fieldherping.eu

Hi everybody,
I'm back from my latest Italian adventure and of course I prepared a trip report:
http://www.bpo-natura.de/en/index.php?id=689

I hope you enjoy!

Some teasers:

oh, all those crazy looking lizards.
But: probably to much sulphur smoke inhaled : H. gemonensis (3rd pic in report)

As always your reports are highly informative and very funny to read! Seems like you had the true raffonei experience with all those vulcanoes. That Natrix juvenile almost looks like a najadum with those big blotches

Beautiful natrix And also beautiful lizards. Lools like you had a great trip, to bad you missed the vipers from sicily...but those natrix

Wonderful Natrix!!!!

Never saw such nice Podarcis siculus before! Great!!

Really nice and well written report. Beautiful places and lots of herps, sweet!

Very nice Birgit and Peter,
Impressive trip!

Great island hopping! The Strombolicchio dinosaurs are my favourites!

Great trip! Some dedicated searches for P. raffonei. Good to see that they still persist on Vulcano.

Ever since my too brief visit to Vulcano in september 2009 I wondered whether raffonei and siculus hybridize, but you seem to have found hybrids. Are there any (genetic) studies which demonstrate hybridization between both species?

Back then I only found this animal, which may or may not be raffonei:

Or maybe "just" a subadult siculus? Unfortunately no other pics of this animal...

Thanks for your comments.

Maarten Gilbert wrote:Good to see that they still persist on Vulcano.

I would say they are about to disappear - siculus is too competitive and flexible...