After checking the climate charts, I decided to travel to Corsica in the end of September. My main goal was to find the 3 endemic species and Archaeolacerta that I had missed on Sardinia in 2012. I was accompanied by an entomologist who works at the same research institute as I do. She's an expert in the management of the invasive Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) and took the oportunity to meet her Corsican colleagues on-site.
The weather conditions were very different. At first, it was so dry that several communites had to limit their water consumption. After that, a so-called medicane hit Corsica bringing up to 360 mm (!) of rain in a short period. Heavy flooding was the consequence. But every cloud has a silver lining: Thanks to the heavy rainfall it was easy to observe salamanders. Some of them were saved from the road, but death toll must be considerable as we saw several freshly killed individuals. It wasn't before the final day that the weather got better and we finally found snakes. We left the beautiful island without having seen a single gecko though.
Thanks to Robin Duborget and Peter Oefinger.
On our way to Livorno, where we took the ferry the next day, we stopped to see Speleomantes ambrosii. I knew the cave, so it was an easy find.
A second stop in the surroundings of Massa.
Two indivduals of Salamandrina perspicillata were quickly found. This was my first new species of the trip. A great start!
Short walk through Livorno before boarding the ferry.
During the four hours ferry ride we could spot 4-5 islands of the Tuscan archipelago.
There are lots of pigs on Corsica!
And even more chestnut trees. This makes certain parts of the island resembe the Swiss Ticino.
Nice hike through a varying landscape with the main goal to see…
…Archaeloacerta bedriagae. This species was bigger than I expected.
The same individual in its rocky habitat.
Podarcis tiliguerta in sympatry.
Another species high on my wishlist: Discoglossus montalentii. We only found tiny juveniles.
The froglets were discovered in small water basins along the river.
Lots of freshly metamorphosed Discoglossus sardus at lower elevation.
Due to the drought, night excursions didn't deliver any amphibians, but snails.
Cave crickets (Dolichopoda cf. cyrnensis) were hunting under a bridge.
Female Gryllomorpha dalmatina eating a spermatophore.
Étang de Biguglia
Big and extremely common at the lake: Eyprepocnemis plorans
Well camouflaged
Acrida ungarica
Sympetrum fonscolombii, male
Sympetrum meridionale, male
Mountain woods near Ghisoni
Home of Salamandra corsica
Sphinx near Propriano – A taste of Egypt
Pelophylax lessonae/bergeri
Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis, male
Near a mountain brook at Col de Bavella...
…I found the fifth and final new species for me: Euproctus montanus
Juvenile Testudo hermanni…
…found in a short period of brighter weather in this natural riverbed.
And some more salamanders during the rain.
On our last day there was finally sunshine again. We did a short search at the nice Lac de Padula.
Podarcis tiliguerta was quickly found, besides Podarcis siculus, Hierophis viridiflavus (I was too slow) and...
...Natrix natrix .
Also lots of dragonflies were present, here a female of Trithemis annulata.
Port of Livirno in the evening sun.
A final stop north of Genova delivered Rana italica, Podarcis muralis and Speleomantes strinatii.
List of ovserved species
Italian mainland
• Ambrosi’s Cave Salamander (Speleomantes ambrosii)
• Strinati’s Cave Salamander (Speleomantes strinatii)
• Northern Spectacled Salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata)
• Italian Stream Frog (Rana italica)
• Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
• Western Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata)
Corsica
• Corsican Fire Salamander (Salamandra corsica)
• Corsican Brook Newt (Euproctus montanus)
• Corsican Painted Frog (Discoglossus montalentii)
• Tyrrhenian Painted Frog (Discoglossus sardus)
• Italian Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae/bergeri)
• Hermann’s Tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
• Pygmy Algyroides (Algyroides fitzingeri)
• Tyrrhenian Rock Lizard (Archaeolacerta bedriagae)
• Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard (Podarcis tiliguerta)
• Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis siculus)
• Western Whip Snake (Hierophis viridiflavus)
• Grass Snake (Natrix natrix)