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HERPETOZOA 13 (1/2): 89 - 93 89 Wien, 30 Juni 2000

Herpetological notes on the of and (, ) (Amphibia, Reptilia)

Notizen zur Herpetofauna der Inseln Milos und Sifiios (Kykladen, Griechenland) (Amphibia, Reptilia)

MARIO F. BROGGI

KURZFASSUNG

In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden vor allem die durch menschliche Aktivitäten zunehmend beeinträchtigten Feuchtlebensräume der griechischen Kykladeninseln Milos und Sifiios untersucht. Die Kleinstpopulationen der hy- grophilen Amphibien und Reptilien sind stark gefährdet So ist Mauremys rivulata auf Sifiios wahrscheinlich bereits ausgestorben und sind die einzigen zwei auf Milos beobachteten Vorkommen stark gefährdet Auch der Seefrosch (Rana sp.) muß heute auf Sifiios und Milos als stark gefährdet betrachtet werden.

ABSTRACT

The present study is focused on the wetlands of the islands of Milos and Sifiios (Cyclades, Greece). These wetlands are increasingly being affected by human activities which cause decline of the small populations of hy- drophilous amphibians and reptiles. Thus, Mauremys rivulata has probably become extinct on Sifiios. We found only two recent populations on Milos which both are seriously threatened. The Green Frogs (Rana sp.) of Sifiios and Milos must also be considered to be under serious threat today.

KEY WORDS

Amphibians, reptiles, wetlands on islands, ecology, extinction, and threats to amphibians and reptiles, Rana sp., Mauremys rivulata, schweizeri, Cyclades, Milos, Sifiios, Greece

INTRODUCTION

From a herpetological point of view, The island of Sifnos (76 km2) is the Cyclades are among the most inten- formed by lime-stone and slate outcrops. A sively studied islands of Greece. This is distinctive feature of the island is a series also true for Milos and Sifnos (e. g., BED- of high ridges causing coastal strips which RiAGA 1882; BIRD 1935; WERNER 1935, steeply slope towards the sea. The highest 1938; SCHWEIZER 1935; WETTSTEIN 1953; peak (680 m a.s.l.) is that of Profitis Illias. BUCHHOLZ 1955; CLARK 1969; LIEFTINCK In the valleys and their drainage systems 1974; GRILLITSCH & TIEDEMANN 1984; there are a few springs that flow perma- CATTANEO 1984, 1989; CHONDROPOULOS nently and irrigate parts of the valley bot- 1986, 1989; BUTTLE 1993; CLAES et al. toms during the vegetation period. At the 1995). The Milos Viper (Macrovipera mouth of the largest stream system, behind schweizeri), which lives on the islands of the sandy beach north of Kamares, there the Milos archipelego, and on Sifnos and was a larger wet area until very recently, the Milos Lizard (Podarcis milensis) are of Today, only the few remaining reeds indi- special zoogeographical interest. cate the location of the former wetland Milos (151 km2) is the southernmost area. island in the chain of the western Cyclades. The following remarks based on ob- Due to its volcanic origin, it is rich in min- servations made on Milos island from 18 - eral resources, which have been exploited 24 April 1999 and on Sifnos from 25 - 30 since ancient times. The bare, hilly island April 1999, focus mainly on their hydro- which rises to 751 m a.s.l. is covered by logical systems and hydrophilous herpeto- degraded phrygana in parts. fauna. ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

90 M. F. BROGGI

CLIMATE CONDITIONS

There is no weather station on Sifnos, November and February. Mean annual pre- but there is one on Milos (36°44' N, 24° cipitation over the 43 years of observation 26' E), and climatic data have been re- available is 394 mm. In the 90's, (1990, corded there since 1955 (Source: Hellenic 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995) was National Meteorological Service, Fax Mes- slightly below average while 1996 was the sage 23. June 1999). According to this in- wettest year (668.9 mm) ever observed. formation, precipitation is scarce during Statistical evaluation of the tempera- the months of June to September, while ture data did not reveal trends towards cli- most precipitation is registered between mate warming.

COMMENTS ON THE WETLANDS

Marshy area near the salt ex- frequent in the neighbouring phrygana ar- traction plant of Aliki (Milos). eas and among the rocks. Ablepharus ki- From its productivity, the national taibelii and Cyrtopodion kotschyi were saline plant on Milos is number five in also observed. Greece (WIEDENBEIN 1993). When we vis- Former pond and marshy area ited it, it was not in operation. Along the near Kamares (Sifnos). western perimeter, in the area bordering WERNER (1935) described "a pond the airport, there is an eutrophic drainage that forms the end of a stream that does not ditch containing a stand of reeds. In this reach the sea but rather expands along the ditch we spotted a specimen of Mauremys sandy banks". GRILLITSCH & TIEDEMANN rivulata and saw a few terrapin traces in (1984) still mentioned coastal marshes be- the algae carpet. A water frog (Rana sp.) hind the sandy beach north of Kamares also briefly announced itself acoustically. and a tract of still water is shown in the Cyrtopodion kotschyi and Podarcis milen- map made by JOHN BIRKETT-SMITH in Feb- sis were seen quite frequently near the em- ruary 1995 (Map of Sifnos 1:40,000, Som- bankments of the saline plant; Elaphe si- erset [Rüssel Milne]). In 1999 we still tula crossed a nearby path in the Melds. found a few pools behind the sandy beach Natrix natrix which had been found there that were partly covered with tall-growing in the past could not be observed at this reeds. Large sections of what is now just a time. The habitat is not well suited for M rudimentary coastal marsh have been bur- rivulata since, already by mid April, there ied under building rubble. In the stream were no further water patches present. The bed further up we found various spring population's survival is not guaranteed any systems that allowed some sections of the longer. gully to get moisture. A deep basin shortly Brackish water lagoon near before the foot of the slope was filled with Achivadolimni (Milos). water. Amphibians or hydrophilous rep- In the northern part of the island of tiles, however, could not be spotted. At the Milos there is a lagoon, several hundred foot of the slope a water reservoir for Ka- meters in diameter, separated from the sea mares was set up recently. by a sandy beach and a road. In the south Once again (see BROGGI 1997; CAT- along the road and in the southwestern TANEO 1998) it must be said that on the corner of the lagoon we found.an area of smaller Greek islands most of the few rich vegetation. Here, beneath a chapel at wetlands and their inhabitants are seriously the foot of the slope, a spring supplies wa- threatened. On both Sifnos and Milos there ter to a small wet area. In this marsh I must have been more wetlands once. Thus, found a specimen of M rivulata (carapace BEDRIAGA (1882) refers to "bodies of water length 16 cm). In the canal-shaped, narrow on Milo". The habitat descriptions of end of the marshland two more sturdy SCHWEIZER (1935), COUTSIS (1978) and Mauremys were seen. We also briefly GRILLITSCH & TIEDEMANN (1984) are no heard a water frog. Podarcis milensis was longer valid today. ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

Notizen zur Herpetofauna von Milos und Sifhos 91

COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL SPECIES

According to the literature quoted, findings of the water frog on the Island of the following amphibian and reptile spe- Sifhos. Our search led to a single observa- cies have been found on Milos and Sifnos tion in Potamos Kamaron, above the by- (sea turtles excluded). pass towards Katavati near Apollonia. How- ever, no traces of water frogs were found in Milos (12 species) other water-filled sections downstream of this place. A hint in a guide to the Cy- Rana sp. clades (FÜHRER 1994) mentioning that one Mauremys rivulata can hear the sound of flowing water near Cyrtopodion kotschyi Panagia Poulati even in the summer led us Hemidactylus turcicus to a patch of flowing water including a Ablepharus kitaibelii water-filled stream basin (5 x 5 m2 in size). Lacerta trilineata Five frogs were observed calling in the ba- Podarcis milensis sin. Above and below this spot the stream Eryxjaculus was bordered by a wide belt of Spanish Elaphe situla reed (Arundo donax) not offering any fur- Natrix natrix ther places suited for reproduction. Other Telescopus fallax sites from where Rana has been mentioned in the above literature could not be con- firmed. Sifhos (10 species) The water frog populations on Milos and Sifhos seem to be extremely small. Be- Rana sp. sides anthropogenic effects, dry years may Mauremys rivulata (?extinct) also impede successful reproduction. More- Cyrtopodion kotschyi over, the frog populations are particularly Hemidactylus turcicus vulnerable as they are extremely isolated Ablepharus kitaibelii within a highly fragmented hydrological Lacerta trilineata system. Podarcis erhardii Coluber caspius Marginated Tortoise Elaphe situla Testudo marginata SCHOEPF, 1782 Macrovipera schweizeri CATTANEO (1984) reports on the finding of an individual of Testudo mar- Water Frog ginata in the Turla region near Adamas on Rana sp. Milos. CATTANEO doubted, however, its The status of the Greek water frogs is autochthonous status. Despite various in- still subject to investigations (see e.g., quiries we were unable to obtain any indi- SCHNEIDER et al. 1993; PLOETNER 1998). cation on the presence of land tortoises on Pertinent results on the populations of the Milos. Land tortoises as such are known, Cyclades are not yet available. but mainly as pets of "Atheners" kept in Three sites in which water frogs oc- their summer resorts (also on Sifhos). The cur were found on Milos: (i) drainage listing of the Mediterranean Spur-thighed channels east of the airport, (ii) brackish Tortoise (Testudo graeca) for Milos in lagoons near Achivadolimni, and (iii) the GASC et al. (1997) seems also incorrect. basin of a stream near Empourios, close to Autochthonous land tortoises are unlikely Rivari on the north coast This small stream to occur on both islands. basin, stocked with Typha domingensis, corresponds exactly to the description by Caspian Terrapin CATTANEO (1989). All three populations Mauremys rivulata (VALENCIENNES, 1833) are small in size. BEDRIAGA (1882), WER- NER (1935), WETTSTEIN (1953), and GRIL- The still water pools and the larger LJTSCH & TŒDEMANN (1984) mentioned stream beds on Milos and Sifnos were ex- ©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

92 M. F. BRUGO! amined systematically. SCHWEIZER (1935) west coast. Here there are several small wrote that the Caspian Terrapin "was to be sandy bays (e.g., near , Triades, found in great numbers in fresh water ar- Ammoudaraki) which would make suitable eas. I also saw them on the beach in salt- nesting places. Further investigations are water marshy pools that were surrounded necessary. However, SCHWEIZER (1935) by rushes." The situation has changed mentioned C caretta from the Milos Ar- dramatically since then. On Milos we only chipelago. found two sites where we were able to ob- serve terrapins: (i) near Aliki airport (one Milos Viper specimen) and (ii) south-west of Achiva- Macrovipera schweizeri (WERNER, 1935) dolimni lagoon (three specimens seen). In both cases they must have belonged to very Systematic status and ecology of the weak populations. Milos Viper which is endemic to the Milos In 1858 ERHARD (cited from GRIL- Archipelago (islands of Milos, , LITSCH & TIEDEMANN 1984) wrote that Polinos and Sifnos), has been treated in a Mauremys populations had been said to "be variety of papers (e.g., BEDRIAGA 1882; rare in the marshes on Siphnos". Later, the MERTENS 1951; RADSPIELER & SCHWEIGER presence of this species was confirmed by 1989). Since there is no doubt that the BEDRIAGA (1882), SCHWEIZER (1935), and population is in rapid decline, STUBBS WERNER (1935). Even WETTSTEIN (1953) (1985) called for a biogenetic reserve for refers to two juvenile specimens observed the animal in the western part of Milos. at "Sifnos, Lagoon" which is probably Apparent threats to the population of this identical with the location near Kamares. viper include mining operations (e.g., kao- GRILLITSCH & TIEDEMANN (1985) found lin, manganese, perlite) in open-cast mines no indication of a population of Mauremys. across practically all of the island. These Although the Kamares region and many mining areas increase apparently without stream systems were intensively searched much planning. However, threat probably during our visit, it was no longer possible comes less from the destruction of the vi- to confirm the presence of M. rivulata on per's habitat than from the traffic on the Sifnos. relatively dense network of roads intercon- necting the mines. We observed that some- Loggerhead Turtle times lorries were continuously in opera- Caretta caretta (LINNAEUS, 1758) tion 24-hours per day. This means that the viper's habitats become fragmented and the MARGARTTOULIS (1995) described the animals may be run-over in moving from known nesting places in Greece without one to the next. We ourselves found a mentioning a nesting place on Milos. Nev- Milos Viper that had recently been run- ertheless, local informants told us about over between Ag. Marina and Achiva- nesting places along the rather inaccessible dolimni.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Our warm thanks to Prof. Dr. K. GERBER (Bern, and Landscape Research, Birmensdorf) for his assistance CH) and L. JÄGER (Schaanwald, FL) for their help with with the literature search and to Dr. C. HOFFMANN the fieldwork. Many thanks as well are due to Dr. A (WSL) for the analysis of the climate data. KEMPF (WSL - Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow

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DATE OF SUBMISSION: Corresponding editor: Werner Mayer

AUTHOR: Univ.-Doz. Dr. Ing. MARIO F. BROGGL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research(WSL), Zûrcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.