Amphibian & Reptile Travels 
Andalusia
ANDALUSIA
In April 2008 I joined the Austrian herpetological field team from www.herpetofauna.at for a 10 day trip across Andalusia in southern Spain to find several endemic amphibians and reptiles as well as a number of other species. Our 11 man strong team resulted in finding almost all of the species present in southern Spain thanks to all of our dedicated enthusiasm. Our first base was Arcos de la Frontera in western Andalusia from which we explored the Sierra Morena and los Alcornocales as well as coastal areas close to Huelva, Cadiz and Doñana National Park.
Our team (C) Wolfgang Similinger http://www.simi.at
Table 1: Number of specimens of reptiles and amphibians found in Andalusia, 9th-18th April
| Latin name | Common name | Specimens |
| Salamandra salamandra | Fire salamander | 1 DOR + larva |
| Pleurodeles walti | Sharp- ribbed newt | 3 |
| Triturus boscai | Bosca’s newt | common |
| Triturus pygmaeus | Southern marbled newt | 2 |
| Discoglossus galganoi | Iberian painted frog | 10+ |
| Pelobates cultripes | Western spadefoot toad | 1 DOR |
| Pelodytes ibericus | Iberian parsley frog | 20+ |
| Bufo bufo | Common toad | 3 |
| Bufo calamita | Natterjack toad | 5 |
| Hyla meridionalis | Mediterranean tree frog | common |
| Pelophylax perezi | Iberian water frog | Very common |
| Mauremys leprosa | Spanish terrapin | 10 |
| Blanus cinereus | Iberian worm lizard | 30+ |
| Chameleo chameleon | Mediterranean chameleon | 8 |
| Chalcides bedriagai | Bedriaga’s skink | few |
| Chalcides striatus | Western three-toad skink | 15+ |
| Hemidactylus turcicus | Turkish gecko | few |
| Tarentola mauritanica | Moorish gecko | common |
| Acanthodactylus erythurus | Spiny-footed lizard | few |
| Timon lepidus | Ocellated lizard | 10 |
| Podarcis hispanicus | Spanish wall lizard | few |
| Podarcis vaucheri | Vaucher’s wall lizard | few |
| Psammodromus algirus | Large psammodromus | common |
| Hemorrhois hippocrepis | Horseshoe whip snake | 4 |
| Rhinechis scalaris | Ladder snake | 1 DOR 1 live |
| Malpolon monpessulanus | Montpellier snake | 11 |
| Macroprotodon brevis | False smooth snake | 8 |
| Natrix maura | Viperine snake | 30+ |
| Vipera latastei | Lataste’s viper | 1 |
Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita)
Iberian worm lizard (Blanus cinereus)
Coto Donana
Habitat of Mediterranean Chameleon (Chameleo chameleon)
Mediterranean chameleon (Chameleo chameleon) a prime target for evil collectors
Mediterranean chameleon (Chameleo chameleon) in his own tree where he belongs
Spanish terrapin (Mauremys leprosa)
Funnel web spider (Macrothele calpeiana) probably the most dangerous in Europe
Habitat of False smooth snake (Macroprotodon brevis)
False smooth snake (Macroprotodon brevis)
Western three-toed skink (Chalcides striatus)
Spiny-footed lizard (Acanthodactylus erythurus)
A young chameleon (Chameleo chameleon)
Reddish Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita)
The town of Ronda
Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus)
Bedriaga’s skink (Chalcides bedriagai)
Habitat of Painted frog (Discoglossus galganoi)
Iberian Painted frog (Discoglossus galganoi)
Viperine snake (Natrix maura)
Roadside habitat of Sharp-ribbed newt (Pleurodeles walti)
Sharp-ribbed newt (Pleurodeles walti)
Sharp-ribbed newt (Pleurodeles walti)
Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus)
Larvae of Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra)
Juvenile Iberian parsley frog (Pelodytes ibericus)
The only Lataste’s viper (Vipera latastei) found on the trip
Lataste’s viper (Vipera latastei)Big Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus)
Western three-toed skink (Chalcide striatus)
Horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis)
Southern tree frog (Hyla meridionalis) Vaucher’s wall lizard (Podarcis vaucheri)
Granada- Loja- Salobreña
For the second part of our trip we stayed in the province of Granada and in general were able to find more reptiles in this area, whereas we found the areas of western Andalusia better for amphibians.
Pond with Southern marbled newt (Triturus pygmaeus)
Male marbled newt (Triturus pygmaeus)
Female marbled newt (Triturus pygmaeus)
Common toad (Bufo bufo)
Horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis)
Ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris)
Ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris)
Ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris)
Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus)
Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus)
Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus)
False smooth snake (Macroprotodon brevis)
Excellent trip report Matt! Great photos with amazing animals!
I’d love to visit those places sometime 🙂
all the best
Ilias
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Thanks Ilias, Andalusia is very beautiful, and especially rich in repties and amphibians.
You are welcome to come along the next time!
Matt
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HI Matt, I live on the border of the Sierra Almijara natural park and have a mystery for you. In a water tank in the park there are tadpoles that do not seem to be developing. This is their 3rd year. The numbers don’t change much, I’ve seen no adults or eggs. Most a pretty big but not seem to be developing. I walk by regularly; they’ve survived the summer heat (30+) and thin ice on top in winter. I know of no frog or toad species for which this would be natural. Any ideas?
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Great work, well done! Thanks for making a record of what’s here :))
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