Peloponnese - May 2022

[Tomas Klacek]

Me and my wife had probably a last chance to made a without baby trip for a long time, so we pack our van and headed to Greece. She was pregnant, so it was mainly a vacation, longer hikes or detours to the mountains were not possible. But I still managed to spend some time looking for herps between all those delicious meals and lying on the beaches. For me it was a first time there and I have to say I really love it.

Meteora stop on the way.


We started in a north-west part with a baby Hermann's tortoise as a first reptile encounter. When I was looking for snakes I found just a scorpions.. At night also without success, saw many Scops owls and Little owl but no snake. On the way back I noticed something bright green on the bush next to a road - first African chameleon! In a while I found other one not far a way high up in a pine. I did not want to disturb them, so I do not have any good photos, returned back in the morning, but both were gone.



Blind snakes, grass snake and a lot of water frogs (P. epeiroticus?) around a lake nearby.







Forrests around looked great for Vipers or Four-lined snakes, I tried at mornings, evenings even night times, but with no luck. I was only able to find lot of Hermanns tortoises, Kotschy's geckoes, Balkan green lizards and a single Dahl's whip snake










We moved more south by a western coast to a little lake. It was scorching hot, no rain for a long time. So I tried a small gorge. Shady place delivered first Greek rock lizard and Greek algyroides. Both species was very shy and hard to take a photo. Also baby Dice snake disappeared in a water.




On the way back to a lake I have to break hard because of a snake stretched over the road. I though it is a dor snake, but it was very live Balkan whip snake. After removing to a safe place I was still wondering why in the middle of the road in the hottest part of the day... weird snake.



After a night walk when I found just a friendly pack of stray dogs I tried lake shores early morning. It brough two beautiful Montpellier snakes, both terrapin species and some swiming Dice snakes.




[





We could not missed famous Gialova lagoon, spend three days around and found in total 12 chamaleons. All at night and some of them was kind enough to stay in same branches till morning so we were allowed to admire them also in daylight. Only one was a big adult, the rest were all young animals. Exept chameleons I found some other species, like Tree frogs, Turkish geckoes, many Glass lizards, Hermann's tortoises and also first Peloponnese wall lizards.



















it is too long, to be continue..

[Tomas Klacek]

Still no rain, so gorge with a creek and waterfalls was a great place where we could spend a day. Many Greek rock lizards, some quickly disappearing whip snakes and a tadpoles which I believe are Rana gracea.









Mystras area above glorious Sparta. Staff warn us to not go off the paths because lot of snakes there. I only saw a glass lizards, geckoes and huge Marginated tortoise..






Dimitros shipwreck


Then we headed southernmost to cape Matapan. I never saw so many roadkilled snakes like on this way. Mostly Malpolons and whip snakes, Two times we stopped because of hunting Malpolon on the edge of the road. I guess they are looking for Lacertas or Pseudopus there and unfortunatelly often die under the car wheels.. :/



Matapan guardian


There was a little owl too on this rock, but flew away, so just a Western rock nuthatch


Acrida ungarica




We decided to go back and spend last days in North-Western part. I really wanted to find Sand boa, Leopard snake or local Horned viper. I was trying hard, but with no luck with the snakes. Found out that Nightjars made a very similar sound to Green toads. Did not found Eryx or situla, but last morning I encountered on this young pale lady It was a quite nice end of our trip where we do not have a single drop of rain in three weeks. Hope, we can go back there soon together with our son...






With regards,
t.

[Mario Schweiger]

very nice pictures, Tomas!
I like your Hellenolacerta pictures. Have only seen two specimen during all my Pelo trips

[Gerald Ochsenhofer]

I like your Hellenolacerta pictures.

Indeed! They are also for me the highlight of the pictures.

[Kevin Esser]

I think we all agree the Hellenolacerta pictures are super
Actually all these pics are great, I especially like your landscape pictures.
And I want to point out that frontal Malpolon tongue shot!

During hot and dry conditions and for a "herping light" trip, you have been very successful.

Great trip report, wants me to go to Peloponnese one day even more.
Thanks for sharing, Tomáš!

[Kevin Byrnes]

Well done Tomas, great report and beautiful photos, nice to see some familiar places

[Tomas Klacek]

Thanks to all! I guess I saw more Hellenolacertas than P. peloponnesiacus
Hellenolacertas are not everywhere, but if you have a good spot, in my case shady places around streams they were quite numerous. Overall I was surprised by low numbers of lizards, I expect to see Podarcis everywhere and it did not happened at all.
And one question - can you identify the first baby tortoise? Somebody told me it is not hermanni but marginata. I admit I do not know, I automaticaly identify it as a hermanni. On this trip I saw just one marginata and dozens of hermanni, so I consider it for hermanni too. Unfortunately I do not have much better photos..

[Mario Schweiger]

Tomas, I think, the baby tortoise is a marginata.
As fas as visible, the scales on front feed are quite large and the markings on the carapax scales point to marginata too

[Tomas Klacek]

Thank you Mario, for confirmation!

[Francesco Tri]

Yes, It Is a small Testudo marginata, your photo is amazing:I believe you have thaumaturgical powers, how do you photograph snakes so calmly?