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Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:Yes! Someone please save something for next winter

Says the bloke that posted the Malaysia report!!!!

Paul Lambourne wrote:

Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:Yes! Someone please save something for next winter

Says the bloke that posted the Malaysia report!!!!

You don't know what I'm saving for next winter

Thanks again guys!

Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:

miguel santos wrote:I would not nike to go to an area where people call the police for a parked car. I can only supose they have bad experiences with people from outside the area....

What is indeed the true cause? Some politicians feeding xenophobia based on (unfortunately somewhat true) stories of poached animals? I also find it hard to believe that these people are really that concerned about the so-called issue...

I don't think the people really care that much about the animals themselves. The guys that drove us of the road at night drove over the same toads they forbid us to photograph. People to whom we told we photographed flowers ( ) made a problem out of that because you can't photograph flowers without a permit, they explained this to us us by plucking flowers (!), imitating to photograph them while saying no. People in a village where we found killed slow worms called police because of foreigners who might smuggle animals...

I know that in this area there are regularly programs on TV where politicians indeed explain that foreigners come to collect "their" snakes and that you should call the police in such cases. Besides, this area is close to the border with Georgia and a hotspot for criminal activity we learned from one of the few people who spoke English. This of course also makes people in general somewhat wary towards foreigners in strolling around their hometown.

This news came in btw shortly after we came back from our trip:

http://national.bgnnews.com/exorbitant- ... aberi/5935

I could only wish that Turkish law enforcement did not only fine foreigners but would also care a bit more about violation by residents.

I forgot to compliment Laura for her stunning photos! You make great use of your wide angle lens

Amazing stuff.
I loved to see yet another good looking variety of najadum!
The vipers and "calico" Eirenis: just waaaaw!
Again what a great adventure, the pair of you seem to attract police

Wonderful !!! Thanks

Fantastic photos and species Bobby and Laura. That part of Turkey is in my top places to visit. But I heard that specially around Hopa you can be easily arrested by police if somebody discover you handling kaznakovi or other herp species. But I read that you deal with police. If I decide to visit the place I will send you a PM. Montivipera´s are really amazing, I saw in facebook your photos of the viper habitat and is great, it seems also good for Macrovipera (maybe in lower areas there?). Amazing report, I feel a lot of good and bad envy

Thanks again guys!

Bert Vandebosch wrote:Amazing stuff.
I loved to see yet another good looking variety of najadum!
The vipers and "calico" Eirenis: just waaaaw!
Again what a great adventure, the pair of you seem to attract police

Without being a great enthusiast of these fast and bitey snakes, the variety they display is amazing and that also goes for the one you found on Kalymnos. These E Turkish animals had such fine speckles on the back and well defined markings on the side. And yes, we do some to attract police men. Our next trip will be on Samos but I hope to have an easy trip there

Gabriel Martínez wrote:Fantastic photos and species Bobby and Laura. That part of Turkey is in my top places to visit. But I heard that specially around Hopa you can be easily arrested by police if somebody discover you handling kaznakovi or other herp species. But I read that you deal with police. If I decide to visit the place I will send you a PM. Montivipera´s are really amazing, I saw in facebook your photos of the viper habitat and is great, it seems also good for Macrovipera (maybe in lower areas there?). Amazing report, I feel a lot of good and bad envy

Hopa was the worst, everywhere you feel so observed and you are never truly herping in a relaxed fashion. Expect to encounter police daily and have your car checked daily. Definitely worth to see kaznakovi but not something I am keen on experiencing again! If I go back I will hide a lot of plastic snakes in the car
The eastern part of Turkey was waaaay better, people were very relaxed and nobody seems to care about our hobby there. The habitats for the Montivipera places were also great to herp, these scree slopes with thorny bushes on the edges, where in every bush a big and beautiful viper might be lurking... For Macrovipera we did some dedicated searches but unfortunatly mostly with unfavourable weather conditions so we did not find them. They should definitely occur there but we spend the most favourable conditions searching for Montivipera

Fantastic outstanding Report,
The Situation with People and Police reminds me on the Southern Provinces of hatay and kilis. Searching by night is impossible there, People immediately call the gendarmeria...
Next Werk we are Off to the northern bordering countries Armenia and Georgia, hopefully the Situation is more relaxed there