A visit to Bulgaria (May/June 2012)

[Ilian Velikov]

Here are some photos from our annual visit to Bulgaria to see the family and friends. As usual we also tried to see some wildlife although it was really hot most of the time (reaching above 40 C in the sun). The photos are from different locations.

Bufo bufo

Bufo viridis

Bufo viridis

Bombina variegata

Bombina variegata

Bombina variegata

Lacerta viridis

Lacerta viridis (I love the camouflage on this one - brown matching the branches, and green matching the leaves)

Lacerta viridis

Lacerta viridis

Anguis (fragilis)? - with the devision of this species I have no idea which one this is

Anguis (fragilis)? - this male has recently lost his tail and it was still bleeding slightly

Anguis (fragilis)? - same male

Podarcis muralis

The usual suspects - P.ridibundus

Natrix natrix

Testudo hermanni

Testudo hermanni

Testudo hermanni

Testudo graeca

Testudo graeca

Testudo graeca

Calopteryx splendens - male

..and female

Ciconia ciconia

We went to a marsh where among the numerous P.ridibundus there might be some P.kl.esculentus too. While listening to the loud calls of the Marsh frogs we heard a very different frog call. I thought it might be esculentus (I’m not very good with frog sounds), so we started looking for the source of it. It was coming from somewhere close to the shore. After a few minutes my wife spotted the frog. It was actually on land facing away from the water and it was producing this sound (something between a croak and a squeak) by opening its mouth rather than with its vocal sacs.

I couldn’t get a very good view of it because of the vegetation, so it was only after it tried to jump when I realized it was actually being eaten by a Grass snake and that this was a call of distress. Almost the whole of the snake was in the water with only its head and foreparts out on land holding the frog, pulling it towards the water and trying to swallow it.

For about 10-15 minutes the frog was producing these squeaks, arching its back and trying to jump.

After several attempts, to my surprise, the frog managed to free itself from the snake’s grip and jumped in the water. One of the frog’s legs was swollen and pinkish-red. I don’t know whether it was already like that before the snake attacked it or if it was a result of the attack. The snake didn’t try to follow its prey but just adjusted its jaws and disappeared in the water in the opposite way of where the frog was.

I still don’t know if the frog was ridibundus or esculentus, but I’ve noticed that ridibundus produce an array of sounds different from their usual loud ‘laughing’ after which they are named. Short or long croaks, squeaks, combinations of them, etc. Is there any research made on the vocal communication in this species because it seems to me that they use it for other purposes, as well as, for attracting mates.

[Peter Oefinger]

Poor frog!

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Great findings, the documentation frog vs. Natrix is very cool!
My favourite pic is the frist one, the running little bufo`s!

[Sandra Panienka]

Great stuff. The frog looks like it is a P. ridibundus. All three species (lessonae, ridibundus; including esculentus) have several types of calls: mating calls, territorial calls, gnarling sounds done by males in territorial fights, high squeaks when scared or making sudden jumps. It really depends on the situation the frog is in. I think the mating calls are the ones that can help to identify the species, but calls can vary with temperature, so you really have to be cautious (better have a look at the callus internus). I sometimes have the feeling that territorial calls of P. ridibundus males ar a bit deeper in sound than P. esculentus, but that's just my very subjective opinion.

[Pierre-Yves Vaucher]

I hate look at animal's death or so close, but it's life.... nice report

[Ray Hamilton]

Interesting observations. I really liked the first shot of the toadlets leaving the water.
Also the shot of the White Stork against the bright blue sky -(Sigh, I remember when we used to get blue skies in the U.K.)

[Francesco Tri]

It 's happened to me in Montenegro, listening to strange sounds of frogs and call for help, to discover a frog attacked by two natrix!

I could not resist the net and I caught the whole group that only then released the poor beast is blown away

Even natrix were very thin ......

[Mario Schweiger]

The 1st Lacerta viridis is basking on a very dangerous trap
Jumping down to the wrong side might be fatal.

in Croatia near Zadar - July 2010

Mario

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Is there any research made on the vocal communication in this species because it seems to me that they use it for other purposes, as well as, for attracting mates.

I'm sure there is, but don't really know straight away where to look for it. Obviously, part of their vocabulary is meant to tell other males to back off.

((( This is my 1000th post Do I get some sort of medal now, Mario? )))

[Ilian Velikov]

Thank you all for your comments!

The tiny toads were pretty cool, but unfortunatelly because there were millions of them out on the road (you could hardly walk there), a lot of them got ran over. Not a good sight but I guess that's what's supposed to happen, otherwise there would be an invasion of billions of toads..even the storks wouldn't manage to help if they all survive. Don't worry though, I'm pretty sure more than half of them managed to get out of the road.

The 1st Lacerta viridis is basking on a very dangerous trap

An interesting case! These tyres however were quite overgrown with vegetation, so I guess the lizards would not have problems getting out.

I could not resist the net and I caught the whole group that only then released the poor beast is blown away

My wife was trying to make me help this frog as well, but as much as I hate seeing animals die, I'm trying to keep myself from interfering, and in this case it turned out well - the frog got away, so I didn't have to watch it being devoured. However, if I was to interfere I could've heard either the frog or the snake, besides the snake would be hungry and eat another frog soon after that. Do you mean that,in your case, the frog was dead before the snakes got to it?

All three species (lessonae, ridibundus; including esculentus) have several types of calls: mating calls, territorial calls, gnarling sounds done by males in territorial fights, high squeaks when scared or making sudden jumps.

I'm sure there is, but don't really know straight away where to look for it. Obviously, part of their vocabulary is meant to tell other males to back off.

It would be nice to read some publications on this subject. If anyone knows such publications, please do post a link!
I'm also pretty sure (at least for ridibundus) that they call not only in the breeding season but also later in the summer( maybe not so intenslly but still...), so they probabbly "talk" about other stuff too.