Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Portugal, Spain, Andorra

Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Mon May 23, 2011 3:21 pm

After a bad weather weekend by internet I saw today it would be a hot day. So I called a work partner and I got a free morning. I drove to Guadarrama (Segovia, 75kms from my home). This morning I parked the car and 5 minutes later I found a nice Vipera latastei. It was very stopped. Basking at 9:40 hours. Really good beginning! I thought all the morning would be full of vipers but not. I continued looking for vipers and I found a nice Timon lepidus (female).

1. Timon.jpg
Please close your mouth! Pitbull lizard I want a normal photo (to simulate in situ photo :P
1. Timon.jpg (261.6 KiB) Viewed 5737 times

2. Timon.jpg
After 5 minutes I get a good photo!
2. Timon.jpg (248.23 KiB) Viewed 5742 times


Just running to the lizards one big male Malpolon run quickly to a hole and dissapear (3 big males this spring and all dissapear in good holes... quickly snakes! or maybe I´m old? 27years but many stones flipped...). I continued looking for vipers and another male Malpolon run quickly and dissapear (I´m old and slow indeed). Some minutes later a big female Malpolon tried to enter in a burrow and I got to catch it (being very cautioned about the health of the snake, like always!).

3. Malpolon female.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus, female
3. Malpolon female.jpg (272.25 KiB) Viewed 5742 times


After 10 minutes I saw a part of a Rhinechis scalaris in a wall. Snake was cold and slow but the weather was sunny and 25º (11:00). Just with the Rhinechis in the hand I flipped a metalic thing and a subadult male Malpolon tried to scape, but I catched it (I just can catch females and childs, I´m a loser!).

4. Rhinechis scalaris.jpg
Huge Rhinechis scalaris
4. Rhinechis scalaris.jpg (223.9 KiB) Viewed 5741 times

5. Malpolon, subadult male.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus, subadult male
5. Malpolon, subadult male.jpg (264.95 KiB) Viewed 5744 times


Finally I went to the car and went to my office for working. In 2 hours I´ve found many snakes than all last july and august in Guadarrama :D May is magic for sure!!!!!!!!!!!! I forgot the vipera photos ;)

6.Vipera latastei.jpg
Vipera latastei
6.Vipera latastei.jpg (236.01 KiB) Viewed 5743 times

7.Vipera latastei, close-up.jpg
Vipera latastei, close-up
7.Vipera latastei, close-up.jpg (119.52 KiB) Viewed 5739 times

8.Vipera latastei, in habitat.jpg
Why snakes love the places close to human houses?? (usually snake killers houses)
8.Vipera latastei, in habitat.jpg (232.46 KiB) Viewed 5736 times
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Gabriel Martínez
 
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Re: Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby Jürgen Gebhart » Mon May 23, 2011 4:26 pm

Oh yes, you get old and maybe a little lazy (maybe you eat too much ;) )!!!
I think you need to go a training camp, I recommend a camp close to Yeruham or Beit She`an !!! ;)

congrats, nice findings!!
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Re: Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby Ilian Velikov » Mon May 23, 2011 6:04 pm

It does sound like crazy and very nice morning! I love the last photo!
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Re: Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby Paul Lambourne » Mon May 23, 2011 9:02 pm

Gabriel

If you think your old at 27... how do you think I feel at 40 plus VAT :D

Great shots... even better to have a cheeky morning away from work..loved the viper portrait and in situ shot.

Which area of Spain are the shots taken... I am hoping to do a Spain,Portugal dash in September to see Lataste and seoanes viper

Kind regards

Paul
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Re: Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Tue May 24, 2011 9:32 am

@Jurgen: Yes, maybe lazy is the correct word for me with Malpolon.

@ Ilian: yes crazy monday morning, by this way I don´t hate the mondays ;)

@ Paul: The age is in the soul! I can be old with 27, but another people like Ryan Giggs (Manchester), Carlos Puyol (Barca) or Jurgen Gebhart (palaestinae lover) are older than me but sometimes they run like childs! :lol:
I took the photos in Segovia, north side of Sierra de Guadarrama. When you visit Spain send me a private e-mail: gabrimtnezmarmol@yahoo.com or gabrimtnezmarmol@hotmail.com and I´ll try to help you in your viper adventures in Spain.
I hope you stay well after your hospital operation!
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Re: Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby GertJan Verspui » Tue May 24, 2011 5:19 pm

Great photos Gabriel, you are lucky to live close to the Segovia area, I still dream about that place since april.....
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Re: Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby Peter Oefinger » Tue May 24, 2011 8:00 pm

Great - like a herping supermarket!
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Re: Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Tue May 24, 2011 11:04 pm

GertJan Verspui wrote:Great photos Gabriel, you are lucky to live close to the Segovia area, I still dream about that place since april.....

Thanks GertJan! Yes, I usually are bad to not live in Africa but Spain is one of the best places for european herpers, if I was living in England maybe I would be crying everyday!
I hope to join you the next time you visit Madrid! And look for togheter more nice latastei vipers and the quickly Malpolon snakes!

Peter Oefinger wrote:Great - like a herping supermarket!

Yes, but it´s not common! In july or august sometimes I have to visit a water point to try to find a Natrix maura and see at least one snake! :lol:
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Re: Crazy morning in Sierra de Guadarrama

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Tue May 31, 2011 9:07 pm

Finally this evening I got my huge male...
Malpolon monspessulanus, male close-up.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus, male close-up.jpg (183.89 KiB) Viewed 5388 times
Malpolon monspessulanus, male.jpg
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