the twenty-sixth species. NW Peloponnese

I have the good luck to live in Peloponnese, some kilometres south of Patras, in a hilly, wild place. Golden jackals, eagle owls, sparrowhawks and foxes all pass through the olive-grove where I live. But being a herper, it is the herpetofauna of the place that I am happy with. In this olive-grove, in company with lizards and snakes, I live for 8 years now. I have done some minor discoveries there, for example when gardening on a winter's day, I found my first Greek Newt Lissotriton graecus among the lettuces. The animal was in terrestrial form and I was very impressed because all the region is VERY dry in summer and I wasn't expecting newts in this bone-dry habitat. After this, I understood that Greek newts are very common, everywhere, just rarely found. As the years passed, I found 25 species of amphibians and reptiles in my olive-grove. An impressive number, which is even greater if I include some other species found within 2-5 kilometres that I have never found inside my farm. This blog is about all these species that I live along, making 4 large pools for the amphibians and stone-heaps for the reptiles. The cause that made me write this, is an unexpected discovery. On 17 of February 2019, after 8 years in which no lizard of the genus Podarcis was present, a Peloponnese Wall Lizard Podarcis peloponnesiacus was for the very first time basking on the stairs of the house. It was an immature male, an adventurous animal which came who knows where from.

This is the young male Peloponnese wall lizard that was found in my olive-grove, the 26th species counted there.

It is not clear yet if the animal will stay, or if it will move further, or if the species will establish a colony (which would be great). The species is one of those that occur in the wider area, but not inside my olive-grove, so it was not a totally crazy finding, just very exciting. It is years now that I have not added a new species to the list. Please, let me introduce you to all the others in the list.

the smallest of the 4 pools made for the amphibians, and the least used. But Rana dalmatina and Lissotriton gaecus breed here

Spring storm building on the horizon

the largest and better pool for breeding amphibians and dragonflies

A female Lissotriton graecus in terrestrial form, just the way I first found the species. It is impossible to find them in the summer, presumably they go very deep in the ground. They enter the pools when the winter rains fill them with water, stay till spring, and then vanish.

Bufo bufo, the Common Toad just beside one of the pools. They breed very early, from the last days of January. Their hard skin means that they also can be found on summer nights.

Bufotes viridis, the Green Toad. They can be heard on mild winter nights and they too breed very early.

Hyla arborea, the tree frog. This is a rare sighting, I have only found it once in the farm, but I can hear them from the adjacent farm all summer long.

Male Agile Frog, Rana dalmatina, waiting inside a pool for the females to come. The nuptial pads can be seen on the front legs, with them the male clasps the female on amplexus. Eggs can be found in the pools from December if condition are right

Pelophylax ridibundus, croaking later in the spring than Rana dalmatina, and all summer long. An excellent summer night sound, along with Scops owls.

Hermann's Tortoise, Testudo hermanni. They are the most common tortoises in the area, every summer 4-6 of them gather in the vegetable plot, eating cucumbers, tomatoes, water melons and other goodies. I have learnt to share with them.

Testudo marginata, the Marginated Tortoise. I have only found this species once, but their main area is very near the house, because in less than 500 metres starts the habitat they prefer, where they are very common

Hemidactylus turcicus is common inside the house and outside of it. I am not so sure what is going on in the olive-grove, but seems likely that it is very common too

Tarentola mauritanica is also common inside the house and the outside walls. I have seen them falling prey to the little owl nesting on the roof

An endemic lizard, Algyroides moreoticus is found at some places in the grove, the easiest being just outside the house. Here is a male.

Lacerta trilineata, are also common. Every summer I see one inside a warehouse, also used by Tarentola, Hemidactylus, Elaphe and a viper.

Ablepharus kitaibelii is a very common species among the olives and under fallen leaves. Can be seen in good winter days too.

Anguis cephallonica, another endemic, is also quite common. Three times I have seen them on the surface, all of them with cool temperatures.

The largest lizard, Pseudopus apodus, fast and ferocious if you are a small Ablepharus. Seen mainly in spring.

Xerotyphlops vermicularis, found very easily in spring when turning stones or ploughing the garden. I was socked when last year I watched the prey items that the little owl pair brought to the nest. Xerotyphlops was very common. There was a night that the owls brought 3 snakes, the average was one every night. I was impressed by how many there are, and how much they wander every night.

Eryx jaculus, the second commonest snake in the farm, after Elaphe quatuorlineata. Found mainly in spring and summer. In the summer I find them outside when the sun is setting.

Malpolon insignitus, this large female was basking every afternoon under the veranda, in the same spot, for many days. The photograph shows the snake in situ.

Hierophis gemonensis, a contender for the first or the second commonest species.

Platyceps najadum, I had the good fortune to have them just oustide the house, a pair was living in a stone heap and basking almost always on the stairs. After years, Malpolon occupied the stone heap and displaced them.

the gentle giant Elaphe quatuorlineata, perhaps the commonest snake in the grove. Found many times just outside the house, inside the warehouse, and once, a juvenile trying to enter the kitchen.

the star of the snakes, Zamenis situla. not common but not rare too. Found always at dusk with cool temperatures.

Telescopus fallax, the rarest snake by far in the area. I have found it only once, dead on the road. The picture is of a west Peloponnese snake.

Natrix natrix, a rare snake for the area. This was a huge female found under the tomatoes. I have seen a small one falling prey to the owls too.

As you can imagine, I feel privileged to live at this place along with so many species. The best part is that in a very small distance, there are even more species that I have not included there, like Ophiomorus punctatissimus, Rana graeca and Mediodactylus kotschyi. All of them may deserve another article after all.