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LOCAL OBSERVATIONS 2007 - February

Wednesday 28th February 2007

Conditions : Dark clouds, moderate wind.
Temperature : around 19 C
Time of observations : 18h

Whilst walking the dog, I thought that tomorrow it's March! This time last year I was on the brink of seeing many Bufo bufo, and so this evening I was specially on the lookout and it wasn't long before I heard some movement on the side of the calm river, it was the first of four male Common toads (Bufo bufo), at the same spot there was this years first eggs (at the 32 cell stage which suggests that it was only a few hours old). Only a few meters from the first specimen, I saw three others from which I could only access one:

© Daniel Phillips
First male Common toad (Bufo bufo)

© Daniel Phillips
Nuptial pads of the first male specimen

© Daniel Phillips
The eggs of Common toad (Bufo bufo)

© Daniel Phillips
Habitat of the second lot of Common toads (Bufo bufo)

© Daniel Phillips
Second male Common toad (Bufo bufo)


Friday 23rd February 2007

Conditions : Heavy low clouds, very humid, fog, no wind.
Temperature : around 12 C
Time of observations : 20h30 to 22h30

Last year I found a large male Common Midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) with eggs, I returned to the same spot to listen and hopefully find some. I cycled to the place, the habitat was gardens, with vegetable patches and small waterways, stone walls, plant pots... On my arrival, I heard the greatly characteristic calling of this species:

I tried to approach the calls as close as possible before putting my lights on which would most certainly disturb them. I eventually turned on the light and overturned a wooden pallet to find in very close proximity two adult males with a small number of eggs on their hind feet. I looked closely and found another male, two females and a juvenile. There were a series of holes which would be just right for the toads size, and upon inspection, I saw one inside one of them, these holes must be a tunnel system this colony uses. As I had 3 males and 2 females, one of the males started to mate with one of the females, I even got a short film of this (click here for video).

© Daniel Phillips
Juvenile Common Midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans)

© Daniel Phillips
First male Common Midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans), note the small number of eggs

© Daniel Phillips
First female Common Midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans)

© Daniel Phillips
Second Male Common Midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans), again a small number of eggs

© Daniel Phillips
Two different Common Midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) in amplexus, note that the male grasps the female from very low down, note also that the male has already got eggs, females usually prefer to mate with male who don't have any eggs


Wednesday 21st February 2007

Conditions : scattered clouds, very humid, no wind.
Temperature : around 11 C
Time of observations : 19h30 to 23h30

When I got home yesterday evening, I had a phone call from fellow university friend Mathieu Badets, he told me he had been at the pond near Opoul where we often visited in 2006. After the recent rainfall the pond was full of water and he said that it was madness, everything was out. So we agreed to go together the following evening (now). We left Perpignan around 19h and picked up two students of the university to help us, Fabrice and Claire. As we arrived at the pond, the noise of the singing made me remember last spring and I immediately got excited. As we parked the car, I got the light and the first amphibian we saw was, a Western Spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes), followed very shortly after by Parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus), Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus), Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita), Marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus), Stripeless tree frog (Hyla meridionalis). It was pure pleasure finding the best looking specimens. We least expected to find so many Western Spadefoot's (5) which was a great example for how there is enormous morphological variation in a species within a population. Nothing else needs to be explained in greater detail, the evening consisted in basically walking around the pond and photographing desired species and, when required getting a bit wet and cold to get up close.

© Daniel Phillips
Size and pattern comparison of the four caught specimens of Western Spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes)

© Daniel Phillips
First Western Spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes) male, sign of an illness?

© Daniel Phillips
The 'Spade' of the first specimen

© Daniel Phillips
Second Western Spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes) male, this specimen was spotted in amplexus with a Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus)

© Daniel Phillips
Third Western Spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes) female, the most vivid and best looking of the evening

© Daniel Phillips
Fourth Western Spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes) female, this was by far the largest specimen (see first photo for comparison)

© Daniel Phillips
Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita)

© Daniel Phillips
Male Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus), the specimens at the pond tonight were very vivid and well marked compared to those found at the same locality in 2006

© Daniel Phillips
Another male Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus), note the nuptial pads on the thumb and first finger

© Daniel Phillips
A copper shaded Stripeless tree frog (Hyla meridionalis)

© Daniel Phillips
Parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus)

© Daniel Phillips
Another Parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus)

© Daniel Phillips
Marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus) head shot (female)

© Daniel Phillips
Another Marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus) female

© Daniel Phillips
Another Marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus) female

© Daniel Phillips
Another Marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus), this one is a male

© Daniel Phillips
Yet another Marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus) male

© Daniel Phillips
And again a male Marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus)

© Daniel Phillips
Here we have two Marbled newts (Triturus marmoratus), a male (left) and female (right)


Tuesday 20th February 2007

Conditions : scattered clouds, no wind.
Temperature : around 11 C
Time of observations : 21h30 to 23h30

After being frustrated at the Pelodytes punctatus breeding pool yesterday, my master plan was now to enter the water, with a blow up boat. Accompanied by a few neighbours who kindly took the boat on the back of their truck down to the pool made this night a less lonely one then usual. I even got company in the boat! And so we're off, its singing and we head to the reeds on the water side, with a small torch spotting the frogs proved very challenging, but after about 10 minutes I spotted the first one, the conditions made it hard to get close as these frogs hide within the reeds and not at the edge of them. Around 30 minutes later, and 5 Pelodytes down the line, I got my first catch, as expected a male, soon after I caught the second, all this made possible by pro navigating from Paul, my boat mate for the evening. As we went back to land, I got a few photos from the two specimens caught:

© Daniel Phillips
Male Parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus) specimen 1

© Daniel Phillips
Another Male Parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus) specimen 2

© Daniel Phillips
Male Parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus) specimen 1 again

© Daniel Phillips
Nuptial pads of Pelodytes punctatus (specimen 1), presence on the lips, chest, arms, fingers and also on hind legs.

© Daniel Phillips
Nuptial pads of Pelodytes punctatus (specimen 2), present only on hands, arms and chest.

© Daniel Phillips
Paul and the boat after (wet trousers)


Monday 19th February 2007

PART 1

Conditions : clear sky.
Temperature : around 17 C
Time of observations : 16h30 to 17h30

A nice day, after the rain I thought that I had a real chance of some herp findings. I visited the main areas from last years anura calling spots, but nothing except Pelophylax sp. I recon the season is just on the brink of the start, all that is needed is 2 C more at night. I went to the other side of the valley which I had not been too yet this year, upon arrival, a large Timon lepidus scattered into its hideout in a stone wall, and then a smaller lizard ran into some cut vines at the edge of a field. I searched to find it and got it eventually, it was a juvenile Timon lepidus who had a regenerated tail, as I was photographing the lizard, a Viperine snake (Natrix maura) slithered next to me and entered what must be his hibernating spot under many large stones.

© Daniel Phillips
A juvenile Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus)

PART 2

Conditions : clear sky.
Temperature : around 11 C
Time of observations : 21h30 to 23h10

Night has arrived and its time to get an update of the amphibian movements, opting for a bike this time. For kilometres of road there was nothing, I got to the Cave cooperative water filtering pools, and was treated to a chorus of Pelodytes punctatus, but unfortunately the specimens were calling from the water vegetation situated a few meters from the water edge, the water is a few meters deep and so I could not risk walking in the water. I then headed off to a camping site, and last year I frequently found Pelodytes punctatus in the half dry, stagnant water, but this time I only came across a Natterjack (Epidalea calamita), a Stripeless tree frog (Hyla meridionalis) and a few Pelophylax specimens. I headed back to the water reserves as I really wanted a photo opportunity for Pelodytes punctatus, there I came across a Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus) and some more Pelophylax :

© Daniel Phillips
Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita)

© Daniel Phillips
Stripeless tree frog (Hyla meridionalis)

© Daniel Phillips
Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus) male calling

© Daniel Phillips
Same specimen of Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus), this time on land


Sunday 18th February 2007

Conditions : slight breeze, rain.
Temperature : around 7 C
Time of observations : 18h00 to 20h00

It has been raining for over a day now none stop. This rain is what will trigger the amphibian mating season, as the rain fall and the fields start to flood, I decided to walk to the middle of my valley to see if the rain is enough for the breeding season to begin, and hoping to see something. I started off just getting wet, no amphibian calling was heard, after over an hour I turned around and headed home, and as I was walking home I came across a Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita), I am not sure of the sex, but I think it may be a female due to body size but on the other hand this is the first of the season, and the front leg fingers are darkened at the tip:

© Daniel Phillips
A migrating Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita)


Tuesday 13th February 2007

Not a real herping day, but whilst out in the car, my dad and I came across this lovely yet shamefully dead Ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris) as it was such a nice pattern I decided to add it to the site, it measured around 80 cm long:

© Daniel Phillips

© Daniel Phillips


Saturday 11th February 2007

Conditions : slight breeze, scattered clouds.
Temperature : around 13 C
Time of observations : 18h00 to 19h00

This time last year, the herping season started to get interesting, so this evening I decided to extend my daily dog walk and investigate amphibian activity. The last few days saw a few light rain showers, however still not enough to kick start the amphibian breeding season. I put my hopes into ponds as there were no calls to be heard. I went to one of a series of ponds situated within only metres of the river, on my arrival, 3 to 4 Pelophylax frogs jumped into the pond, all I could see before they hid at the very bottom of the quite murky water was that they were sub-adult specimens. On a closer inspection of the water with my lamp, I saw a Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus), it was a pre-prenuptial male (thanks to Wouter Beukema and Jeroen Speybroeck for the correction), the first of the year at this locality:

© Daniel Phillips
The lone Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

© Daniel Phillips
Same specimen on land