European Field Herping Forum

I'm blue

by Jeroen Speybroeck - 22/3/2010 10h45

Hi all,

Seems like last weekend was indeed top notch all over.
Unfortunately, I was busy Saturday night, so I missed what may have been the best Salamandra night of this spring (let's see what the next weeks will bring...).

But let's get to the point... Yesterday, like I hinted, drove to the east of Flanders, near to the home of my favourite snake catcher & Hyla team member, Peter. He had served for me, but also for Frank Deschandol who drove all the way down from Le Havre, as a hotline for the very(!) shortlasting reproduction period of Rana arvalis, of course including the attractive blue males. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to take a picture of a chorus, but they were abundant, with soft "woop-woop-woop" sounds all over the place. A very successful day, and I was very pleased to meet Frank, after several years of sharing herping experiences etc.

Frank in arvalis heaven

Peter & arvalis clutches

This male was much less shy than the others

So, I photographed it again...

And again...

Mister Blue and the missus

Locality: Germany
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Last active: 26/9/2011
Posted on: 22/3/2010 11h24

Michael Glass

Congratz. :)

Locality: Netherlands
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Last active: 23/4/2012
Posted on: 22/3/2010 11h35

Bobby Bok

Same here! Unfortunately we didn't manage to go to an arvalis habitat by day so we were forced to visit such a place by night. But that doesn't matter much only it's more difficult to photograph but the experience was worth it. We were surrounded by calling males and also by palmated newts feeding on the eggs of the moor frogs.

Locality: Greece
Posts: 34 subjects, 222 replies
Last active: 7/4/2012
Posted on: 22/3/2010 12h06

Ilias Strachinis

blue is my favorite color and how amazing is when an amphibian is dressed in it :-D

Locality: Belgium
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Last active: 12/4/2012
Posted on: 22/3/2010 12h16

Jan van der Voort

I missed it the last three years, but at last managed to get there. Jeroen and Peter, thanks for the hotline !

Locality: Greece
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Last active: 7/4/2012
Posted on: 22/3/2010 12h23

Ilias Strachinis

that's great! can we introduce this sp. in Greece too? :-D

Locality: Austria
Posts: 13 subjects, 118 replies
Last active: 19/1/2012
Posted on: 22/3/2010 13h08

Mario Schweiger

Hope to find blue boys near the blue Danube near Vienna on Thursday, Fryday or Saturday!
Mario

Locality: Belgium
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Last active: 12/4/2012
Posted on: 22/3/2010 13h10

Jan van der Voort

OK Ilias. Swop it for ammodytes ???
;-)

Locality: United Kingdom
Posts: 7 subjects, 38 replies
Last active: 27/7/2010
Posted on: 22/3/2010 15h14

Tony Palmer

Owing to debate over the possible native status of Rana lessonae in England, a zooarchaeological survey was aimed at finding remains of R. lessonae older than known introductions. One ilium of R. cf. lessonae has been identified from a Middle Saxon site in Lincolnshire (c. 600-950 AD), and ilia of R. arvalis and R. cf. dalmatina show that these species were also present in England during Saxon times.
It would be nice if they could be Reintroduced one day!!
love the pictures Guys:-)

Locality: France
Posts: 2 subjects, 3 replies
Last active: 11/11/2011
Posted on: 22/3/2010 16h06

Samuel Seg

Wonderful. I hope I'll live enough to see those blue males in my life as I think it's the most impressive amphibian in Europe. Thanks for all those pics.

Locality: Greece
Posts: 34 subjects, 222 replies
Last active: 7/4/2012
Posted on: 22/3/2010 16h59

Ilias Strachinis

>OK Ilias. Swop it for ammodytes ???
;-)

Deal! :-D

Locality: France
Posts: 8 subjects, 68 replies
Last active: 19/2/2012
Posted on: 23/3/2010 5h40

Frank Deschandol

and this male was strange, did you notice that ?? fuck** pollution, lol

Locality: Greece
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Posted on: 23/3/2010 9h42

Ilias Strachinis

WoW! he will change the fashion style! :-D

Locality: Belgium
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Last active: 27/4/2012
Posted on: 23/3/2010 10h23

Jeroen Speybroeck

Dammit, Frank, now everybody knows that blue arvalis are just a myth and that they're actually white...

(( For future reference, I'll insert this link here =>
http://www.euroherp.com/forum/subject/356/ ))

Locality: Greece
Posts: 34 subjects, 222 replies
Last active: 7/4/2012
Posted on: 23/3/2010 10h46

Ilias Strachinis

and this is the rear red Pelophylax kurtmuelleri from Thessaloniki, seen only every 10 years at the 4th Tuesday of March at 10:06 and for only 17 minutes in a certain pond...

Locality: Netherlands
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Last active: 23/4/2012
Posted on: 23/3/2010 15h47

Bobby Bok

> and this is the rear red Pelophylax kurtmuelleri from Thessaloniki, seen only every 10 years at the 4th Tuesday of March at 10:06 and for only 17 minutes in a certain pond...

That's a pity, so we have virtually no chance of seeing this specimen when visiting the area in May? ;-) Mmmm, maybe with some LSD...

Locality: France
Posts: 8 subjects, 68 replies
Last active: 19/2/2012
Posted on: 23/3/2010 17h48

Frank Deschandol

:o))))))
in fact, only GAY frogs are purple !

Locality: Greece
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Posted on: 24/3/2010 13h51

Ilias Strachinis

>in fact, only GAY frogs are purple !

:-D
then that's how your photo should be...

Locality: Serbia
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Last active: 23/1/2012
Posted on: 24/3/2010 16h19

Aleksandar Simovic

hahahahahahah lol!!! :D

Locality: France
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Last active: 19/2/2012
Posted on: 24/3/2010 18h04

Frank Deschandol

:o))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

mort de rire Ilias !!