A NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK

Out there,
looking closer.

Amphibians, reptiles and the places they lead us.
Field notes and photographs from Europe and beyond.

OBSERVED & PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEROEN SPEYBROECK

Amphibian photographed during Jeroen’s travels

HERPETOFAUNA OF EUROPE
& THE WORLD

A personal record of finding, observing and photographing amphibians and reptiles. From familiar European landscapes to journeys further afield.

About Jeroen ↗

THE TRAVEL ARCHIVE

Notes from the field

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

Europe’s amphibians
and reptiles.

Explore the European species overview, or discover the field guide.

01 European species overview ↗02 The field guide ↗03 ManderMatcher ↗

← Back to the field notesEurope

Family trip to northwestern Spain (with some herps) July 9th – 24th 2017

List of observed species

Unless specified otherwise, all pictures (c) of Jeroen Speybroeck.

We spent two weeks in a holiday home in Asturias, not too far from Infiesto. I had visited the area before in spring 2012. Back then, its beauty already struck me, although we mainly got soaking wet.

sites of observation

While the rest of Spain was suffering from a severe heat wave, this part of the country offered enjoyable weather with a mix of sun and some showers. Ideal for nocturnal amphibian hunts, which were basically my only free time to do any care-free herping. Daytime was spent hiking, looking for dinosaur tracks on the rocky shore, … I totally struck out on snakes. Not even a simple Coronella ... Yet, being the fire salamander aficionado I am, night herping, while poor in species, was great. Some rain every now and then got these viviparous salamanders (subspecies bernardezi) crawling through our village by the hundreds. In terms of lizards, a hike up the Sueve coastal mountain ridge with six lizard species was not too bad.

Image accompanying NW Spain (July 2017)

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Image accompanying NW Spain (July 2017)

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Golden-striped Salamander Chioglossa lusitanica

Golden-striped Salamander Chioglossa lusitanica

Golden-striped Salamander Chioglossa lusitanica

Common Midwife Toad Alytes obstetricans

Spiny Toad Bufo spinosus

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

towards dino coast

Image accompanying NW Spain (July 2017)

Iberian Rock Lizard Iberolacerta monticola

Iberian Rock Lizard Iberolacerta monticola

Schreiber’s Green Lizard Lacerta schreiberi

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra

Golden-striped Salamander Chioglossa lusitanica

Golden-striped Salamander Chioglossa lusitanica

Iberian Painted Frog Discoglossus galganoi

Iberian Painted Frog Discoglossus galganoi

Image accompanying NW Spain (July 2017)

Catalonian Wall Lizard Podarcis liolepis

Species list

1. Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra
2. Golden-striped Salamander Chioglossa lusitanica
3. Bosca’s Newt Lissotriton boscai
4. Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus
5. Common Midwife Toad Alytes obstetricans
6. Iberian Painted Frog Discoglossus galganoi
7. Spiny Toad Bufo spinosus
8. Common Frog Rana temporaria
9. Iberian Water Frog Pelophylax perezi
10. Schreiber’s Green Lizard Lacerta schreiberi
11. Iberian Rock Lizard Iberolacerta monticola
12. Bocage’s Wall Lizard Podarcis bocagei
13. Catalonian Wall Lizard Podarcis liolepis
14. Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis
15. Slow Worm Anguis fragilis

Notes from the field

Europe’s amphibiansand reptiles.

Family trip to northwestern Spain (with some herps) July 9th – 24th 2017

Species list

Europe’s amphibians
and reptiles.