Krk

[Jürgen Gebhart]

I made a Trip with a friend to the Island Krk. We started from my hometown (60 km west of Munich) at Sunday morning at 1.00 a Clock and arrived at the Island at 7.30.
The weatherforcast of the past days was not bad Thursday Thunderstorm, Friday and Saturday rain from time to time and from Sunday on Sun. But it was wrong, it was no rain on the island for a long time, it was very dry there. Temperatures were between 22 and 25 Degrees and had a strong wind.
We began immediately with searching for animals, but found nothing.
Then we drove to Ponikve we went on the west Side and found a lot of Podarcis siculus,
One Hierophis gemonensis, one Elaphe qautrolineata, Two Hierophis viridiflavus, one fresh born Hierophis (to fast to identify) and some Pelophylax.

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2 siculus.jpg

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Relaxed!

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Juvenil Hierophis viridiflavus in Situ

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At the Afternoon we drove to Baska and found two more Hierophis gemonensis and a few Podarcis siculus.

At Monday morning we drove to the Lake in the north (Jezero) and found only Podarcis siculus. Then we drove back to Ponikve, this time on the east Side.
We saw three Hierophis viridiflavus, Podarcis siculus and Pelophylax.
At this puddle were more than thirty.

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8

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Black rocks!

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Hornet in flashlight

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At the Afternoon we were in the field north of the city Krk and found nothing. Then we drove to Prniba and found also nothing.
Tuesday morning we drove back home.

[Wolfram Schurig]

So one more blacky in your collection, Jürgen! I am waiting for your first black Hyla arborea !
Great hornet-pertrait!

wolfram

[Mario Schweiger]

Very nice pictures from your island trip!
You had a bit bad luck with the weather. Otherwise your herptile collection would be much larger!
But, maybe next time!

Mario

[Boris Lauš]

Hi Jürgen, sorry to hear about lousy weather conditions. My friend, also herpetologist, spent almost entire August on this island, but it was too dry, and he found just a few species. You can't fight the weather

I was also there at the end of June this year, but weather conditions where just the opposite - constant rain, wind and clouds for a very long time Didn't find much species also, just 3 N.natrix at Diviska pond (and two more escaped - melanistic ones), some Pelophylax, one juvenile L.trilineata, one H.gemonensis and one H.viridiflavus ssp. carbonarius. We left home after 4 days.

Here are some of my photos from there:

Here is how the weather was like in June in Baska :)

Diviska pond - not far from Baska.

First N.natrix at Diviska pond

Second N.natrix at Diviska pond - melanistic ssp. persa

And the third N.natrix.

juvenile L.trilineata

Ready to shed - H.gemonensis

Black rules :)

[Peter Oefinger]

I never managede to get a shot of these Hierophis - some snakes are too fast for me !

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Nice shots Boris!!! The melanistic persa is a very good found! Never saw this in persa before!

[Mario Schweiger]

Yes, the striped Natrix natrix (not clear which ssp. lives on the island - all 3 subspecies meet there ) looks very dark.
But this is a truly melanistic one (Ponikve, June 2006)

black Natrix natrix

black Natrix natrix

Mario

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Very nice Mario!!! One reason more to go back to the island!!!!