In spring 2015 I have been to the Region of Murcia. This is not a wordy trip report, but I thought I'd share some pictures.
My main goal was to find the endemic species of that area. This proved to be quite easy thanks to favourable weather conditions during the first days of the week. In contrast, the second half was characterised by heat with temperatures up to 36°C, which lowered the findings drastically. Thanks to the authors of several online trip reports and Matt Wilson for valuable hints.
First, I explored a pine forest at the sea south of Alicante, but failed to find a single herp species.
Shy european rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were common, be it alive or DOR.
I normally don't catch lizards. For this big ocellated lizard (Timon nevadensis) I made an exeption. I waited for 10 minutes sitting motionless down on my knees for the lizard to close his mouth completely. You see the unsatisfactory result.
It was not amused.
Juvenile ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris)
Landscape near Rincon de los huertos.
Catalonian wall lizard (Podarcis liolepis), according to expert Peter Oefinger
Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) right after catching a pigeon.
During daytime I checked the area to find potential breeding ponds for Alytes dickhilleni.
Habitat of Pelophylax perezi, Alytes dickhilleni and Salamandra salamandra.
Tadpole of Alytes dickhilleni, if I am not mistaken. Please correct me.
Western spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes)... (EDIT: or Hyla sp.?)
...found in this pond.
Countryside
Nice platanus alley in Riópar.
After dark I found myself in the middle of dozens of calling midwife toads. Wow! I missed the spawn handover only by seconds (picture ca. 1 minute later).
Spanish algyroides (Algyroides marchi) on the lookout.
Same animal. I was able to find Algyroides marchi at several random stops.
Podarcis virescens in sympatry.
Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus)
Endless olive desert to the northwest of the Sierra de Cazorla.
What the fox!
Brooks are always good places to find viperine snakes.
Another one at at different place.
Always a nice find: iberian worm lizard (Blanus cinereus) at the source of Guadalquivir river.
On the way back to the coast: Psammodromus edwarsianus (EDIT: it's in fact P. hispanicus, see below)
Podarcis hispanicus near Huéscar.
What to do in the suffocating heat of Murcia?
a) Photograph a shy and nicely coloured Timon nevadensis on the road.
b) Go to the beach and search for spiny-footed lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus)
c) Wait for the night in order...
...to have the luck to find false smooth snake(Macroprotodon brevis)
Lots of Hemidactylus turcicus were out, too.
All in all, it was a great one-week trip with much more findings than I could show.