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The most common habitat in Peloponnese is shrublands mainly with Quercus coccifera, a subcategory of maquis habitat. Those shrublands can grow in many different altitudes, from the sea level to 1500 m. Quercus coccifera usually is a shrub less than 2 meters high, but rarely becomes a tree 2-6 meters tall.  Many herpetofauna species are adapted to live in this habitat, such as the endemic lizard Podarcis peloponnesiacus. Podarcis peloponnesiacus, is a robust species with a deep head. Its SLV can reach 85 mm with the tail up to twice as long. The back has a striped pattern, the basic colour varying from green to brown. Males are larger than females and typically have greenish-brown back as well as one or multiple blue spots above the shoulders and front legs, which regularly extend to the flanks. Dorsolateral are generally not clearly defined. Females are brown, with clearly marked brown or yellowish dorsolateral stripes. Hatchlings and juveniles resemble females but are slenderer and their tails are often blue or blue-green. The underside is often orange in males, and yellow or white in females and juveniles. The belly is mainly un-spotted in both sexes although sometimes light spots may be visible. The collar is smooth. Is the most common lizard in Peloponnese and can be found from sea level to 1500 m. It can be seen in great variety of habitats: area with rocks and scrub, dry stone walls, olive grooves etc. It is often seen thermoregulating on rocks and stones. Although the LC status in IUCN, it is a protected species.

Podarcis peloponnesiacus

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Quercus coccifera shrubland

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Habitat 2 - Coniferous forests of Abies cephallonica

Forest of Abies cephollonica an endemic tree species of Greece, is very common in high elevation usually up to 1000 meters, in Peloponnese. Very often they are running by streams and rivers that provide high levels of moisture in the forest. Shade is almost everywhere temperatures are low, raining is frequent, so it is an ideal environment for the amphibian species Salamandra salamandra. It belongs to Salamandridae family, its maximum length is about 25 mm and is easily recognized from the big yellow spots on its black and rarely brown body. Those yellow spots have an aposematic purpose, that indicates that the animal is poisonous for its predators. has a wide distribution across central and southern Europe. In Greece it is found throughout the mainland between 600 and 1800 meters elevation. It is active mainly in winter, at night or rainy days. Females are more active on day while they search for water to lay their eggs in winter, spring and autumn, but usually both sexes are hiden under logs and stones. It feeds on Mollusca, Myriapoda, Coleoptera etc. In addition, there have been observed cases of cannibalism.

Salamandra salamandra

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Coniferous forest of Abies cephallonica

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Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests

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Phrygana is one of the most characteristic Mediterranean habitats. They lack water and consist of low and dry shrubs which have spines very often. Phrygana can be found from 0-1000 meters elevation. One common species that you can encounter in this habitat is the snake, Malpolon insignitus. It is maybe the commonest snake all over the Greece and Peloponnese. It can be spotted in all types of Mediterranean habitats like open maquis and woods, sand dunes, marshes and phrygana. An adult specimen can reach 200 cm in length, rarely 250 cm. It has usually an olive-green color, but gray, brown and black specimens can be encountered too. Belly is whitish to yellow, sometimes with dark spots. The most important character to identify this snake is the protruding eye-brows. It feeds mainly on lizards but also on other snakes, mammals, birds and invertebrates. Malpolon insignitus is a venomous snake that has the venom-delivering fangs in the rear of the upper jaw. The venom is strong enough to kill its prey, but it cannot harm a human.

Malpolon insignitus

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Phrygana

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In Lakonia, placed on south Peoponnese, have found the earliest fossils of the extinct subspecies Testudo marginata cretensis. They are dated to Early Pleistocene (~ 1-0,1 Ma). The tortoise lived mainly on Crete, where was found the most fossils and became extinct before the end of the last ice age.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ea6e/e2495bc1a951be92f62847b04a2b8eb49cd5.pdf

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Phylogenetic tree of Testudo marginata

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In Plakias were found only the centrum and, on both sides, a small, basal portion of the neural arch, of a frog that belongs to the family Alytidae, the painted frogs. It is dated to the earliest late Miocene of Plakias.
https://iris.unito.it/retrieve/handle/2318/1606927/250341/Georgalis%20et%20al.%20PLAKIAS%20-%20Manuscript%20Final_4aperto.pdf

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The physiology of herpetofauna species, specifically their poikilothermy, makes them vulnerable to climate change. The glacial periods that Europe went through, led many herpetofauna species to become extinct mainly in northern Europe, and many others to migrate to southern Europe, on the three peninsulas, Iberian, Italic and Balkan. There the temperature was higher, there was more food and species could survive if they able to hold out the competition. During the interglacial periods, species started to migrate northern again, if their physiology and ecology allowed them to. This explains partially the reason why species richness is bigger in these peninsulas than in northern Europe. In addition, endemism is bigger too, because some species specialized on the similar prevailing conditions and made separated phylogenetic clades. Furthermore, there is no connection between the three peninsulas so there was genetic isolation that contribute the creation of endemic species.

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Peloponnese’s herpetofauna is one of the richest in Europe, with 37 reptile species; 13 snakes, 17 lizards (5 of them are endemic; Algyroides moreoticus, Anguis cephallonicus, Hellenolacerta graeca, Ophiomorus punctatissimus and Podarcis peloponnesiacus), 7 turtles, and 11 amphibian species; 3 urodela and 8 anuran species.

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Algyroides moreoticus is an endemic lizard species to Peloponnese, that occurs on some Ionian islands as well (Cephalonia and Ithaca). It is found in wet, partially shaded places with dense vegetation, such as riparian corridors. It ranges from sea level up to 800 m. It is a small lizard with 10 cm total length, is the only lizard species in Peloponnese with keeled body scales. Males are different from females, they have a brown dorsum, the flanks are black and decorated with numerous large, white blotches. Females are of a uniform, lighter shade of olive-green. Is very common to be found under leaf litter where is hiding from predators. They feed mainly on insects.

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Algyroides moreoticus, male

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Anguis cephallonicus is an endemic limbless lizard species to Peloponnese that occurs on the Ionian islands Zakynthos, Cephalonia and Ithaca as well. It can be encountered from sea level to 1200 m elevation, preferring humid areas in meadows, open forests, hedgerows and wooded stream banks. The back is creamy brown, the flanks and the belly are dark brown, and there is usually a dark stripe on the back which begins from the middle of the neck. The lizard can reach 50 cm body length.

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https://peloponneseherping.wordpress.com/

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Hellenolacera graeca is an endemic lizard species to Peloponnese. It is a medium-sized long and slender lizard with dorso-ventrally flattened body that can reach up to 80 mm SLV. The tail can be more than twice as long as the body. The dorsal is gray-brown coloured, the flanks, especially in males, are darker than the back with numerous light coloured spots and darker blotches. During mating period in spring, males usually have yellow or orange color on the underside, at least on the throat. Prefers rocky areas with vegetation, open woodlands, tree trunks near rivers or in cultivated land. Is usually found above 400 m elevation and rarely can be seen in coastal regions.

Hellenolacerta graeca, male

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Ophiomorus punctatissimus is a limbless lizard that belongs to Scincidae family. It is a new endemic species for Peloponnese and island Kythira, that very recently considered to be a different species from Ophiomorus punctatissimus in Kastelorizo and Turkey which named Ophiomorus kardesi. It can be observed from low-lands up to 900 m elevation. The skink has a secretive behavior and usually spend its time hidden under stones in open places with low vegetation. It can reach 18 cm total length and its body is cream-coloured, light brown above and paler elsewhere. In most cases dark lines are running along the length of the body, which becomes thinner on the tail.

https://peloponneseherping.wordpress.com/lizards/#jp-carousel-200

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One of the commonest snakes in Peloponnese is the Balkan endemic species Hierophis gemonensis. The basic color of its body is usually gray-green or olive-green, the first third of the body has irregular dark spots and the whole body can reach 1,30 m length. Prefers dry habitats with low vegetation like phrygana or low maquis, and it can be observed up to 1400 m elevation. It can climb trees and bushes but mainly is a terrestrial species. Hibernates during the winter like every other snake, and during the early summer gives birth to 3-10 eggs.

https://peloponneseherping.wordpress.com/snakes/#jp-carousel-122

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It is a very important species for Peloponnese, because it is the only population in Europe that has been observed. The lizard exists in Africa and is probably introduced in Peloponnese during Homeric era as a result of trade with Egypt. Its color varies from light green to blackish and like in every chameleon can be changed rapidly due to attitude changes or to adapt to the colors of the environment. Its SLV can ran reach up to 17 cm and the tail up to 20 com. As the only chameleon in Peloponnese is very easy to identify. It is found at sea level, in coastal ecosystems like high dense maquis, olive groves, bushy vegetation and reeds. However, in Africa is found at altitudes over 1000 m.

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https://peloponneseherping.wordpress.com/lizards/#jp-carousel-232

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It is probably the most common frog on running waters at altitudes over 500 m in Peloponnese. Prefers clear streams, springs and rivers with running water throughout the year, at altitudes up to 240 m, occasionally up to 2100 m. Its color is brown and there is a black mask that encloses the eye and the tympanic membrane. Their color and shape looks like a dry leaf. Males has darker color during the mating period. Underside the throat has dark pigmentation with a characteristic bright stripe running through the middle. The belly is whitish and mostly unspotted. Hibernation occurs during the winter months, and reproductive period starts shortly after hibernation between February and April. The egg masses attached to underwater stones and contain 200-2000 eggs. Tadpoles metamorphose between July and September.

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Conservation and sustainability of Malagasy reptiles

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Conservation and sustainability of Malagasy reptiles

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I think that the most important strategy for every conservation plan is to educate the local people for the importance of the subject, in this case reptiles, and how will harmed too if they drive them to extinction. Without the support of the locals the conservation plan will fail. Wood harvesting must be decreased or stopped at some places that some Critically Endangered species or an endemic species lives in. In addition, must be found trees that can be cultivated on Madagascar to replace a part of non-timber crops. Tree cultivations of course must be profitable, so the decision of what trees will be chosen requires research.  The measures I mentioned will help reptiles in general in Madagascar, but some species or groups deserve special attention. For example, the law could be stricter for smugglers of tortoises that are threatened mainly smuggling. According to the publication, were used 367 Malagasy reptile species data-sufficient for the results, and 130 of them were endangered species, specifically 22 species were Critically Endangered, 49 Endangered and 59 Vulnerable. I think that the number of different species that must be protected is very big so the funding to protect them all must be very big too. Because of this priority must given to Critically Endangered species and endemic species.

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The main threat for herpetofauna species is habitat loss due to land use changes. A very common change to land use is the extension of agricultural land to almost any other habitat, for instance, forests, shrublands etc. A result of this extension is fragmentation, that affect negatively the herpetofauna. The problem for herpetofauna is bigger if there is intensive agriculture, because the use of pesticides, insecticides and other chemicals that pollute the environment can harm reptiles and specifically amphibians due to their permeable skin. Very dangerous is the ignorance of people; in benefits that provide herpetofauna to ecosystem and to humanity, as well as in their physiology and behavior, so they fear them and kill them. Climate change is an important threat for this because both amphibians and reptiles are poikilotherms, so every change affect them much more negatively than other groups like mammals.

To make things better for herpetofauna and for people over time, we should not continue to extent our cultivations and to make them more friendly for the environment using less or no chemicals. We should pay attention to inform and educate people about the issues relatively to herpetofauna that are mentioned. Climate change is the most complicated problem and must be taken decisions from politicians all around the globe to be solved, and maybe it will not.

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Business plan of a local voluntary organisation which aims to protect the local herpetofauna

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Business plan of a local voluntary organisation which aims to protect the local herpetofauna

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The most important part if you want to protect the herpetofauna, is to inform people as I mentioned before. The ignorance and fear lead people to kill many reptiles and amphibians every day so we are probably the number one threat to them. The ideal group of people to educate is, of course, the children. I would suggest to the volunteers of the organization to co-operate with schools and arrange speeches to inform and educate the students or viewing a documentary. In addition, more interactive and experiential activities could be taken place, like field trips, where students will see on their own how those creatures look like, where they live, how they move and make them at least to respect them. Similar events should be organized for adults too. In addition, I would suggest them to look for funding to monitor some species that rare or endemic, because the collection of data is very important and helps to know even a few -if the funding is not enough to do systematic and good work- about their population trends. Three species that I think that could be monitored is Chamaeleo africanus because is the only population of this species in Europe and is threatened by a variety of factors like, land use changes, habitat loss, smuggling, cars, etc., Ophiomorus punctatissimus, because is a new endemic species for Peloponnese and there aren’t many data until this year due to its cryptic behavior, Elaphe quatuorlineata, because is a rare snake species and belongs to Annex II of Council Directive 92/43/EEC, I could mentioned some more, like Hellenolacerta graeca or Pelobates syriacus. The monitoring could take place on defined sampling sites that will be visited at least 2 times a year, so there will be a more reliable assessment of the population trend. In addition, observations on the field that are related to human activity and harm the herpetofauna could be mentioned to state to solve the problem, for instance, creation of underpasses on a road that many road kills are observed.

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I think that the majority of Herpetoareas are from Greece, so in most cases I saw that my co-learners suggest that people especially children must be informed for the benefits of herpetofauna in their lives, because there is a bigger ignorance and apathy than in other European countries. On the other hand herppetoareas like Sami Zhioua's from Switzerland or Martin Nielsen's from Danish, focus on conservation measures.

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In comparaison to other herpetoareas I see that the problems threating the herpetofauna is more or less the same everywhere. I really liked how Vasiliki Sfairopoulou presented the threats in her herpetoarea and I think that these are the most important.