my first post here including pictures (a bit overdue but better late than never
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
I spend my vacation with my family in Switzerland. With 4 sisters that are not to keen on herps it was difficult to really spend time on finding some. Still, whenever I had time I grabbed my mountain-bike and started cycling and stopping at some sites that looked good. We first visited Ticino because my sisters wanted a tan
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
This resulted in the following pictures! Hope you enjoy!
I found my first reptiles in a old city-center. Not surprising for these wall-crawlers but still surprising to see.
Podarcis muralis maculiventris
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1424.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1420.jpg)
And their habitat:
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCN1504.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1413.jpg)
The next day we had rain in the morning and in the afternoon it started to clear with good conditions for snakes. Back on my cycle to a little place I saw a couple days earlier.
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1523.jpg)
Lifting these plates resulted in my first H. viridiflavus! I was thrilled to find this species. Snappy snakes that show a lot of character!
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1520.jpg)
Also found these among the leaf-litter:
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1494.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1493.jpg)
Playing with the settings of my camera resulted in this:
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1444.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1443.jpg)
Aslo found this little flower. The shape of it's leaves made me think this is an orchid but I have no clue what so ever on the exact species.
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/CIMG5377.jpg)
Then We left to Berner-Oberland. Nice camping with some fantastic views!
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1636.jpg)
A couple of hiking tours were not very succesfull. the temperatures were very high for reptiles and everything was found flipping things (although I noticed that some people swear by flipping things is the way to find some animals, and I don't disagree
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCN1762.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1571.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1568.jpg)
A couple of walks in some ideal V. aspis habitat led to nothing. Temperatures were to hot by the time we arrived. When we returned I checked out the surrounding with some surprising finds:
I beieve this is the most beautiful salamander that I've seen so far.
Salamandra atra
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1677.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1659.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1651.jpg)
Also found N. natrix along a fast flowing river. Pretty strange habitat I thought because the river would be dangerous for me to swim. Still pleased with the find!
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1624.jpg)
Also seen I. alpestris and B. bufo
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1599.jpg)
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1606.jpg)
But the most stunning find during the entire vacation was by far a Edelweiss! Fantastic and iconic little flower.
![Image](http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af117/Cadian761/Vakantie%202011/DSCF1658.jpg)
Hope you enjoyed.
Kind regards,
Tim