The Lake is about 90 km southwest of Munich.
I visited this area many times in the past years and was always surprised about how big the Population is and about the colour and marking variations of the Natrix there.
Three years ago I found at the best day 53 individuals (from young to adult) in 2 hours.
But most of the time when I made a round walk I found between 20 and 30 individuals.
I have no Idea how big this population is, but I think there are between 40 and 60 snakes in breeding size and a nobody can count number of juveniles.
In the past years the breeding season starts in the middle/End of March and it was easily to observe a female with six and more males.
But in this horrible year for fieldherpers everything was different.
The winter period was until the end of March, than we had dry and sunny three weeks in April and than rain and cold temperatures came back until the middle of May. Day temperatures in the beginning of May about 10 Degrees, night about five Degrees.
The mating season starts in the middle of April and most of the time I saw a female with one male, rarely a female and two males.
The last mating I observed in the End of May.
The west side.
This is the trail for the public. Especially on the weekend you see many people there with bikes, dogs, kids.
You can found a few Natrix there, also Anguis fragilis and Lacerta agilis. I never saw a Zootoca vivipara there!
The south Side
This is a flat water area where many Pelophylax occur. On other places around the lake
you don`t found frogs. Some Years ago the Pelophylax were around the lake, but there are also a fishing club at the lake and they introduced a lot of pikes so from year to year there a less Pelophylax around.
The east side
This is the place where the most Natrix occur, also Anguis fragilis and Zootoca vivipara. I never saw a Lacerta agilis there!
On the east side are also some pounds and puddles where Bombina variegata, Rana temporaria and Bufo bufo occur.
A few years ago I found also a Vipera berus there.
On the north side is the wall. There is the only place were Zootoca vivipara and Lacerta agilis occur together on the Lake. I found also Natrix natrix and Anguis fragilis there, east of it Vipera berus.
During late Spring/beginning of summer most of the adult Natrix left the Lake and go up to the wooded hills area.
I liked very much to make pictures with more than one Natrix.
Sometimes, if you wait long enough you get more than two.
These two individuals are about 60 cm long, two weeks before I pictured a big one on the same place. When you compare these two pics you can image how big the old lady is.
I also liked too picture Natrix with other herps.
Natrix with Anguis fragilis under a board
Natrix with Anguis fragilis in the sun
Natrix with Bufo bufo
I know some populations north of the Lake. When you find one Natrix you know how the other looks like. Maybe one of them looks a little bit lighter or darker, but all in all they look the same.
On that Lake it is very different, you have of course “normals” a few with strange markings and you have a lot of dark ones.
The dark ones was the main reason why I was picturing the Natrix this season.
Nice markings
Zick zack Band
Does anyone of you know something about the “Picturata-Phase”?
What is “Picturata”?
A black snake with brown/grey spots or a brown/grey Snake with black spots?
Is there any difference between melanistic (black) and Picturata???
Black?
Black with markings
Close up
Dark with markings
Close up
The blackest from the Lake
Close up
I found this snake a few days later and she was not amused about that
Black with markings
Close up
Picturata?
Close up
Body shot
Picturata
Black or Picturata?
Close up
Picturata
Body shot
Picturata?
Close up
Nice looking Lady with alot of black on the back
An other one
A female with a lot of black scales
Close up
Body shot
My favorite mixed colored Natrix
Close up
If anyone of you knows something about the picturata-Morph or have any idea about it please let me know!!!
Any more flipped pics?
