Southern Turkish Reptiles

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Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Daniel Kane » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:44 pm

Hello

I have been to Turkey three times now, to the same location on each occasion. The area is near the south of the country near the town of Manavgat. Here habitats range from sand dunes and ruins to agricultural fields and irrigation channels. There may be up to 28 species of reptiles found around this area, so it is well worth a visit if you ever get the chance! Species include, but are not limited to, Pamphylian Green Lizard, Ottoman Viper, Blunt-nosed Viper (supposedly), Cat Snake, Eastern Montpellier Snake, Glass Lizard, Budak's Skink and Green Toad. So far with two Spring and one Autumn visit I have found 16 of these, all within a 4km radius. Below are some of my pictures from three separate visits;

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Kotschy's Gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi)
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Pamphylian Green Lizard (Lacerta pamphylica)
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Striped Skink (Mabuya vittata)
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Coin-marked Snake (Hemorrhois nummifer)
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Anatolian Worm-lizard (Blanus strauchi)


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Balkan Terrapin (Mauremys rivulata)
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Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca)
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Anatolian Worm-lizards (Blanus strauchi)
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Hatay Lizard (Phoenicolacerta laevis)
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Levant Skink (Trachylepis aurata)
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Coin-marked Snake (Hemorrhois nummifer)
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Hatay Lizard (Phoenicolacerta laevis)
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Ocellated Skink (Chalcides ocellatus)
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Has anyone else here been herping in Turkey? If so, where about in the country have you been and what have you found?

Thanks
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Re: Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Mario Schweiger » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:58 pm

Hello Dany!

Welcome to my forum/board!
First thanks for these very nice and good pictures!

Yes, I´ve been at Manavgat also two times.
And "everywhere" else in Turkey, all together about 20 trips, starting in 1974.
As you (and all others) will know, I´ve been bitten in May 1982 by a large Macrovipera lebetina obtusa near Iskenderun - http://www.vipersgarden.at/biss.php.

Unfortunately my last trip was before the digital-image area and I have slides only.

But I - together with a friend - are planning a trip to central aegeaen west coast and Bafa lake this autumn, second half of september.
We will combinate our trip with the SEH OGM in Kusadasi.
But, at the time, these are thoughts only!
But who knows!!

Mario
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Re: Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Daniel Kane » Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:18 pm

Hi Mario. May I congratulate you on a very well designed forum - long may it remain like that.

So you've been to Manavgat too! Did you visit the ruins at Side? I am especially interested in finding any snakes next time I go, so I would be grateful to hear of your observations. I have seen four snake species around Manavgat in total - Coin-marked snakes, Grass Snakes, Black Whipsnakes and Dahl's Whipsnake. Can you add to this list?

Thank you for your kind words about my photos.

Regards
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Re: Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Mario Schweiger » Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:55 am

Hi Dany,

for Manavgat (between city and the cataracts) I can add the following snake species:
Typhlops vermicularis
Natrix tessellata

Close to Manavgat area:
Eryx jaculus (west of Manavgat, beside the main road; below trash)
Malpolon insignitus (mountain slopes between Aspendos and Manavgat)
Montivipera xanthina (Köprü river valley, some miles north of Aspendos)
Macrovipera lebetina (between Okurcalar and Incekum, stone walls at the edge of fields, close to the main road; observed by friends).

I will recomand this very good book, although in German language:
http://fieldherping.eu/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=62

Mario
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Re: Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Vlad Cioflec » Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:24 am

Great stuff!

The Striped Skink is so awesome. 8-) In fact i love all them skinks. ;)

Thanks for posting.
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Re: Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Ilian Velikov » Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:18 am

Welcome to the forum,Daniel!..And thanks for your great photos! Hope to see more soon! :mrgreen:
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Re: Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Daniel Kane » Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:06 pm

Hi Mario, Vlad and Ilian

I presume the Natrix were found along Manavgat River and where it meets the sea; do you mind me asking where you found the worm snakes? This was one of my targets for last time, but I didn't manage to find any. You say the sand boas were 'west of Manavgat, beside the main road'. Are we talking 1km west or 10km west of the town? I completely understand if you don't want to disclose this information on a public website, although I am very interested in finding these snakes next time I go to back. If this is the case then could you please PM me.

Vlad, I too really like all the different skinks found around that area, although the Ocellated skinks have to be my favourite, such cool markings, and the ability to disappear into the sand as soon as they don't want to be seen anymore. In my experience the Striped skinks normally vanish into the grass before you can even see what they were and the Levant skinks tend to stay fairly high up on the walls, out of reach of any terrestrial animal. They are not too keen to move because they know you can't get to them! Last April I also saw some Budak's Skinks. No photos though, they are too quick and alert in the fields where I saw them. Hopefully next time I will be quicker...
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Re: Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Mario Schweiger » Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:44 pm

Hi Daniel,

I´m very afraid, after looking to the area on Google Maps.
So much has changed there.
Last time, I´ve been there was in the early/middle nineties!
The Eryx place must have been between the mainroad and the sea. But looking now on Google earth, there are hundreds of Bungalows with dozens of pools.
Look at GE, there are two small creeks. I remember the place well, we slept there in our camper.
I have been there with a friend (many times from the late seventies to the nineties) and checked every possiblity for Mertensiella (Lykiasalamandra) = pineforests with rocks. Between a bit west of Antalya and Alanya. So also around Manavgat and the river up.
But no new locality for salamanders, but Typhlops and Blanus under rocks. Our excursion times have been mostly in April along the coast - because of Lykiasalamandra.
Im sure, there are still some places, Eryx and Typhlops is occuring - but where exactly, I dont know. Unfortunately

Mario
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Re: Southern Turkish Reptiles

Postby Jürgen Gebhart » Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:02 am

Awesome Pics!!!!!!!!!!!
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