Fieldtrip to multiple locations
Date: 14-03-2012
Date: 14-03-2012
Here it is, pictures from my first "real" fieldtrip 2012.
Today I went on a long trip with C. Nielsen. It was my first real fieldtrip in 2012. Weeks before I had almost dreamt about a fieldtrip.. and finally the winter was gone and both of us had the time to go scouting for herptiles. I had pretty high expectations regarding weather and our discoveries of animals that day, so we headed towards the location full of energy and hopes for some early reptile observations. We decided to keep our search within a radius of approximately twenty kilometers to our homes and it was great to visit the places again. Life was flourishing, both flora and fauna. In total, we visited 3 different sites with multiple stops on the way. (I think we walked for about 7 hours).
Weather:
DMI had promised 7-13 degrees with a cloudless sky until 11:00 pm. At that time it should get cloudy, but at 13:00 to 14:00 it should start to clear up again. But luckily the weather got better than the forecast could ever have predicted. The sky was cloudless, calm and it was super hot. All in all it was the perfect day to go herping.
There was two of the approx. 20+ animals we saw, that we chose to handle. It was the Melanistic viper and the grass snake. We saw no amphibians, which irritated me a bit; not even temporaria's. We saw many snakes. Every picture is a new specimen; it’s only the melanistic adder that recur in the pictures.
Vipera berus, melanistic specimen | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Location 1
We drove from our homes at 10.00 am and arrived at the location 10:15 am. The temperature of the spot was measured at about 13.8° degrees at the ground. The location is Odsherreds vipera site number one. It was here that I found the first vipers of 2012, so today we were hoping to find Lacerta agilis as well. The site is a prime breeding place for grass snakes, vipers, steel worms and lizards, so we had our eyes open for all sorts of species we might encounter in the area.
Unfortunately, things did not work as expected. We arrived too early; it was still too cold, so we only found approx.
6-8 adders. No lizards, steel worms or snakes. It was a bit annoying so we chose to drive to the second location.
We drove from our homes at 10.00 am and arrived at the location 10:15 am. The temperature of the spot was measured at about 13.8° degrees at the ground. The location is Odsherreds vipera site number one. It was here that I found the first vipers of 2012, so today we were hoping to find Lacerta agilis as well. The site is a prime breeding place for grass snakes, vipers, steel worms and lizards, so we had our eyes open for all sorts of species we might encounter in the area.
Unfortunately, things did not work as expected. We arrived too early; it was still too cold, so we only found approx.
6-8 adders. No lizards, steel worms or snakes. It was a bit annoying so we chose to drive to the second location.
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus, basking cluster | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Location 2
We arrived to the location at 11:07 am and we drove on again at 13:35 pm.
The temperature of the spot was measured at about 16.5 to 17° degrees at the ground.
The next place we visited was a shoreline habitat about 15 kilometers away from my home. In this area we mainly encounter Vipera berus, but also Natrix natrix and Zootoca vivipara can be found at the site. We started to search the approx. 1 to 1.5 km long distance and snakes where plentiful. The animals at this site were in very good feeding shape, but we saw no sand lizards? (NB. It was on that site that I was bitten last year by a large cluster of boulders around. 800 meters down the path).
We arrived to the location at 11:07 am and we drove on again at 13:35 pm.
The temperature of the spot was measured at about 16.5 to 17° degrees at the ground.
The next place we visited was a shoreline habitat about 15 kilometers away from my home. In this area we mainly encounter Vipera berus, but also Natrix natrix and Zootoca vivipara can be found at the site. We started to search the approx. 1 to 1.5 km long distance and snakes where plentiful. The animals at this site were in very good feeding shape, but we saw no sand lizards? (NB. It was on that site that I was bitten last year by a large cluster of boulders around. 800 meters down the path).
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus, cluster basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
My first Natrix natrix 2012, (a dirty and hungry specimen) | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Natrix natrix, close-up | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Herpers in the field, (C. Nielsen), Natrix natrix | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Herpers in the field, (C. Nielsen), Vipera berus | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking + my first female berus 2012 | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Maintenance at the herp spot, the snakes did not mind at all | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Vipera berus basking | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Herpers in the field, (C. Nielsen), Vipera berus | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Location 3
We arrived at 13:58 pm and we drove on again at 17:25 pm.
The temperature of the spot was measured to be approximately 17.1° at the ground.
On this site we have found Melanistic Vipera berus specimens. It's the only place where Christian and I personally have observed Melanistic berus in Odsherred. For one reason or another it is not as genetically widespread up here? So every time we visit this place; it's always with the ulterior motive to find the local area's rare Melanistic vipers. The area is protected and has some of the most beautiful heathland to be found in my part of Zealand. Everything is ruled by the wind, it's a very beautiful place and I really like to visit the area. The entire surrounding area consists of reed beds, swamps and wet meadows. It was said to be a good place for a variety of waterfowls and birds. But unfortunately it is a very inaccessible place to find V. berus. The heathery structure makes it almost impossible to approach the animals, as they have the best natural covering available. Just as Vipera berus; Lacerta agilis, Zotoca vivipara and natrix natrix is also common to the location.
We found almost nothing, though we walked for a very a long time. However, we found 4 Vipera berus specimens, one of them was melanistic. The black viper was a pleasant sight, we have only observed a single specimen in Odsherred in all of our history of herping. It's been two years since we saw one, so it was the best sight of the day.
We arrived at 13:58 pm and we drove on again at 17:25 pm.
The temperature of the spot was measured to be approximately 17.1° at the ground.
On this site we have found Melanistic Vipera berus specimens. It's the only place where Christian and I personally have observed Melanistic berus in Odsherred. For one reason or another it is not as genetically widespread up here? So every time we visit this place; it's always with the ulterior motive to find the local area's rare Melanistic vipers. The area is protected and has some of the most beautiful heathland to be found in my part of Zealand. Everything is ruled by the wind, it's a very beautiful place and I really like to visit the area. The entire surrounding area consists of reed beds, swamps and wet meadows. It was said to be a good place for a variety of waterfowls and birds. But unfortunately it is a very inaccessible place to find V. berus. The heathery structure makes it almost impossible to approach the animals, as they have the best natural covering available. Just as Vipera berus; Lacerta agilis, Zotoca vivipara and natrix natrix is also common to the location.
We found almost nothing, though we walked for a very a long time. However, we found 4 Vipera berus specimens, one of them was melanistic. The black viper was a pleasant sight, we have only observed a single specimen in Odsherred in all of our history of herping. It's been two years since we saw one, so it was the best sight of the day.
Melanistic Vipera berus | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Melanistic Vipera berus, close-up | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Melanistic Vipera berus, setup | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Melanistic Vipera berus, setup | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Melanistic Vipera berus, setup | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Ants, a early sign of spring | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Nature and habitat shots
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Habitat | © Mikkel Frederiksen 2012
Responces
Feltherpforum: http://feltherpforum.dk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=247
Thanks for reading this report.
Greetings, Mikkel Frederiksen
Email: [email protected]
Feltherpforum: http://feltherpforum.dk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=247
Thanks for reading this report.
Greetings, Mikkel Frederiksen
Email: [email protected]