Feeling the need for some autumn sunshine and having visited a few Greek islands we decided to try the mainland and so after reading a few trip reports and seeing that ten new species were available to tick, we rented a house in the North west of the Peloponnese.
Saturday 24th October
It was a cold grey day as we flew into Kalamata airport and we could see lots of water in the fields from a storm the previous week, the day got better as we headed north on a 2.5 journey. We stopped at an old bridge en route and found our first new species, a Peloponnese wall lizard Podarcis peloponnesiacus and a Moorish gecko Tarentola mauritanica.
Continuing our journey we surprised to see huge piles of rubbish along the roadsides and many dead dogs rotting on the streets.
We finally arrived at our rental house in an olive grove and after a quick chat with the owner I had a look around the garden and soon found a pile of builders materials beneath a tarpaulin sheet.We slowly took this apart and were surprised to find seven species including,Balkan whip snake Hierophis gemonensis,Dahl's whip snake Platyceps najadam,Greek algyroides Algyroides moreoticus, Balkan wall lizard Podarcis tauricus,Turkish gecko Hemidactylus turcicus,Balkan green lizard Lacerta trilineata and Snake eyed skink Ablepharus kitaibelii.9 species so far and we hadn't even started yet !
An evening walk showed a few H turcicus on the walls.
Sunday 25th
After a long time travelling yesterday we decided to have an easy start to the holiday and visit a local beach and pine woods but first we walked around the garden finding a few Mantids , Swallowtail butterflies and a few P tauricus
We also spotted another pile of tin roofing sheets and decided to check this later.
We walked around the woods but found nothing until we reached some derelict concrete ponds where we found some small Balkan marsh frogs Pelophylax kurtmuelleri. I poked my head around the wall of the next pond and was greeted to the usual sight of many frogs leaping into the water but a few of them gave a chirp and jumped out of the water and into the bushes, typical behaviour of the Epirus frog P epiroticus I believe.
When we returned to the house we went straight to the pile of sheets and removed them one at a time, they fitted together very tightly and were pleased when we lifted the last one to find my first adult Aesculapian snake Zamensis longissimus.
Monday 26th
Our destination today was the Kafias lake and so we headed south stopping at the bridge we saw on saturday and once again saw P peloponnesiacus, P epiroticus and T mauritanica. we arrived at the lake car park and looking into the water I immediately saw a Dice snake Natrix tessellata but it saw me at the same time and quickly escaped, the same thing happened a few minutes later with a large Grass snake N natrix.We walked around the lake edge seeing many frogs and juvenile L trilineata, moving a rotten log revealed my first Limbless skink Ophiomorus punctatissimus and at a small pond we found a young N natrix. A European pond terrapin was spotted among the water plants.
Walking back to the car we saw lots of different butterflies, An Agile frog Rana dalmatina and some adult L trilineata
We then headed for some waterfalls and luckily Suzanne was not paying attention to the sat nav and missed the turning, we pulled over and I got out of the car to look beneath some rubbish. I lifted an old blanket and was pleased to see a juvenile Peloponnese slow worm Anguis cephalonnica and a Common toad Bufo bufo
I had wondered where I would find the Greek rock lizard but my fears were soon quashed when we arrived at the waterfalls car park and found some sunning themselves on the wall.
We then drove to the coast hoping to find some African chameleons Chamaeleo africanus , we got to the location and had a quick look around and thought we had found the spot. We returned to town for a meal and headed back later to search along the track with torches, I told Suzanne that failure was not an option but after finding just several Green toads B viridis, a sleeping bird and feeding lots of mosquitoes we began our weary 2.5 hr journey home.
Tuesday 27th
A sunny day and we checked the pile of roofing sheets again and were pleased to find another Z longissimus
We the drove north to some wetlands but finding the area flooded we were unsure as to where to start looking, we drove around a corner and spotted our first Marginated tortoise Testudo marginata walking along the road.
We took some photos and put into a safer area among the bushes and then looked under some stones finding nothing, checked out some steps leading to the lake but found nothing, turned back to the car and noticed a snake 50 yds away almost into cover, A quick sprint down the road changed that and we had a Dice snake N tessellata.
We drove on and stopped at a discarded mattress which held nothing but then noticed a stone sitting on a board, i moved this and found a metal bore hole a few feet deep. I looked in and saw a snake clinging to a large rust flake on the pipe wall. My first thought a Leopard snake Zamensis situla when I saw the saddles along it's body but when I checked with a torch I found it was a young Fourline snake Elaphe quatuorlineata. I also then noticed a N tessellata clinging to the pipe and another swimming in the water. I removed the first 2 with my hand and then hooked the last one out with a stick.
We released these nearby and then I shoved a large branch down the hole so that future captives can escape, I dread to think how many creatures have died in this pipe over the years.
Wednesday 28th
A few H turcicus on the pile of builders materials in the garden and then we began our LONG journey over the mountains to Feneos stopping at a few streams en route finding a few R dalmatina. As we passed a rest area with a water feature I was reminded of a picture I had seen in a trip report where a Balkan stream frog Rana graeca was found, I had never seen one so asked Suzanne to stop the car. I walked over to the fountain and there in the shallow water sat my first R graeca, sometimes it is just so easy.
We finally got to our destination and began to search the area below the lake finding only P tauricus and common wall lizards P muralis. I t was quite surreal to be high in the hills, standing in a field and to find crabs under almost every stone.
It was a cold windy day and feeling disappointed with our lack of finds we headed back to a welcome bottle of wine.
Thursday 29th
We hoped today was going to be the day when we found the C africanus and so we headed south again starting the day at the Arcadian gate, an ancient fortification that protected a city from the Spartans.Here we found A moreoticus,P peloponnesiacus,L graeca and L trlineata and beneath a stone we found a spider, possibly Eresus walckenaeri
We left here and headed for the ancient site of Messina and searched among the ruins finding a juvenile Glass lizard Psuedopus apodus beneath a stone. We also found P peloponnesiacus, L graeca,L trlineata and P kurtmuelleri
As we left we were saddened to see the car ahead run over a small Eastern montpellier snake Malpolon insignitus, we pulled over to look at it and found it had eaten what looked like a small A moreoticus which was now sticking out of it's side.
We arrived at the chameleon location and had a better look around realising that we had searched in slightly the wrong area before. We had a quick search in the afternoon, a meal in town and then returned for a swim as the sun sank over the horizon. The mosquitoes were getting hungry again and so we retreated to the car to await darkness before recommencing our search. Now, I am very strict about ticking things off the list, I have to actually find them myself so you can imagine my horror when 5 minutes later I heard Suzanne shout "F**CK ME, I'VE GOT ONE!!". I raced over to her and found her looking at a juvenile C africanus, the pressure was immense and only matched by the relief when a few minutes later I found one of my own. We started to walk back to the car and I was very happy to find an adult sitting at the top of a bush.
Friday 30th
A cold rainy day and we headed back to the wetlands, stopping at an old castle where we found a dead N tessellata on the road and another in the car park. In the castle grounds we found lots of B viridis beneath stones and several scorpions. On the way back to the car we found a juvenile L trilineata and a juvenile N tessellata, the bore hole was checked again but thankfully was empty.
We left here and walked along the beach finding many B viridis beneath cover.
Driving back we stopped at a roadside piece of wood where we found a P tauricus and a Smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris
Saturday 31st
Up early and out of the house at 7am for the long drive back to the airport where lifting a stone revealed another L vulgaris
Statistics: Posted by kevinb — November 5th, 2015, 12:34 pm