No luck again with V.ammodytes

[Clive Brignull]

Just back from Slovenia . Nose horned viper was top of my wanted list but again failed to see any.I have seached for this species in Bulgaria, Corfu, Croatia, European Turkey, Peloponnes, and now Slovenia. I think a possible reason for my failure is that i can only take my vacations mid season when temps are to high. I chose Slovenia because of it's northerly location, but we encounted a mini heat wave with daily temps of 34c plus. Even the Julian Alps yielded no vipers. All known hot spots were visited. However, the trip was not without success as two first's for me were found, Italian agile frog and Horvaths rock lizard plus many other species. Now where and when to try next year for V.ammodytes ????. I need help. Confidentiality assured so any advice much appreciated.

[Bobby Bok]

Tough luck! While they are harder to find than in spring it is not impossible. I have been to Slovenia and Austria in summer in 2010 en 2014 and on both occasions we found several. But we always searched late in the afternoon (while the sun was setting) or really early when we found a few crawling around. Same in Montenegro in 2012. Sometimes we were lucky and flipped them (under big boulders). In Macedonia in 2012 I also flipped ammodytes in summer with temps also steadily above 35 degrees.

Where and when to try next year? I would say go to Greece where this species is still rather common and go in spring. Especially around the Prespes lakes they are commonly found. Having said that, in Bulgaria in autumn last year we could find around 8 ammodytes which surprised us as usually autumn isn't the best time to look for vipers.

[Pablo Deschepper]

I'm back from Bulgaria since a couple of weeks and a friend and me only found 1 little specimen (first ammodytes for me ever ) on the first day, we didn't manage to make a picture but we thought we would encounter this species again. We didn't have any luck finding the species again in the next 8 days.. At the Black Sea coast there should be a number of good spots for ammodytes. You probably already used this website, but still here it is: http://en.balcanica.info/1-50-1

[Berislav Horvatic]

Now where and when to try next year for V.ammodytes ????. I need help. Confidentiality assured so any advice much appreciated.

Well, the general advice would be to come earlier, if one can afford it. (You said you couldn't...) And one really doesn't
have to travel as far as Greece or Bulgaria, see below:

Photo: Igor Vilaj, 28 April 2013, Hrvatsko Zagorje

(It's a hilly region in Northern Croatia - most people would hardly expect it to be a Vammo paradise, but actually
it is - only the poorly informed "fools" stubbornly insist on rushing to the Adriatic coast & islands... The mainland
Vammos from the hills are not only more abundant, but also much bigger, if that means anything to you...)

Later it becomes progressively more difficult, but still not impossible. In September they're back, but in more
modest amounts, everywhere. (Unless one gets extremely lucky: my friend Ivo Peranić found some 20 or so within
just a few hours on the island of Pag on a warm day in October last year... But that's happened to him only once
in his life. Normally one should have more modest expectations in autumn, either on Pag or anywhere else.)

@ Mario: Yes, Mario, on the island of Pag - believe it or not... They're not rare there, you just had bad luck...

If you need help, just contact me next year in early spring, and you'll get all the info I can give you - even for
the cursed summertime... Come to Zagreb, and we'll find something for you even at the very outskirts of the
city, even if it gets unpleasantly hot. (No guarantee, of course - doing our best (anyone's best) doesn't mean
a 100% success.)

Even the Julian Alps yielded no vipers.

In my experience, and not only mine, high mountains are, quite generally, not the best places to search for
Vipera ammodytes, even in midsummer heat. They simply prefer somewhat lower altitudes.

[Francesco Tri]

Bero spectacular .....

[Berislav Horvatic]

Bero spectacular .....

No, its just "Bero connecting people", rather than (the more famous) "Nokia connecting people".
And I do find it very much rewarding, for both "sides".

[Ruggero M.]

I've experience with ammos around Parga in Greece, but my observations are rather out of date, and the habitats and the situation are probably changed in worse now.
I've pictures, but only on slides.
I can say that ammos were extremely easy to be met there in April-May, and not only in "pristine" habitats, such as macchia, gariga with stones, edges of swamps and so on, but also in the immediate nearness of towns and hotels.
I liked over all the yellow coloured females, and one morning I met the most beautiful ammo I've ever seen: a newborn of a wonderful golden-yellow colour.
Unfortunately the pictures of this yellow baby had resulted at home to be totally unsharp... It was not yet time of digital pictures...

[Berislav Horvatic]

Like I said, "Come to Zagreb, and we'll find something for you even at the very outskirts of the
city, even if it gets unpleasantly hot. (No guarantee, of course - doing our best (anyone's best)
doesn't mean a 100% success.)" So, you're invited as well, and I'd really like to join you in any
excursion anywhere. Getting older, I've become ever more choosier when it comes to company,
whether "in the field" or "in general", but you're one of the people that certainly should qualify.
Let's see.

[Clive Brignull]

Well Zagreb area seems the most promising but the further south you go the greater the range of species encounted. It's a hard decision to go for basically one species and although unlikely still could fail. The only other R &A I would seach for would be Bombina bombina.

[Berislav Horvatic]

I don't insist on "my place", just wanted to offer a friendly assistance, in case you're keen on finding V. ammodytes
in particular. Of course there are more species to be expected (and, hopefully, found) if one goes further south...
if that's what one is about.
I also wanted to stress (again and again...) that V. ammodytes is actually not a strictly "Mediterranean" species, on
the contrary, it seems to prefer somewhat more moderate climate, such as offered by not-too-high mountains and
hills of the mainland. It always "requires" at least some stone in its habitat, but not in excess... I've been "fighting"
that common prejudice for quite some time, so, please pardon my "lecturing"...
Regarding Bombina bombina, the Zagreb area is just the borderline/overlap zone of B. variegata and B. bombina.
If you go west, it's B. variegata, if you go east, it's B. bombina, and if you stay there, you can never be quite sure,
because they interbreed.