New conference on Thuesday October 19, at Bègles, near Bordeaux. This conference is proposed by the association Terre & Océan, we will present our naturalist trip in Uganda.
All information on the Terre & Océan website.
It was the priority target of our herp trip in Uganda: the famous African Hairy Bush Viper Atheris hispida, the arboreal viper with dragon look! This species lives in the lowest primary rainforests in Uganda. Impacted by deforestation, the country’s natural areas are particularly fragmented. The places where inhabit this species are reduced year by year under the pressure of agriculture and the production of exotic wood. Today we are all responsible. Action is urgently needed, so please reduce our consumption to preserve biodiversity.
The next trip of Atheris organization is a “back to the source” for some of us. Ten years later, we are back in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is probably the most visited Central American country for naturalist travel. It’s normal: the biodiversity in fauna and flora is simply exceptional, and the environment is largely preserved there. We hope to meet many people there … See you in November for the report!
Atheris’s last trip in Morocco allowed the observation of one of the most remarkable species of the country: the Sahara Sand Viper Cerastes vipera. This species is strictly restricted in sandy environments. It is perfectly adapted for life in the sand, as suggested by the position of its eyes, oriented at the top of the head. Here is a short video which present the species. (more…)
A small trip in the western Pyrenees allowed the observation of a rare behavior: a fight between two males of Aesculapian Snakes, obviously on the same territory. A scene that we could immortalize! (more…)
Pseudocerastes persicus and Pseudocerastes urarachnoides are two of the three species of the genus Pseudocerastes which occur in Iran. Our naturalist trip allowed us to observe, on the same place and during the same day, these two species. A wonderful example of sympatry!
This observation is the subject of a paper published in the journal Herpetology Notes. Do not hesitate to read the article!
Reference: Bobby Bok, Matthieu Berroneau, Masoud Yousefi, Joachim Nerz, Frank Deschandol, Maud Berroneau, Laura Tiemann 2017 – Sympatry of Pseudocerastes Persicus and P. urarachnoides in the western Zagros Mountains, Iran – Herpetology Notes, Vol. 10: 323-325.
Photo: Pseudocerastes urarachnoides and Pseudocerastes persicus, Matthieu Berroneau.
During our last Atheris trip 2017 in Morocco, we have made a rare observation: the gloved cat, Felis lybica. This species is the origin of domestic cats. This observation is described in an article by www.ecologie.ma.
Read the story here!
Picture : Abdellah Bouazza.
Atheris hispida, Bitis nasicornis, Bitis gabonica, and more and more… After pictures and the trip report, here is our first video production. More will come! (more…)
New conference on Thuesday February 16, at Bègles, near Bordeaux. This conference is proposed by the association Terre & Océan, we will present our naturalist trip in Morocco.
All information on the Terre & Océan website.
Here is a small video on the Saharan Horned Viper (Cerastes Cerastes), the emblematic species of Morroco. Modified scales form horns on the top of the head. (more…)