Finally it happened, a trip to the Peloponnese! A destination I've been looking forward to for a long time. Mainly because it's one of the best places for herping in Europe. I went together with my parents, Sven and David joined us for the second part of the trip. For this trip I had four main targets, apart from the endemics. Those were Zamenis situla, Elaphe quatuorlineata, Vipera ammodytes and Telescopus fallax.

20 April 2024

We left to the airport of Amsterdam very early, because our flight went already at 6.35am. A few hours later we arrived in sunny Greece! We picked up our rental car and headed to the accomodation. When arriving at the apartment we directly spotted the first few Podarcis peloponnesiacus and a tiny Pelophylax kurtmuelleri as well. When I walked a bit further from the house I spotted Hierophis gemonensis basking in front of a tree trunk. Right after we found another one under some roof tiles and some other species like Ablepharus kitaibelii, Lacerta trilineata and more Podarcis peloponnesiacus. The owner of the apartment said he would bring two bikes, but he didn't seem to come anymore... So we decided to walk a bit further to search for new species. There we found more of Podarcis peloponnesiacus, Ablepharus kitaibelii and Lacerta trilineata, but also Hemidactylus turcicus, Testudo hermanni, some larvae of toads and a nice Algyroides moreoticus! In an olive grove further away we found Eryx jaculus, three specimen of Ophiomorus punctatissimus and Xerotyphlops vermicularis. Before it came dark we flipped a lot of stones in another big olive grove. There we found Hemidactylus turcicus, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Ablepharus kitaibelii and first a shed skin but later a subadult of Malpolon insignitus! We were both really happy with this find and took some good photos of the snake. After that, we did search a little bit for Telescopus in dark, but it was quite cold and Sven started to feel bad. So we decided to return to the apartment.

21 April 2024

The next morning I went to a nearby village with my dad to get some food for breakfast. From the car I already spotted a lot of Podarcis peloponnesiacus and around the apartment some more. I decided to walk a little bit down the road and there I found some more species like Pelophylax kurtmuelleri, Hemidactylus turcicus, Lacerta trilineata and Ablepharus kitaibelii. Fortunately, Sven felt a lot better than the day before. So after breakfast we searched a bit together near the apartment. We found the same Hierophis gemonensis as yesterday and further Podarcis peloponnesiacus, Ablepharus kitaibelii and two sheds of Malpolon insignitus. We were waiting for some bicycles that the owner of the apartment would bring. But he didn't came, so my father brought us to a good looking spot we discovered by our self. After searching for many hours on this very nice spot with a lot of ruins we found Lacerta trilineata, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Algyroides moreoticus, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Hemidactylus turcicus, Anguis cephallonica, Hierophis gemonensis, two of our big target Zamenis situla and at the very end I found a small Telescopus fallax!!!

22 April 2024

The next day we finally got the bicycles! Our plan for today was to visit some waterfalls nearby. On the way to the waterfalls we passed some good looking spots, so we decided to check them first. There we found two more Telescopus fallax under some roof tiles! After making photos we continued searching and found some more species like Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Hierophis gemonensis, Lacerta trilineata, Podarcis peloponnesiacus, Pseudopus apodus and I catched a large Malpolon insignitus that almost escaped between the rocks. After that it was already late, but we decided to continue our way to the waterfalls. When arriving there we quickly found one of our targets Rana graeca and also Algyroides moreoticus, Lacerta trilineata and Pelophylax kurtmuelleri. Unfortunately we couldn't find our second target Hellenolacerta yet. Before it slowly became dark we searched in an olive grove nearby. Here we found Ablepharus kitaibelii, Hierophis gemonensis, Xerotyphlops vermicularis and an even bigger Malpolon insignitus! When we arrived back home we saw a few Hemidactylus turcicus at the walls of our apartment to end the day with.

23 April 2024

Today we returned to the waterfalls from yesterday, this time with my dad. Now we succeeded to find the Peloponnese endemic lizard Hellenolacerta graeca and we found Rana graeca again. After that my father dropped us at a spot nearby. Even though the wind was blowing very hard we still found a lot of cool species like Pseudopus apodus, Ophiomorus punctatissimus, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Malpolon insignitus, Hierophis gemonensis, Lacerta trilineata, Mediodactylus kotschyi, Eryx jaculus, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Hemidactylus turcicus and Algyroides moreoticus. We were hoping to find Vipera ammodytes, but unfortunately we only found a shed of it.

24 April 2024

The next day we were waiting for David to arrive. He has rented a car and would join us for the rest of the trip! After he arrived we went to a good spot nearby where we found some good stuff before. This time it was very successful again! We found our first Vipera ammodytes! Further we found Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Hierophis gemonensis, a large adult of Eryx jaculus and Platyceps najadum. On the way back to the car I saw one Pseudopus apodus. That evening I walked to a small river on my own, where we heard some Hyla earlier. When I arrived at the river I spotted some Pelophylax kurtmuelleri, but no Hyla. I tried another place where I heard many more of it, but again I couldn’t find it. Only a lot of Pelophylax kurtmuelleri were seen and some Hemidactylus turcicus.

25 April 2024

The next morning it was a bit rainy, so we decided to wait for some time before leaving the apartment. When the rain almost stopped we jumped in the car and drove into the Taygetos mountains east of Kalamáta. Our target for today was to find Salamandra salamandra. We did find a nice spot with a stream alongside where we started to search. Here we found Platyceps najadum two times, Algyroides moreoticus, Anguis cephallonica, Rana graeca and some larvae of Salamandra salamandra. Unfortunately, we couldn't find an adult. We did try another spot, where we only found another Anguis cephallonica. After this we went for a lunch at a tarverna and drove all the way back to the good ruins of a few days ago. At this spot our goal was to find another Zamenis situla, which was the number one target of David. The first reptile we found here was another Telescopus fallax and right after I found the first Bufo bufo of the trip. Further we found Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Hierophis gemonensis, Lacerta trilineata and then after a few hours David found his first Zamenis situla!

26 April 2024

This day we started in an olive grove nearby to search for Malpolon insignitus for David. Here I found Podarcis peloponnesiacus, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Malpolon insignitus and Sven spotted an Elaphe that he couldn't catch unfortunately. On a second spot we also found Lacerta trilineata, Pseudopus apodus and a much bigger Vipera ammodytes! After we took photos of the Vipera we continued our way to Pylos. The first spot we wanted to check was an abandoned building with some stuff to flip. Here we found a nice adult of Elaphe quatuorlineata! Our last big snake target! After that, we made a walk to an old fortress where we found some Pseudopus apodus and Hierophis gemonensis. Unfortunately no Testudo marginata, where I was hoping for. On the way back we lifted some stones and I found another Elaphe quatuorlineata! This time a much smaller one with the typical juvenile pattern. When we were photographing, it slowly became dark and we started to search for chameleons. First we heard some Hyla and I spotted a Pelophylax kurtmuelleri. Just one minute later Sven found the first Chamaeleo africanus! Later we found many more of it. Just after 1.00am we drove back to the apartment.

27 April 2024

The next morning we started in the same olive grove as yesterday. This time David was able to catch his first Malpolon insignitus after many hours of searching! Other species we found this morning were Podarcis peloponnesiacus, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Hierophis gemonensis and I found another adult Elaphe quatuorlineata. After this we went back to the waterfalls to search for Hellenolacerta graeca again. This time we found it quite easy and other species we found were Lacerta trilineata, Podarcis peloponnesiacus, Algyroides moreoticus, larvae of Rana graeca and Sven spotted Natrix tessellata high in a tree. After this we decided to search in some olive groves around the waterfalls, like last time. This time it was very successful again with another Malpolon insignitus, Eryx jaculus, Ophiomorus punctatissimus, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Zamenis situla, Algyroides moreoticus and Telescopus fallax.

28 April 2024

Today we moved to the northwestern part of Peloponnese, but we made some stops underway. The first stop was near Pylos, where we found many Testudo marginata! Some other finds were Ablepharus kitaibelii, Lacerta trilineata, Platyceps najadum, Hemidactylus turcicus and Malpolon insignitus. After we went to a harbour to search for sea turtles. We didn’t find it directly so we went to a second harbour and when we arrived there, we already spotted the first few Caretta caretta swimming along the quay. At the end we saw around 30 of them. The next stop was a lake with a lot of terrapins. Here we found many species like Natrix tessellata, Mauremys rivulata, Emys orbicularis, Pelophylax epeiroticus, Pelophylax kurtmuelleri, Podarcis peloponnesiacus, Rana dalmatina, Lacerta trilineata, Trachemys scripta and a single Natrix natrix. For this evening our target was to find at least Pelobates balcanicus, a new species for all of us. We searched around some marshes in the Strofylia NP and it didn’t took much time before we found the first Bufotes viridis and Pelobates balcanicus. Many more of them followed later that night, but also Hyla arborea, Pelophylax epeiroticus, Pelophylax kurtmuelleri and larvae of Lissotriton graecus. Around 2.00am we were back in our apartment in Kalogria, where we would stay for the last few days.

29 April 2024

The next day we started with flipping stuff at a dump site and after that we searched along a big lake. At the dump site we didn’t find much the first time. I only saw a snake escaping from under a couch. Along the lake we found Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Natrix tessellata, Pelophylax epeiroticus, Pseudopus apodus, Lacerta trilineata, Bufotes viridis and Hierophis gemonensis. In the afternoon we returned to the Strofylia NP. On the road David spotted a dead Vipera ammodytes. In the forest of Strofylia we searched many hours, especially for Podarcis ionicus. At the end we only found many Testudo hermanni, Lacerta trilineata, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Vipera ammodytes and I saw a big snake which I couldn’t identify unfortunately. We continued our search beneath a village nearby, where we found Mediodactylus kotschyi, Lacerta trilineata, Tarentola mauritanica and Testudo hermanni. In the evening we searched at different places in the forest of Strofylia, but we only found the same species as last night: Hyla arborea, larvae of Lissotriton graecus, Bufotes viridis, Pelophylax epeiroticus and Pelobates balcanicus. Again no adult of Lissotriton.

30 April 2024

The last day of the trip. We started the day at the same dump site as the day before to hopefully find Anguis graeca this time, but again no luck. We only found some Xerotyphlops vermicularis. After this we moved to a new spot more south where a friend of David found Podarcis ionicus one year before. We just arrived there and I immediately spotted the first Podarcis ionicus! Later we saw another one. Other species we found here were Testudo hermanni, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Hierophis gemonensis and we heard one calling Pelophylax epeiroticus. After this we drove more south to the same lake as two days ago. Here we found Mauremys rivulata, Emys orbicularis, Trachemys scripta, Natrix tessellata, Podarcis peloponnesiacus and Lacerta trilineata. After this stop we drove back to Petalidi, where we had our last dinner in Greece together with my parents.