Gran Canaria last-minute trip

[Michal Szkudlarek]

Hi
I am not sure if "North Africa" is proper place for topic like this, but climate on Canary Islands is rather african than european, so I decided to post it here. So, today night I am traveling to Warsaw, and tomorrow morning have a flight to Gran Canaria. I am going to visit also Tenerife. Here is my target-list:
On Gran Canaria: P. perezi, H. meridionalis, G. a. malhoratae, G. stehlini, C. sexlineatus, T. boettgeri. I will be also looking for Lampropeltis getulus californiae and Elaphe guttata. Yes, corn snake was accidentally introduced too- http://www.grancanariamitroland.de/?p=1089 On Tenerife my target is to photograph: A. carolinensis, G. c. gomerae, G. g. galloti, G. g. eisentrani, G. intermedia, C. v. viridanus and T. delalandii. So I have some quesions:
I found out that within H. meridionalis that occur on Canary Islands some frogs have lateral stripe just like in H. aborea- http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... QMnZJByb5w So, what does "Hüftschlinge" in english means? Will I be able to find all above mendioned species at this rather cold time? I guess that tree frogs haven't started its breeding season yet. All guidance would be very appreciated, You can of course send me private message.
Greetings
Michał Szkudlarek

[Jimmy Lundqvist]

The pics on the link http://www.grancanariamitroland.de/?p=1089 seem to be somewhat wrong, the first snake is not californiae ssp, and the cornsake is a Foxsnake (P vulpinus).
Mistake by author?

But I wish you good luck on your trip, please post pics when you get back!
Regards/Jimmy

[Michal Szkudlarek]

I don't have much experience at snake herping. I guess that the easiest way to find them is to do some flipping? I promise to post all good enough pics from the trip here.
Greets.

[Kamil Szepanski]

Hello Jimmy,

at least the picture of the Pantherophis is a dummy as the text says, the escaped Pantherophis are albinos.
Good luck and a great time to you Michal!

Regards
Kamil

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

And he's right about the Lampropeltis too - that's not californiae, but looks like holbrooki or something else. Should be getula too.

[Daniel Bohle]

http://e-blogs.wikio.de/schlangeninvasi ... hen-inseln

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

http://e-blogs.wikio.de/schlangeninvasion-auf-den-kanarischen-inseln

So, either we're talking about albino kingsnakes or this site has the species wrong?

[Kamil Szepanski]

Let's hope Michal will have quite some success and will clear the situation

[Peter Oefinger]

Michal,

"Hüftschlinge" means the same as lateral stripe. On Fuerteventura, Hyla was activ in February, also perezi.
The native species of the Canaries should be easy with the exception of G. intermedia.

good luck
Peter

[Michal Szkudlarek]

Hi
Today during short afternoon flipping I managed to find some Tarentola boettgeri boettgeri (assuming that on Gran Canaria hierrensis subspecies does not occur) together with youngs G. stehlini. One gecko discarded its tail when I caught it. They were also mouth gaping when handled. Does any noninvasive method to recognize T. boettgeri sex exist? Any tips to find C. sexlineatus? Inside that link that Daniel posted there is a mistake because on Canary Islands no salamanders appear.- "Dennoch stellen sie für die Umwelt eine Katastrophe dar, da sie sich von Echsen, Salamandern und den Eiern und Küken von endemischen Vögeln ernähren, die gegenüber solch einer unbekannten Tierart völlig hilflos sind."
Greetings from San Augustin!
Michal
PS. For snakes should I looking for by flipping among rocky area?