Picos de Europa
We left early in the morning, in the hope to find Seoane's viper, Vipera seoanei cantabrica, in the Picos de Europa, before the rains that were forecasted would spoil our chances. Fortunately, the sun stayed with us all morning, and around noon we had found three cantabrica's on a dry, sparsely wooded slope with patches of grass. In the same area we found Schreiber's green lizard (Lacerta schreiberi) en Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanicus).
When the clouds came in, we had lunch on Puerto de las Señales, a mountain pass at 1625 m a.s.l. It was cold and windy. Under a rock, we found a female of Iberian rock lizard, Iberolacerta monticola cantabrica.
We moved on northwards, in the rain, and found a decent hotel in Infiesto, a small town. Rains means amphibians, so after dinner, Arjan and Guido explored the Marea valley already found several fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra alfredschmidti) on the road, and furthermore common toad (Bufo bufo), common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricians) and palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus). The next morning we visited the Tendi valley, and found golden-striped salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica) in a small brook. A bit further up in the valley, S. s. alfredschmidti was found in good numbers under rocks along a muddy track.
Later that morning, still in the pooring rain, we found another fire salamander subspecies, S. s. bernardezi, near Covadonga. From Covadonga we drove further southeast, up a road winding into the mountains. Near Laguna de la Ercina, at 1115 m a.s.l., we found grass frog (Rana temporaria parvipalmata) as well as Alpine newt (Ichtyosaura alpestris) and common toad (Bufo bufo).
Later that afternoon, the rain stopped and we decided to try our luck to find Seoane's viper, Vipera seoanei seoanei. We went to a place at the coast, near the village of Berbes, where Ben had found seoanei on an earlier visit in 2010. The area looked very promising and we soon found three vipers, one juvenile and two adults, which, unfortunately did not have a very clear bilineata-pattern. Other species found here included Spanish grass snake, Natrix natrix astreptophora, Schreiber's green lizard (Lacerta schreiberi), common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) and smooth snake (Coronella austriaca).
That evening we drove into the Tendi valley again and found quite a few S. s. alfredschmidti's sitting on the road, in their typical manner. Furthermore one golden-striped salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica) and a common toad (Bufo bufo). Luckily this road receives little traffic.
List of species - Picos de Europa
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Reptiles and amphibians
|
|
May 2014 |
|
Fire salamander |
Salamandra salam. bernardezi Salamandra salam. alfredschmidti |
4 >30 |
|
Golden-striped salamander |
Chioglossa lusitanica |
3 |
|
Palmate newt |
Lissotriton helveticus |
10 |
|
Alpine newt |
Ichthyosaura alpestris |
1 |
|
Common midwife toad |
Alytes obstetricans |
2 |
|
Common toad |
Bufo bufo |
3 |
|
Grass frog |
Rana temporaria parvipalmata |
4 |
|
Iberian water frog |
Pelophylax perezi |
>10 |
|
Common wall lizard |
Podarcis muralis |
6 |
|
Iberian wall lizard |
Podarcis hispanicus |
6 |
|
Iberian rock lizard |
Iberolacerta monticola cantabrica |
1 |
|
Schreiber’s green lizard |
Lacerta schreiberi |
6 |
|
Grass snake |
Natrix natrix astreptophoro |
1 |
|
Smooth snake |
Coronella austriaca |
1 |
|
Seoane’s viper |
Vipera seoanei seoanei Vipera seoanei cantabrica |
3 3 |
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NWSP14_Picos_landscape_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1455.jpgSpring colours in the Picos.
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cantabrica612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1481.jpgSeoane's viper, Vipera seoanei cantabrica.
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cantabrica3612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1482.jpgSeoane's viper
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biotoopcantabrica612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1480.jpgWe found three Seoane's vipers in this area.
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NWSP14_Picos landscape3_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1495.jpgClouds coming in.
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NWSP14_monticola_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1496.jpgIberian rock lizard (Iberolacerta monticola), female.
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NWSP14_Picos_landscape2_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1456.jpgThe Picos de Europa in the rain.
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NWSP14_Picos_Narcissus_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1497.jpgIberia is a hotspot for the genus Narcissus. We found several species during our short visit.
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NWSP14_alfredschmidti1_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1451.jpgSalamandra salamandra alfredschmidti is restricted to a small area along the rivers Tendi and Marea.
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NWSP14_alfredschmidti2_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1452.jpgAlfredschmidtii's can also be brown and/or orange.
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NWSP14_alfredschmidti3_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1453.jpgThese salamanders often sit still on the road in this typical manner.
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alfridschmidtiicloseup612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1467.jpgAnother Salamandra salamandra alfredschmidtii.
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NWSP14_Chioglossa_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1459.jpgGolden-striped salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica), one of the striking highlights of this region.
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NWSP14_habitat_Chioglossa_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1499.jpgHabitat of golden-striped salamander.
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valtherichard21400
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1475.jpgA side effect of rain.
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paraplus612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1486.jpgThe view from the car.
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ssbernadezi612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1476.jpgSalamandra salamandra bernardezi.
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bilineata2612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1468.jpgSeoane's viper, Vipera seoanei seoanei.
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bilineataman612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1471.jpgA juvenile showing the typical bilineata pattern.
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astrepto612
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1470.jpgSpanish grass snake (Natrix natrix astreptophora)
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NWSP14_astreptophora_BV
http://www.klooiplek.eu/images/trips/preview/1498.jpgSpanish grass snake.
