Join one of the very few nature holidays focused on the European herpetology fauna, in search of reptiles and amphibians in southern Bulgaria!
Reptiles and amphibians
Wednesday 10th - Sunday 21st May 2023
Bulgaria is inhabited by 20 species of amphibians and
37 species of reptiles and the biggest majority of them are represented
by healthy populations, thus being among the richest European countries
in terms of herpetology. Many of the species that occur here can be
seen only in that part of the continent. The reason for this richness is
the bio-geographical situation of the country, as well as the well
preserved habitats. Within the twelve days of the tour we expect to see
over of 35 species, including some rare ones or with restricted
distribution.
Our tour will cover the three best areas for reptiles
and amphibians in Bulgaria. Some of the rare species occur in all of
them, so we will have more than one chance to find those. The period of
our tour coincide with the beginning of all the species reproduction
cycle and this gives us more chances to find them. The frogs can be
located and identified by their calls. Some of the rare species (Syrian
Spadefoot Toad, Leopard Snake, Cat Snake) are nocturnal and will be
sought after dusk, so some evening observations are necessary.
ITINERARY
Day 1
Arrival at Sofia airport and transfer to Kresna gorge, about two and a
half hours of driving. Accommodation for the next four nights. Depending
on the arrival time, short walk in the surroundings of our hotel.
Days 2 to 4
All the three days will be spend exploring different sites in the area.
We will visit various habitats - gorges, rocky and sandy terrains, big
river valleys and small streams, wet meadows, small ponds and forest
patches in order to find as much as possible species.
We
will have short transfers driving to the sites, but most of the time we
will walk in search of reptiles and amphibians. Beside the common
species, here we expect to find also some rare and species with limited
distribution - Syrian Spadefoot Toad, Yellowbelly Toad, Stream Toad,
Kotschy's Gecko, Balkan Green Lizard, Erhard's Wall Lizard, Worm Snake,
Dahl's Whip Snake, Leopard Snake, Four-lined Snake, Montpellier Snake,
Cat Snake, Horn-nose Viper. We can also find both species of tortoises -
Hermann's and Spur-thighed, as well as the Balkan Terrapin.
Day 5
Today we have transfer (about three and a half hours) to Smolyan, in
the Western Rhodopes, for one night stay. We will break the journey with
few stops on the way where we expect to see mountain species - Fire
Salamander, Alpine Newt, Spring and Common Frogs, Slow Worm, Sand
Lizard, Viviparous Lizard, Aesculapian and Smooth Snakes, Adder. Late in
the afternoon we arrive in the hotel.
Day 6 Today
we continue further east with a transfer of about three and a half
hours of driving to our next base for a night stay in Ivaylovgrad, next
to the Greek border. Again we will have several stops on the way and
upon arrival shall explore the southernmost part of the Eastern Rhodopes
Mountains - the only locality of the Snakeeyed Lacertid. Here we can
see also some more common species like Yellow-belly Toad, Large and
Dahl's Whip Snakes, Aesculapian Snake, Montpellier Snake, both species
of tortoises and some orchids.
Days 7 and 8 Short
transfer further north to the small town of Harmanly, where we
accommodate for two nights. Both days we will explore different sites in
the area, close to the hotel. The longest distance we will cover in a
single day will be less than 50 km one way. The species we can see here
are European Glass Lizzard, Worm Snake, Sand Boa, Leopard Snake, Dahl's
Whip Snake, Blotched Snake, Montpellier Snake, Smooth Snake, along with
many of the common species in Bulgaria.
Day 9 Transfer
to the Black Sea coast, and our base for the next three nights will be
Primorsko. Again we will have few stops on the way where will look for
reptiles and amphibians.
Days 10 and 11
Both days we will explore the Ropotamo Reserve and "Strandzha" Nature
Park. It is the largest protected area in Bulgaria and has extremely
rich biodiversity, including 9 species of amphibians, as well as 23
species of reptiles. Again, we will make short trips every day. We will
visit both Veleka and Ropotamo rivers, as well as the sand dunes near
Arkutino reserve. We will also search the foothills of Strandzha
Mountain covered by deciduous forests.
If the
weather is favourable, we can have another evening trip looking for the
Syrian Spadefoot Toad. Here we have the option to look for most of the
species we have seen so far, or those we have missed. The only species
which can be seen only in this area is the Reddish Wip Snake, so we need
to pay special attention to that species in order to find it.
Day 12 Transfer to Burgas airport. Departure.
Note: For those flying back home from Sofia airport, we continue to Sofia.
TOUR MAP:
Photo and video gallery
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Reptiles and amphibians
Reptiles and amphibians gallery