On May, 9th 2009 early in the morning I started via Brennero - Verona - Parma to Carrara in Tuscany. There I met Anita and Alain Aegerter, coming from Bern, Switzerland.
After having some lunch and getting our rooms we go up to Collonata, a small village in the mountains, just above Carrara.
The weather was fine, sunny with a few clouds, although a cool wind was blowing.
At a little creek we had our first stop.
I know this place since more than 20 years now. But it was very dry, also beneath the rocks. So we didnt find an adult Salamandra salamandra, Salamandrina or Speleomantes. But we have been successful anyway........
Where the road crosses the creek, a small marble souvenir shop is. On the marble some Podarcis muralis nigriventris could be found.
A bit more the road up there is an old marble quarry (out of use). In the eighties we found many Mesotriton alpestris apuanus there. Also paedomorphs. But now the owner - Beniamino - has put goldfishes inside, becauce they are "so nice to see".
Beside a few Podarcis muralis we found this Bufo bufo spinosus male.
Around Collonata nearly every hill and mountain is degreded by marble quarries. But these sunny "spots" are inhabited now by many herps, like Podarcis muralis, Lacerta bilineata and Hierophis viridiflavus.
On the next day we drove from Massa, crossing the Alpi Apuane, to Castelnuovo and further on to Lucca.
We found lizards, but only sheddings of Vipera aspis and Hierophis here.
Near the village Colli we found an old, out of use marble quarry.
Unfortunately the pond was very deep and the newts were far away from the edge. So we couldnt get one for a picture.
From here we drove down to the Sercio valley and to Lucca.
The town Lucca is a very nice middle age town. Completely rounded by a city wall.
We spent two hours in the town and had some sight seeing. Here some impressions.......
From Lucca we drove back to our hotel in Marina di Carrara. Along the beach, on stone walls and trees we observed many Podarcis muralis nigriventris and one Podarcis siculus campestris.
PS: All lizard pictures have been taken "in situ"!
...... will be continued. Go to part 2
Mario