Chasing ghosts in Evia and mainland Central Greece in May 2025. Fun was had, and one of several ghosts was found! Turning up a Smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) from the mountains of central Evia was a much anticipated goal of this year's fieldwork season, and a publishable find. Check out our short-note in Ecologia Balkanica here. Furthermore, finally seeing a peculiar evolutionary unit of the green lizard, Lacerta viridis ssp. guentherpetersi, was also wild. These green lizards live in montane and submontane localities of Central Greece, in fir forests, meadows and deciduous broadleaf woodland and are an old lineage that diverged well before the last ice age.
Big thanks to Charis Kouelis, Platon Stefanopoulos, Philippos Katsiyiannis, Mike Manonas and Elias Tzoras for great company in the field during these expeditions.
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| Typical look of a field in central Greece at this time of the year |
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| Eurasian blind snake (Xerotyphlops vermicularis) |
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| Ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus) |
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| Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata) |
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| Dice snake (Natrix tessellata) |
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| Dice snake (Natrix tessellata) |
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| Ventral view |
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| Balkan whip snake (Hierophis gemonensis) |
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| Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) - cool looking pattern! |
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| Mountain view |
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| European cat snake (Telescopus fallax) |
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| Grass snake (Natrix natrix) |
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| Grass snake (Natrix natrix) |
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| Juvenile Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes) |
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| Juvemile Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes) |
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| Green lizard (Lacerta viridis guentherpetersi), a strange looking animal! |
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| Green lizard (Lacerta viridis guentherpetersi) |
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| Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) |
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| Clouds behind the mountain side |
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| Smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) |
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| Same Smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) in the evening sun |
