This page simply reformats the Flickr public Atom feed for purposes of finding inspiration through random exploration. These images are not being copied or stored in any way by this website, nor are any links to them or any metadata about them. All images are © their owners unless otherwise specified.
This site is a busybee project and is supported by the generosity of viewers like you.
Spending a relaxed Whitsuntide with my parents in the rustic countryside of south-east Mallorca I once again had the opportunity for some mediterranean herping. I refamiliarized myself with the ever-present Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica), was sung to sleep by the Iberian waterfrog (Pelophylax perezi), visited the western Hermann's tortoise (Testudo h. hermanni) and was once again bitten by the mildly venomous but harmless to humans Algerian false smooth snake (Macroprotodon [cucullatus] mauritanicus). I assure you, I deserved it.
Besides those old acquaintances, I could add two new ticks to my herpetological checklist. I swam over to one of the small offshore islets to meet a melanistic population of Lilford's wall lizard (Podarcis lilfordi jordansi), which where quite bold, as animals living on islands without terrestrial predators tend to be.
The other new find was the Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) which is quite common all around the Mediterranian but seems to always be outnumbered wherever it occurs in syntopy with the more robust Moorish gecko. Among dozens, maybe hundreds of Tarentola living in and around the characteristicly Mallorquin tanca walls surrounding our finca I only ever found two Hemidactylus, one subadult and the beautiful juvenile depicted above.
Except for Lilford's wall lizard and the Mallorcan midwife toad or ferreret (Alytes muletensis) the complete extant herpetofauna of Mallorca is the result of human mediated introduction. While some species arrived back in ancient times and are now considered to be naturalized, others made their way only a couple of years ago, some becoming invasive fast.
Dry-stone wall near Son Negre, Mallorca.
Osga-turca
Mediterranean House Gecko
Pedrógão
2013