It's always worth it to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Slovenia

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Bobby Bok » Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:40 pm

Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:Winter's (nearly) over!

First 4 'manders out last night.


Lucky basterd! Wish I had playground woods like that, I have to wait a little longer.
User avatar
Bobby Bok
 
Posts: 954
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:11 pm
Hometown: Heemskerk
country: Netherlands

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Jeroen Speybroeck » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:19 am

Image
as usual, the year starts with the same thing the last one ended. here's a female depositing larvae in shallow water, despite no rain for 2 weeks or so. the best has yet to come
Jeroen Speybroeck
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3161
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:18 am
Hometown: Merelbeke
country: Belgium

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Kamil Szepanski » Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:46 pm

Poor Laura,

but as I only moved here, I think I may state, that I found already Salamandras in Bavaria this year (though the locals say it's Franconia :P )
Kamil D. Szepanski
lungenlos.de
Kamil Szepanski
 
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2011 6:58 pm
Location: Aalen
Hometown: Aalen
country: Germany

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Laura Bok » Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:23 pm

Hey Kamil,

I found already Salamandras in Bavaria this year (though the locals say it's Franconia :P )


Now, that is INDEED something very different ;). Today I visited a known spot for Rana temporaria in the city of Munich. Even there, the small pond was still covered with ice and no frogs were showing. However, I am positive that the countdown has started...

Until then, please keep posting ;)

Regards,
Laura
Laura Bok
 
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:04 pm
Hometown: Munich
country: Germany

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Jeroen Speybroeck » Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:08 am

Laura Tiemann wrote:Until then, please keep posting ;)


We aim to please ;) .

While last night was OK for temp, it was dry (has been like that for a couple of weeks). Today, a lot of rain, with the to-be-expected result. My all-time record of 141 (December 1st 2011) was broken :D => 145! Although I should admit, it's actually 'only' 110 in that same forest patch (over about 2,5 hours time); after my monitoring route (taking pics of each animal), I visited a possible extra route in another area and only just counted. On that final route, I found another 35 animals in a 30 minutes hike. There are some indications that most other populations in Flanders have lower numbers, but it goes to show that secretive animals can be far more abundant than we might guestimate ;) .

on the move towards water =>
Image

I kinda like this one - female in the water, with larva in the shot =>
Image

those juvies can have crazy patterns =>
Image

here's one with a "cross-over" lateral spot on the neck and a tasty meal in front of its mouth =>
Image

these guys were found like this, as if they were racing (unfortunately pic is rather lo-fi...) =>
Image

as found, one in front, two in the back =>
Image

to conclude, just a regular face-to-face with the cutest animal on the planet =>
Image
Jeroen Speybroeck
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3161
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:18 am
Hometown: Merelbeke
country: Belgium

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Laura Bok » Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:49 am

We aim to please ;) .


You definitely achieved your aim ;)

Regards,
Laura
Laura Bok
 
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:04 pm
Hometown: Munich
country: Germany

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Michal Szkudlarek » Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:11 pm

Jeroen, did You find any specimen that presented appearance typical for nominal subspecies? S. salamandra reaches so high latitude in the Netherlands and in Poland it is known only at south because of lack of beech and oak woodlands in most part of PL, am I right? And what about I. alpestris- this species is ecologically malleable so why in my country their lowland populations seems to be relict in comparsion with the situation in the Netherlands? It is said that in PL there is several lowland populations as relicts- they were common here about four thousand years ago but deforestation limited their distribution to the south and few relict lowland populations. I don't understand it, the Netherlands has more percent of fields.
Greet
Michał
User avatar
Michal Szkudlarek
 
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:09 pm
Location: Poland
Hometown: ...
country: Poland

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Jeroen Speybroeck » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:42 pm

Michal Szkudlarek wrote:did You find any specimen that presented appearance typical for nominal subspecies?

Not really, no. Also, the nominal ssp. often tends to have a slightly "warmer" yellow pattern (which I might have destroyed by playing a little bit with the saturation of my pics :oops: ).

Michal Szkudlarek wrote:S. salamandra reaches so high latitude in the Netherlands and in Poland it is known only at south because of lack of beech and oak woodlands in most part of PL, am I right?

While the distribution of Fagus trees partially goes hand in hand with that of S.s., it has been demonstrated not to be a truely causal factor, if I remember well. Latitude is one thing, but Polish climate differs from Dutch climate quite a great deal.

Michal Szkudlarek wrote:And what about I. alpestris- this species is ecologically malleable so why in my country their lowland populations seems to be relict in comparsion with the situation in the Netherlands?

Same answer, although you can factor in your own landuse story.
Jeroen Speybroeck
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3161
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:18 am
Hometown: Merelbeke
country: Belgium

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Michal Szkudlarek » Tue Mar 06, 2012 8:33 pm

Jeroen Speybroeck wrote: Polish climate differs from Dutch climate quite a great deal.

What do You mean?
User avatar
Michal Szkudlarek
 
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:09 pm
Location: Poland
Hometown: ...
country: Poland

Re: It's always worth to go out (for Salamandra) ;-)

Postby Jeroen Speybroeck » Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:14 pm

Michal Szkudlarek wrote:
Jeroen Speybroeck wrote: Polish climate differs from Dutch climate quite a great deal.

What do You mean?


Continental versus Atlantic.
Jeroen Speybroeck
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3161
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:18 am
Hometown: Merelbeke
country: Belgium

PreviousNext

Return to Central Europe

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests