Greece, Andros

One of the last remaining species for me to see on the ever changing Eurolist is the recently described Cycladian Green Lizard (Lacerta citrovittata). This large lacertid has long been considered a subspecies of the Balkan Green Lizard (Lacerta trilineata), but genetic research in 2019 revealed that these colourful lacertids actually deserve species rank. Genetic research aside, these lizards are simply stunning and have been a must see for me for quite some time. Moreover, Laura had missed seeing a Leopard Snake (Zamenis situla) on several trips now, so it was time for us to change that. A visit to the island of Andros seemed like the most logical choice. The Lacerta citrotvittata from Andros seem to be among the most colourful, and the island is easily reached by a relatively short ferry ride (2h) from the Rafina port. The island is quiet and laidback, has an extensive network of hiking trails and receives more rainfall than the other Cycladian Islands. Therefore, it has lush vegetation and small streams flow year-round. Spring time is always the best time to visit Greece and usually herping is easily combined with swimming and sunbathing. While normally this is true, Laura and I were not blessed with the usual spring temperatures and the whole of Greece experienced an unusual cold-front coming from the north. Additionally, this meant for Andros even stronger winds than usual, low temperatures and a lot of rainfall. We made the most of it, and during sunny spells we could still find an abundance of wildlife. Except for one, we managed to find almost all species of the island.

21st of April 2025

A smooth early morning flight brought us from Munich to Athens, where we took a taxi to the port of Rafina. We had a lovely lunch at the harbour and afterwards had a few hours to explore the surrounding area before we had to catch our ferry to Andros. It didn't take us long to find the first Ocellated Skinks (Chalcides ocellatus), a species that manages to survive in the crappiest urban habitats. Also in nicer habitat we found this species, as well as Snake-eyed Skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii) and Turkish Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus). Just when we needed to leave I spotted a Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata) coming for a drink at one of the many water bowls people put out for the stray cats. A very funny find! From the ferry we searched for another Chelonian at a spot given to us by our friend Jeroen, but we didn't get to see any sea turtles sadly. Maybe the habitat is not good there anymore, or the spot became too popular with other herpers? Who knows! After arrival at the port of Gavrio on Andros we quickly collected the rental car, had dinner along the way in Batsi and drove towards our stay in Stenies. 

22nd of April 2025

We treated ourselves to a lush breakfast in the nearby city of Chora. Afterwards we drove into one of the wider valleys of the island which has lush vegetation and a stream that holds water year-round. We quickly saw the first Erhard's Wall Lizards (Podarcis erhardii) and Kotschy's Geckos (Mediodactylus kotschyi), an ubiquitous duo we would see on nearly every dry-stone wall on a daily basis. At an old ruin we found a beautiful Nose-horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes) in ambush between the bracken, as well as the first incredibly shy Cycladian Green Lizards (Lacerta citrovittata). The more open grassy fields were home to Snake-eyed Skinks (Ablepharus kitaibelii) and Caspian Whip Snakes (Dolichophis caspius) of which we saw three. During the hike towards the stream we saw more lizards, more geckos and even an additonal viper crawling next to the path. Sadly clouds moved in and reptile activity was reduced, but by the end of the afternoon I could finally sneak up on a female Lacerta citrovittata and snap some pictures. In Chora we celebrated a succesful first day with some tasty gyros pita.

23rd of April 2025

Today we explored another valley closer to Stenies and with the sun out, all walls were covered with Erhard's Wall Lizards (Podarcis erhardii) and Kotschy's Geckos (Mediodactylus kotschyi). Moreover, it didn't take long for us to stumble upon a Cycladian Green Lizard (Lacerta citrovittata) hiding in the bracken. With some patience I was even able to take some pictures. This animal was mesmerizing and the yellow, green and pale grey colouration in combination with those brown legs with black leopard spots made me truly fall in love with this species. After it got hot, the lizard set out to forage in the dense vegetation and we continued our course into the river valley. Here we saw the first Marsh Frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus), many tadpoles of Common Toad (Bufo bufo) and while standing on a rock I saw a small tail disappearing below me. I grabbed into the pile of dead leafs in which the tail vanished and got lucky as seconds later I was holding a little Grass Snake (Natrix natrix). A beautifully patterned snake that had the typically large bold markings of the schweizeri subspecies. Laura and I also both spotted an additional Nose-horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes) near rocky walls. Under a large board we encountered the world's smallest mammal by mass, but this Etruscan Shrew (Suncus etruscus) didn't stick around long enough for some pictures. In the afternoon the wind picked up and we explored another part of the valley which we hoped was more sheltered. This wasn't the case, but nonetheless I caught a big Caspian Whip Snake (Dolichophis caspius) out on the crawl and we spotted a Giant Peacock Moth (Saturnia pyri) trying hard to not be blown away. After another successful day, we decided to eat again at our favourite gyros pita place in Chora.

24th of April 2025

Today we drove north to explore another lush valley. The weather was very changeable and everytime when we thought we could finally attempt a swim in the stream, the cold wind came in and sometimes even some rain. When we continued herping the sun was there again and lured out the obligatory Erhard's Wall Lizards (Podarcis erhardii) and Kotschy's Geckos (Mediodactylus kotschyi), but also the first Balkan Terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) and some more Snake-eyed Skinks (Ablepharus kitaibelii). Under rocks we found the first Turkish Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) on the island. At the end of the afternoon, when the sun had been out a little longer, we were standing in beautiful habitat with endless dry-stone walls. Classic Cat Snake habitat. The finding of a dead juvenile confirmed our suspicions that this species might occur here. We started to turn rocks while the sun was still shining and first Laura struck gold with a stunning subadult Leopard Snake (Zamenis situla). An amazing find that got our spirits up even more. We decided to search on and only minutes later I could indeed find a juvenile Cat Snake (Telescopus fallax). A fantastic ending of the day! After ample admiration we drove to Gavrio to exchange rental cars (we couldn't charge our phones which was a bit annoying) and afterwards treated ourselved to some amazing Greek food in Chora.

25th of April 2025

In the morning we photographed the Balkan Terrapins (Mauremys rivulata) close to the accommodation and visited the nearby valley to hopefully catch a glimpse of Mr. Leopard Pants. It was foggy and overcast so not a chance, but the Golden Orioles (Oriolus oriolus) seemed to love this weather. They were singing all around us and we saw flocks of males chasing each other around. After enjoying their songs for a while, we decided to focus on the last species we were missing from the islands herpetofauna. Our friend Matt hinted us to a place where we could try and find Elaphe quatuorlineata, but sadly the weather gods were less helpful. While driving towards the spot it became very cloudy and both visibility as well as the temperatures in the mountains were reduced to single digits. Heavy rain started to fall and all we could do was wait for the sun to come out. That did eventually happen and we started to search. First we found some interesting invertebrates such as the recently described endemic Andros Wood Scorpion (Euscorpius simaiakisi) and several Lesser Stag Beetles (Dorcus parallelipipedus). Later on also the first reptiles appeared such as Erhard's Wall Lizards (Podarcis erhardii), Kotschy's Geckos (Mediodactylus kotschyi), Turkish Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) and Snake-eyed Skinks (Ablepharus kitaibelii). Butterflies started to fly and species and Southern Festoon (Zerynthia polyxena), Cleopatra Butterfly (Gonopteryx cleopatra) and Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) were all enjoying the sun. Strangely we didn't see a single snake in this beautiful place. When the clouds returned we drove south again and did some sightseeing in Chora. Along the way we spotted many dead toads on the road at one particular spot and the rain must have brought the poor fellows out. We marked the spot and decided to come back later. After some time in the city the sun came out again and we drove to a nearby beach to relax a bit. When it became dark we drove back to the toad valley and didn't have to go far to find the first Common Toads (Bufo bufo) walking around. It was a crazy night as these massive toads were everywhere and we saw at least 40 of them. Also the stream was full of eggs and tadpoles and it was great to see these comical creatures in such massive numbers.

26th of April 2025

A short visit to see Mr. Leopard Pants again didn't pay off, but did deliver Erhard's Wall Lizards (Podarcis erhardii) and Kotschy's Geckos (Mediodactylus kotschyi) of course. We wanted to search for Elaphe quatuorlineata again, but all the known spots we had were in the mountains. Here the weather was foggy, rainy and very windy, so we decided to try our luck in suitable habitat at the coast. At least there the sun was still out most of the time. We drove north to take a long winding road down to one of the most beautiful beaches of the island. Along the way we stopped at the desolate and mysterious Agios Mamas Monastery which stands empty on a windy ridge high above the surrounding landscape. A magical place which we had all to ourselves to explore a bit. At the beach we first ate some lunch and decided to walk inland to try and see what snakes we could find. The habitat was again fantastic and many lizards were out and about. Besides the two usual suspects we also saw several Turkish Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) under rocks. Balkan Terrapins (Mauremys rivulata) were basking along the estuary and after only a short while I found another big adult Leopard Snake (Zamenis situla). Deeper inland we also found many tadpoles of Common Toad (Bufo bufo), several calling Marsh Frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) and Laura found another snappy Caspian Whip Snake (Dolichophis caspius). In the late afternoon we were back at the beach, relaxed a bit in the sun and observed a mating attempt between two mammals.

27th of April 2025

Again we tried to search inland at the quatuorlineata spots, but the weather had not improved. Strong cold winds and a lot of fog so we drove back to the coast to explore two different wetlands. All the usual suspects were encountered such as Erhard's Wall Lizards (Podarcis erhardii), Kotschy's Geckos (Mediodactylus kotschyi), Turkish Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus), Snake-eyed Skinks (Ablepharus kitaibelii) and Balkan terrapins (Mauremys rivulata). Even a small juvenile sitting next to the road which I spotted while driving down to the beach. At the beach an additional find was made by Laura who found a dead Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) washed ashore. Despite the strong winds we found a sheltered spot at the beach and enjoyed the sun for a little bit.

28th of April 2025

Again we woke up to a heavily overcast island with strong winds and even a weather alert, so we decided to do some sightseeing in the south of the island. First we explored the town of Stenies, although our accommodation is just outside the town, we didn't see much of it yet. Next stop was the Venetian stronghold of Faneromeni where we really understood why there was a weather alert. Situated high atop a plateau and surrounded by steep cliffs, the wind had free rein here. Even walking was difficult and we couldn't stay long here. For an impression I refer to the video below. We could luckily enjoy a famous bridge nearby more, as it was more sheltered from the wind. Here we saw quite a few Marsh Frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) and loads of tadpoles of Common Toad (Bufo bufo). The famous rock pillar at Paralia Tis Grias To Pidima was a hit and run stop again with the gale-force winds, but at Menites we could relax a bit with less wind and some warm food. At a small valley near Chora we found some very nice habitat, but with the low temperatures nothing was on the move. Only the Balkan Terrapins (Mauremys rivulata) seemed to like this weather and we saw several couples mating under water. In Chora we had a warm meal and ran into a very cool shop with loads of tasty liqueurs and cute cats. A perfect ending to a windy day.

29th of April 2025

The clouds gave way to a little more sun today, albeit still windy and chilly, so we decided to go back into the valley of Mr. Leopard Pants. Erhard's Wall Lizards (Podarcis erhardii) and Kotschy's Geckos (Mediodactylus kotschyi) were easily seen, and also our favourite Cycladian Green Lizard (Lacerta citrovittata) was back at its post. We even found a second individual which was equally keen on catching some sun. Hidden in some low vegetation was a small Nose-horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes) and we were surprised we didn't see more snakes basking with weather like this. We decided to try our luck in some valleys a bit further inland, but there the situation remained unchanged. Heavy clouds, strong winds and not a chance to see an active reptile. 

30th of April 2025

Another day of horrible weather. While I was smoking a cigarette in front of the apartment, I met our Greek neighbour. I told him this was our last day as we would catch the ferry tomorrow. He was really convinced there were no ferries going and I was sure that our tickets clearly stated the 1st of May. One phonecall later it turned out we were both right. Laura and I booked tickets for the 1st of May, but that ferry had been cancelled and nobody notified us. Our only option was to leave today. We quickly packed, drove to the harbour to have the ferry tickets changed and had a last desperate search in vain for quatuorlineata. With the weather alarm still in place, it is no surprise we didn't find the last snake on the list, nor that the ferry ride back to Rafina was to be enjoyable. Rough seas and gale force winds made for an interesting trip back to the mainland, but we made it without vomiting. A short taxi ride brought us to our underwhelming accommodation and some overwhelming kalamari dinner. 

1st of May 2025

 As our flight back to Munich would leave late in the afternoon, we had a lot of time to explore some of the surroundings. The weather at the mainland was a lot better than on Andros, although the wind was still very much present. Around a small estuary we found some nice meadows where we readily saw species such as Snake-eyed Skinks (Ablepharus kitaibelii), Glass Lizards (Pseudopus apodus), a very shy Balkan Green Lizard (Lacerta trilineata) and two lightning fast Eastern Montpellier Snakes (Malpolon insignitus) hiding in the high grass. Under rocks we found Turkish Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus), plenty of Ocellated Skinks (Chalcides ocellatus) and many Worm Snakes (Xerotyphlops vermicularis) as well. Closer to the water we found a few Marsh Frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) and literally heaps of little baby Green Toads (Bufotes viridis) which was a crazy sight. Then it was sadly time to leave and a short taxi ride brought us to the airport. Despite the challenging weather we really loved Andros and are already pining away for a return visit to enjoy all those beautiful beaches and streams a bit more. And to find that cheeky Four-lined Snake!

Species Andros

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)

Balkan Terrapin (Mauremys rivulata)

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) dead on beach

Turkish Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)

Kotschy's Gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi)

Snake-eyed Skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii)

Erhard's Wall Lizard (Podarcis erhardii ssp. mykonensis)

Cycladian Green Lizard (Lacerta citrovittata)

Grass Snake (Natrix natrix ssp. schweizeri)

Caspian Whip Snake (Dolichophis caspius)

Cat Snake (Telescopus fallax)

Leopard Snake (Zamenis situla)

Nose-horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes)

Species Attica

Green Toad (Bufotes viridis)

Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)

Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata)

Turkish Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)

Snake-eyed Skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii)

Ocellated Skink (Chalcides ocellatus)

Glass Lizard (Pseudopus apodus)

Balkan Green Lizard (Lacerta trilineata)

Worm Snake (Xerotyphlops vermicularis)

Eastern Montpellier Snake (Malpolon insignitus)

Many thanks to Peter Oefinger, Jeroen Speybroeck, Siegfried Troidl & Matt Wilson