Unexpected herping in Tunisia

Morocco, Algeria, Tunesia, Libya, Egypt, Sinai

Re: Unexpected herping in Tunisia

Postby Bastien Comment » Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:25 pm

Thanks for your feedbacks!

Jürgen Gebhart wrote:The last track shows the night resting place of a Cerastes cerastes.
The tracks of the snake when it comes to the place or left it are not that deep than the track of the resting place, the wind blows them away.


Thanks for that explanation! As you can imagine, I wish the viper was still there... ;)

Wouter Beukema wrote:I think the lizard is a Tarentola neglecta; you'll need a close-up shot of the head to be sure. This is the smallest and most terrestrial species in the region; general morphology of the gecko on the photo seems to point to neglecta!


Hmmm couldn't confirm that. I've just checked some pictures on Google and it wasn't really like that. They were 3 specimen all of the same size resting under a wooden board but the pics I've posted are the best ones I have. I'll try to search for it when I have some time to. Thanks anyway for the comment!

Cheers!
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Re: Unexpected herping in Tunisia

Postby Wouter Beukema » Thu Nov 11, 2010 10:09 am

Bastien, are you sure you found photos of this particular species? When I looked for it with google I couldn't find any image of neglecta; only from other Tarentola's. I advise you to use available literature on the internet instead!
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Re: Unexpected herping in Tunisia

Postby Bastien Comment » Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:45 am

Wouter: no indeed, I'm not 100% sure...I really have to do some more searches to be able to confirm you which specie it was.
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Re: Unexpected herping in Tunisia

Postby Felix Hulbert » Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:57 pm

Hi,

like Mario wrote it is a Cerastes vipera (female) in a typical habitat.
Like the two morrocan/tunesian Stenodactylus, where S. sthenodactylus lives in gravel areas and S. petrii (stenurus) in the dunes, the Cerastes do the same. Cerastes cerastes lives in sandy gravel areas and in the dunes you normaly only find Cerastes vipera.
But Gabriel could be right that in some habitats like Mhamid you maybe can find both of them. On our last Morocco-trip in may we found Cerastes vipera close to Mhamid in a habitat with plenty vegetation and some harder soil between the small dunes.

Greetings
Felix
Cerastes vipera 1600 x 1100 Kopie.jpg
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Re: Unexpected herping in Tunisia

Postby Felix Hulbert » Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:07 pm

Hi Bastien,

Wouter is absolutly right, your gecko is a Tarentola neglecta neglecta. No doubt.
I also found them in the area of Tozeur plenty years ago. It is true, there are not many pics. Nothing in the net and just a few in modern literature, like SINDACO.
Enclosed a old slide of Tarentola neglecta neglecta from Ksar Ghilane and one of my offspring from 1994.

Greetings
Felix

Tarentola n. neglecta - Adult -1600x1100 Kopie.jpg
Tarentola n. neglecta - Adult

Tarentola n. neglecta - Hatchling - 1600 x 1100 Kopie.jpg
Tarentola n. neglecta - Hatchling
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