Herping in Portugal

[Diogo Juliao]

Hello everybody,

This little corner of Europe has some nice animals too

All the animals (including the ones photographed in my home) were released, because it's forbidden to have any WC portuguese specie in Portugal. I do have have some CB national species.

Pelophylax perezi







Rana iberica





Bufo bufo





Triturus marmoratus marmoratus





Triturus marmoratus pygmaeus



Lissotriton boscai



Pleurodeles waltl







Salamandra salamandra gallaica







Podarcis hispanica



Podarcis bocagei (female)



Lacerta schreiberi (colour evolution: baby to sub-adult)









Timon lepida





Natrix maura (really bad photos)





Enjoy!

[Deku]

Portugal is in europe? I thought it was in south america. Jeebuz Iam wrong as heck.
Anywho the first few photos remind me of the north american frogs. Thats a bullfrog right? It defenitely reminds me of one. Just a little different looking. You had one in there that looked like a wood frog. I love that common toad. I used to see them for sale at petsmart over here. I dont know why but they dont cary them as much anymore. Iam a toad fan I guess. Nice photos overall.

[Diogo Juliao]

Portugal is in europe? I thought it was in south america. Jeebuz Iam wrong as heck.
Anywho the first few photos remind me of the north american frogs. Thats a bullfrog right? It defenitely reminds me of one. Just a little different looking. You had one in there that looked like a wood frog. I love that common toad. I used to see them for sale at petsmart over here. I dont know why but they dont cary them as much anymore. Iam a toad fan I guess. Nice photos overall.

They speak portuguese in Brazil (with a really different accent) But yes, Portugal is in Europe right next to spain.

No, the first one is not a bullfrog (we don't have them in Portugal). They are a little similar in colour, bur our Green frog only reaches more or less 3 inches.

The one similar to the wood frog is an Iberian frog, which is from the same family of the wood frog (we don't have them in Portugal)

Thank you for posting

[Jace]

Wow, you take some really great photographs. I really like the Green frog-beautiful specimen you found.

I am afraid that I am not that great on figuring out scientific names. Would you be able to post the common names as well? Thanks-and I hope to see lots more pictures!

[Diogo Juliao]

Wow, you take some really great photographs. I really like the Green frog-beautiful specimen you found.

I am afraid that I am not that great on figuring out scientific names. Would you be able to post the common names as well? Thanks-and I hope to see lots more pictures!

Thanks Jace! The Green frog is the most common frog in portugal. Not a great finding after a lot of years seeing hundreds of them

The common names:

Scientific name - Portuguese common name - English common name


Pelophylax perezi - Rã Verde - Green frog
Rana iberica - Rã Ibérica - Iberian frog
Bufo bufo - Sapo Comum - Common toad

Triturus m. marmoratus - Tritão marmoreado - Marbled newt
Triturus m. pygmaeus - Tritão marmoreado pigmeu - Pygmy marbled newt
Lissotriton boscai - Tritão de ventre laranja - Bosca's newt

Pleurodeles waltl - Salamandra de costelas salientes - Sharp Ribbed Salamander
Salamandra salamandra gallaica - Salamandra de fogo - Portuguese fire salamander

Podarcis hispanica - Lagartixa ibérica - Iberian wall lizard
Podarcis bocagei - Lagartixa de bocage - Bocage's wall lizard
Lacerta schreiberi - Lagarto de água - Schreiber's green lizard
Timon lepida Sardão - Ocellated lizard

Natrix maura - Cobra de água viperina - Viperine water snake

Hope it helps

[Diogo Juliao]

Yeah I know the wood frogs arent native to europe or anything. But bullfrogs are an introduced species to america if I remember reading this(I COULD be wrong on this one). So I thought they were from europe or something of the sort.
Or was it they are from america but got introduced somewhere else?

I have a book who says they are native from the USA, I don't know if they were introduced somewhere else, but I do know they were not introduced in Portugal... yet

[Deku]

They speak portuguese in Brazil (with a really different accent) But yes, Portugal is in Europe right next to spain.

No, the first one is not a bullfrog (we don't have them in Portugal). They are a little similar in colour, bur our Green frog only reaches more or less 3 inches.

The one similar to the wood frog is an Iberian frog, which is from the same family of the wood frog (we don't have them in Portugal)

Thank you for posting

Yeah I know the wood frogs arent native to europe or anything. But bullfrogs are an introduced species to america if I remember reading this(I COULD be wrong on this one). So I thought they were from europe or something of the sort.
Or was it they are from america but got introduced somewhere else?

[cherry]

Hi Diogo

We have just returned from Portugal and had a wonderful time. We like looking at wild life but I know little about frogs and toads.

I have seen your post on Frog Forum and hope you see this message. We saw this frog/toad and wonder if you know what it is. We saw it from a bridge over a stream on the out skirts of a tiny village just outside the Algarve north of Monchique. The stream had small cultivated plots on one side and a grassy bank on the other and was in a concrete cutting under the road. The frog/toad was approximately 8-10 cms wide.

It was great to see reptiles and amphibians in Portugal so many have disappeared form our british countryside. We heard lots of frogs in rivers and water tanks but could not spot them. I am also sending photos what I think was a baby grass snake and a dead fire salamander which unfortunately had been run over by a car on a track next to a spring. (however I had never seen a salamander before so I was quite pleased to see it.

Thanks for your help

Cherry

[tryme]

old thread but just wanted to say fantastic pictures. i love portugal as i am engaged to a portuguese girl and we have a son.

i also love the country its very nice. i was looking for herps when i was there but to no avail! this was in the algarve - albufeira so may explain why as it is very touristy so they would be scared to come out in the day etc.