IRAN TRIP

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IRAN TRIP

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Sat May 24, 2014 10:30 am

Hi people,

Definitively I was in Iran some days to observe my favourite snake! my world´s top 1. And we could observe it and other animals. The reptiles that more surprise me were the leopard geckos, they are the coolest "lizard" I´ve ever seen! (with Varanus griseus of course). Some photos:

IRAN TRIP.jpg
My first lebetina, strong snake, quite similar to Daboia mauritanica and palaestinae


22.jpg
Pelophylax ridibundus? (probably species complex? Iranian populations are now different species?)


3.jpg
One of the nicest geckos I have ever seen, this subadult was for me, coolest than adults


11.jpg
Nice tiny snake, very common in some areas


2.jpg
Echis snakes are always awesome. This is quite different to the ones we found last year in Oman (it´s considered morphotype"multisquamatus")


And here more photos:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrimtne ... 6981/show/

Hope that you enjoy seeing them!

Gabri
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Mario Schweiger » Sat May 24, 2014 10:47 am

Thanks for sharing, Gabri :!: :!:
Wonderful pictures of herps and landscapes!

Mario
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Frédéric Seyffarth » Sat May 24, 2014 11:25 am

Hello Gabriel,

Really nice trip report with some top quality pics. Iran is a fascinating country far from the idea we have of it here in Europe. A friend was there last year for the Cheetahs. He liked a lot. Perhaps a little complicated to have permissions?
Desert vipers are on my wish list everywhere.
Thanks for sharing!

Fred
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Jürgen Gebhart » Sat May 24, 2014 1:48 pm

Awesome!!! Big Congrats for finding your No. 1!!!!
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Mario Schweiger » Sat May 24, 2014 4:18 pm

...... and thanks to inform us on the new genus Xerotyphlops for vermicularis, wilsoni and socotranus :lol:
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Jeroen Speybroeck » Sat May 24, 2014 7:19 pm

Spider-tail!!!??? That's really fantastic!!! Did you just find it or did it involve help, special preparation, ... ? Without a doubt the most exceptional species ever to pass this forum.
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Bobby Bok » Sun May 25, 2014 9:36 am

What an amazing trip, and the urarachnoides is so beautiful. Congratulations on finding this evolutionary highlight!
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Thomas Bader » Sun May 25, 2014 2:20 pm

Hi Gabri!

Fantastic pictures and unbelievable finds - of course the Nr 1 snake is beathtaking!
Yes, I am also very interested in the organisation of your trip - driver, support, permits etc!

Tom
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Andre Schmid » Sun May 25, 2014 5:43 pm

Great, Thanks for sharing this awesome pictures !
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Re: IRAN TRIP

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Sun May 25, 2014 9:59 pm

Hi all!

Thanks for your comments.

Some iranian guys contacted me some years/months ago (to get photos for a book, to be coauthor in a paper, etc...) and I told them about my interest in Iran, specially in the awesome spider-tailed. So after many emails I decided to visit the country. I propose them an itinerary where I can find some species and they told me that it was possible and we bought the flights. Spider-tailed snake is common is some areas with very precise nature factors. So we were 2 days trying in different habitats in Ilam and Kermansah without success (holotype and paratype places) and finally, third day, with a local person we got to find them in a "secret" valley. One of the best moments in my life. All is filmed for the iranian TV so in some months we will see the documentary. These snakes are very very interesting in photos and videos, but when you visit the habitat and observe them in situ, waiting for birds, they became the most interesting and specialized reptiles in the world (in my opinion)

About authorization, before visiting Iran, one biologist of Kermansah-Ilam told me that if we ned samples we ned to get authorization, but just to take photos, you don´t need it. We visited Iran without authorization, and we had serious troubles in the border with Iraq because you need an authorization to stay in Ilam (only with the VISA you can receive a fail just for staying there). I don´t want to talk more about this in internet, if any of you are thinking in visiting Iran, please send me an email and I will explain you the problem we had and how they told me it´s the way to avoid troubles...

Cheers
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