"There and Back Again," a Herper's Tale

Hi,

As some of you know I’m in the United States because my father is in the oil business. I went abroad at age 11 and have been going back to the Netherlands every summer for a few weeks since. This is my third summer since I’ve been interested in herps, and I visit two areas during my stay. One place, known for its Eurasian Vipers (Vipera berus) and Smooth Snakes (Coronella austriaca) – a rare snake – I only visit once when my dad is there as well and I do some birding then too. The bird photos that I have included are not cropped/edited simply because I’m too lazy. None of these photos are edited anyway, also for the same reason.

In my very limited experience of only two previous summers, I have concluded (rather hastily, as a result) that one only has a very small window to see these snakes in high numbers. You can start seeing them when it warms in the morning, but when the temperature hits about 20ºC the numbers go down. My conclusion is that they have warmed up sufficiently to go back under cover – which is exceptional in their habitat, snakes literally disappear right in front of me when they go under some grass – as opposed to when they’re forced to bask if they want to be active when temperatures just start going up.

Having said this, I only went into the field three times! I’m quite ashamed, but I’ve been busy with friends, family, and sleeping in… LOL.

The first day was June 23, when I got on my bike to go to my regular spot. Some shots of the way there.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1688.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1679.jpg

Habitat

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1694.jpg

It’s military terrain

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...IMG_1756-1.jpg

Found lots of frogs. This first one is a Common Frog (Rana temporaria)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1715.jpg

These are all various green frogs. The two species of green frogs in the country are extremely hard to distinguish… if anybody knows which one it is (or a possible very common hybrid between the two!) let me know.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1740.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1741.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1744.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1702.jpg

Zigzag (Vipera berus)! This one got away really quickly, I didn’t want to bother her.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1718.jpg

My dad and I got two chances to go into the field. We went to the place previously mentioned with the adders and smooth snakes. On June 30 we rose early and got there when it was quite cool, resulting in some birding rather than being completely focused on the herps.

The first snake I found actually sucked. It was behind a brush, and I had a split second to identify it, at which I failed. It might have just been an adder, but my gut told me it was a smooth snake. Of course, the snake slipped under the brush and escaped.

Habitat

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5812.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5813.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5951.jpg

Some birds

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) male

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5877.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...DSC_5967-1.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5817.jpg

Female

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5843.jpg

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...DSC_5969-1.jpg

Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5861.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5841.jpg

Now for the herps

Moor Frog (Rana arvalis)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5859.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5860.jpg

A particularly attractive male zigzag was seen

Eurasian Adder (Vipera berus)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5879.jpg

He went under the grass (never to be seen again, of course) but fortunately we found another one a minute later. He was more cooperative.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5906.jpg

Typically I don’t like photographs like the above when part of the snake is out of the photo, but in this case I actually did… strange. Comments?

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5915.jpg

We also found two young Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5934.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5938.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5944.jpg

And a nice orchid

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5949.jpg

The next day, July 1, we went back to the first location. Found some birds, 4 adders, and 1 legless lizard.

On the way there

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus )

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5983.jpg

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6080.jpg

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_5998.jpg

Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6003.jpg

European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6058.jpg

Some shots of the area

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6001.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6015.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1763.jpg

A small area a few square feet in size has produced different adders on numerous occasions. Today was no exception.

In situ

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6018.jpg

Posed

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6047.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6025.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6031.jpg

Which one of the following two do you all like better as far as composition goes? Comments welcome.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6050.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6051.jpg

Another zigzag basking. We only got in situ shots.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...DSC_6062-1.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6063.jpg

My favorite kind of stick on the trail. Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis).

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6065.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6069.jpg

Cloacae at midbody?!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/DSC_6070.jpg

Happy herping, and thanks for looking.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...4/IMG_1696.jpg

Later, Matt

Those are some nice photos Matt. Have you been running around in one of the Stans? :)

wow i love the shots of the vipers i think? the ones with red eyes, amazing

Yes, Eurasian Viper, V. berus.

The red eyes are pretty insane, I agree ;)

oh my goodness! That's fantastic! Great photos, must have been a ton of fun. Those V. Berus are Very Cool! :D

Wow....love that Horizontal shot of the snake and the water.....SPOT ON!


Looks like some fun my friend.

I would love to do that one day.

Thanks Pat :D

You like the horizontal better than the vertical?

I like them both, but since the snake is in a vertical position I think I like the vertical better. I have more shots both horizontally and vertically with different composition.

Yeah I think that more of the forground in the horizontal one, makes the picture have more depth.

I wish the horizon was straighter ;) but I do like that the best.


LOL

Glad you had fun brudda

There is more depth to the horizontal photo, but the object of intrest in the photos is the snake. You got a much clearer and more centered shot of the snake in the vertical photo and still captured the horizon. I like the vertical shot the best.