2014 Season

[Stupot1610]

Like some others on here, I've decided to make a thread with all my findings in the field from 2014. I'll make each place a separate most.

April 2014 - Cairngorms National Park
On holiday in the Cairngorms this Easter there were many spawning common frogs, Rana Temporaria, and breeding Palmate Newts, Lissotriton Helveticus. The frogs were mostly finished spawning and were not seen very often, but the spawn could be seen in any body of water, significant or otherwise. Even tyre tracks and puddles would be filled with spawn. The palmate newts could be seen in most smaller water bodies, things like tyre tracks, puddles and roadside ditches.

Common frogs


Palmate Newts




Pool

 

[matamander]

Very awesome! The last shot of the scenery almost looks like P. welleri habitat here in VA, very xeric and moss-covered.

 

[frogman]

Fantastic!

 

[Stupot1610]

June 2014 - Belgium

When I was visiting Tervuren, Belgium in the summer I visited the park where there was a massive population of Pool frogs, Marsh frogs and Edible frogs. Pelophylax lessonae, ridibundus, kl. esculentus. Some specimens were huge, I estimate roughly 18cm of one particular marsh frog. No pool frogs exceeded 10cm in length. The majority of the pool frogs were greenish with brown legs, most of the Marsh frogs were fully green but all contained different shades. The edible frogs exhibited no particular colour common to each specimen, they were highly variable. Despite a high population of waterfowl the frogs did not seem very affected by them, if presented with a threat the frogs would quickly dive down into pondweed, out of sight. They generally sat on floating mats of pond weed contained within large patches of reeds.

The Park



The frogs

 

[Stupot1610]

July 2014 - The French alps

Whilst holidaying in the French Alps I was constantly on the look out for amphibians. I really wanted to see Fire Salamanders and Alpine Newt, I only saw alpine newts but I didn't properly look for Fire Salamanders so they could well have been there. There was one particular pond which was full of alpine newts. I caught a few to look at, they had very bright colours but were not breeding, all newts were safely placed back in the pond. The pond was full of larvae which were a couple of months away from metamorphosis. There was very little aquatic vegetation, but there was tall grass and a wildflower meadow surrounding the pond. The pond also had a large population of aquatic insects which the newts could regularly be seen eating. As well as the newts, there was also a large population of Common Frogs, the newts could be seen eating the tadpoles. The alpine newts were the nominate form, Ichthyosaura alpestris alpestris. They could be found in several ponds spread around.

Pond



Newts



Wildflower meadow


Scenery






Tiger lily


Common frog
m

There were lots of little succulents too

 

[sde]

Nice finds Stuart! I particularly like the Lissotriton helveticus and the Ichtyosaurs alpestris alpestris. I don't know why, but I have a love for L. helveticus, very cool newts.

 

[Stupot1610]

The entire Lissotriton genus are fantastic. They're not the prettiest newts but there's just something about them.

Stuart