. Two large N.natrix were missed during that day but I could observe most of the local herpetofauna:

View on the lake:

Its inhabitants:

Same individual in close-up. Some patterns can still be distingwished on this viper:

Guillaume

[Paul Lambourne]

Guillaume,

A good number of finds for a brief trek round a lake!
Loved the final picture of the frog in situ, splendid!

Cheers

Paul

[Thomas Reich]

I think I got a déjà-vu. Yes, it's a beautiful place.

[Mario Schweiger]

Nice landscape with nice observations
Would be nice to know the approx. location of the lake - because of your muralis picture (looks like a maculiventris west form)

Mario

[Guillaume Gomard]

I think I got a déjà-vu. Yes, it's a beautiful place.

I go there every year not only because the place is beautiful but also because of the high variability of the asps. Not to mentionned the high number of Natrix around the lake! BTW, Thomas, do you often go there? If yes, do you see mainly "dark" asps or not?

Nice landscape with nice observations
Would be nice to know the approx. location of the lake - because of your muralis picture (looks like a maculiventris west form)

Mario

Thanks, Mario. It is not far from Lake Geneva, and it's also the first time that I see such a lizard there, athough I'm usually more focusing on snakes

[Pierre-Yves Vaucher]

I know this lake, hard to go with foot !!!

[Thomas Reich]

BTW, Thomas, do you often go there? If yes, do you see mainly "dark" asps or not?

I was there only once (june 2011), because I don't live in the vicinity of that lake. I found 10 vipers on that day, five of them being more or less black, but not entirely black.

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Love the dark Asp, will be a Beauty after shedding!

[Laura Bok]

This lake is a gold mine apparently! I love herping in great scenery, and this place seems to be a perfect spot for that! You would expect Salamandra atra to also occur there - did you find them back then Thomas?
Cheers,
Laura

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

You would expect Salamandra atra to also occur there

Out of range, maybe?
http://www2.unine.ch/cms/site/karch/op/edit/pid/30063
Answering the question may reveal that this place would be east of Lac Leman.