Tuscany 2009 - part 3

Tuscany 2009 - part 3

Postby Mario Schweiger » Wed May 20, 2009 3:23 pm

Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th of May.

These two days we spent in the Castiglione della Pescaia and Orbetello area.

On Wednesday mornig we went up the hills north of Castiglione.
Fire aisles and forest roads, only driveable by a high 4wheel car (we went by feet), intersect the dense pine/oak forests and macchia.

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Habitat of Podarcis, Lacerta, Testudo hermanni, Hirophis viridiflavus and Vipera aspis francesceredi on the hills near Castiglione della Pescaia.


All the booming flowers, especially Cistus albidus and Cistus libanotis have
been very nice to look on.
Although we startet early (8:00 a.m. CEST) it was really hot.
So we didnt see any snake, only some lizards and a few tortoises.
Latters didnt really come out into the sun. Most were sitting on the edge of the macchia
in the light shade.
Lizards seen, have been Podarcis muralis nigriventris and Podarcis siculus campestris.
Also some adult Lacerta bilineata were running into the dense bushes,
and it was impossible to take one picture.

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Cistus albidus


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Cistus libanotis


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Testudo h. hermanni, male


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Podarcis muralis nigriventris, female


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Testudo h. hermanni, female


Having a look from the hills down to the agriculture flatlands, we saw,
large parts have been still flooded, consequence of the heavy rains three weeks earlier.

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The flatlands between Castiglione and Grosseto. Still flooded


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Testudo h. hermanni, male, in situ


Coming down from the hills we looked in some old well shafts.
Nearly in everyone, Hemidactylus turcicus was living.
In one of these shafts we found an old and large female of Bufo bufo spinosus.
So the shafts are covered by heavy metal sheets, the toad wouldnt have any chance
to come out by its self. She must have dropped down, when the shaft was open for some time.

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Bufo bufo spinosus female in the well shaft


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.... and outside


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a really large female


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It was now about 1:00 p.m. and we heared a typical tortoise noice out from the bushes.
An inspection showed us a mating pair of the Italian tortoise.

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mating Testudo h. hermanni in the bushes


In another well shaft, a "family" of 4 Hemidactylus turcicus was living.
And also two scorpions, Euscorpius italicus.

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Hemidactylus turcicus, in situ


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Euscorpius italicus


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Hemidactylus turcicus, in situ


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The castle in Castiglione della Pecaia. The "black spots" in the sky are Apus apus.


At about 3:00 p.m. we drove to the Trasubbia creek, a sidearm of the Ombone river, near Istia d´Ombrone. Also this place I know for more than 20 years now and have found Natrix natrix "lanzai", Natrix tessellata there.
On the gravel banks, beside bushes also Testudo hermanni, Hierophis viridiflavus and Vipera aspis francisceredi.
But this time no snake, only a few lizards, both Podarcis species and some Lacerta bilineata.
In small pools at the edge of the riverbed tadpoles of Bufo bufo and Bufo ((Pseud)Epidalea) viridis.

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The river Trasubbia


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Podarcis muralis nigriventris female


Leaving this place a fresh road killed Hierophis viridiflavus on the road to Istia.

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road killed Hierophis viridiflavus


The evening we spent again in Castiglione and had a look to geckos too.

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Tarentola mauritanica in Castiglione


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Tarentola mauritanica in Castiglione


On thursday we drove south to Orbetello and had some stops around this town.
The same herps like on the last days.

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Gladiolus italicus


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Serapias vomeracea


At afternoon we went to the Monte Argentario.
Our goal was to find Euleptes europaea and Discoglossus.
But we havnt been lucky, although we looked on many places along the roads and up to the Telegrapho.
In a crested pond near the Telegrapho one Pelophylax sp. was calling.
Along the roads both Podarcis sp. and young Lacerta bilineata.

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Podarcis siculus campestris, male


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Podarcis siculus campestris, male


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Baby Lacerta bilineata, Monte Argentario - near Telegrapho


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Landscape near Grosseto


In the late evening, after dinner, we visited the castle in Castiglione.

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The castle in Castiglione in the night, entrance


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The castle in Castiglione in the night


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The castle in Castiglione in the night. The tower. Mystic picture - spotlights and camera flash


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The castle in Castiglione in the night


...... will be continued. Go to part 4 (last part)

Mario
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