People that took part to the trip: Matthieu BERRONEAU, Alexandre CLUCHIER, Jean-Christophe de MASSARY, Maud MENAY and Jean-Pierre VACHER.

Photos by JPV unless noted otherwise.

Sunday, June 7
We all met on Sunday morning at Roissy airport, Paris. We landed in Dubrovnik (Croatia) in the beginning of the afternoon, and we headed straight to Montenegro, where we found a campsite near Kotor. On the way, we stopped alongside the road, and could see our first Pseudopus apodus. We also found DOR Malpolon insignitus fuscus and Elaphe quaturolineata. In Kotor, we saw our first Testudo hermanni boettgeri (two adult females), a couple more Pseudopus apodus, and a male Anguis fragilis colchica with blue spots on its back.


Our first reptile, a Pseudopus apodus © Maud Menay


Testudo hermanni boettgeri


Anguis fragilis colchica, male with blue spots on its back

Monday June 8
We decided to head to Kolasin, and make few stops on the way. First two stops were on the road to Cetinje. At first, we saw in a nice habitat along the road some Pseudopus apodus, Testudo hermanni, Lacerta trilineata and Hierophis gemonensis. Then, we found quite interesting species around a ruin at a village called Brajici. We spotted some Dalmatolacerta oxycephala, and a Podarcis melisellensis. Along the walls of the ruins, some more D. oxycephala, and then Matthieu found our first Vipera ammodytes beneath a rock. Alexandre saw a Platyceps najadum, but the snake was super fast and he could not catch it.


Testudo hermanni boettgeri © Alexandre Cluchier


Dalmatolacerta oxycephala on an old stone wall near the ruins


Our first Vipera ammodytes, Matthieu found it under a stone that was lying against the ruin's main wall.


Vipera ammodytes


Close-up of the head


Matthieu is shooting the viper at quite a distance!

In the afternoon, we went to the Mrtvica Valley. During our picnic along the river, we saw 3 Natrix tessellata (one adult and 2 juveniles), and a female Lacerta viridis that was basking on a rock in the shade. Then we went up in the valley, we found more L. viridis, and Podarcis muralis, Anguis fragilis, Algyroides nigropunctatus, and another Dalmatolacerta oxycephala.


This Natrix tessellata was found hunting in the water next to the river bank


Same specimen of Natrix tessellata


Dalmatolacerta oxycephala basking in the evening sun


Close-up of Dalmatolacerta oxycephala


Another view of Dalmatolacerta oxycephala

After that stop, we went to lake Biogradska, where we spent the night. When we got back from the restaurant at night, we saw a Rana graeca near the park's gate. Nice! Some Bufo bufo were wandering around our bungalows.


Rana graeca

Tuesday June 9
That day was Vipera berus bosniensis and Vipera ursinii macrops day. Before we left, we checked the banks of Biogradska lake, and found 3 Natrix natrix persa, and a nice adult Zamenis longissimus.


Zamenis longissimus


Zamenis longissimus


Natrix natrix persa © Alexandre Cluchier


Another Natrix natrix persa  at the same spot, but this time a melanistic one © Matthieu Berroneau

Then, we went up in the mountains above Kolasin. The habitat was open lands with low juniper shrubs. There we could see some Zootoca vivipara, and we found an Ichthyosaura alpestris montenegrina near a very small brook. After few hours of searching beneath a pretty hot sun, Matthieu found a juvenile Vipera berus bosniensis under a rock! Nice. But no Vipera ursinii in sight. Still, we found a pond that was crowded with Ichthyosaura a. montenegrina and some Bufo bufo tadpoles. After a while, we decided to head down back in the valley. On the way down, we stopped to check two puddles, with I. alpestris, Rana temporaria, and Bombina variegata scabra. We once again stopped further down at a ruin along the road, but didn't see any reptile there! We were quite surprised. Eventually, one last stop along the road just before Kolasin enabled us to see 2 Anguis fragilis.


Female Zootoca vivipara


Ichthyosaura alpestris © Matthieu Berroneau


Juvenile Vipera berus bosniensis


Close-up of Vipera berus bosniensis


The French crüe with Vipera berus bosniensis


Habitat of Vipera berus bosniensis


Matthieu and Jean-Pierre taking pictures of Bombina variegata scabra © Maud Menay


Bombina variegata scabra

Wednesday June 10
We left the bungalows in Biograska lake and headed to lake Bukumirsko, terra typica of Dinarolacerta montenegrina. When we arrived there, we were stunned by the beautiful landscape. We arrived at the lake, and started searching. Before the lizards, we saw some Bombina variegata scabra in a pond nearby, Ichthyosaura alpestris, Lissotriton (vulgaris) graeca (or vulgaris? We have to check, it's a bit messy with all these newt subspecies - now proposed as full species...), Natrix natrix persa, some tadpoles of Bufo bufo, and an adult Bufo viridis. Then Alexandre saw the first Dinarolacerta montenegrina on a karst block not far away. We all gathered around, and found some more in the blocks nearby. Neat! After that, we had our picnic, at around 3PM!


A tribute to Jeroen Speybroeck, the terra typica of Dinarolacerta montenegrina as viewed in the original description!


Another view of Lake Bukumirsko, this time from a little higher point of view


Bufo viridis © Matthieu Berroneau


Female Lissotriton (vulgaris) graeca © Alexandre Cluchier


Natrix natrix persa


The same Natrix natrix persa © Matthieu Berroneau


Dinarolacerta montenegrina in its habitat


Close-up of Dinarolacerta montenegrina


Dinarolacerta montenegrina basking


Habitat of Dinarolacerta montenegrina


Dinarolacerta montenegrina © Matthieu Berroneau


Jean-Christophe is searching for Dinarolacerta montenegrina


Los Herpetos (l-r: jpv, Maud, Alex, Jean-Christophe, Matt)


Beautiful little pond with Bombina variegata scabra, Ichthyosaura alpestris montenegrina, and Salamandra s. salamandra larvae (+ unidentified tadpoles, maybe Rana temporaria)


The "Unkenreflex", performed without even touching the toad ! We just brushed our hand over in the air and that was it!


It requires gym skills to take pictures of Bombina variegata scabra

After that, we headed south back to the coast. The road down to Podgorica was superb, but we didn't have time to stop. Still we saw a DOR Platyceps najadum, Vipera ammodytes, and numerous Pseudopus apodus. We decided to head straight to Sveti Stefan, that's the pretty little town on the sea that we can see on the cover of the Lonely Planet guide! After we found a campsite there, we went to herp around a monastery nearby. It was getting dark, and I spotted a nice Cordulegaster bidentata that was easy to shoot on a shrub. On the way down to the car, the others saw some Hemidactylus turcicus on the walls of the cemetary above the monastery, and then Alexandre saw a Telescopus fallax on the wall! Really cool! Few minutes later, Matthieu and Maud found another one! Two Telescopus in one night, and without lifting rocks, we were blessed by the gods of herpetology that day! But it's not over yet. Anyway, after that, we went to a nice little restaurant with a terrace in Sveti Stefan, and had our daily pints of local beer!



Cordulegaster bidentata


Hemidactylus turcicus on the cemetary walls


Telescopus fallax


Telescopus fallax again


Telescopus fallax flickering its tongue


Male Lucanus cervus found on the path

Thursday June 11
We decided to head south to Ada, near the Albanian border, as we knew could see Dolichophis caspius and Typhlops vermicularis there. These were our target species. After we passed Ulcinje, we found a DOR Dolichophis caspius! Few kilometers after on the way to Ada, we stopped nearby the road in a sandy steppe habitat for few minutes. There we saw some more Pseudopus apodus, Podarcis melisellensis, Natrix natrix persa, Natrix tessellata, numerous Testudo hermanni boettgeri, and our first Emys orbicularis hellenica. When we crossed the bridge to get to Ada, we found out that it's a nudist camp, and couldn't get there. Damn it! Nevermind, we headed back, made another stop on the road just after the bridge, and there Matthieu found our second Vipera ammodytes, and our first Malpolon insignitus fuscus! A small pond nearby was inhabited by an adult Emys orbicularis hellenica, and some green frogs, certainly Pelophylax shqipericus, but we couldn't catch any. We assumed it was this species! After then, Alexandre and Matthieu found another Malpolon insignitus fuscus under logs. Cool!


Pseudopus apodus basking in a sandy meadow, while Jean-Christophe is searching for Dolicophis caspius in the background


Testudo hermanni boettgeri


Our second Vipera ammodytes of the trip, once again found by Matthieu!


Vipera ammodytes again


Malpolon insignitus fuscus male


Close-up of Malpolon insignitus fuscus


Maud tries to catch a Pelophylax shqipericus, Jean-Christophe and Alexandre are shooting a not so shy Emys orbicularis in the pond.


A view with 100 mm macro © Jean-Christophe de Massary


A view with the 300 mm! © Alexandre Cluchier


Podarcis melisellensis male


Another male Malpolon insignitus fuscus

In the afternoon, we went to the ruins of Sas, north of Ulcinj. On the road, we saw Platyceps najadum, Hierophis gemonensis and Pseudopus apodus all DOR. At the ruins, the heat was too high, we only saw some Lacerta trilineata. But, we found a male Saga (don't know which species yet), and, one super twitch for me, Lindenia tetraphylla, a very rare dragonfly in Europe.


Male Saga, still unidentified species


Lindenia tetraphylla, a super twitch for me!

In the late afternoon, we stopped again at the steppe habitat of the morning. There I spotted a basking Dolichophis caspius, but it was too fast for me and I missed it! Alexandre tried again later on, but also failed to catch the super-fast snake! Matthieu dived into a pipe under the road when he saw a big snake in it, but it was another Malpolon insignitus. So, no Dolicophis for us this time!

Friday June 12
We left Sveti Stefan early in the morning, and headed to Cetinje.


Sveti Stefan © Matthieu Berroneau

We wanted to visit Lovcen National Park, with the hope of twitching Dinarolacerta mosorensis (mainly to please Jean-Christophe!). When we arrived there, beautiful karst landscapes revealed excellent mountain lizard habitats. After few minutes, we saw our first Dinarolacerta mosorensis! Mission accomplished. We also saw numerous Dalmatolacerta oxycephala that were not shy at all, very nice.


Subadult Lacerta viridis


Dinarolacerta mosorensis


Dinarolacerta mosorensis


Closer view of a Dinarolacerta mosorensis


Dinarolacerta mosorensis © Matthieu Berroneau


Dalmatolacerta oxycephala, this curious male was attracted by the light of my flash!


A very dark Dalmatolacerta oxycephala


A view of Lovcen National Park

After our picnic there (beautiful landscape), we had to drive back to Croatia. There, we found a nice campsite not far away from the airport. Before going to the restaurant, we decided to search up in the hillside areas above Dubrovnik's airport. There, we found Pseudopus apodus, Lacerta trilineata, Podarcis melisellensis, Dalmatolacerta oxycephala and Hierophis gemonensis. From up there, I spotted some nice hedgy habitats down near the airport. We decided to go there for one very last searching. And eventually, that was a good call, as the gods of herpetology were once again with us: after few minutes of research along hedges and stone walls, Alexandre literally dived into a hedge and caught a wandering adult Zamenis situla! That was our last reptile of the trip. Pretty awesome!


Croatian Podarcis melisellensis


Zamenis situla


Zamenis situla


Again! © Matthieu Berroneau


Close-up © Alexandre Cluchier


The boys are taking pictures of Zamenis situla © Maud Menay

Saturday June 13
We arrived at the airport at 5AM, and took off at 6AM... uh!


List of species we observed (total= 36):

Amphibians
Salamandra salamandra salamandra
Ichthyosaura alpestris montenegrina
Lissotriton (vulgaris) graecus
Bombina variegata scabra
Bufo bufo spinosus
Bufo viridis viridis
Rana graeca
Rana temporaria temporaria
Pelophylax ridibundus
Pelophylax shqipericus

Reptiles
Emys orbicularis hellenica
Testudo hermanni boettgeri
Hemidactylus turcicus turcicus
Anguis fragilis colchica
Pseudopus apodus thracius
Algyroides nigropunctatus nigropunctatus
Dalmatolacerta oxycephala
Dinarolacerta montenegrina
Dinarolacerta mosorensis
Lacerta trilineata major
Lacerta viridis viridis
Podarcis melisellensis fiumanus
Podarcis muralis muralis
Zootoca vivipara vivipara
Dolichophis caspius
Elaphe quatuorlineata quatuorlineata
Hierophis gemonensis
Platyceps najadum dahli
Telescopus fallax fallax
Zamenis longissimus
Zamenis situla
Natrix natrix persa
Natrix tessellata
Malpolon insignitus fuscus
Vipera ammodytes ammodytes
Vipera berus bosniensis

What we missed:

Salamandra atra
Triturus macedonicus
Hyla arborea
Rana dalmatina
Mauremys rivulata
Lacerta agilis
Typhlops vermicularis
Coronella austriaca
Vipera ursinii macrops