Photo: https://mapio.net/pic/p-3237233/

The species lives in woodlands and reproduces in little temporary lakes, streams and swamps. Reproduction takes place during spring and summer, while the animals hibernate in cavities in ground and muddy substrates. Rana temporaria is mostly active at night and eats mostly invertebrates. 

Threats: The species is threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to extensive logging, wild fires and intensive drought periods resulted from climate-change. 

Info: Red book of endangered species http://www.ypeka.gr/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=lkGCh8o5t8o%3d&tabid=518&language=el-GR

Testudo hermanni or Hermann's tortoise is a species mostly found in southeastern mediterranean Europe. In Greece it is widespread especially in lowlands away from settlements. The Greek population is probably larger than every other country's. The species inhabits a variety of Mediterranean habitats: from heathlands and maquis to open forests and pasture lands. Despite its wide distribution, Testudo hermanni is considered Vulnerable in Greece because of the many threats it undergoes, with intensive agriculture, summer fires and lowlands exploitation to be the most significant. Expand of the national road network has an impact on the species population, as a great number of Hermann's tortoises is killed by vehicles. 

Info: Red book of endangered species http://www.ypeka.gr/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=pP7hNCwyIcE%3d&tabid=518&language=el-GR

One observation I made was confirmed by the theory provided in this theme: the southern we get, the more endemic species we encounter. It is obvious from the padlets of my colearners, that HerpetoAreas from northern Europe (Belgium, Great Britain) have less endemic species than the ones in the peninsulas in southern Europe (the Iberian, the Italian and the Balkan peninsulas with Greece to be its hot spot). 

I think that when all padlets are ready we will be able to do better comparisons and get to conclusions.

The Balkan crested newt(Triturus ivanbureschi) is a member of the Triturus genus, was originally described as a subspeciesof the southern crested newt, "Triturus karelinii arntzeni" and when genetic data became available it was considered a full species.

Distribution: Triturus ivanbureschi is districuted in southeastern Balkan peninula and western Anatolia. Balkan crested newt is found in North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Northern Greece, Eastern Thrace and an isolated population found in Serbia too.

Habitat: Usually lives in high altitude woods. It's mainly a nocturnal animal. It uses little ponds and slightly running waters for its reproduction in the spring. 

Physiology: Maximum length up to 18cm. Larvae metamorphosis usually lasts three to four months. Sexual maturity starts after 3^rd to 5^th year with a life expectancy of 8-15 years and females live longer than males. Hibernation starts on September or October, depending the temperature.

Zootoca vivipara, or viviparous lizard, is a widely distributed species throughout Europe and northern Asia covering a north to south range from Italy to northern Russia. It is the only lizard species found in Ireland. 

Habitat: The species have been found in a variety of different habitats including grasslands, open woodlands, meadows, stream edges, coasts and rural gardens. 

Physiology: Viviparous lizards' colour vary between grey, brown, red, green, or black. The species is sexually dimorphic, with males being brightly colored in yellows, blues, oranges, and greens. Sexually mature males also have a thicker tail base compared to females. Sexually mature adults of both sexes typically weigh between 2 to 5 g, with total lengths of 50 to 77 mm. (Crews and Gans, 1992; Smith, 1964)

Development: Zootoca vivipara is the only known lizard species to give live birth and to lay eggs. When placed in different environments, females behave differently. In northern Spain, adjacent France, Austria, Italy and Slovenia, the female lays between one and 13 eggs in a single clutch, but they are being born a few days apart. In the northern portion of the range and at high altitude it is viviparous, in the southern portion it is oviparous. For oviparous individuals the egg development takes about 3 months. Mosts viviparous lizards live 5 to 6 years.

Reproduction: The species reaches sexual maturity at 2 years (females a little earlier). Males choose their mates by their skin colour. More blunt colours provide higher survival chances to the descendents due to better camouflage. Both males and females have multiple mates. Although oviparous individuals lay 7 to 70 eggs, only 5 to 8 survive.

Anti-predator adaptations: Zootoca vivipara has developed cryptic mechanisms, in order to avoid its most common predators, that are first and foremost snakes and then hedgehogs, domestic dogs and domestic and feral cats that eat juvenile lizards. 

We, as a civil society, have to do something about that. 

It is obvious that the establishment of protected areas had little impact in the actual protection of the area. A research proved that the managers of 26 national parks, reported that protected areas have been able to reduce the main threats to biodiversity, including deforestation, poaching, forest fires, and livestock grazing, while they lacked knowledge about trends in biodiversity. 

It is important for local managers, who are the key authority implementing management practices, to get constantly informed by researchers about the conservation status of several local species. Stronger management, obvious and clear borders, better patrolling and monitoring and better collaboration with the local stakeholders are crucial measures that can be taken in order to achieve better protection of the National Parks. 

The involvement of the local communities is also very important. The previous example convinced us that impersonal lows and protected parks existing only in papers, don't work. Community involvement is more important (and effective) from sanctions or compensation schemes. In fact the village of Manombo in the Melaky region , on the west coast of Madagascar, is one of the several models in the world, where the local community and WWF work together to preserve the mangroves. 

This is a great example for all of us to follow!

A great threat to the indigenus fauna (and not only herpetofauna) is alien invasive species. Usually released into the wild as unwanted pets, a great number of reptile or amphibian species became invasive (even threaten to extinction local populations) in environments that had no ways to deal with them. 

Many times foreign species inhabiting new environments carry pathogens (such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) or B. salamandrivorans (Bsal) for amphibians) causing diseases in the local populations. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is considered a plague to amphibian populations all over the world and has affected amphibian populations in Greece too. 

Overexploitation (for food, fashion, pet trade) is another threat to herpetofauna, but in Greece there is no such use except from frog legs eating in Ioannina. The exploitation of beaches where the Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) lays its eggs is more severe.

Last but not least, climate change is (once again) a big threat to herpetofauna. Amphibians and reptiles are very vulnerable to the effects of climate change because they are ectotherms and temperature and huidity are great contributors to their activity. Climate change has caused extinction of lizard populations worldwide. Vipera graeca, the Greek meadow viper, is an example of habitat loss due to temperature elevation. As temperature rises, V. graeca, which lives in alpine meadows, has to climb in higher elevations in order to find its suitable conditions. V. graeca is considered Endangered (EN) because its distribution covers an area less than 500 km² in a fragmentated and degraded habitat. This is definitely a sign of climate change. 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324231766_The_distribution_of_meadow_and_steppe_vipers_Vipera_graeca_V_renardi_and_V_ursinii

There are already some organisations such as the Archelon, which are fighting to protect sea turtles Caretta caretta by protecting nesting beaches from human activities, rescue and take care of hurt turtles and contribute in the general protection of the endangered species. Such organisations do remarkable work in raising awareness on animal protection. 

Reducing soil and air polution and use of chemical pesticides can also reduce the pressure put on the local populations of amphibians and reptiles.

Apart from the citizens' part, the state should make more strict lows about pet releases in the wild and fight excessive draining by constructing artificial ponds in several spots of herpetofaunal interest. Also there could be scouting campaings to assess if the populations of amphibian and reptiles suffer from pathogens in order to start immunisation campaings following the Mallorca example.

Another step in involving local community in protecting wild life would include scientists teaching in seminars a few ways to identify local species, in order to prevent unneccessary fear and violent incidents against animals. Local residents could also participate in an attempt to record local herpetofauna and its positions via a Citizen Science project. The organisation can make or use a platform like HerpMapper, where everyone can share an observation about the local herpetofauna and potentially help scientific research by providing statistical data. And finally, unless this disturbs the ecosystem balance and always under scientific supervision, local community and the environmental organisation could build little ponds and wet sheldters for amphibians and nests for reptiles.

Conclusively, most of us consider education and of course action as keystones to the protection of wild nature in general and local herpatofauna specifically.