Summer (observations)

[Rob Andriessen]

Today we visited our monitoring areas for the last time this year. With 3 adders, 2 smooth snakes, 9 grass snakes, 2 slow worms, some viviparous lizards and dozens of sand lizards is was a great day to finish the season. Some pictures below (though I can't compete with many other photos on this forum; I'm not really into photography and I don't own a fancy camera. All pictures are in situ though )

[Andre Schmid]

A few more from black forest

[Matthijs Hollanders]

Rob, nice in situ photo of that Coronella. I don't remember seeing any rocks at any of those spots (see: Adder)?

[Kristian Munkholm]

I didn't get out much at the beginning of summer. Starting chronologically, a couple of days after my latest Danish post here in mid May I went biking in the woods, stopped and rolled a log, found only my second cristatus of the year, made do with a quick, crappy docu shot but I haven't seen any since. I haven't targeted them this year but I usually chance upon more.



I only went out a couple of times in June, both times on short trips to my favourite local patch, seeing all five native reptile species and assorted amphibians. Again, I was lazy with the camera.

















The first of these outings was one of those times I was happy not to be herping in sandals.



On the second outing I was showing a friend around. We saw a nice variety of adders – among other things - I left the camera in the car.

After getting back from Italy we spent a few days visiting my parents on the Island of Funen. Walks around the neighbourhood always provide plenty of bufo and temporaria.





Last year we went to a playground in the woods nearby and while the kids were playing I looked around and found an adder and a couple of sand lizards. This year, one afternoon while the rest of the family were just hanging out in the garden I drove down to examine the spot a little closer. I found five adders along with a bunch of sand lizards – including a hypomelanistic male – a couple of slow worms and three large grass snakes, one of them an exceptional blue green specimen.










hypomelanistic



After tucking in the kids I went out at night a couple of times, searching for some of the more uncommon local anurans that I can't find around Copenhagen.












For good measure, a crappy voucher of the abundant Lissotriton

Back on Zealand towards the end of July I started to explore an area a little further north of Copenhagen than my regular haunts. On my first trip I was driving through an area of green agricultural desert along a sad regulated stream in an otherwise nice landscape when I stopped at a tiny grove of fir trees with a fallen log in front of it in a patch of uncut grass and weeds. The entire spot was barely more than 50 square meters but I thought it might hold a lizard or two, perhaps a toad or at least a couple of nice bugs.

I was rather surprised, though, when the first thing I saw as I got off my bike was a huge basking gravid female adder. A little more looking around revealed two more along with two grass snakes and a pile of at least four slow worms, not bad for such a small and isolated patch.




double


triple



I found a couple of other nice spots in the area as well, including the herper's picnic spot.







Rowan Atkinson









I visited the area a number of times over the course of the following five weeks or so, finding new spots and animals and getting better acquainted with others.















Come September I didn't have the time to get out much any more but I did have a job interview one day near my favourite local spot. After the interview I took the time to look around the area for the first time in three months. I was thrilled to find once again all five native reptile species, including seven adders, a new record for the spot, and assorted amphibians.











The final adder of the day, which may well end up my last of the year, was kind enough to show me a bit of interesting behaviour as well. I was walking back along the railroad tracks when I found it basking with a meal in its stomach. As I moved closer, it starting moving as well, in response to me I thought at first, but I since came to doubt this. Along the tracks lay a line of concrete blocks. The adder examined one of the narrow cracks between these, then started to wedge its way in. With half of the body in it seemed stuck because it couldn't fit the lump in its stomach in between the blocks. I walked in to take a closer look and was surprised to find the concrete blocks were hollow.


basking by the tracks…


moving...


towards the first crack...


examining the first crack...


going in...

Apparently not full yet the snake seemed to be searching for prey underneath them, oblivious to my presence. Unable to move forward any further it extracted itself with some difficulty, then moved on along the concrete to the next crack where the whole scenario repeated itself. Unfortunately I was already running late for my next appointment so as it was examining the third crack and starting to make its way in I had to be on my way.


out again...


towards the next crack...


headed in again...

This was, quite possibly my final local outing of the year. I have since stumbled across a couple of late season amphibians around the house, a common toad in the street last night being the latest. Unfortunately, I won't have much time the next week or two, days are getting short around here, and it's getting cold. For those of you living where there is still activity, happy herping, I'm getting ready for hibernation...