The climate of Greece is primarily Mediterranean, featuring mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The mountainous areas of Northwestern Greece (parts of Epirus, Central Greece, Thessaly, Western Macedonia) feature an Alpine climate with heavy snowfalls. The inland parts of northern Greece, in Central Macedonia and East Macedonia and Thrace feature a temperate climate with cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers with frequent thunderstorms. Snowfalls occur every year in the mountains and northern areas, and brief snowfalls are not unknown even in low-lying southern areas. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece#Geography_and_climate 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308300339_The_Amphibians_and_Reptiles_of_Greece 

·  Bombina variegata

·  Elaphe situla

·  Testudo marginata

·  Testudo hermanni (IUCN list- NT)

Other important reptile and amphibian species found in the region are:

A ski center is located in Mountain Tymphristos. There are also agricultural and livestock activities. These are factors that could possibly lead to the decline of the herpetofauna of the area due to habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.

 http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/Natura2000/SDF.aspx?site=GR2430001#3
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tymfristos

They are traditional villages and people are mostly farmers and shepherds. The land uses and the livestock farming of local sheep and goats are both traditional and not intensive. 

The flora of the area consists mainly of maple trees, holly trees and cypresses and there are also many meadows and grasslands, allowing large numbers of reptiles and amphibians to live here. 

Due to the rich Avifauna of ​​the area (144 of the 187 species of the North Pindos National Park live here), the rare birds found here (eg. Neophron percnopterus) and the very dense populations of some species, the area has been included in the Special Protection Areas (SPA) for the conservation of avifauna and thus the European Nature Conservation Network NATURA 2000. 

The rich herpetofauna is also a reason for the rich Avifauna of the area. 

Some common amphibian and reptile species of the area are:

http://www.katosoudena.gr/fysi/fysi.htm 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331021502_Apolithomena_Erpeta_tes_Elladas_Fossil_reptiles_from_Greece 

Locality: Pikermi, Greece

Date: 1862 

Collector: Gaudry 

Type specimen: MNHN PIK 3683, a partial shell

PaleoDB taxon number: 347955

Extras: 

Era: Miocene

Ecology: herbivore

Environments: fluvial, terrestrial

https://eol.org/pages/47044065/data 

Locality: Karyidia, Greece

Date (Primary reference): 2006

Collector (Primary reference): C. Doukas and L.W. van den Hoek Ostende. 

PaleoDB taxon number: 69435

Extras:
Era: Miocene
Environment/lithology: terrestrial

So, the high biodiversity and endemism of South Europe (Italian, Iberian, Balkan peninsulas) is directly connected to climate change.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interglacial 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/61918/12572637 

http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=197&sid=191 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41241/86525768 

http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=198&sid=191 

It feeds on anything that can be swallowed, such as small mammals, small birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, etc. It is characterized by its curious roar.

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/58567/11787309 

http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=224&sid=219 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/58581/11788512 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/58592/11793456 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/61467/118230809 

http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/1409f112bab4a64ffa7ed89748b2d6cc 

http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=94&sid=92 

http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=95&sid=92 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/157291/120690621 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/157272/5067037 

http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=175&sid=144 

http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=177&sid=144 

(For more info see at the beginning of this padlet) 

http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=181&sid=144 

Eating behavior: 

Mating:

Senses:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-005-0102-z 

Eating behavior:

Unfortunately, the Malagasy reptiles are threatened due to habitat degradation, removal from their natural habitat for international trade and in some cases, human consumption. There are over 370 native reptile species and 39% of them are considered as threatened in the IUCN Red List (Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable in their natural habitat).

 For these reasons there must be something done by everyone (government, the public, scientists) to avoid the worseness of the situation. Our role is to propose some activities that our team could organize to raise awareness. 

1. More Campaigns: Projects for the public in which we will emphasize the following:

*Campaigns can be held in schools, parks and convention centers. 

2. Field Activities: For both children and adults. People should get out of their comfort and “face” the animals they live with. In these activities it will be easy to understand practically the theory from the projects and they will be able to catch, identify and finally know some reptile species. 

3. Leaflets & videos for educational purposes.

4. Promote the herpetofauna as an alternative “attraction” of our island: Our purpose is to persuade businessmen and the government that the herpetofauna can support our island economically via ecotourism much better than (illegal) trade can. The magnificence of the area in aspect of biodiversity can support all local businesses: hotels, restaurants, museums, businesses with local products, etc.
In this way we protect the reptiles, their habitats and at the same time we give options for the local market to develop in different ways, putting an end to pet trade and wood harvesting. 

5. Propose the increase of the management authorities inside each protected area: more rangers, scientists, vets and experts. Apart from the fact that this measure can lead to decrease of the unemployed, it also prevents from illegal trade and hunting for consumption, in other words allows the increase of reptiles’ sustainability. 

6. Promote reptiles’ benefits: The poison, for example, can be used as a medicine. Moreover, these animals themselves can protect us from contagious diseases by controlling the number of rodents. 

7. Raise money to fund more research and conservation assessments: organize bazaars, concerts, etc. 

In conclusion, I hope that our proposal will help our community understand the importance of the situation for the future of the Malagasy reptiles, or even better help other people come up with better ideas and solutions about what has to be done. 

Olga Grizi  

Member of the “Madagascar’s Herpetofauna Friends (M.H.F.)”

A lot of areas with water (ponds, lakes, rivers, streams), rocks and water vegetation are suitable habitats for amphibians. Forests, meadows, rocks and water bodies are suitable habitats for reptiles. In Greece there are many natural habitats with these features on both continental Greece and its islands. The Aegean Sea and Peloponnese are two hotspots concerning amphibian and reptile biodiversity in Greece. 

The last decades human activities have restricted these habitats (e.g. urbanization and alteration from forest to agricultural areas), or isolated one from another (road and dam construction). These phenomena are known as habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. Moreover in many cases the habitat has also been degraded by contaminants, pollutants, pesticides, plastics etc. All the above have led to a significant number of species facing the danger of extinction. 

Greece hosts a lot of reptile and amphibian species. Both amphibians and reptiles live in a plethora of different habitats and have a lot of adaptations to their environment. Due to human activities a lot of habitats have degraded or modified in a way that they can no more support native biological communities. Hence, many species seem to be in peril due to habitat degradation, loss and fragmentation of their natural habitat. Moreover many of them face the danger of contagious diseases, overexploitation and Climate Change. Last but not least many species have to face Invasive Alien Species which seem to be highly competitive in some cases and intentional killing by people due to unawareness. There are a lot of actions that have to be taken, so that both the herpetofauna and its natural habitats are safe.

Most of the times when an area is degraded more than one of the above occur at the same time. The point is that the more the human activities expand to new territories with no impact assessment, the natural habitat of many species is getting more and more limited. Mining activities, intensive agriculture and farming, urbanization, forest fires, deforestation, road and dam construction, pollution from pesticides, toxic factory waste, urban waste and plastic, as well as overgrazing are some of the most important threats for the herpetofauna. This makes sense, if we think about the life cycles and the adaptations of the herpetofauna. Amphibians are ectotherms, have permeable skin, anamniotic eggs, and both an aquatic and terrestrial life stage. Reptiles are ectotherms and they usually don’t migrate if the environment is no more suitable for them. 

Diseases: Reptiles and amphibians are susceptible to a variety of different pathogens including fungi, viruses, and bacteria.

UV-B: There are three types of ultraviolet radiation: UV-A (315-400nm), UV-B (280-315 nm) and UV-C (200-280 nm). Most biomolecules do not absorb the higher UV-A wavelengths and most of the UV-C radiation is absorbed by stratospheric ozone; however, UV-B is particularly harmful to living organisms. Ambient levels of UV-B radiation in the atmosphere have risen significantly over the past few decades most likely due to decreases in stratospheric ozone, climate warming and lake acidification. Because amphibian eggs lack shells, and adults and tadpoles have thin delicate skin, they are extremely sensitive to increased levels of UV-B radiation. It is likely that increases in ambient levels of UV-B radiation have significantly contributed to amphibian population declines. 

Invasive Alien Species: Reptile and amphibian species are constantly introduced to ecosystems outside their native ranges, mainly due to globalization and transportation development. In the new ecosystems they are introduced these species usually have food abundance and no predators and and they can easily grow in numbers. They sometimes spread pathogens in no resistant native populations, they are highly competitive with native species for food sources and spawning sites and they often feed on native species. In Greece, The American Bullfrog (Lythobates catesbeianus) was introduced in Agia Lake, Crete and is considered responsible for the population decrease of the endemic Cretan frog (Pelophylax cretensis).
Another example of Invasive Alien species in Greece is the Red-Eared Terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans), a very popular pet in Europe, which is often released in the natural environment by its owners. It is considered highly competitive for native pond turtles.

Climate Change:

The timing of amphibian breeding is largely driven by environmental cues such as temperature and moisture and because of this their breeding phenology may be directly affected by global warming. Amphibians in temperate regions may be even more susceptible to increasing temperatures. Most temperate species spend a large portion of the year inactive, escaping either cold winters or hot summers. Subtle increases in temperature or moisture trigger them to emerge from their hibernacula. Immediately upon emergence, they migrate to ponds or streams to breed. Thus, one hypothesized direct effect of global warming on amphibians is a trend towards early breeding as the average temperatures increase. If amphibians breed too early in the season they may be more vulnerable to early snowmelt induced floods. 

Moreover in a lot of amphibian and reptile species sex determination is temperature-dependent. This means that higher temperatures due to global warming can easily change the sex ratios in many populations.

Furthermore, it is likely that climate change is affecting amphibian populations in subtle and more complex ways. For example, local changes in the environment can decrease immune function and lead to pathogen outbreaks and elevated mortality. Or conditions can change to become more favorable for growth of a pathogen. Another possible scenario for both amphibian and reptile species is the distribution shift of many species northwards and uphill (following the optimum temperatures and the climbing tree line) due to temperature rising, leading to increasing competition between different species. 

https://www.froglife.org/what-we-do/disease-ranavirus-2/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranavirus 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0RIvato4N7pNWUwM2U4YzYtNDA1ZS00YzlkLWJiOGUtMTRlNzkxMGI3YzVi/view 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batrachochytrium_salamandrivorans
https://amphibiaweb.org/declines/ClimateChange.html 

First of all, it would be helpful if anyone could recognize whereas an animal is a legless lizard or a snake, or even better a venomous snake or not. It would be really helpful if education had to do with practical issues, for example first aid, survival, environmental awareness, conservation and sustainability, etc. If that was the case, then more people would know that the herpetofauna is as important as any other taxon and intentional killing in no reason and overexploitation would be avoided. The public would also know that freeing pets inside wild populations can spread diseases that cannot be easily eliminated, or introducing a species in a new ecosystem, away from its natural range, can lead to imbalance or even collapse of the new ecosystem. 

Secondly, everybody can reduce the amount of plastics or other pollutants they use and recycle more. In this case, many habitats would stay clean and urban waste would be reduced. 

Moreover some really strict laws for the conservation of these animals should be considered a high priority. Even if there are some environmental NGOs and other organizations, as well as some local and international treaties, in many cases they are not taken into consideration. Some areas (e.g. hotspots) and some organisms (e.g. Threatened species) must be conserved at all costs, and political and economic interests should step aside in these cases. NGOs and volunteers should also organize events to raise public awareness and actively participate in conservation actions. 

But the most important part in estimating the biodiversity loss, applying conservation plans and giving new solutions to problems is the scientific community. Scientists have access in museum collections, they can understand data from databases or previous studies and they can use new technologies in order to help facing most of the threats. 

Having in mind that a lot of studies about species populations have been conducted in the past scientists can use them as a comparison measurement to today’s studies so that they will be able to understand how many species are facing extinction and how much their habitats have been deteriorated. 

The new studies concerning the herpetofauna and its conservation should combine different field and lab methods to be more precise. In my opinion inventory and monitoring surveys should be conducted, in combination with clipping and tagging in terms of field methods. For example, catalogues with species, species abundances and population sizes can be created with data from past studies and be completed with data from new studies. More data from museum collections can be added, too. Visual encounter surveys (time constrained, random routes in an area, during day and night hours to estimate one or more species abundance), microhabitat surveys (find the species living in different microhabitats inside an area), transect sampling (study all the species in a given random transect), calling surveys during the breeding season (only for anurans to estimate breeding sites and sex ratios), roadkills (to study the activity of a species and its breeding sites) and trapping are some of the methods that can be combined. They are usually cheap and easy to repeat methods.  

Back in the lab DNA extraction from the samples is needed in order for scientists to be able to understand if a population is isolated and its individuals inbreed with each other (something that can lead to population collapse and local extinction of a species at any time). By studying the stomach content scientists will be able to see if there is food abundance or not. Different food sources reduce intraspecies competition and allow more births to occur. Lastly, by imitating environmental conditions and the amount of pollutants, pesticides, medicines, etc. of an area in the lab they will be able to understand the way a substance affects the environment (soil, water) or the species (eggs and larvae development, sensitivity of immune system etc.).  These methods are much more expensive and need experts to be conducted. 

In conclusion, a combination of all the above would help facing most of the threats against the herpetofauna. It would also strengthen the conservation of many other species, which are related to the herpetofauna in a prey- predator relation or simply live inside the same protected area. 

When starting a voluntary organization the most important thing is promotion. The public don’t know what you want to achieve and why. Thus, in the very beginning poster sticking, talking on a local radio station, or sharing leaflets is necessary in order to attract volunteers. In the case of protecting the local herpetofauna, awareness should be raised and the following questions must be answered:

At the end of the leaflet/ interview/ poster whoever wants to participate should be invited in a place at a precise day and hour. 

If there is no place to house the organization this is something that has to be solved immediately. 

The name of the organization is the next step. 

When all the above are arranged, action must be taken: Regular meetings in which all the members of the organization will be present, in order to evaluate the progress you have done until now, come up with new ideas, welcoming new members, starting new projects, etc.

Name: Voluntary Organization for the Protection of the Greek Herpetofauna: “O.P.G.H.”

House: OPGH is a local voluntary organization for the protection of the Greek herpetofauna which is housed in Ioannina city, Greece, outside the university campus.

Purposes: It aims to raise awareness for the local reptile and amphibian species, help the public learn about them and protect them from all the threats they face, according to the relevant treaties. 

Threats of the Greek herpetofauna: 

Actions: 

More actions and projects will be added if there are more ideas and volunteers to keep up with all these responsibilities!