fieldherping.eu

Thank you for determination, Mario!
I'll correct it in my Trip Report.

Saturday early in the morning I'll start to my second trip to Croatia (for 2 weeks)!
I can't even wait to be there for herping. But this time my girlfriend will be with me, so no herping all the time!
But I negotiated that I'll have also time for herping alone! And we'll do day trips together at wich I will herp a bit "by the way"..

First we'll visit the Plitvice lakes and stay there for two nights and then travel to the Navigradsko more near Obrovac. There we'll stay the remaining 12 days.
We or I plan day trips to the Island Pag, to Krka (National Park), to Lake Vrana and maybe to Paklenica National Park (Velebin mountains).
I've been at all this places last time and found a lot of reptiles there. Some of the places my girlfriend wants to see now, because of the landscapes.
And I want to have a closer look at the back country away from the coast.

If you have any hints for me, you're welcome!

Berislav Horvatic wrote:Well, I'd like to know the locality - the old one or a new one? Peter?

I don't know - I didn't join that trip.

Peter Oefinger wrote:I don't know - I didn't join that trip.

Well, could you then, please, ask your colleague and satisfy my (burning) curiosity? I' didn't ask for a precise
location, it's just "old" or "new". If it does happen to be a new one, we'll proceed more discretely, of course ...

Michael Wilms wrote:Saturday early in the morning I'll start to my second trip to Croatia (for 2 weeks)!

Quite an ambitious plan, and I sincerely hope you'll manage to fulfil it... All the best, and we all expect a most
interesting report afterwards.
However, just keep in mind that two weeks seem very, very long only before you start... But once in the "field",
time passes only too quickly, there is rain, wind, unpredicted & unpredictable circumstances of all kind...

And I want to have a closer look at the back country away from the coast.

Don't tell me (us)! A criptic (& charming) way indeed to tell that you are going to visit the ursinii site...
OK, OK, Plitvice lakes count as well, but I know what makes you really excited about this "hinterland" of
(and off) the coast... Wish you even more luck on that special day, just keep in mind that you'll need a
whole day for that, although it's rather close. Start early, and take enough to drink with you, as there's
not a drop of water there, and it might get pretty hot at midday... Fingers crossed!
(No water, but also no landmines there, that's for sure. Relax totally regarding that issue.)

Peter Oefinger wrote:

Berislav Horvatic wrote:Well, I'd like to know the locality - the old one or a new one? Peter?

I don't know - I didn't join that trip.

I most humbly apologize to Peter and everyone else around here for my really stupid mistake. I looked at the really gorgeous
P. melisellensis, ignored the other lizard, and took the algy for an oxy... (!!!) That was the only reason for my persistence in
asking about the locality, but since it's just a plain algy, it really doesn't matter. Well, shit does happen, even to the best...
(I'm, of course, not one of the best, not even near to that, I know... So, please, just forgetaboutit...) But the photo is superb.

However, just keep in mind that two weeks seem very, very long only before you start... But once in the "field",
time passes only too quickly, there is rain, wind, unpredicted & unpredictable circumstances of all kind...

I fear, you're so right..!

..but I know what makes you really excited about this "hinterland" of
(and off) the coast...

You know my plans..
I'm very curious about this "hinterland"!

Wish you even more luck on that special day, just keep in mind that you'll need a
whole day for that, although it's rather close. Start early, and take enough to drink with you, as there's
not a drop of water there, and it might get pretty hot at midday... Fingers crossed!

Thank you for your wishes! I hope I'll have luck! I probably plan even more than one day for the "hinterland sightseeing"...
And thanks for the hints! I'll take a cap on my head, lots of suncream on my skin and enought to drink.. and I'll start early in the morning!
So it should become wonderful and hopefully successful days in the "hinterland"!

I probably plan even more than one day for the "hinterland sightseeing"...

Spending the night how & where? In Gračac, Knin, or in a tent - at the very site? Or returning to Novigrad?
Just being curious, as it's a practical question/problem one has to think of in advance. I could recommend
you a cheap accommodation in Knin (I've used many times, much to my satisfaction), so, if you need one,
let me know before it gets too late.
And the last hint regarding the "hinterland": If there's a (moderate!) bora wind (blowing from the NE), but
enough sunshine, you might still find the ursiniis basking under the lee of big rocks, on the southern side
of them. (That's towards the top of the mountain, starting from 1300 m a.s.l.) But if you have a southern
wind, just give it up... or, rather, don't even try to undertake this excursion on a day like that.

Thank you for that hint!

Spending the night how & where?

I ment to do several day trips, maybe even not on days following each other, so the weather gives me more chances.
It is only a bit over 50 km to "the hinterland site" (becaus our apartment is at the Novigradsko more but it depends to a district of Obrovac) and to Knin it's from "the hinterland site" also over 30 km.
So this is not that closer that it brings a big profit.

It's just 1 h to drive, so start at 7 am enables me to search for snakes a bit after 8 am. So I have a lot of a day!

It is only a bit over 50 km to "the hinterland site" (becaus our apartment is at the Novigradsko more
but it depends to a district of Obrovac) and to Knin it's from "the hinterland site" also over 30 km.
So this is not that closer that it brings a big profit.

Lucky you, for my "home base" is in Zagreb... So, regarding this "hinterland site" I have quite a different attitude
(and opportunities) on what's "reasonable" when I'm there... Anyway, good luck & all the best, for the n-th time...

It's just 1 h to drive, so start at 7 am enables me to search for snakes a bit after 8 am. So I have a lot of a day!

It's (hopefully!) just 1 hour to drive only to the starting point (leaving the asphalt road at the "Y" crossways at O.), then it's some
30 - 40 minutes more of a (rather bad!) unpaved road (Schotterstrasse) to reach the "parking place" (whichever of the two), only
THEN you start looking for whatever you are looking for...

And now just the really final, and an utterly "Balkanese" hint: If, at the beginning of the unpaved road, you happen to see a sign
saying something like "access forbidden for foreigners", don't read it, ignore it, and just drive on... Believe me, EVERYONE has
done the same, with no ill cosequences whatsoever, up to the present moment.