Here some pictures I took during a trip to the Peloponnese from April 27th till May 7th this year. Except for the first rainy day, weather conditions were mostly sunny, with temperatures around 25°C.
After a smooth flight from Amsterdam we arrived in Athens. First destination for the next two days was a mountainous region in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese. At the first spot we visited we saw lots of lizards (and goats). The sympatric occurrence of at least 5 lacertid species was quite exceptional.
- Podarcis peloponnesiaca
- Podarcis taurica
- Testudo hermanni
- Algyroides kitaibelii
In the afternoon it started to rain. Not deterred by the rain and still full of enthusiasm at the start of our trip we still managed to find some animals.
- Natrix natrix
- Anguis cephallonica
- Rana dalmatina
- Pelophylax kurtmuelleri
- Potamon fluviatilis
- Anguis graeca
- Natrix tessellata
The next day we visited another very interesting area nearby. The clouds were gone and the herps popped up like mushrooms.
- Hierophis gemonensis
- Pseudopus apodus
- Dark colored Hierophis gemonensis
- Here’s one for the search pic fanatics…
- Ophiomorus punctatissimus
- Podarcis peloponnesiaca couple
- Podarcis peloponnesiaca
On our way to the Mani peninsula we made a stop in the central region of the Peloponnese, resulting in some interesting observations.
- Hyla arborea
- Zamenis situla
The next days we explored the Mani peninsula. The first morning on the Mani we paid a visit to a coastal area dominated by olive groves.
- Mediodactylus kotschyi
- Testudo marginata
- Mediodactylus kotschyi
- Eryx jaculus
- Eryx jaculus
As temperatures rose during the afternoon we went up into the Taygetos mountains. Here we found our first Hellenolacerta graeca and much more.
- Hellonolacerta graeca
- Rana graeca
- Ophiomorus punctatissimus
- Podarcis peloponnesiaca
- Hemidactylus turcicus
We explored more southerly parts of the Mani peninsula on the next day.
- Typhlops vermicularis
- Vipera ammodytes
- Malpolon insignitus
- Lacerta trilineata
We left the Mani peninsula and headed for the southwestern coast. On our way we made a few stops. First stop was in the northern Taygetos mountains.
- Vipera ammodytes
- Hellenolacerta graeca
A nice shaded river valley provided some relief from the afternoon heat.
- Rana graeca
- Mauremys rivulata
- Hellenolacerta graeca
At the end of the day we visited a Chamaeleo africanus population.
- Chamaeleo africanus
- Chamaeleo africanus harassed by a mosquito
We visited several spots along the southwestern coast on the next day.
- Podarcis peloponnesiaca
- Goats with a view…
- Tree-dwelling Hierophis gemonensis
We went further up north to a nice coastal area. Halfway, we made a brief stop at a lowland lake. Here we met some members of the Austrian herpetofauna team. Somehow I think that walking around with welding gloves in the middle of nowhere gave our intentions away.. It's a small world, nice meeting you guys!
- Pelophylax epeiroticus
- A lettered Emys orbicularis
The next two days were spent in the northwestern Peloponnese. The landscape was a diverse mixture of wetlands and forests. Amongst others, we found two Pseudopus apodus; both were found about 1.5 meters up in a shrub.
- Climbing Pseudopus apodus
- Platyceps najadum
We drove back to Athens via Patras. After seeing a glimpse of a fleeing Tarentola mauritanica in an urban area infested with tramps and gypsy people we quickly moved on. Since the weather conditions were sub-optimal during our first visit (and we just didn’t want this trip come to its inevitable end..) we decided to go to the mountainous area we’ve been to on the first two days of the trip once more.
- Podarcis muralis
- Podarcis erhardii
Even in downtown Athens we managed to find some herps.
- Testudo marginata mowing the lawn at the Hephaistos temple
With these urban tortoises our trip came to an end. By finding 39 species, of which some in high numbers, the Peloponnese far exceeded our expectations! Many thanks to Matthieu Berroneau, Ronald Laan, Peter Oefinger, and Jeroen Speybroeck.
Thanks for viewing,
Maarten
More pictures to be found here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/MaartenGil ... unaEurope3
