NE-Spain, SE-France, no Fieldtrip, just vacation!

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Just vacation, no fieldherping, this time for real. I couldn’t remember when I was so tired about fieldherping, like this time. I turned not more than five stone a Day. I had all times my camera with me but was too lazy to search something. We (My not in herping interested wife and I) traveled for six days to Spain (Costa Brava area). It looks every Day that it will rain and it does sometimes. Temperatures between 20 and 25 Degrees with some cold winds.
Few from our Hotel room, it looks like this every morning.


Dali museum in Figueres


Herp-Art


I pictured some lizards
Catalonian Wall Lizard (Podarcis liolepis liolepis) - After talking with Ulirch Schulte this one is a Podarcis muralis brongniardii






Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis brongniardii)


Large psammodrums (Psammodrumus aligirus)






Found one viperine snake (Natrix maura)


And saw a half grown Montpelier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus), but this one was too fast for me.

After Spain we drove to south east France. Weather conditions are the same as in Spain, but with more Sun.
Mount Ventoux with Lavender field


Lavender field

Lavender field and Mount Ventoux


I pictured also just a few lizards on different places.
Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis brongniardii) - Avignon Palais des Papes


Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis brongniardii) - Chateauneuf du Pape


Western Three-Toed Skink (Chalcides striatus)




Found also one viperine snake (Natrix maura)


And missed also one half grown Montpelier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus)

Lunchtime, Dragoonfly with some food


But for one moment the fieldherper in me came back. I got good information about Vipera ursinii in one of these high mountain areas and I tried it. I woke my wife up at 6.00 h (Vacation!!!) and we drove two hours to that mountain range. We arrived around 8.30 h, Temperatures around 10 Degrees, strong cold wind, no sun. My wife was sitting in the car and I start searching. After one hour with no luck (sun came out now from time to time and the wind was not more that strong as in the beginning), I changed the area and after a few minutes I found my first ursinii!







After some pics I decided to go back to the car, one ursinii was enough I thought, I walked about 30 Meters and found the next one!!!!





After that one I was a little bit scared to found one more so I walked on the fastest way back to the car to my frozen wife. Temperatures were now 13 Degrees.

After 13 Days our summer holidays were over, I enjoyed the quiet time. Maybe I will do more fieldherping during our next year vacation. (Maybe not)

[Dominik Hauser]

Nice, not to bad for a no herping holiday . These Ursiniis are great.

Regards Dominik

[Bobby Bok]

Nice vacation! There are some highly wanted species for me amongst your lizards and those ursinii's are great as they always are!

[Gabriel Martínez]

Good trip Jurgen!!

This time I couldn´t visit juniperus. Next year I will be there indeed!! I love the close-up photo and the in situ photos of the vipers. I feel envy

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Yes, the ursinii were great, these both were my first I ever found. A great new experience,
but sadly I missed the Asp viper, hope for that the next time.

[Paul Lambourne]

Jurgen,

I think the dragonfly is either onychogomphus forcipatus or uncatus... I would plumb for forcipatus (small pincertail) given the eye colour and lack of distinct collar.

I loved your report, it made me laugh with your comments of having to leave herping to go and placate a bored and cold partner sat in the car I have been there so many times! and the fact that on a non herping holiday you found ursinii ..genius

Kind regards

Paul

[Sandra Panienka]

Haha, that's a sweet trip report. You really got it going with that ursinii; the close up shot of its head is just beautiful.
I really wonder if I've ever been too lazy to go herping, but I haven't been on many herp related vacations during the last couple of years. Feel a bit sorry for your wife, though. I don't take my boyfriend with me when I go herping, cauz I know he won't be happy about it, I either go alone or take friends along.

[Peter Oefinger]

Nice! Jürgen - you turn out to be a lizard guy!

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Nice! Jürgen - you turn out to be a lizard guy!

I have no plans to change my mind!
In the past, now and in the future I will be a sausage-freak.
But I like the Lacerta-group (agilis, viridis, media, …) very much!

[Rok Grzelj]

Very good results for "just a vacation"...specially the ursinii!