Provence, Avril 2012

[Stéphane Aubry]

Good evening everyone,

At Easter, I was 3 days (April 7-8-9) in Provence with my oldest son. We traveled in the Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhone for herping but the weather conditions were not favorable (very strong Mistral and very very cool).

However, here are some pictures of our few discoveries:

more http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/anguis_fragilis

more http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/bufo_calamita

more http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/bufo_bufo

Euscorpius flavicaudis : confirmation is needed for the ID...

more http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/ophrys_passionis

After a short week at work, I again joined my family in Provence yesterday.

Despite a very strong mistral, we (my two sons and I) spent this day in the field. After searching under the stones without success, we discovered a superb and unexpected Malpolon monspessulanus on a little road. I catched it and after a shooting session, I released it in a safe place...

Pics of today :

mor http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/malpolon_monspessulanus

more http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/hyla_meridionalis

http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/percno

Hope to give you some good news from Provence during the 4 next days, hoping that the weather will be clement with us...

[Michal Szkudlarek]

Nice Hyla.
Is it all right with toad left eye from this pic?

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Also liked the dotted Hyla

[Sandra Panienka]

Cool pics. I really love the Malpolon. For some reason I really like the fierce look of these snakes. The slow worm is also really cute.

[Stéphane Aubry]

Thanks for the comments

Just back home from a day beside the river Ouvèze near Vaison-la-Romaine. Despite a lower mistral and a slightly higher temperature, we only saw a few Lacerta bilineata and Podarcis muralis and a young Anguis fragilis...

[Stéphane Aubry]

Yesterday was not very successful in Provence, only a few lizards (Psammodromus hispanicus edwardsianus and Podarcis muralis) in The Alpilles...
Today we found our first Chalcides striatus ever very nice ! and also two Anguis fragilis.

Tomorrow, last day in the field...

http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/chalcides_striatus

[Gerald Ochsenhofer]

1+ for really great pictures!

[Stéphane Aubry]

Yesterday was the last day in the field in Provence. We decided to visit "La Crau" and "Le Marais du Vigueirat"
We had a nice weather and interesting sightings for the last day of holidays...

Before reptiles we had some interesting raptors : 2 Booted Eagles, Aquila pennata, some Short-toed Eagles, Circaetus gallicus and Lesser Kestrel, Falco naumanni...

one of the two Booted Eagles

the snake eater...

The only reptile in Crau after searching under many many stones : Natrix maura

more on http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/natrix_maura

In "Le Marais du Vigueirat", some Podarcis muralis, Lacerta bilineata and 4 Emys orbicularis

King Fluo !

more on http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/emys_orbicularis

[Michal Szkudlarek]

Looks that turtles were not timid. Likely they got used to people?

[Stéphane Aubry]

Looks that turtles were not timid. Likely they got used to people?

Yes, relatively easy to observe. There is a trail to visit the area and the Emys (wild ones) are probably used to see people but I took the pictures with a 400 mm...