Herpetological trip to Lorraine (France) and Taunus (Germany)
May 21th – May 24th 2021
Unless specified otherwise, all pictures (c) of Jeroen Speybroeck.
After a cold and dry local spring, a short three-person getaway offered the perfect antidote. Weather was still not what any regular tourist would long for, but we are not regular tourists. The number of snakes we found was high for this part of Europe. We had an absolute blast.
search sites
Friday May 21th
Driving from northern Belgium, we arrived at a well-known first French viper site at 15h30. The outskirts of this quarry have some artificial cover. We found 11 Asp Vipers
Vipera aspis (5 of which under cover), a Barred Grass Snake
Natrix helvetica, a juvenile Smooth Snake
Coronella austriaca and plenty of Slow Worm
Anguis fragilis.
habitat - © Loïc van Doorn
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis
male Asp Viper Vipera aspis - © Loïc van Doorn
juvenile Asp Viper Vipera aspis - © Loïc van Doorn
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis
male Asp Viper Vipera aspis
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis
After setting up camp at our favourite Lorraine camping spot, we checked two quarries after dark in the rain. Despite the cold wind, there was enough amphibian activity going on. First site had Yellow-bellied Toad
Bombina variegata, Parsley Frog
Pelodytes punctatus, Natterjack Toad
Epidalea calamita, Marsh Frog
Pelophylax ridibundus and Palmate Newt
Lissotriton helveticus. The second held Parsley Frog, Common Midwife Toad
Alytes obstetricans, Common Toad
Bufo bufo, Palmate Newt and Great Crested Newt
Triturus cristatus.
setting up camp at dusk - © Loïc van Doorn
Marsh Frog Pelophylax ridibundus
Parsley Frog Pelodytes punctatus
Natterjack Toad Epidalea calamita
Common Toad Bufo bufo
Saturday May 22th
Day 2 we started off with a former railway embankment. Checking a longer stretch than I had done back in 2017 and 2019, we came across numerous snakes again, with 10 Asp Vipers, a Barred Grass Snake, a Smooth Snake and four Western Whip Snakes
Hierophis viridiflavus.
Western Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus - © Loïc van Doorn
Western Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus
Western Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis - © Loïc van Doorn
male Asp Viper Vipera aspis - © Loïc van Doorn
male Asp Viper Vipera aspis
juvenile Asp Viper Vipera aspis
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis
male Asp Viper Vipera aspis
At the end of the day, a dumpsite with Parsley Frog and Yellow-bellied Toad. After dark, a forest brook with Fire Salamander
Salamandra salamandra larvae and a single flipped adult male.
egg mass of Parsley Frog Pelodytes punctatus
Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra
Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra - © Kim Roelants
Sunday May 23th
Two sections of the same active railroad and their surroundings were on the menu today. While the second produced only a single female Asp Viper, the first one delivered eight, as well as another Barred Grass Snake and a Smooth Snake. As always, plenty of Slow Worms. Surprisingly, Common Wall Lizard (
Podarcis muralis) was seen in only very few individual animals, for which the wind and some showers might be to blame.
Smooth Snake Coronella austriaca
male Asp Viper Vipera aspis
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis
same
same
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis
same
same
Barred Grass Snake Natrix helvetica - © Loïc van Doorn
female Asp Viper Vipera aspis - © Loïc van Doorn
After some delicious pizza, we revisited our favourite French Green Toad
Bufotes viridis site. Also non-native Fire-bellied Toad
Bombina bombina, Marsh Frog, Common Frog
Rana temporaria, Great Crested Newt, Palmate Newt, Alpine Newt
Ichthyosaura alpestris, Smooth Newt
Lissotriton vulgaris, Slow Worm, and three Barred Grass Snakes. Together with earlier visits, that brings our species count for this site up to twelve.
Barred Grass Snake Natrix helvetica - © Kim Roelants
Green Toad Bufotes viridis
Green Toad Bufotes viridis
Fire-bellied Toad Bombina bombina
Fire-bellied Toad Bombina bombina
Next, a nearby French site for Common Spadefoot Toad
Pelobates fuscus. Plenty of calling animals in the water and two beautiful chubbies on land.
young female Common Spadefoot Toad Pelobates fuscus
female Common Spadefoot Toad Pelobates fuscus
same
Monday May 24th
Early start. First, some quick pics of the spadefoot habitat.
habitat of Common Spadefoot Toad Pelobates fuscus
habitat of Common Spadefoot Toad Pelobates fuscus
habitat of Common Spadefoot Toad Pelobates fuscus
Then a 2h drive into Germany. The northern bank of the Rhine river near Wiesbaden is home to an ancient introduced population of Aesculapian Snake
Zamenis longissimus. First site had us finding already three, plus Slow Worm and a young Sand Lizard
Lacerta agilis.
German vineyard - © Loïc van Doorn
promising... - © Loïc van Doorn
Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus - © Loïc van Doorn
Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus - © Loïc van Doorn
Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus - © Loïc van Doorn
young Sand Lizard Lacerta agilis
A second small stone quarry delivered water frogs
Pelophylax sp., Slow Worm and a big Grass Snake
Natrix natrix. Next, lush green meadows with some artificial cover. Viviparous Lizard
Zootoca vivipara, Slow Worm, a juvenile grass snake and another five Aesculapian Snakes were found.
Viviparous Lizard Zootoca vivipara - © Kim Roelants
Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus - © Loïc van Doorn
Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus - © Loïc van Doorn
Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus
Aesculapian Snake Zamenis longissimus
A traditional stop for Dice Snake
Natrix tessellata along the Lahn river was up next. Searching in the rain, not too productive, but managed to find a juvenile in the end, plus an adult female Sand Lizard.
herping in the rain
female Sand Lizard Lacerta agilis
juvenile Dice Snake Natrix tessellata
Continuing westward towards our home country, a short stop in the Netherlands for fries and a quarry with Yellow-bellied Toad, Common Midwife Toad, Smooth Newt and Slow Worm.
Dutch amphibian habitat – © Loïc van Doorn
We ended our adventures after dark with one of the finer Belgian amphibian habitats, finding Common Spadefoot Toad, Common Tree Frog
Hyla arborea, Common Toad, Pool Frog
Pelophylax lessonae, Edible Frog, Common Frog and Moor Frog
Rana arvalis.
Species list
