a day in the peat bog (Upper Austria)

[Mario Schweiger]

Hello,

this morning I´ve been at "my" peat bog again.
I was there early in the morning, about 7.20 a.m.

spidernet with dew

But no herps!
Up to 8:40 a.m.
then I found "my" gravid Vipera berus female again - only about 3 meters from the place, one month before.

gravid Vipera berus female "in situ"

She was basking only 1.5 meters away from the visitors track. And she disdn´t leave, when I came close.
Just the contrary. She started fighting against me!

Vipera berus female

Again, I wasn´t able to make good pictures. She was turning allways her head against me, even when I was one or 1.5 meters away.

Vipera berus female

So I made my way along the visitors track (2.5 kilometers). On my way I saw a few Zootoca vivipara, also newborns. But wasn´t able to make a picture of them in the tall grass.
So I started a second way around, just looking, if "my girl" was still there.
But not - she was gone!
On the way back to the car, I saw a male, only 2 meters away from the track.

Vipera berus male - in situ

It was basking between a lot of vegetation. So I took him to a free place nearby.

Vipera berus male

A few minutes and some pictures later:

Vipera berus male - starting to get angry

Just a few meters from the car, an Anguis was basking on the wooden track. It disappeared, when I came close.
Also I heared a Pelophylax (prop. esculenta) calling out of the bog.

Mario

[Ilian Velikov]

Nice photos! Seems like adders are common in that area!?
Love the "angry shot"! If I didn't know how dangerous it is I would be loughing if it makes that face to me!

[Mario Schweiger]

This area is nature protected since 1987 and a Natura 2000 area since 1998.
There are a lot of signs, not to leave the wooden track.
And its strongly recommanded to do this also by me.
A policy in fieldherping is: "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing except footprints"
But also the footprints are a problem in a peat bog.
So the peat moss is growing very slowly, you may see your footprints for years in some places.
Therefore, I avoid to walk through the bog, and step in only by one or two feet, if really necessary (these 1 or 2 meters to take a picture of an adder).
So nobody knows, how good and strong this population of adders is. But I think its a stable one.
Since making pictures of every individual I can get, it will be possible to make some statistics in a few years (capture and recapture).

Also it is said, this lowland population is isolated for at least 30 kilometers. But that´s not true!
I have found some other populations (or better - a few individuals) connecting this lowland population to the mountain populations "around" the town of Salzburg

Mario

[Ilian Velikov]

I think it's very good that the area is well protected and I hope more areas become like this one! Animals need to have places on that planet where they could rarely (if not at all ) meet humans !:)...Very nice that there are such populations of this beautiful snakes in areas close to you! Wish you luck in making those statistics you're talking about..and watch your step for that peat moss !

Ilian

[Mario Schweiger]

today I´ve been in the peat bog again.
But unfortunately I´ve seen only 4 Zootoca vivipara (3 youngsters and 1 adult), and was unable to get any picture.
Not one Vipera berus!
I think the nights are already to cold now. Before a few days, the temperatures were close to freeezing!

But here some nice aspects from the peat bog in the early autumn days.
I stayed there from 8:30 a.m. till 12:40 p.m.
The fog has gone about 9:30, then the sun come out from a nearly cloudless sky.

This, in German language we call "Altweibersommer", what means old womans summer (because (maybe) of the silvery grey shining spider webs)

Argiope bruennichi

another zebra (or wasp) spider

after the fog has gone - around 11:30 a.m.

Orobranche sp., maybe gracilis

So, no herps, but some nice images, I think

Mario

[Ilian Velikov]

Definitely,some great shots (although no herps)! Very nice lanscape...and I love the "Altweibersommer"!

[Edvard Mizsei]

So, no herps, but some nice images, I think

The first picture is really beautiful! In hungarien we call this season like old womens summer too.

Edvard