MOROCCO TRIP. AUGUST 2009

Morocco, Algeria, Tunesia, Libya, Egypt, Sinai

MOROCCO TRIP. AUGUST 2009

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:32 pm

I travelled to Morocco with my friend Raul Leon Vigara. Nobody else wanted to come to Morocco because they had fear to the extreme hot weather during this month.

We travelled to Morocco in the ferry the day Friday 14 August from Algeciras to Tanger. We drove to Marrakech to sleep. Next day (15) we woke up and drove to Agadir and we made only one quick stop when we saw a Hemorrhois hippocrepis road killed and we only found some Saurodactylus brosseti under stones and a subadult Agama impalearis.

FIRST PART. ARGANERIE AND ATLANTIC COAST

1. Arganerie and Atlantic coast.jpg
The first part
1. Arganerie and Atlantic coast.jpg (57.13 KiB) Viewed 14186 times


In Agadir we made our first good stop. There we found a Agama impalearis road killed with eggs (bad moment), small Agama impalearis, some Hyla meridionalis with clear coloration and a Hemorrhois algirus. I was talking with Philipe Geniez about this snake because the snake is very strange and the place in our book is for Hemorrhois hippocrepis, not for algirus. Philipe told me it could be a hybrid hippocrepis-algirus and it´s the first algirus founded in this place…

1. Habitat Arganeria.jpg
Arganerie habitat


2. Agama muerta.jpg
Agama impalearis. Female with eggs DOR


3. Agama impalearis juvenil in Euro.jpg
Agama impalearis. Juvenile. Euro comparation


4. Hemorrhois algirus.jpg
Strange Hemorrhois algirus intermedius


5. Hemorrhois algirus detail.jpg
Strange Hemorrhois algirus intermedius, detail


6. Hyla meridionalis.jpg
Hyla meridionalis with clear coloration



We continued driving to Tiznit and we didn´t see snakes crossing the roads, only hedgehogs. We woke up close Tiznit (august 16) and we found a male Agama impaleris and some Tarentola boehmei.

7. Agama macho.jpg
Agama impalearis. Male
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8. Tarentola bohemei.jpg
Tarentola boehmei



We drove to Sidi Ifni and in the surroundings we found many toads (Bufo boulengeri and Bufo bronsgermai), eggs of Agama impalearis, Chalcides polylepis, Eumeces algeriensis and Hemorrhois hippocrepis.

9. Habitat foum assaka.jpg
Habitat near Sidi Ifni
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10. Bufo boulengeri.jpg
Bufo boulengeri
10. Bufo boulengeri.jpg (206.54 KiB) Viewed 14161 times


11. Bufo bronsgermai.jpg
Bufo bronsgermai


12. Eumeces.jpg
Eumeces algeriensis, detail


13. Eumeces.jpg
Eumeces algeriensis
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14. Agama huevos.jpg
Agama impalearis, eggs
14. Agama huevos.jpg (70.75 KiB) Viewed 14138 times


15. Polylepis.jpg
Chalcides polylepis


16. Herraduraca.jpg
Hemorrhois hippocrepis
16. Herraduraca.jpg (210.83 KiB) Viewed 14128 times


At night we were driving in good roads for snakes and we saw a mantis, a spider, many Tarentola mauritanica, a Hemorrhois hippocrepis, a road killed juvenile Malpolon monspessulanus saharicaatlanticus and many mammals (Psammomys obesus, Jaculus jaculus).

17. Psammomys.jpg
Psammomys obesus


18. Malpolon.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus saharicaatlanticus. Juvenile DOR


19. Jaculus.jpg
Jaculus jaculus


21. Tarentola.jpg
Tarentola mauritanica


20. Hemorrhois.jpg
Hemorrhois hippocrepis
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Re:MOROCCO TRIP. AUGUST 2009

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:13 pm

We woke up (august 17) and we drove direction Tarfaya. In the surroundings of Tantan we made a stop. We found a nice scorpion (Androctonus mauritanicus) and another invertebrates. Whereas we were taking photos a moroccan man came to us and he asked us what we were making. We began to talk with him (with signals, he talked French, and we talk Spanish or English). He told us he was there looking for snakes because he was a Aissaoui. I asked him about cobra and he told me he found a vipere (viper in french). I show him my book with pictures and he indicated Bitis arietans and he signalized a bush 100meters away and he told us he had this snake there. We had fear because some people in Morocco are crazy but finally we walked with this man to the schrub. In the bush he had a bag. He opened the bag and he showed us a nice Bitis arietans female. This moment was very impressive. I began in shock because the design of this snake was the most beautiful thing I´d never seen. We asked him how did he catch it. He left the snake alone (he told us the snake was sleeping ) and we walked for 10meters and he showed us the tracks of the snake and the burrow where he had cought it. I found a juvenile Naja haje legionis skin and the Aissaoui showed us a skin of Malpolon monspessulanus saharatlanticus of 210cms. We came back to the Bitis and began to make photos (the snake was in the same place, very quiet, until Aissaoui catch the bag and shook it to the snake, then the snake put in defensive behavior). I asked him about cobras. He told me it´s not easy but he had catched many of them in some special places. We left him in her house and we agreed (all by signals!!!!) to pick him up at 6:00 to look for cobras.

22. Habitat.jpg
Habitat near Tan-tan


22. Androctonus.jpg
Androctonus mauritanicus


23. Aissaoui.jpg
The presentation of our friend Aissaoui


24. Bitis.jpg
Bitis arietans, female design


25. Bitis detail.jpg
Bitis arietans, female detail


26. Bitis defens.jpg
Bitis arietans, female in defensive behavior



Raul and I went to sleep, but I recognize I slept maybe 2hours because I thought it was a dream. And the strange thing was the Aissaoui didn´t talk about money (strange in Morocco). Of course this man seemed very friendly and good person. We woke up (august 18) and we picked Aissaoui up and went to a place close to the first Bitis. We left the car and began to walk. Aissaoui looked all the burrows whereas he was walking. When we had been walking two hours the Aissaoui stopped. He showed us a big track of Bitis arietans. He began to follow the track. The signal wasn´t recently and it enter in bushes all the time. 20minutes later the Aissaoui indicated a burrow. He began to dig and 5minutes later we could see a nice male Bitis arietans.

28. Bitis male.jpg
Bitis arietans, male in habitat


29. Bitis male.jpg
Bitis arietans, male



After some photos and video we came back to the car. The Aissaoui found a track of Varanus griseus and close to the car he found another snake tracks. He told us it was a Serpent. I told him if it could be a cobra and he said no. He began to dig in the most closer burrow. Psammomys subadults began to run to everyplace. Raul and I talked about the strange thing Psammomys and snake together but 10 minutes later we could see a pretty male of Malpolon monspessulanus saharicaatlanticus.

30. Malpolon tracks.jpg
Aissaoui found a Malpolon monspessulanus saharatlanticus track


31. Many options.jpg
Many option to dig


32. The best flashlight.jpg
Looking for the tracks in the options


33. The first animals.jpg
Psammomys obesus


34. Malpolon.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus saharatlanticus, male


35. Malpolon.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus saharatlanticus, male detail



We came back to the car and we ate there. Aissaoui ate our food ( with hands and he burp after eating (typical in Morocco). This guy was very funny and educated so we began to make jokes. Good moments. After eating we drove to a closer place, he told us this place was difficult for cobra but he wanted to try. We found a Psammophis schokari skin and Aissaoui catched a Malpolon monspessulanus saharatlanticus female active in a bush. He catched it quickly and the snake bit him arm many times.

36. Oued draa.jpg
Oued draa


37. Female malpolon.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus saharatlanticus, female
37. Female malpolon.jpg (223.23 KiB) Viewed 14060 times


It was too late and before left Aissaoui at home I told him where Raul and I might find a cobra. He thought and finally he told us he´d continue 1 day more with us and he would find a cobra. I drove following the indications of Aissaoui during 1hour and we sleep where Aissaoui told us. It was dark and we didn´t see nothing. We took the dinner and slept. Raul and I slept in our tent and Aissaoui slept in his blanket (with nothing more in a place full of venomous snakes, scorpions and solifugues).

We woke up. (august 19) Aissaoui invite us to the breakfast (tea and bread with olive oil). We began the expedition in the Aissaoui favorite place, full of Psammomys burrows. He told us 2 places where he found a cobra in past and he told us he had never told this place to nobody and when he sold a cobra he told in Jemal el Fna another place to avoid more Aissaouis there. He found many tracks of snakes but he told us the tracks weren´t recently and another tracks disappeared in the stones. Finally he found a track in a burrow. He told us this small track (left track when snake go out the head of the burrow to drink the water of the dew). He dig quickly because maybe it could be a cobra but finally he found another female Malpolon monspessulanus saharicaatlanticus.

38. Habitat.jpg
Habitat of Naja haje legionis


39. Aissaoui.jpg
Aissaoui looking for snake


40. Malpolon.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus saharatlanticus, another female
40. Malpolon.jpg (223.49 KiB) Viewed 14033 times



We were walking all the morning and we found many invertebrates and some Acantodacthylus aureus. We made a stop to eat. Aissaoui told us about the difficulties of finding a cobra (good price in jemal el Fna, Marrakech- many Aissaouis). We finished to eat and continued searching. Just after eating all of us showed a medium Bitis track. Raul and I were very excited and we run following the track until we arrived to a bush. We saw a nice Bitis arietans subadult quite in the bush maybe waiting a prey. Aissaoui catched it and put it in a bag. Raul told me it´s not good because this snake was found by us and we wanted to release it but the Aissaoui said he would give food to the snake and when it would grew he would sell it to Jemal el Fna …

41. Bitis.jpg
Bitis arietans arietans, subadult


We cross a river walking without shoes and we enter in the best places for cobra (Aissaoui told). When we had been walking 20minutes we found another juvenile Naja haje legionis skin. We continued searching and we found many burrows dug by another Aissaouis and our Aissaoui began to lose the hope to find a cobra. We continued walking and Raul and I talked about to go to Tarfaya this night and say good bye to Aissaoui because seeing a cobra in Morocco seemed too difficult. But suddenly the Aissaoui found a track and he said it was of cobra. He was very happy and Raul and me too. He began to dig (with the radio on- Spanish music from Canary Islands- awesome moment) and 30 minutes later he told us something was wrong. He began to look for tracks around the burrows and he finally saw one more track. We followed this new tracks and they finished in a burrows dug. Another Aissaoui would have catched this snake. It was too late (20:00) and we had to cross the river again and go to the car. But suddenly our friend Aissaoui told us the another Aissaoui was wrong and he told us the cobra was in a closer burrow. I run quickly to him digging instrument and he began to dig in the new burrow. 5seconds later he put the hand into the burrow and he took a nice adult Naja haja legionis. I haven´t words for this moment. It happened 1years ago or more but I remember perfectly. I took photos of the cobra quickly because the light was disappearing.

42. Cobra habitat.jpg
Naja haje habitat


43. Something is wrong.jpg
After 30minutes digging something is wrong...


44. Yes.jpg
This is the burrow!


45. Yes.jpg
And the Naja haje (legionis?)


46. Filmimg cobra.jpg
Raul filming cobra


47. Cobra.jpg
Naja haje (legionis?)


48. Naja.jpg
Naja haje (legionis?)


49. Naja haje legionis.jpg
Naja haje (legionis?) in habitat


50. Naja.jpg
Naja haje (legionis?)



Aissaoui made a ritual talking in arab and spitting to the snake and the snake slept!! (no photos and no videos, Raul and I were shocked…). He catch it and put in a bag and we run to cross the river and we arrived to the car at night. 10 meters to the car Aissaoui found two nephews in a desert tent and they invite us to a tea. Aissaoui was happy seeing my pictures of the cobra and he showed them to him nephews and he told them the history (he was wrong at the beginning, the another Aissaoui was wrong too and finally (third chance) he found it). We finished the tea and drove to Aissaoui house. He told us he´d want to visit another place now and he told us that he could found Daboia mauritanica, Lamprophis fuliginosus and many snakes but we wanted to go to Tarfaya so we left the Aissaoui in the house. The moment to say good bye was hard, it was the first time he talked about some money. We explained him we´re naturalist and we can´t pay to catch snakes to sacrifice in Jemal el Fna and we gave him the option: some money or the snakes (to release), but snakes cost too much money to us. Anyway Aissaoui finally was happy. I gave him a book of Morocco snakes and some cigarettes but 0€. The option buy the snakes and release them cost many euros and after released another Aissaoui would catch them. Anyway this experience hadn´t price for me… I hope to see again our friend Aissaoui.

We slept close to Tan-tan.

51. Good bye.jpg
We told good bye to our friend Aissaoui
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Re: TRAVEL TO MOROCCO. AUGUST 2009

Postby Mario Schweiger » Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:53 pm

Hi Gabri,

excellent report with good findings of some rare species!

Yes, I had the same experience ;)
Our snake catchers (they do it for the snake charmers in Tiznit, Agadir, Marrakech, ...) didnt want money too, but only a bit of food and some cigarettes.
As consideration we had the chance of some good Morrocain pipes :lol:

I´m sure, I will go down again soon.
And concentrate more to the coastal regions south of Agadir. I never have been more south than Goulimine.

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Re: TRAVEL TO MOROCCO. AUGUST 2009

Postby Daniel Kane » Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:35 pm

Wow. Great photos! Could the Aissaoui get any more casual, smoking while handling the Bitis?! Morocco does look like a great place to herp.
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Re: TRAVEL TO MOROCCO. AUGUST 2009

Postby Francesco Tri » Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:50 pm

Wonderful experience, too bad that snakes captured by Aissaoui make a bad end!

http://geos-nature.org/Reportage-exploi ... akech.html

You could not go in the middle of the Sahara desert and leave Aissaoui without water? :mrgreen:

(after spitting in the face, ripped all the teeth, stitched mouth and put in a bag) :twisted:
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Re: TRAVEL TO MOROCCO. AUGUST 2009

Postby Jürgen Gebhart » Tue Sep 14, 2010 5:10 am

Great Gabri!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
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Re: TRAVEL TO MOROCCO. AUGUST 2009

Postby Mario Schweiger » Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:24 am

As written, I had some experience with snake catchers too.
I dont think, these guys around Ouarzazate are Aissaouris to, but use the same techniques.
We had strong problems, to keep a Psammophis quiet for pictures. The snake catcher took it, laid it on the place we want to take the picture, spit and blow on its head and the snake slept. We havnt seen this just one time, but everytime snake catchers have been with us. :o I have tried it also, but didnt work really :lol:
Another thing. One of them had a wooden box full with Cerastes cerastes. He opened it, graped inside and took one after one out - like they would have been earth worms. The same with Naja legionis.
And I checked Najas and Macrovipera. All of them had their teeth and no injuries in their mouth.
Breaking out the teeth and/or stitching the mouth is done by the snake charmers.
OK, its the same end for the snake (and all the non venomous too - Natrix maura, Hemorrhois, Malpolon) :cry: . This time in Marocco most of them have been in quite bad condition at Djeema el Fnaa in Marrakech.

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Re: MOROCCO TRIP. AUGUST 2009

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:43 am

Hi Daniel! Morocco is the paradise to herpers, you could find mediterranean herps (similar to Spain), sahara herps (Cerastes, Varanus, Scincus...), tropical herps (Bitis, Dasypeltis, Lamprophis...) and endemic herps (Vipera monticola, Chalcides montanus, Atlantolacerta andreanzky...)... It´s a good beggining if you´re european and you want to know Africa!

Yes Francesco, it´s a really bad end. Michel Aymerich is fighting against the spectacles, but is a tradition there and it will be difficult... Anyway the Aissaoui we knew was very funny and friendly. The problem is Jemal el Fna and another places. If tourist wouldn´t give money to see snakes, Aissaoui wouldn´t exist...
http://geos-nature.org/sign-the-petition.html

Thanks Jurgen!

Hi Mario! You should visit some villages close to Tan-tan. In some places it´s possible to find Bitis, Naja, Daboia, Malpolon, Hemorrhois, Scutophis, Lamprophis, Dasypeltis, Spalerosophis, Psammophis... and all in the same habitat! But maybe in the area Agadir to Guelmim you could find same mixed habitats... My dream is get a free month and learn to follow tracks in Naja habitat. It´s very difficult and Aissaouis look for snakes since they´re childs but I´d love to find big Najas without Aissaouis. Following tracks I´ve only found Bitis, Psammophis, Cerastes and Uromastyx...
I read in Ouarzazate you could find in 1970 Aissaouis and they found redish Naja haje, Telescopus, Vipera lebetina (Daboia mauritanica) and many snakes but actually I think In Ouarzazate area Naja densities are lower than Guelmim-Tarfaya area.
Yes, I think it too, snake charmers break the teeth but Aissaouis play with all snakes like Natrix maura and Naja or Bitis could bite them and probably kill them. It´s incredible...
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Re: MOROCCO TRIP. AUGUST 2009

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Tue Sep 14, 2010 11:39 am

We woke up (20 August) and we drove to Tarfaya. We made a stop there and we began to search. The wind erased the tracks and we only found invertebrates, some Acantodacthylus, Tarentola mauritanica and reptiles under stones (Tarentola chazaliae, Psammophis schokari). We missed Cerastes vipera, Lytorhynchus diadema or Spalerosophis cliffordi. Mosquitos attacked us and I had my forearms like Popeye the sailor, so we slept and returned.

1. Near Tarfaya.jpg
Habitat near Tarfaya


2. Acathodactylus aureus, juvenile.jpg
Acanthodactylus aureus, juvenile


3. Acathodactylus aureus.jpg
Acanthodactylus aureus


4. Tarentola chazaliae.jpg
Tarentola chazaliae
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5. Tarentola agressive.jpg
Tarentola chazaliae, defensive behavior


6. Psammophis.jpg
Psammophis schokari


7. Tarentola ma.jpg
Tarentola mauritanica (pallida)



We wake up (21 August) and we drove to Guelmim. We found in the road a big Daboia mauritanica roadkilled and we made a stop. We searched herps in the surroundings and we found a eggs of some reptile, Acantodachylus busacki and a juvenile Naja haje. Raul and I began to scream in the middle of the desert. Naja haje (legionis) adult and juvenile in three days it was too hard to us… This was the most cute snake I´ve never seen. Very small but with the defensive behavior and it tried to bite!!! Awesome moment! After we released the small cobra in a sure place we found a Amietophrynus mauritanicus, some Pelophylax perezi and a road killed juvenile Malpolon. We drove to a hotel in Guelmim, we smelled like Natrix defensive liquid!

8. Daboia naja habitat.jpg
Habitat near Guelmim


9. Acathodacty.jpg
Acanthodactylus busacki


10. Daboia.jpg
Daboia mauritanica, DOR


11. Huevos.jpg
Eggs of reptile... what do you think about this?


12. Naja haje.jpg
Naja haje, juvenile


14. Naja.jpg
Naja haje, juvenile
14. Naja.jpg (482.32 KiB) Viewed 13883 times


15. Naja haje.jpg
Naja haje, juvenile
15. Naja haje.jpg (89.44 KiB) Viewed 13882 times


16. Malpolon.jpg
Malpolon monspessulanus saharatlanticus, juvenile DOR


17. Bufo mauritanicus.jpg
Amietophrynus mauritanicus
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Re: TRAVEL TO MOROCCO. AUGUST 2009

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:28 pm

SECOND PART: THE REG AND THE DESERT

2. The desert and the reg.jpg
2. The desert and the reg.jpg (56.53 KiB) Viewed 13801 times


We woke up in Guelmim (22 August) and we drove to Assa. By the way we found A nice Uromastyx nigriventris and two Agama impalearis male road killed. We drove to a village close to Assa where it had more records of Echis leucogaster in Morocco until abril 2009. The car thermometer marked 52º. All the animals were under acacias (even we saw a Hieratus fasciatus in the shadow of a Acacia) so Raul and I had to eat under a acacia.

3. Habitat.jpg
Habitat near Assa


4. Uromastyx.jpg
Uromastyx nigriventris


5. Agama impalearis males.jpg
Agama impalearis. Male DOR


6. Eating.jpg
Eating under Acacia. Bad experience......


In the village we began to herp. One Moroccan man came to us and told us we may show our passport in the police place. There we found a man and he saw the hook of Raul and he asked us if we were snake catchers. I recognized him face, he was Kentaoui, the person who finds the first Echis leucogaster alive in Morocco. We began to talk and he invited us to his house. His house was a oasis in the middle of the desert. He show us the exactly place where he found the first Echis and the place where Michel Aymerich made the first photo of a Echis leucogaster in Morocco. He told us he had found many of them. He told the best moment was at night after the rain. We searched at night in the walls of Kentaoui´s house. During the day we could only see stones (52º!!!) but at night all was full of life and we could see many invertebrates, some Tarentola boehmei and some Chalcides ocellatus. But no Echis…

7. Kentaoui house.jpg
Kentaoui house. The only humid pound in all the valley...


8. Tarentola bohemei.jpg
Tarentola boehmei


9. Chalcides ocellatus.jpg
Chalcides ocellatus


Next day (23 August) Kentaoui asked us about to rent a 4x4 and pass the day in a closer oasis. We accepted. We drove in the 4x4 to the oasis. By the way we found many Uromastyx nigriventris. Kentaoui told us he sometimes had seen from the car a Varanus griseus running but we didn´t be lucked. In the Oasis Kentaoui began to show us the tracks of animals and some minutes later we could see very close many jackals in the shadow of the palms (they run quickly when they saw us). Close to this oasis a friend of Kentaoui had found a Telescopus tripolitanus recently (he had confused this snake with a juvenile Naja haje (legionis morph) and Raul and I were looking for snakes but during sun hours it was impossible and we only could find many Pelophylax saharicus, some Tarentola and a nice female Agama impalearis.
We came back to Kentaoui house. We began to search again and we found many Uromastyx nigriventris and under a stone a Psammophis schokari adult with a juvenile Uromastyx in the mouth, suddenly snake left the Uromastyx and run! We took the dinner with Kentaoui and we looked for again in the wall but we only found the same reptile species of yesterday and a Tropiocolotes algericus. No rain, no Echis...

10. Oasis.jpg
The Oasis


11. Pelophylax.jpg
Pelophylax saharicus, in situ


12. Agama.jpg
Agama impalearis, female


13. Tarentola.jpg


14. Uromastyx baby.jpg
Uromastyx nigriventris, baby found in the mouth of a Psammophis schokari


15. Uromastyx.jpg
Uromastyx nigriventris


16. Tropiocolotes.jpg
Tropiocolotes algericus


17. Psammophis.jpg
Psammophis schokari


We woke up (24 August) and took the breakfast with Kentaoui. We gave him some gifts for his hospitality and we drove to Assa. In the middle of the way we found a road killed Psammophis schokari and a dead Varanus griseus.

18. Varanus.jpg
Varanus griseus


We drove to Tata and there we found some Natrix maura, 1 hundred of Pelophylax perezi and a Hemorrhois algirus intermedius in a old water hole. It was a old puit and it was dangerous to fall into. And the snake disappeared in a creek of the wall of the puit. We were driving at night but no snakes crossed the road. Only mammals and toads…

19. Tata.jpg
Tata landscape


19. Natrix maura.jpg
Natrix maura
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21. Natrix.jpg
Natrix maura
21. Natrix.jpg (255.48 KiB) Viewed 13783 times


20. natrix.jpg
Natrix maura
20. natrix.jpg (195.28 KiB) Viewed 13781 times


Next day (25 August) we were in the surroundings of Tata. We were very tired and the hot was too hard and we only saw a nice Circaetus gallicus, a DOR Chamaleo chamaeleon and a juvenile Hemorrhois hippocrepis.

23. Camaleon.jpg
Chamaleo chamaeleon DOR
23. Camaleon.jpg (118.31 KiB) Viewed 13782 times


22. Hemorrhois.jpg
Hemorrhois hippocrepis


Next day we woke (26 August) up and drove to a hotel in Ouarzazate because the hot was hard and we couldn´t find reptiles. We could only see a Psammophis schokari and some Ptyodactylus oudrii. At night we looked for in some rivers close to Ouarzazate where I knew it could be possible to find Daboia mauritanica or Telescopus tripolitanus but we only found some Ptyodactylus oudrii and an Agama impalearis male sleeping out of its burrow (?).

26. Ptyodactylus.jpg
Ptyodactylus oudrii


25. Psammophis.jpg
Psammophis schokari


The day 27 August we drove to Mhamid. By the way we found a roadkilled Spalerosophis dolichospilus, Natrix maura, Agama impalearis, Uromastyx nigriventris, Tarentola boehmei and Ptyodactylus oudrii. We arrived Mhamid and began to search tracks. But a 4x4 came to us and two Moroccan people began to told us about a camel trip in the desert, to take the dinner in a tent with them and many things to get our money. Finally we left our second chance to find Cerastes vipera and we drove to Erfoud. By the way we drove by interesting roads for Telescopus tripolitanus and Echis leucogaster but we found aother road killed Spalerosophis dolichospilus and an interesting Cerastes cerastes (morph? “mutila”, without horns).

27. Agdz.jpg
Landscape near Agdz


28. Spalerosophis doli.jpg
Another Spalerosophis dolichospilus DOR


29. Agdz.jpg
Landscape near Agdz


30. Oasis.jpg
Oasis near Agdz


31. Tarentola bohemei.jpg
Tarentola boehmei
31. Tarentola bohemei.jpg (167.16 KiB) Viewed 13728 times


32. Spalerosophis.jpg
Spalerosophis dolichospilus DOR


33. Cerastes mutila.jpg
Cerastes cerastes (morph "mutila"?)


We woke up (28 august) and drove to Erfoud to find a dunes where we had found Cerastes cerastes in my first trip to Morocco. We found the exactly place and we began to search. 1 hour later we had found a Psammophis schokari without head (?), some Acanthodactlyus dumerili, some Ptyodactylus oudrii and a Cerastes cerastes tracks and few minutes later the author of the tracks.

34. Erfoud.jpg
Landscape near Erfoud


36. Tracks.jpg
Cerastes cerastes tracks


37. Cerastes.jpg
Cerastes cerastes


After taking photos and video of the Cerastes we drove to Merzouga to try to see Cerastes vipera (third chance). We arrived there and again many Moroccan people began to talk with us. It was impossible to look for a place without people with my car (tourism). Finally I slept in the car whereas Raul was looking for tracks but some minutes later Raul came with a Moroccan person. We was very tired and we thought left the Cerastes vipera for another trip. We drove to Ouarzazate and slept in Skoura.

38. Merzouga.jpg
Erg Chebbi
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Gabriel Martínez
 
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Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:24 pm
Hometown: Madrid
country: Spain

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