A slightly late report on an out-of-season herp trip last month.
I was part of a six-strong group that headed to Slovenia and Croatia. The plan was to spend six days in Slovenia where we would target the Ammodytes Viper and Horvath's Lizard before heading to Krk for the remaining four. The weather proved somewhat uncooperative, swinging between extremes, but some interesting species were found.
Slovenia
We arrived in Kocevje in the early evening of the 13th. The weather was sunny and not too cool despite thunderstorms earlier in the day so we decided to try a local lake before the light was lost. Disappointingly no reptiles were spotted, but we found numerous Bombina variegata, yellow-bellied toads, in muddy puddles along the road which raised spirits considerably.
The next day the weather was mixed but we decided to try for V. ammodytes, our species of choice. Temperature was in the low twenties with patchy sun when we arrived, but within twenty minutes George had found a beautiful baby of the species which we believe to be have been male. It was sitting basking on moss covered rocks, the time around 10:30am. We noted that the moss was considerably warmer than the rock surface. Not bad for the first morning!
The one specimen was all we found that morning and we were forced to leave the site by approaching thunderstorms. When the weather it was getting late and we decided to try the far side of the lake from the evening before. It seemed a long shot and the weather was still very patchy, but to our surprise George once again found a snake within half an hour, this time a very vicious Smooth Snake, Coronella austriaca. Unfortunately it pulled a vanishing act and vanished from right under the noses of five of the group before it could be properly photographed.
The next morning we had apocalyptic thunderstorms so spent the time being despicable tourists at the Postjona Caves. It was lovely to see Proteus anguinus, the Olm, albeit in tanks. When we emerged the weather was improving so headed to a river in the South where a juvenile Natrix tesselata and several baby Natrix natrix were found, along with the first lizard of the trip, which we suspect to have been L. bilineata but couldn't positively ID before it was gone.
On a side note, a mole cricket was also found, although it too was gone before a good photo could be taken.
The next day the weather was against us. In the morning we tried once more for V. ammodytes but possibly due to high winds and cool temperatures none could be found. In the afternoon we tried the lake near Kocevje once again but only a Bufo bufo and two slow worms, A. fragilis, were found - not the most exciting discoveries but welcome none the less. Unfortunately they weren't photographed.
On the Friday we tried a site for Horvath's Rock Lizard, Iberolacerta horvathi, our second target species. The drive was arduous but we were rewarded with magnificent views and many of this beautiful species. In the afternoon we returned to the river site, and found a larger tessellata along with some more baby natrix.
On our final day in Slovenia we returned to the V. ammodytes site. After several hours of searching another baby, even smaller than the first, was found. Although we'd hoped for an adult it was worth it to see another of such a magnificent species. Any suggestions as to why no adults were found would be welcome - we wondered if they bask earlier than the babies in summer time.
Krk
On the Sunday we drove down to Krk, heading to a lake we had been tipped off about as soon as we were checked in. This turned out to be a paradise, and two four-lined rat snakes (Elaphe quatuorlineata) were found along with several juvenile N. natrix and many Italian Wall Lizards (Podarcis sicula) and Dalmatian Algyroides (Algyroides nigropunctatus). Also present were at least two melanistic natrix, one pure black and one showing a dark grey collar, but neither hung around to be photographed.
The next day we returned to the site by the lake again, only to be chased off by a very angry local. It should be noted that the land there is private, so anybody heading to the same site should be aware (we certainly weren't).
Instead we asked around for good places to see reptiles and were directed to a site inland. The rains were threatening but we found a Balkan Whip Snake, Hierophis gemonensis. We also searched a nearby pond to see marsh frogs and some terrapins which were too far off to identify, alas neither of which were photographed.
The next day the weather started to heat up. We explored the quieter parts of the island in the morning and found a Western Whip Snake, Hierophis viridiflavus carbonarius, basking on a track and an Aesculapian Snake, Zamenis longissimus, basking in some grassland, along with more Podarcis and Algyroides.
That night we returned to the small pond in the hopes of spotting amphibians, but when one of us had to nip back to the car we discovered that a kitten had climbed into the engine. After an hour spent trying to coax it out the night was cold and we wanted to go home.
In the next two days the weather heated up to the high 30s and became far too hot for herps. We found a very large, extremely dead four-line by a river and an L. trilineata, but that was more or less it for our time on Krk. On the way back to the airport we tried our luck at a salamander site but only spotted a few common frogs, Rana temporaria.
Despite a slightly lacklustre end we reached a species count in the low 20s and managed both of our target species - not bad for a trip in June.
Cheers for reading
Josh S