After many Springs. April 2022

It was a plan that was never easy to turn to reality. We are all friends from Patras, southern Greece, and wanted to go herping to the Evros area, which is the more distant part of Greece, at the far north. But all the reptiles and amphibians in the area were so luring, we kept dreaming of this expedition for many a Spring. and then came the pandemic and all plans were postponed. So in Spring 2022, everything came together and we managed to make this journey. Myself started a little earlier to the Pindos mountains, for some camera trapping, and then went to join the others in Thrace.

Unbelievable as it seems, this year was very cold and when I reached Pindos mountains in mid-April, I stumbled upon snow

I had very little time for herping at Pindos, but at the slightest opportunity, the local lizards came out to bask.

Podarcis erhardii basking at the most feeble sun, at 12 degrees Celsius

Next thing I remember, we met with the guys from Patras near Ismarida lake, a bird and reptile heaven. We decided to meet at Ismarida to search for some species and at the same time to break the long journey to Evros. We met at dusk, after a day-long journey, but when at the spot, we started herping at once. After all, the marsh was already alive with sound.

The Eastern Tree Frog (Hyla orientalis) croaking

The Balkan Spadefoot (Pelobates balcanicus) found at Ismarida marshes

Camp site at Ismarida

Next morning the species list went up. Before we started to Evros, we found some more beauties.

A male Lissotriton vulgaris smidtleri

Triturus ivanbureschi land stage

A juvenile Pseudopus apodus

Juvenile Dolichophis caspius

Could not be absent, Natrix natrix

Lacerta viridis at an old building

Testudo hermanni nearby. Had no patience to let it come out of its carapace

One of the best moments was finding this species, Elaphe sauromates, one of the targets of the expedition

all the team with the star snake. Photo Michalis Manonas

After that, we joined very good friends Dimitris Kokkinidis and Maria Kadroudi near Komotini, still closer to Evros. We visited together a very special spot, were we found three Ottoman Vipers and two Large Whip Snakes, all basking together.

A pissed off Montivipera xanthina

A second Montivipera xanthina

A Large Whip Snake (Dolichophis caspius) Rhodopi perfecture

Testudo graeca, one of many to be found on the trip

After all this exhilaration off to Evros we drove! Our first day on the trip was already full of species. We found a perfect place to camp near Alexandroupolis where we would spend all our days searching around. And we started with a good meal. Alexis and Elias were the cooks.

Alexis and Elias cooking delicious pasta. Photo Michalis Manonas

Life at its best. Photo Michalis Manonas

Emys orbicularis in the nearby stream

A lazy Pelophylax bedriagae in the afternoon light

Next morning we started with new vigour. The place of the camp was very special, with hoopoes, woodpeckers and nightingales all singing and drumming. In this heaven of wildlife, we started turning over rocks. For the next five days, we drove a lot, searched a lot and found many things. The following photos are a collection of these moments and species we found, with no detailed description of the places and the days.

Lacerta diplochondrodes subadult

Baby Lacerta diplochondrodes

A beautiful Podarcis muralis found on higher ground

Bufo bufo and Rana dalmatina eggs in the water of a mountain brook

Bombina variegata is common on the hills

Tadpoles of Salamandra salamandra found also in the brooks

Lacerta viridis is also common on the mountains

Another beautiful Lacerta viridis

Anguis fragilis

Three Xerotyphlops vermicularis under the same rock

The fast Platyceps najadum on the dry hills

A large and rugged Pseudopus apodus, common near Alexandroupolis

Testudo graeca, many of them were quite dark

Land stage of Lissotriton graecus smidtleri

A blonde and rugged Testudo graeca

Natrix tessellata on the road

Bufotes viridis at our camp site

A baby Vipera ammodytes at our camp site

A large Montivipera xanthina near Alexandroupolis

Montivipera xanthina and habitat

Mediodactylus danilewskii well camouflaged on a tree bark

Hemidactylus turcicus at a rocky hill

Elias with a Large Whip Snake

Large Whip Snake (Dolichophis caspius) in its habitat

Another small Montivipera xanthina. In total we saw 7 on the trip

Montivipera xanthina where it was found

Alexis and Dolichophis

Mike (Michalis) and Alexis making photos

our second Elaphe sauromates, a real beauty

Elaphe sauromates

A very fierce Malpolon isignitus

A large and fierce Vipera ammodytes near Komotini

The dream team, Mike, Alexis, Chistophoros and Elias, at the end of 5 exhilarating days