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Herping trip to UAE & UK

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rubida View Drop Down
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    Posted: 01 May 2008 at 11:44am

A very illustrative herping postàwith the necessary descriptive information.

 

Our herping trip started on the 2nd of April 2008 from South Africa heading for the UAE and the UK.

 

UAE- United Arabian Emirates

 

In the warm and humid Dubai airport we met up with Damien Egan where after we started our travels with this leading authority on Arabian herpetofauna. On route, to Wadi Al Bih, we got a welcomed distraction by fishermen placing nets out in the Gulf of Oman in the hope that they may have a sea snake or two in their catch.

 

Like vultures, we inspected three different catches. No sea snakes, but we did see to it that these unfortunate green turtles caught up in the nets got released back without any harm.

 

Khor Kalba mangrove close to the border of Oman.

 

Wadi Al Bih ûOman. Best five star accommodationà.

àwith a view of note!

 

That night armed with snake sticks and torches we started to search for the rare Pseudocerastes persicus (Persian false horned viper). Not for too long after the search started did Damien find the first snake, Echis omanensis. No Pseudocerastes that night, but I did manage to find a second E.omanensis minutes after Damien caught his.

 

Echis omanensis (Oman carpet viper)- my first Echis!

 

Searching for cave geckos on our way back from the Oman border.

 

Entering the Arabian desert

àthe reptiles living there:

Large-headed ground gecko

Sandfish (don't know what happened to his nose)

Arabian horned viper (horned and not horned)

Frog-eyed gecko

Sand boa (Eryx jayakari)

Desert monitor

 

Al Dhiad, ôThe Empty quarterö, habitat of Echis carinates sochureki (Sindh saw scale viper)

 

At the endangered breeding centre in Sharjah we had a once in a life time opportunity to have a close encounter with a very rare and endangered Arabian leopard cub. ItÆs estimated that only 200 remaining individuals are still surviving in the wild.

 

UK- United Kingdom

 

We landed in snow covered Gatwick and seeing all hopes of finding any resemblance of a reptile going down the drain with the sudden urge to return to Africa. A quick train trip up to Wales to collect TonyÆs old but very trustworthy Landrover in Pontrhydfendigaid lifted my spirit a bit.

 

Woodland stream close Llanwrwda in the county of Powys.

 

Llyn teifi near Pontrhydfendigaid in the county Ceridigion.

 

 Tony with his beloved Landrover in Surrey, our herping grounds for the next few daysàwhere Tony knows almost every individual adder, with the exception of the new off spring in the last four years.

 

Chobham, Surrey. Looking for adder in melting snow at 7Càand finding them out basking.

 

Of to Dorset toTonyÆs old research sites....

 

Wareham Forest searching for Smooth snakes (Coronella austriaca) . Found this old friend of Tony, a 17 year old smooth snake male which matches the identification charts dating back to the 90Æs.

 

Reptiles from Isle of Purbeck at Hartland and Furzebrook: 

 

Adder (Vipera berus)

 

Slow worm (Anguis fragilis)

 

Common lizard (Zootoca vivipara)

 

Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) Male

Sand lizard Female

 

Grass snake (Natrix natrix)

 

From Dorset we travelled to the county of Hampshire to the New Forest. In Brockenhurst, a town ruled by donkeys, Tony rescued this donkey from a fateful death by plastic bagàwith onlookers applauding him on a job well done.

 

While in Brockenhurst we popped in at the local pub called The Snakecatcher to celebrate our successful herping trip in a typical snake man style.

 

On route, we stopped at the New Forest Reptile Centre. An educational centre dedicated to native reptiles.

 

Back in Chobham (Surrey) the fun continuesà

 

Female adder

Juv. adder.

Adders mating

 

Female adder and hatchling basking.

 

 

Grass snake.

 

While walking and watching the adders, my eye caught a big ball of snakes slithering of and I just managed to get a few not so good shots of a mating ball of grass snakes.

 

 

After three weeks in the UK, I leave with happy memories after being able to have seen all six reptile species including BritainÆs rarest snake,

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tim hamlett View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tim hamlett Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2008 at 2:42pm

wow...some trip guys!

fantastic pictures and stories. really enjoyed seeing them.

tim

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Alan Hyde View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Hyde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2008 at 5:20pm
Excellent stuff Johannes, i'm pleased you enjoyed yourself , but sorry I didn't get the chance to meet you

All the best,
Al
O-> O+>
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