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LOCAL OBSERVATIONS 2008 - July
Saturday 19th July 2008
Conditions: No wind, not even a breeze.
Temperature : around 21 C
Time of observations: 22h00 to 23h30We went out on this the most still night of the year, absolutely no wind was blowing, we set off to go to a few streams and then to my Midwife toad site, but nothing was out, on our way back to town, we searched down a canal, and floating in the water being taken down stream was a Ladder snake ! This was the first time I had seen one at night.
Just after we saw a Common toad and some Green frogs, and then, amazingly, a second Ladder snake, next to the canal, just about to cross the road ! Quite amazing, these are the first two specimens of the year. We took them home and took better photos the next day.
Rescued Ladder snake, Rhinechis scalaris - © Daniel Phillips
Green frog, Pelophylax sp. - © Daniel Phillips
Common toad, Bufo bufo - © Daniel Phillips
Matt Wilson with the two specimens of Ladder snake, Rhinechis scalaris - © Daniel Phillips
Specimen 1 of Ladder snake, Rhinechis scalaris - © Daniel Phillips
Monday 14th July 2008
Conditions: Slight wind.
Temperature : around 19 C
Time of observations: 22h00 to 23h30We went out as the day temperature was far too high, it turned out to be an okay night, we found 3 Painted frogs, and they were singing. We also found some Green frogs, one was very large, and could only be a Pelophylax ridibundus. I was surprised to find for the first time a crayfish in the canal system !
First Painted frog, Discoglossus pictus - © Daniel Phillips
Second Painted frog, Discoglossus pictus - © Daniel Phillips
Third Painted frog, Discoglossus pictus - © Daniel Phillips
Green frog , Pelophylax sp. - © Daniel Phillips
Marsh frog, Pelophylax ridibundus - © Daniel Phillips
Crayfish - © Daniel Phillips
Sunday 13th July 2008
Conditions: Slight wind.
Temperature : around 35 C
Time of observations: 15h30 to 16h30Today was really too hot, we only stayed out for around an hour, and found only one sub-adult Ocellated lizard.
Ocellated lizard, Timon lepidus - © Daniel Phillips
Ocellated lizard, Timon lepidus - © Daniel Phillips
Saturday 12th July 2008
Conditions: Slight wind.
Temperature : around 28 C
Time of observations: 15h30 to 17h30 & 23h00 to 00h00We headed off and searched the canal systems for Grass snakes, no luck, but we did find a sub-adult Ocellated lizard, a juvenile Montpellier snake, and in the evening we found another Midwife toad and a Painted frog crossing the road.
Common Midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans tadpole - © Daniel Phillips
Juvenile Montpellier snake, Malpolon monspessulanus - © Daniel Phillips
Sub-adult Ocellated lizard, Timon lepidus - © Daniel Phillips
Common Midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans - © Daniel Phillips
Painted frog, Discoglossus pictus - © Daniel Phillips
Thursday 10th July 2008
Conditions: no clouds, slight wind.
Temperature : around 29 C
Time of observations: 15h30 to 17h30This afternoon we returned to the place we found most of the amphibians, and to my surprise, it seemed that the breeding season was delayed so much that the Tree frogs were only just laying their eggs, we also found more specimens of Stripeless Tree frog and Painted frog. We also caught a very long (74.5 cm long) Viperine snake.
Stripeless Tree frog, Hyla meridionalis - © Daniel Phillips
Eggs of Stripeless Tree frog, Hyla meridionalis - © Daniel Phillips
Painted frog, Discoglossus pictus - © Daniel Phillips
Viperine snake, Natrix maura - © Daniel Phillips
Viperine snake, Natrix maura and habitat - © Daniel Phillips
Wednesday 9th July 2008
Conditions: no clouds, no wind.
Temperature : around 32 C
Time of observations: 15h30 to 17h30 & 22h00 to 00h00This afternoon, Matt Wilson arrived for a 2 week holiday, when we got back to the village we went wading in the river to try to find a Grass snake, we didn't catch any, but we may have seen one flee into the bamboo, we did catch this very nice Viperine snake...
We also found a shed of Montpellier snake measuring 176 cm long, and a small shed of a Ladder snake.
That evening we went out to track some Tree frogs we could hear calling and it turned out to be a very humid and good night for amphibians.
Viperine snake, Natrix maura - © Matt Wilson
Amplexus of Green frogs, Pelophylax sp. - © Daniel Phillips
Stripeless Tree frog, Hyla meridionalis - © Daniel Phillips
Stripeless Tree frog, Hyla meridionalis - © Daniel Phillips
Stripeless Tree frog, Hyla meridionalis - © Daniel Phillips
Male Painted frog, Discoglossus pictus - © Daniel Phillips
Green frog, Pelophylax sp. - © Daniel Phillips
Common toad, Bufo bufo - © Daniel Phillips
Green frog, Pelophylax sp. - © Daniel Phillips
Stripeless Tree frog, Hyla meridionalis - © Daniel Phillips
Common toad, Bufo bufo - © Daniel Phillips
Common Midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans - © Daniel Phillips
Text & images © Daniel Phillips