Holidays with my girlfriend ;)

[Andre Schmid]

Hi everyone,
yesterday in the evening I came back from the Holidays with my grilfriend from the north east of italy (Bibione).

We start the Trip in the early saturday. I´ve made a short stop in caranthina where we have searched ammodytes a few weeks ago. I found a huge Zamenis longissima but I missed her. After this bad start I found a nice big Coronella austiaca but no ammodytes.

As we arrived we walked to the beach to make a break after a long drive with many traffic jams on the highway. So we walk on the beach an I found a cute little crab.

(most images are sized 1000 x X but click images are big pictures)

(click)

So I thought its beginning good after the first shock .....

(click)

That is definetaly not my world !

but I found a good looking habitt near the main tourist beach...

In this habitat I found some Natrix natrix helvetica, Hierophis viridiflavus, much Podarcis siculus campestris (?) and one (!) podarcis muralis nigriventris (?), some frogs I dont know whoch and one Hyla intermedia. This terrain I spend the most of my time because I won´t made my girlfriend angry when i drove a lot through italy

So here some pictures of the animals I found there...

Frogs (dont know which) adults and juveniles

Dead frogs

Bufo viridis juvenile

Hyla intermedia

Podarcis siculus campestris

Little snappy lizards

At the main tourist beach I saw at the last day a few (3) siculus with a different look at the others I found near the beach, they show no orange !?

The habitat at the main tourist beach (click)

As I said in the beginning of the Thread I found only one Podarcis muralis nigriventris at the habitat near the beach, so here it is. Its a more colorfull animal than the others I found:

Most Podarcis muralis nigriventris I found near our appartment ..

The habitat (click)

You also saw him through the top of the "garage"

.......

[Mario Schweiger]

Hello Andre,

nice collection on snake food
But where are the feeders!

So you had a nice trip, I think! (beside the time you spent with your girl friend)

Mario

[Andre Schmid]

......

Let´s go to the snakes

Near the beach I found a lot of baby Hierophis viridiflavus. I think they were hatched a few days ago because I found a place with many babysheds

and also babys in shed..I think her first shed after hatching

My goal was to find some big black angry Hierophis And I found some but badly I was to stupid to catch them or to make a photo becaus they are laying near some spiky bushes and were to fast to catch. But I found some nice looking freshly shedded babysnakes

I got some tips to search ammodytes in italy (at this place thanks for all the tips to Mario Schweiger and Christoph Riegler) so I decide to make a short daytrip near the city triest in the east of north italy. I arrived at 8.30 am with my girlfriend and begun to search but did not found some living snakes, maybe I´ve searched in the wrong terrain....But it was a very nice terrain near the sea and you have a wonderfull view.


(click)

In this habitats I´ve searched without success ammodytes

My girlfried found on the track this dead Zamenis longissimus

On this tour I only saw some Podarcis muralis (I believe) and one Algyroides
nigropunctatus (?) but I was to stupid to make a nice photo so thats all

So let´s go to the natrix. Near bibione I want to search some emys but did not found some. But I found a big Natrix tesselata in the sump of the channels.

And here some Natrix natrix helvetica in the haitat i show in the first post.

And this one in situ. It was a huge animal look at his head ! I did not catch her for photos because I´ve fear to stunk a whole week after that

So I think thats all. I´ve not much time there, it was very hot every day except the last 2 day (rain...too bad) so I have only a few hours to go herping. And last a photo that says I think all about the temperatures To bad I found no vipers thats the only bad thing at this trip...but it was a nice holiday with my girlfriend !

And like every thread of me..sorry for my horrible english !

Andre

[Guillaume Gomard]

Hi Andre,

Like always, wonderful pictures you are reporting here.The Natrix natrix helvetica is one of my favorite!
Now you have been looking snakes close to Triest city, would you have any advice to go herping there? (I will maybe go to this place in few days...).

Thanks again for this post,
Cheers

[Mario Schweiger]

Now - here they are!!!!!!
I love the Hierophis baby shot - second from top
and yes, its an Algyroides nigropunctatus female!

Mario

[Andre Schmid]

Thanks for the answers !

would you have any advice to go herping there? (I will maybe go to this place in few days...).

Hi Guillaume,

as I said in the second post I haven´t found something there, except the one dead Zamenis longissimus so I can not say a good terrain for go herping with good chances for success. But I´have found in this terrain....

....some sheds I believe from Zamenis longissimus so I think you can search in rocky habitats for snakes and lizards everywhere there. Maybe someone other can give you better advices but by the way, if you go good luck !

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Very nice shots!
Podarcis siculus campestris is right. The muralis is a maculiventris.

[Andre Schmid]

Hi Jürgen,

do you mean all the muralis or this one ?

Andre

[Mario Schweiger]

All should be maculiventris (eastern clade)!

Mario

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Right Mario, of course!