By David Broek

In April 2018 I made a trip of one week in the southeast of Spain. The main objective was to find as many species of herpetofauna as possible, with a focus on Iberian species and the Common Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon). For the latter species  I planned the first three nights in San Pedro del Pinatar, a municipality at the north side of Mar Menor. The Parque Regional Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar, in the vicinity of this city, is holding a population of this interesting species. To see some other habitat types as well, with obviously some other species, I wanted to visit a more mountainous area as well. Because of the occurrence of some really interesting species in Sierra Espuña I tried to book the other nights in that area, but I didn’t succeed in that. So during the trip plans changed and I spent the other three days in Petrer near Paisatge Natural Protegit Serra del Maigmó. During the trip I didn’t have the availability of a car, so all distances had to be travelled by public transport. Of course this also gave some restrictions regarding the locations and both short and long distances took more time than with a car. Despite that fact I still managed to visit quite a lot of perfect reptile spots, with quite some observed species as result.

Overview of visited locations (marked in red): surroundings of Petrer (north) and San Pedro del Pinatar (south)

After arriving at Alicante Aeropuerto in early afternoon I took a bus to Murcia. The sky was full of Common Swifts (Apus apus), Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) and some Red-rumped Swallows (Cecropis daurica). In Murcia I had to wait for a while at the bus station and then could take another bus to San Pedro del Pinatar. From the bus stop I had to walk through some urban areas to my accommodation. I directly saw many birds like Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis), Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala), European Serin (Serinus serinus), Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Eurasian Stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) and the non-native Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus). Also butterflies , like Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) were abundant. On  an olive tree I found the first herps: three basking Moorish Geckos (Tarentola mauritanica). They quickly disappeared in the crevices of the tree when I came closer. I also flipped a lot of material but it didn’t result in anything more than another T. mauritanica. After checking in at the accommodation, I walked to the saltpans and observed  many Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus), Pied Avocets (Recurvirostra avocetta), Black-winged stilts (Himantopus himantopus), Slender-billed gulls (Chroicocephalus geneii)  and other waterfowl. When I walked along a canal, I suddenly noticed some movement in the water, and saw a Viperine Snake (Natrix maura). I had no chance moving any closer because it was at the other side of the canal, so could only make a record shot with the 50 mm lens from a distance. After this nice observation I continued walking until I saw some other snake-like creatures in the canal. It were no snakes however, but European Eels (Anguilla anguilla). It was very interesting to see the behaviour of a species that is normally quite secretive. At the beach of El Mójon I observed some typical coastal birds like Audouin’s Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii), Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Calidris alba) and Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis). I had some difficulties finding a restaurant that was open, but finally I found one and had some well-tasting dinner. After dinner it was almost dark and time to start searching for Chamaeleon with a flashlight. I searched in many pine trees but didn’t found anything except a Western Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). I walked back to the accommodation at a slow pace, slightly disappointed about not finding any Chameleons. Luckily I still had two other days and nights.

Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica)

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Next day I bought some groceries first and then headed towards the Parque Regional Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar. At the saltpans I observed again many Greater Flamingos and other waterfowl and also some new species like Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Ruff (Calidris pugnax) and Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis). When I entered the park it only took a few meters over the boardwalk before my eye fell on a Fringe-fingered Lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus). It was basking but still not very active and vigilant. I expected to find more of these species quite easily but it took me almost two hours to find a second one. Presumably the activity of this species peaks during the hottest hours of the day, in the beginning of the afternoon. During these hours I found more and observed eventually a total of eleven individuals this day. Birds were also present in the area and I saw Crested Lark (Galerida cristata), Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica hispanica), Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), Red-legged Patridge (Alectoris rufa hispanica), Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla), European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) and Sand Martin (Riparia riparia). When searching in pines for Common Chameleon, I saw suspicious looking men behind every tree instead. Apparently, the area was often used for cruising, so this time I was glad being evidently a birdwatcher and photographer with my binoculars and camera. On the outer edge of the park I found another lizard species basking on the sandpath: Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus). Four individuals were seen, varying in size. Similar to the Acanthodactylus  they were incredibly fast, so difficult to photograph. Suddenly I saw the tail of a snake disappearing into some vegetation. Unfortunately it was at the other side of a fence, so I first had to remove my backpack and crawl underneath before I could search through the vegetation. Without any result, unfortunately. Because of the absence of any stripes on the tail, my guess is a Western Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus). When I walked back along the saltpans, I saw three other species of terns: Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Little Tern (Sternula albifrons). It was already really late and I was very hungry, so I prepared some dinner at the AirBnB. After that I was considering searching for Chameleons again but fell asleep instead, totally exhausted after 10 hours of walking in the dunes.

Next morning after breakfast, I went to some sites with a lot of flipping material (garbage) within San Pedro del Pinatar. It wasn’t very rewarding though, with only some T. mauritanica, P. algirus and Mediterranean House Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus). I checked out the trails around the visitor centre and found some more P. algirus. After that I had a quick look along the canal, to see if I could find Natrix maura again for a better picture, but I only saw Eurasian Hoopoe (Upapa epops), European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris), European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) and Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum). At the entrance of the Pinar del Coterillo I met with Conrado, Bárbara, Fran and Jorge of the Parque Regional. In the observation tower, we found some H. turcicus and we saw some Eurasian Stone-curlews, Red-rumped Swallows and lots of other birds. After that we went to an area where  chameleons were seen last year and when checking some pines, Fran found one beautiful subadult. I was very happy with this great finding, since his coloration was bright and more pronounced in daylight. In combination with clear sunlight I had the best opportunity to shoot some pictures.  Thanks a lot for showing me around and for helping me seeing the chameleons guys! After saying goodbye I had again a late meal at the AirBnB and prepared for some night herping to find more chameleons. At 23.30 I was back in the Parque Regional and after half an hour I found the first chameleon, another subadult. I also found the same individual as in the afternoon, which was very well camouflaged now. Searching for some more hours in other parts of the park resulted in another subadult and an adult female and I had great views on Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) and Long-eared Owl (Asio otus). I enjoyed the silence of the area during nighttime and at 03.00 I decided I really had to go to bed to be able to catch the bus to my next destination next morning. I was very content with seeing four individuals of the number one target species during the last day, so I could fall asleep very satisfied.

Common Chamaeleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon)

Next morning I packed my stuff and did some flipping within the city because I still had some time to kill, but nothing was found. I travelled back to Murcia by bus and there I took another bus to Elda. I checked in at my apartment and still had some time before dusk to check out the nearest area. Here I found some P. algirus and a shedding of a Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus). Always a good sign to find snake sheddings and a motivation to continue searching. There were many stones around to flip over, so I continued doing that with nothing as result until I found a stone with a P. algirus, Bedriaga’s Skink (Chalcides bedriagai) and on top of it Iberian Worm Lizard (Blanus vandelli) underneath. The C. bedriagai escaped at first and I could also not catch the B. vandelli because I saw it too late, being focused on the C. bedriagai, so it disappeared in its borrow. Luckily I saw some movement of the C. bedriagai again in the vegetation so could catch it and make some pictures. I continued searching and found a shedding of B. vandelli underneath another stone and another C. bedriagai and two Tarentola mauritanica. When I walked around I saw a Psammodromus with spots on the flanks: Edward’s psammodromus (Psammodromus edwarsianus). It was difficult to photograph and it was relatively shy but thanks to the open landscape I still managed to make some pictures. This evening had been very rewarding with three new species (and an additional shedding) but to top it off I wanted to try another species at a park with some ponds that I found with the use of Google Maps. When I arrived there, I directly heard the call of Perez’ Water Frog (Pelophylax perezi). It didn’t look very suitable for amphibians, because of the presence of some big carps in this pond, but apparently this species is quite opportunistic. I found two individuals in amplex. After this successful evening, I hurried towards the nearest supermarket to buy some groceries just before it closed and made myself some dinner in the apartment.

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus)

Bedriaga's Skink (Chalcides bedriagai)

Next morning I planned to walk towards an area called Arenal de L’Amorxó where, according to the national park’s website, the Sierra Nevada Ocellated Lizard (Timon nevadensis) should occur. It would be a long walk, but there were many interesting areas I passed by during the walk. I found a small creek and some artificial water bassins, which looked very suitable for amphibians. Despite turning lots of rocks and other material, I only found Pelophylax perezi and larvae of Spiny Toad (Bufo spinosus). Many Cetti’s Warblers (Cettia cetti) and Wall Browns (Lasiommata megera) were present there as well. It was still really cloudy and relatively cold, so during the rest of the walk no reptiles showed up, only some bird species. At the beginning of the Arenal de L’Amorxó I flipped some rocks, resulting in a Blanus vandelli. This time I was fast enough to catch it. The name of the Worm Lizard species in this part of Spain has changed this year based on new research (Ceríaco & Bauer, 2018). The validness of the in 2009 described B. mariae is also discussed and concluded is that most B. mariae are B. cinereus and B. cinereus are B. vandelli. There are also some 'grey areas' in the distribution patterns to make things even more complicated. In the field both species are not easy to distuingish, so I only identified them based on the distribution data. This nomenclature debate doesn't change anything about the fact that they are such a special lizards and not comparable to any reptile I have seen before.

When I walked further I heard a strange bird call. I guessed it was a Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) and a few minutes later I found out I was right, when it flew over me. I was very content with seeing this species now unmistakeably, after an uncertain observation in Israel the month before. Sun became more cooperating, directly resulting in some Tarentola mauritanica and Psammodromus algirus basking. I also saw a new bird species: Black Wheatear (Oenanthe leucura). When scanning the sky, I saw two raptors, one with a snake in its claws. I was slightly jealous about this Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) being more successful with finding snakes than me. I walked through an olive grove that looked  very suitable for snakes (or any reptiles), there were many walls with lots of crevices to hide. Both species of Psammodromus were living together in this area, I found them more or less alternately. When I passed another wall with some grass I just saw the tail of a Ladder Snake (Zamenis scalaris) disappearing. I couldn’t find it back unfortunately, so I walked further and on my way back checked that location again. About 25 meters further than the original location, I saw its head emerging out of the vegetation. I quickly caught it and tried making some pictures, which was not very easy with only two hands. This individual was about 1.30 meters, so a nice adult. In this valley there was also a strange-looking sandy hill, created by man to provide habitat for some rare plant species. Herpwise more interesting was the occurrence of Acanthodactylus erythrurus, which only lives in the inland of the province Alicante in this small patch. After one step on the sandy path I already saw an individual. In this very different habitat were also both Psammodromus species present, so apparently all three species could co-occur. On the way back I flipped many stones and checked some other interesting sites, resulting in three Blanus vandelli, two Chalcides bedriagai, both gecko species and some Psammodromus algirus. I had again a late dinner and went to bed.

Perez' Water Frog (Pelophylax perezi)

Iberian Worm Lizard (Blanus vandelli)

Edward's Psammodromus (Psammodromus edwarsianus)

Ladder Snake (Zamenis scalaris)

Iberian Worm Lizard (Blanus vandelli)

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus)

Next morning it was still very cloudy and cold, similar to the day before. So I spent the majority of the morning in the apartment planning the area to visit this day. When I walked through a park with pines I heard and saw Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra). In a riverbed with only small relicts of water, I found Pelophylax perezi, Psammodromus algirus and Blanus vandelli. Along another creek I heard Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos). After 2,5 hours I arrived at the Pantano de Elda. This was a beautiful valley, surrounded by huge cliffs. I found Psammodromus algirus, Tarentola mauritanica and Blanus vandelli. A Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius) was perched on a rock and Common Nightingales and Cetti’s Warblers were abundant in the lower parts. I searched around a ruin, which looked very suitable, but without any result. Because I didn’t found new herps, I decided to try again in the Arenal de L’Amorxó. Nothing more than some Psammodromus algirus showed up however. I still had to walk for an hour and had to buy dinner first,  so I had to start walking back. I bought some food in a very small grocery store and then had dinner at the apartment. Although I walked a long distance and flipped a hell of a lot of material, I didn’t find any snakes or other new herps this day unfortunately. Next day I would have the last chance to find some new species, but was restricted in time because I had to catch the bus to Alicante in late afternoon.

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus)

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus)

On my last day I made the good choice of starting at the area very near to the apartment. This day didn’t started as cloudy as the days before, so circumstances were already perfect for searching reptiles. I walked around a bit until I noticed the tail of a huge snake. I followed its body with my eyes and then saw the head of a Western Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus). But the snake already had noticed me and crawled underneath a big stone. I decided to walk around and a bit and check the site later on. I found some Psammodromus algirus and Tarentola mauritanica. A man who was walking with his dog told me he once found a ‘lagarto ocelado de uno metro’. Although these Ocellated Lizards reach substantial sizes,  is one meter slightly overestimated. When I checked out the stone with the Malpolon underneath, I noticed that I could move it. With the use of a glove (just for sure, because they are ophistoglyphous)  I could quickly catch it before it escaped.  Making nice pictures was again a big challenge and this time even more because of the use of the glove. After this nice encounter, I walked further and searched through some more very suitable habitat, but not resulting in anything new. During this walk uphill I heard and saw some birds like European Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) and Northern Raven (Corvus corax) and new lifer Red-Billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax). Except for some Psammodromus algirus I didn’t saw any herps. At 15:30 it was time to stop searching, pack my stuff and walk towards the bus station to catch the bus to Elche. The journey to Alicante didn’t go as smooth as the other travels. At the bus station the ticket machines didn’t work so when the bus arrived I asked the driver, who told me I couldn’t buy a ticket to Elche and had to travel with another bus company. Chances that there would leave another bus this Sunday afternoon appear very low to me, so I kept on asking the bus driver and he finally told me that the bus did stop in Elche but that I had to buy a ticket for the whole distance to Murcia. Better than getting stuck at a remote bus station at any case. Arrived in Elche, I started searching the train station somewhere in a city park, but it was hidden under the ground surface and wrongly indicated in Google Maps. When I finally found it I started waiting for the train but an employee told me I needed a special pre-ordered ticket for that specific train. Sneaking into that train and behaving like the ‘stupid tourist who didn’t understand anything’ didn’t work, so I had to wait again. With a very old train I finally travelled towards Alicante where I walked to my AirBnB. After checking in I ordered a pizza at a restaurant. When I came back at the AirBnB, I practised my Spanish a bit with the hosts and got a few hours of sleep before my early alarm call woke me up. When I arrived at the bus station, the bus to the airport just drove away, roughly before the time indicated by Google Maps. I had to wait for an hour for the next bus, checked in my luggage and went through the security check to arrive just on time for my flight back to Eindhoven.

Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica)

Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus)

Observed species: