Krk island; May 2015

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Krk island; May 2015

Postby Mario Schweiger » Mon May 18, 2015 9:17 am

On Thursday morning, 2:30 a.m. we arrived at Omisalj, where we spent the night in a hotel (the only place on the island, where we found a 24 hours reception via www ;) ).
The next morning we met with the others from Vienna at a nice herping place in the center of the island.
ponik.jpg


Within "a few minutes" we found a large Elaphe quatuorlineata female (Bero, look at the dull coloration), a Pseudopus apodus and a Hierophis carbonarius, last one unfortunately with blue eyes.
4lin-1.jpg

4lin-2.jpg

peter+4lin.jpg
Peter with four lined rat snake


schelto.jpg


carbon2.jpg

carbon3.jpg


Also a large Testudo hermanni female was spotted on a sunny place in the forest
hermann2.jpg

hermann1.jpg


Here I finished my walk for this morning.
The others went further and found a Vipera ammodytes female, 2 Zamenis longissimus - one grey with bright yellow scales (hope to show some pics here later) - and an Elaphe quatuorlineata male.
In the afternoon we splitted into two groups.
While we went to the south of the island the second group drove to the north, to the place, where the Natrix tessellata has been found. As expected, they found none :lol: ). But also we havn't been successful, only a few Lacerta trilineata have been heared, running into the bushes.

During the night from Thursday to Friday the weather changed. In the morning it was completely cloudy with some rain drops and wind.
Anyway, we tried our luck, but only with little success: 2 adult Hierophis gemonensis and one baby by one group and one gemonensis and some trilineatas by the other (no pictures by me).

During late afternoon, I showed the others a ditch. This "secret place" is one with the most dense populations of Emys orbicularis on the island.
emys2.jpg

emys1.jpg


Saturday morning: Weather nearly the same like the day before. But with some sunny periods between.
We all together went to another place in the center of the island.
Our group could get 2 Hierophis gemonensis and did some quite good in situ shots of adult Lacerta trilineata
gemo1.jpg

trili1.jpg

trili1b.jpg

Marius found a last year Baby of Elaphe quatuorlineata
4lin-baby.jpg

The other group a Vipera ammodytes female in a stone wall and 2 Testudo hermanni females.

Sunday morning we did a short stop in the north of the island before starting our way back home.
Only a few lizards (Algyroides nigropunctatus and Podarcis melisellensis) and a subadult Anguis fragilis.

And here 2 Podarcis siculus from the 1st day with red belly and throat.
On Krk island, red-bellies are restricted to the more forested interior of the island.
siculus1.jpg

siculus2.jpg


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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Michael Wilms » Mon May 18, 2015 9:49 am

Nice pictures, Mario! :D
Looks like you had some good days although the weather was not so merciful!
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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Jeroen Speybroeck » Mon May 18, 2015 12:20 pm

Interesting to see those orange-bellied siculus specimens - the first one would probably look like waglerianus in ventral view. There are (vague) plans for a Krk trip from our Belgian crew in 2016, so I'll sure pay more attention.
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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Mario Schweiger » Mon May 18, 2015 12:34 pm

Here some pics from friends (Brigitte and Gerhard Egretzberger), sharing the trip

gruppe.jpg
photo session with Emys orbicularis

zamenis_yellow.jpg
grey Zamenis longissimus with some bright yellow scales
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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Bobby Bok » Mon May 18, 2015 2:06 pm

Aaargghh, how easy is it for most people to find quatuorlineata! :lol: After so many trips to the Balkans I still have to see an adult... Great findings and fantastic colouration on the Zamenis!
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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Peter Oefinger » Mon May 18, 2015 3:20 pm

Bobby Bok wrote:Aaargghh, how easy is it for most people to find quatuorlineata! :lol: After so many trips to the Balkans I still have to see an adult... Great findings and fantastic colouration on the Zamenis!


You said what I thought ;-)
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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Mario Schweiger » Mon May 18, 2015 4:35 pm

Bobby Bok wrote:Aaargghh, how easy is it for most people to find quatuorlineata! :lol: After so many trips to the Balkans I still have to see an adult...

Maybe you are always at the wrong (day)time there :lol:
Even with my rheumatism I stumble on them ;) , if not my friends/colleagues are much faster on the way.
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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Mario Schweiger » Mon May 18, 2015 4:42 pm

and 4 pics of other favorites of mine ;)
apifera1.jpg
Ophrys apifera

apifera2.jpg
Ophrys apifera

bertolonii1.jpg
Ophrys bertolonii

holoserica1.jpg
Ophrys untchjii
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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Berislav Horvatic » Mon May 18, 2015 7:33 pm

Mario, congratulations, you (meaning, you & the whole team) seem to have been more fruitful or lucky or both
than I was afraid of... Sorry that I couldn't have joined you, it was a plan that failed, due to (my and Ivo's) life
circumstances...

Regarding N. tessellata, I don't quite understand (or rather, accept) your ironical "As expected, they found
none :lol: )." After all, the guy did find it there two (or has it been already three?!) years ago, so, unless he's
just a pathological lier (which I don't believe),... it's not "of course not", why should it be?

BTW, if you may wish an expert opinion on your orchids, just tell me, I have a real expert at my disposition.
I mean, just to check the species, the photos as such (an sich) are great, no question about that.
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Re: Krk island; May 2015

Postby Niklas Ban » Tue May 19, 2015 1:11 pm

Very nice findings, obviously this time of the year is much better/perfect for herping. :)
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