Stamos Bakratsas' HerpetoArea theme 1 by https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc The wallpaper shows a boa constrictor.Not native to Greece but my favorite reptile and pet en-us 2019-03-06 17:15:07 UTC 2025-10-15 02:58:50 UTC hello@padlet.com Mount Olympus stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339560665 Thirty-four species of amphibians and reptiles are found on Olympus, namely 10 amphibian species and 24 reptile species, according to the latest data for the area. Medium and low altitudes are inhabited by tortoises (Testudo hermannii, Testudo marginata), snakes (Zamenis longissimus, Coronella austriaca, Vipera ammodytes, Natrix tessellata, Zamenis situla, Elaphe quatorlineata, Malpolon insignitus), newts (Triturus macedonicus, Triturus vulgaris), frogs (Rana dalmatina, Rana graeca, Pelophylax kurtmuelleri, Hyla arborea), toads (Bombina variegata, Bufo bufo, Bufotes viridis) and lizards (Ablepharus kitaibelli, Pseudopus apodus, Podarcis muralis, Lacerta viridis). Among them, 25 species are listed in the Habitat’s Directive Annexes.
https://olympusfd.gr/en/]]> 2019-03-09 14:10:51 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339560665 stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339561423 Due to its outstanding natural and cultural importance, Olympus was designated as a Biosphere Reserve in 1981 with its inclusion in the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program (MAB).

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BR) comprise example sites of excellence wherein the protection and management of the natural environment is in harmony with the social and economic development of local communities. Mount Olympus Biosphere Reserve spans an area of 37402,51 ha, and surrounds the massif and foothills of the mountain. The main economic activities in the BR are tourism, pastoralism, forestry, and agriculture.

The objectives and preconditions of inclusion of the program are delineated in the Statutory Framework of World Network of BR and the Seville Strategy (MAB UNESCO 1995) as well as in the action plans that are updated /revised approximately every decade (Lima Action Plan, 2016-2025).
]]> 2019-03-09 14:19:42 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339561423 According to Greek mythology stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339561709 Thus Zeus and Hera, their siblings Hestia, Demeter, Poseidon and their seven children Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Ares, Aphrodite and Hephaestus, were the famous 12 gods who lived on Mount Olympus.
According to Homer, the twelve gods lived in ravines in “the mysterious folds of Olympus”, where they had their palaces. In The Iliad, Mount Olympus is described as “magnificent”, “long”, “glorious” “glistering” and “full of trees”.
Pantheon (today’s Mytikas-the highest peak of Mount Olympus) was their meeting place. Their tempestuous arguments were apparently heard by the “god of gods”, Zeus, sitting on his imposing throne (today’s Stefani). From there he unleashed his thunderbolts, displaying “his godly wrath”.]]> 2019-03-09 14:21:26 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339561709 Location (Olympus) stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339562141 2019-03-09 14:27:03 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339562141 Photos stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563308 2019-03-09 14:38:53 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563308 stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563421 2019-03-09 14:40:18 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563421 stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563802 Marginated tortoise
The marginated tortoise is the largest European tortoise, reaching a weight of up to 5 kg and a length of 35 cm . Its shell is oblong and has a notable thickness around the middle of the body. The posterior end of the shell has a saw-like formation, flanged outward like a bell. The carapace of an adult specimen is almost completely black, with yellow highlights. The ventral shell is lighter-coloured and has pairs of triangular markings with the points facing the rear of the animal. The front sides of the limbs are covered with large scales. In an old female specimen, the rear flaps of the underside of her plastron is somewhat moveable. The tail is notable for a lengthwise marking and for an undivided carapace over the tail. The male has a longer tail, which is thicker at the base than the female's. The underside is more strongly indented. Males are also often larger than the females. ]]> 2019-03-09 14:44:57 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563802 stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563916 European fire salamander
It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree; some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant. Shades of red and orange may sometimes appear, either replacing or mixing with the yellow according to subspecies.The fire salamander's primary alkaloid toxin, samandarin, causes strong muscle convulsions and hypertension combined with hyperventilation in all vertebrates. The poison glands of the fire salamander are concentrated in certain areas of the body, especially around the head and the dorsal skin surface. The coloured portions of the animal's skin usually coincide with these glands. Compounds in the skin secretions may be effective against bacterial and fungal infections of the epidermis; some are potentially dangerous to human life.]]> 2019-03-09 14:46:04 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563916 stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563957 Green lizard

The lizard reaches up to 15 cm from the tip of the muzzle to the cloaca. The tail can be up to twice the length of the body, total length is up to 40 cm . This lizard sometimes sheds its tail (autotomy) to evade the grasp of a predator, regrowing it later.


The male has a larger head and a uniform green coloring punctuated with small spots that are more pronounced upon its back. The throat is bluish in the adult male and to a lesser extent in the female. The female is more slender than the male and has a more uniform coloration, often displaying between two and four light bands bordered by black spots.

]]> 2019-03-09 14:46:31 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339563957 Parnitha stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339586889  Of the 46 amphibian species of Europe, 22 are recorded from Greece, categorized as ones with tail (such as salamanders and newts) and as ones without tail, such as frogs and toads. In Parnitha it is assumed that 7 of the 22 species of our country exist (Amorgianiotis & Vavizos, 1997) :
Salamandra salamandra | Fire salamander
Bufo bufo | Common toad
Bufo viridis | European green toad
Hyla arborea | European tree frog
Rana graeca | Greek frog
Rana dalmatina | Agile frog
Rana ridibunda | Marsh frog

]]> 2019-03-09 18:15:30 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339586889 Parnitha stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339587386 Of the 100 reptile species existing in Europe, 61 have been recorded from Greece, further devided in numerous subspecies, many of which are strictly endemics (very limited distribution, e.g., only on one island). Greek reptile-fauna is actually the richest in Europe. Scandinavia for example, hosts only 20 reptile species!
On Parnitha it is assumed that 3 tortoises, 10 lizards and 9 snakes are present (Amorgianiotis & Vavizos, 1997). These are:
Scientific name | Common name
Turtles
Testudo boettgeri (=T. hermanni) | Hermann's tortoise
 Testudo ibera (=T. graeca) | Spur-thighed tortoise
Testudo marginata | Marginated tortoise
Lizards
Cyrtodactylus kotschyi | Kotschy's Gecko
Anguis fragilis | Slow worm
Ophisaurus apodus | European glass lizard
Ablepharus kitaibelii | Snake-eyed skink
Chalcides ocellatus | Ocellated skink
Ophiomorus punctatissimus | Limbless skink
Lacerta trilineata | Balkan green lizard
Podarcis erhardii | Erhard's wall lizard
Podarcis muralis | Common wall lizard
Podarcis taurica | Balkan wall lizard
Snakes
Typhlops vermicularis | Worm snake
Coluber gemonensis | Balkan whip snake
Coluber najadum | Dahl's whip snake
Elaphe situla | Leopard snake
Elaphe quatuorlineata | Four-lined snake
Malpolon monspessulanus | Montpellier snake
Natrix natrix | Grass snake
Telescopus fallax | European cat snake
Vipera ammodytes | Nose-horned viper
]]> 2019-03-09 18:20:56 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339587386 Vipera amodytes stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339588660 One of the most dangerous greek snakes , the nose-horned viper is present on Parnitha]]> 2019-03-09 18:33:34 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339588660 Hermann's tortoise stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339589369 Hermann's tortoises are small to medium-sized tortoises from southern Europe. Young animals and some adults have attractive black and yellow-patterned carapaces, although the brightness may fade with age to a less distinct gray, straw, or yellow coloration. They have slightly hooked upper jaws and, like other tortoises, possess no teeth,just strong, horny beaks. Their scaly limbs are greyish to brown, with some yellow markings, and their tails bear a spur (a horny spike) at the tip. Adult males have particularly long and thick tails, and well-developed spurs, distinguishing them from females.]]> 2019-03-09 18:40:42 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339589369 Greek stream frog stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339590844 The Greek stream frog or simply Greek frog (Rana graeca) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Skopja, Serbia and Montenegro, and Turkey. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate grassland, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater springs, and pastureland. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.]]> 2019-03-09 18:55:30 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339590844 Meet Parnitha's fauna stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339591150  IT'S A GAME!!]]> 2019-03-09 18:58:30 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339591150 Parnitha National Park stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339591455 Parnitha is first mentioned in ancient scripts at 423 B.C., in Aristofanis's "Nepheles" and later, by comedian Antifanis of Rhodes (405-333 B.C.) and by philosopher Theophrastus. Pausanias mentions in his "Attica" (32,1-2), written around 150 B.C.: "The mountains of Athens are Pentelikon where querrys exist, Parnis which is a good place for hunting wild boars and bears, and Hymettus, that hosts bees". This report is significant, as it describes Mt Parnitha as a place for good hunting of wild boars and bears. Obviously, in order to correctly interprete the citation, it must be taken into consideration that the term Parnitha was referred to a much broader geographical area at that time.]]> 2019-03-09 19:01:47 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339591455 Parnitha National Park stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339592278 2019-03-09 19:10:32 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339592278 Mt Oiti National Park stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339594549 Oiti, also known as the mountain of flowers and of legendary hero Hercules, is a mountain of unique beauty, with vast fir forests, rare as well as impressive plant species, rich fauna and abundant waters, which most of the times flow abruptly, through steep and beautiful gorges. It is the fifth highest mountain in Central Greece, located in the boundaries of the Prefectures of Pthiotis and Phocis, and its highest peak is Pyrgos (2.152 m).]]> 2019-03-09 19:36:51 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339594549 Mt Oiti National Park stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339829704 The north side of the mountain, at the foot of which Spercheios valley spreads, demonstrates an intense relief with steep slopes and impressive gorges, such as Gorgopotamos, Kakavos, Kamariotis, Rodokalos and Gerakaris. In these gorges, small or bigger waterfalls are frequently found, such as Kremastos, which is considered to be the biggest one in Central Greece. On the east, there is Asopos river gorge that forms the physical boundary between Mt Oiti and Mt Kallidromos, while on the west there is Inachos (Vistriza) river, which separates Mt Oiti from neighboring Mt Goulina. On its south side, where the landscape becomes milder and the transition from the highest to the lowest altitudes is smoother, it adjoins Mt Vardousia (southwest) and Mt Giona (southeast)]]> 2019-03-11 07:55:51 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339829704 Alpine newt stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339830752 During the mating season early in the year, the males exhibit dark-blue colouring on their backs; their flanks have white-black-spotted stripes below sky-blue stripes, and their bellies are bright orange. The females, in water camouflage, are mottled brown and have some weak spotting on their backs. The biggest of the males can reach up to 9 cm, and the females up to 12 cm in length. After the mating season, they return their original colour of mottled brown.]]> 2019-03-11 08:00:28 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339830752 Aesculapian snake stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339831797 Z. longissimus hatches at around 30 cm . Adults are usually from 110 cm  to 160 cm in total length (including tail), but can grow to 200 cm , with the record size being 225 cm . It is dark, long, slender, and typically bronzy in color, with smooth scales that give it a metallic sheen.Juveniles can easily be confused with juvenile grass snakes (Natrix natrix), because juvenile Aesculapian snakes also have a yellow collar on the neck that may persist for some time in younger adults. Juvenile Z. longissimus are light green or brownish-green with various darker patterns along the flanks and on the back. Two darker patches appear in the form of lines running on the top of the flanks. The head in juveniles also features several distinctive dark spots, one hoof-like on the back of the head in-between the yellow neck stripes, and two paired ones, with one horizontal stripe running from the eye and connecting to the neck marks, and one short vertical stripe connecting the eye with the 4th to 5th upper labial scales.]]> 2019-03-11 08:05:04 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339831797 Yellow-Bellied Toad stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339833697 Specimens range from 28–56 mm, typically weighing between 2.3 and 12 g. This places them among the smaller members of the family Bombinatoridae, which can reach sizes of 7 cm. Their top side is grey-brown, often with washed-out, bright spots. Their under side, including the inner sides of the limbs, fingers, and toes, is grey-blue to black-blue with striking, bright yellow to orange spots or patches, usually covering more than half of the underside. Yellow-bellied toads have compact bodies - though not so flat as the related European fire-bellied toad - and a rounded snout. The pupils are heart-shaped, with the eardrums not visible. The overside has numerous warts with raised swirls.]]> 2019-03-11 08:11:50 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339833697 Bombina variegata ID (yello-bellid toad) stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339846165 info : catalogue of life]]> 2019-03-11 08:59:24 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339846165 Marginated tortoise ID stamos_art https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339849122 info : catalogue of life]]> 2019-03-11 09:13:01 UTC https://padlet.com/stamos_art/vhgfgf8r8prc/wish/339849122