Corsican endemics in autumn

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Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Thomas Reich » Mon Nov 02, 2015 10:34 pm

After checking the climate charts, I decided to travel to Corsica in the end of September. My main goal was to find the 3 endemic species and Archaeolacerta that I had missed on Sardinia in 2012. I was accompanied by an entomologist who works at the same research institute as I do. She's an expert in the management of the invasive Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) and took the oportunity to meet her Corsican colleagues on-site.

The weather conditions were very different. At first, it was so dry that several communites had to limit their water consumption. After that, a so-called medicane hit Corsica bringing up to 360 mm (!) of rain in a short period. Heavy flooding was the consequence. But every cloud has a silver lining: Thanks to the heavy rainfall it was easy to observe salamanders. Some of them were saved from the road, but death toll must be considerable as we saw several freshly killed individuals. It wasn't before the final day that the weather got better and we finally found snakes. We left the beautiful island without having seen a single gecko though.

Thanks to Robin Duborget and Peter Oefinger.

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On our way to Livorno, where we took the ferry the next day, we stopped to see Speleomantes ambrosii. I knew the cave, so it was an easy find.

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A second stop in the surroundings of Massa.

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Two indivduals of Salamandrina perspicillata were quickly found. This was my first new species of the trip. A great start!

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Short walk through Livorno before boarding the ferry.

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During the four hours ferry ride we could spot 4-5 islands of the Tuscan archipelago.

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There are lots of pigs on Corsica!

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And even more chestnut trees. This makes certain parts of the island resembe the Swiss Ticino.

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Nice hike through a varying landscape with the main goal to see…

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Archaeloacerta bedriagae. This species was bigger than I expected.

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The same individual in its rocky habitat.

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Podarcis tiliguerta in sympatry.


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Another species high on my wishlist: Discoglossus montalentii. We only found tiny juveniles.

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The froglets were discovered in small water basins along the river.

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Lots of freshly metamorphosed Discoglossus sardus at lower elevation.

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Due to the drought, night excursions didn't deliver any amphibians, but snails.

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Cave crickets (Dolichopoda cf. cyrnensis) were hunting under a bridge.

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Female Gryllomorpha dalmatina eating a spermatophore.

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Étang de Biguglia

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Big and extremely common at the lake: Eyprepocnemis plorans

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Well camouflaged

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Acrida ungarica

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Sympetrum fonscolombii, male

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Sympetrum meridionale, male

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Mountain woods near Ghisoni

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Home of Salamandra corsica

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Sphinx near Propriano – A taste of Egypt

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Pelophylax lessonae/bergeri

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Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis, male

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Near a mountain brook at Col de Bavella...

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…I found the fifth and final new species for me: Euproctus montanus

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Juvenile Testudo hermanni

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…found in a short period of brighter weather in this natural riverbed.

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And some more salamanders during the rain.

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On our last day there was finally sunshine again. We did a short search at the nice Lac de Padula.

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Podarcis tiliguerta was quickly found, besides Podarcis siculus, Hierophis viridiflavus (I was too slow) and...

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...Natrix natrix .

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Also lots of dragonflies were present, here a female of Trithemis annulata.

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Port of Livirno in the evening sun.

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A final stop north of Genova delivered Rana italica, Podarcis muralis and Speleomantes strinatii.


List of ovserved species

Italian mainland
• Ambrosi’s Cave Salamander (Speleomantes ambrosii)
• Strinati’s Cave Salamander (Speleomantes strinatii)
• Northern Spectacled Salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata)
• Italian Stream Frog (Rana italica)
• Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
• Western Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata)

Corsica
• Corsican Fire Salamander (Salamandra corsica)
• Corsican Brook Newt (Euproctus montanus)
• Corsican Painted Frog (Discoglossus montalentii)
• Tyrrhenian Painted Frog (Discoglossus sardus)
• Italian Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae/bergeri)
• Hermann’s Tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
• Pygmy Algyroides (Algyroides fitzingeri)
• Tyrrhenian Rock Lizard (Archaeolacerta bedriagae)
• Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard (Podarcis tiliguerta)
• Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis siculus)
• Western Whip Snake (Hierophis viridiflavus)
• Grass Snake (Natrix natrix)
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Andre Schmid » Tue Nov 03, 2015 4:20 am

Hi Thomas, congrats on finding your goal species ! I have to visit corsica also in the next few years, this Natrix looks great :) Thanks for sharing your report :!:
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Jeroen Speybroeck » Tue Nov 03, 2015 10:13 am

Lovely!
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Bobby Bok » Tue Nov 03, 2015 10:56 am

Always love your tripreports Thomas, good photos, amazing scenery, interesting insects etc. Congrats finding all your target species!
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Jürgen Gebhart » Tue Nov 03, 2015 12:20 pm

Great!! Congrats!!!

The Natrix is WOW!!!!
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Robin Duborget » Tue Nov 03, 2015 6:57 pm

Hello Thomas,

I see that you had a great time in Corsica !
Arachaeolacerta were at the "Lac du Ninu" ? I recognise the view ;)

For your Dolichopoda, you need to see this for the identification :
http://www.insecte.org/forum/viewtopic. ... olichopoda

If not you cannot sayf cf cyrnensis because the two species have the same habitus.

Which entomologist did you see in Corsica ? We are not many ...

How did you manage to find "quickly" a Salamandrina ?! it's an elusive species !

Robin
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Paul Lambourne » Tue Nov 03, 2015 7:26 pm

Thomas

A lovely report, with great pictures as expected.. love Corsica, great to see so many endemic amphibs, and the grass snake is a stunning rarity..

Cheers Paul
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Thomas Reich » Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:47 pm

Thanks for your comments!

Robin Duborget wrote:If not you cannot sayf cf cyrnensis because the two species have the same habitus.

Do you know anything about the distribution of the two species on the island? I only wrote "cf. cyrnensis" because this is the "Dolichopode de Venaco" and the crickets were found near there.

Robin Duborget wrote:Which entomologist did you see in Corsica ? We are not many ...

I think they were people from "FREDON Corse", located at Biguglia.

Robin Duborget wrote:How did you manage to find "quickly" a Salamandrina ?! it's an elusive species !

That's my secret. :lol: No, I think it was a combination of suitable weather, experience (I have been to Calabria with an expert...) and luck.

Paul Lambourne wrote:and the grass snake is a stunning rarity..

I don't think that Natrix is rare on Corsica, is it?
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Robin Duborget » Thu Nov 05, 2015 6:45 pm

No, Natrix natrix is pretty common in Corsica.
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Re: Corsican endemics in autumn

Postby Laura Bok » Tue Nov 10, 2015 9:51 am

That was a pleasure to read indeed! Thanks for sharing your impressions of both beautiful animals and scenery.
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