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Peloponnese, Lakonia, Greece) Across from Peninsular Lakonia and the Parnon Mountains Has a Certain Charm ( LEH - Mann 1980)

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Peloponnese, Lakonia, Greece) Across from Peninsular Lakonia and the Parnon Mountains Has a Certain Charm ( LEH - Mann 1980) __All_Short_Notes_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:42 Seite 32 198 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2016 SHORT NOTE The reptile fauna of the ly flat island in any way striking, although Island of Elafonisos its location in the sound with its blue waters (Peloponnese, Lakonia, Greece) across from peninsular Lakonia and the Parnon mountains has a certain charm ( LEH- mANN 1980). With regard to plant sociolo - The Island of Elafonisos covers 18 km 2; gy, the phrygana communities are classified it has 25 km of coastline and a population of under the Cisto-micromerietea association . about 600 registered inhabitants (Fig. 1). JAGEL (1992) studied the flora of Elafonisos The island, located in the Neapoli Bay at the in a thesis written at the Ruhr-universität southeastern tip of the Peloponnese, has not Bochum (Germany) and made the results long been an island separate from the main - available on the internet . land, which is less than 600 m away. Elafo - In terms of natural assets, the almost nisos probably formed a peninsula of the untouched sandy beaches – something that Peloponnese until the Late Roman period. few Aegean islands can offer – are remark - The Greek geographer STRABO and the able. Along the sandy coast there are white Greek writer PAuSANIAS both wrote that dune communities (Ammophiletum arenari - Elafonisos was a “mainland island” ( LEH- ae) (Fig. 2). The adjoining dune forests with mANN 1980). The cape was possibly de - Juniperus oxycedrus macrocarpa are typi - tached in an earthquake that occurred in 375 cal in character, and the dune successions A. D., although other dates have also been are still dynamic. For its part, wind-borne proposed ( GLASER 2014). In the ancient pe - sand is to be found at the highest elevations riod, the peninsula was called Ονου γνάθου on the island. A temporary pond some 1000 [Onou Gnathou ] or “Donkey ’s Jawbone”. m2 in size found in the northwest area of the The modern name Elafonisos means “Deer island during the April visit (Fig. 3) was the Island”. The point separating the island site of flowering Ranunculus peltata fuco - from the mainland is thought to be the site ides , which JAGEL (1992) classified under of an Early Helladic city (2800 -2000 B.C.), the Isoeto-Nanojuncetea association . whose remains lie on the shallow seabed. The primary purpose of the field trip The island was uninhabited for many cen - to the island was to see the unique sites of turies and served as a refuge for pirates. the endemic plant Saponaria jagelii , which Resettlement, by Cretans and others, did not is present on the island in two small com - begin until the middle of the 19th century munities and is classed as critically endan - (LEHmANN 1980). gered (CR) on the IuCN list ( mONTmOLLIN Elafonisos is roughly triangular in & S TRAHm 2005 ). shape, with the apex pointing towards the The island of Elafonisos forms part of mainland in the north and the base in the the Natura 2000 site GR 2540002 (Periochi south extended to form promontories. The Neapolis Kai Nisos Elafonisos) with a total highest points are Siros (178 m a.s.l. ) on the area of 5,494 hectares. The site comprises western side and Vardhia (276 m a.s.l. ) in the peninsula around Cape maleas on the the east . Between them lies the deep arced Peloponnese mainland, Strongyli Lagoon to bay of Sarakino, which has about two kilo - the east of Pouda and the whole island of meters of attractive sandy beaches. Elafonisos. It is of special interest to the Elafonisos has no permanent superfi - natural scientist for its diversity and espe - cial freshwater bodies , although in 1968 sixty cially with regard to the endemic plant spe - wells were in use , chiefly by farmers for irri - cies Linaria hellenica , Linum phytosianum gation ( JA GEL 1992). Today the vegetation and Saponaria jagelii (Fig. 4) (NATuRA 2000 on the island is mainly phrygana (syn. gar - DATA FORm GR 2540002 1995, 2009) . rigue). The fertile areas in Lefki, Kato Nisi Herpetology notes.- No dedicat - and the upland plain north of Vardhia are ed herpetological study was made of the agricultural land. There are olive groves island of Elafonisos except for a short note around Vardhia and on the northern coast. by PAFILIS (2012), which makes reference to Outstanding natural assets.- the most southerly island occurrence of The island has little in the way of cultural Malpolon insignitus (GEOFFROy DE SAINT - sights. Nor is the landscape of this relative - HILAIRE , 1809) . On two days (14 and 15 __All_Short_Notes_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:42 Seite 33 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2016 SHORT NOTE 199 September , 2011) he saw three specimens of ered by Günter Stadler and Wilfried Kauf - this species and interpreted this as evidence mann at sea-level near the temporary pond of a larger population. He also remembered in the west of the island near Cape Leptos. having seen Lacerta trilineata BEDRIAGA , On 11 April , the author discovered another 1886 and Hemidactylus turcicus (LINNAEuS , specimen, also at sea-level, in the north of 1758) (PAFILIS in litt. 10 June , 2014). the island near Cape Kaloghirou. The On the Natura 2000 standard data form length of its carapace was 26.5 cm, while a for 1995, with additions made in 2009, 21 further specimen with a carapace length of amphibian and reptile species are listed for 28 cm was observed on the same day near the area, although no distinction is made be - Cape Leptos. On 13 April, two smaller tor - tween mainland and island locations (NA- toises were seen at about 200 m above sea- TuRA 2000 S TANDARD DATA FORm GR level at the northern foot of Vardhia, name - 2540002 1995, 2009) . The species listed on ly a semi-adult specimen and a juvenile with the data form, arranged in alphabetical order a carapace length of about 8 cm (G. Stadler, and using the original names, are as follows: W. Kaufmann). The sixth specimen, with a Ablepharus kitaibelii , Algyroides moreoti - carapace length of 29 cm, was observed on cus , Bufo bufo , Bufo viridis viridis , Coluber 14 April , on the mavro Akrotiri Peninsula gemonensis , Coluber najadum dahlii , on the island’s northern coast (P. Goop and Elaphe situla , Eryx jaculus turcicus , Hemi - the author). No information was obtained dactylus turcicus , Hyla arborea , Lacerta about potential nesting sites of Caretta graeca , Lacerta trilineata cariensis , Mal - caretta (LINNAEuS , 1758). polon monspessulanus insignitus , Maur - Hemidactylus turcicus turcicus (LIN- emys caspica rivulata , Natrix natrix persa , NAEuS , 1758).- Fewer finds were made of Natrix tessellata , Ophiomorus punctatissi - this species and never in the same location mus , Podarcis peloponnesiaca lais , Testudo as the above gecko. Again, no specimens marginata , Typh lops vermicularis , Vipera were observed on buildings, which would ammodytes meridionalis . normally be the case. On 12 April , about One of the sources for the list of spe - ten specimens were discovered in a well in cies was the manual for the Corine biotopes the Vighla area to the north of Vardhia. project ( WyATT et al. 1988), which was used Mediodactylus kotschyi bibroni (BEuT- for the data on Ablepharus kitaibelii , Bufo LER &GRuBER , 1977).- This gecko was not viridis and Natrix tessellata . From informa - found, as would be normal for this time of tion provided by the herpetological expert the year, in the dry-stone walls or in other Professor Basil P. CHONDRO POuLOS (in litt. 2 surface locations. A number of specimens June , 2014), it is clear that the list relates were seen, however, in the many wells scat - largely to the mainland, where only a short tered across the island and, more rarely, field trip was possible due to limited funds, under stones. This was the most frequently and that the literature was also consulted. It observed reptile during the field trip to the seems possible that potential spe cies were island. also listed. During a short visit to the island Lacerta trilineata trilineata BEDRIA- made at that time, Basil P . CHON DROPOuLOS GA , 1886.- The Balkan Green Lizard seems himself saw Testudo marginata SCHOEPFF , to be present throughout the island but was 1792 , Lacerta trilineata , Malpo lon insigni - not frequently seen . tus and Platyceps najadum (EICH WALD , Podarcis peloponnesiacus pelopon - 1831) . nesiacus (BIBRON & B ORy DE SAINT -V IN- Together with three colleagues, the CENT , 1833).- The visit to the island pro - author of this paper visited Elafonisos from duced remarkably few lizard sightings, pos - 6-14 April , 2014. The weather was mainly sibly due to the relatively low temperatures sunny but rather cool, with maximum tem - at the time. Only in the area of the tempo - peratures of 16-18 °C. The following spe - rary pond on Cape Leptos several speci - cies were observed during the visit to the mens of the Peloponnese Wall Lizard were island: observed . They were extraordinarily shy, Testudo marginata SCHOEPFF , 1792 and long periods of observation were re - (Fig. 5) .- On 8 April , a tortoise was discov - quired merely to identify the species. __All_Short_Notes_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.2016 10:42 Seite 34 200 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 28 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2016 SHORT NOTE 2 4 1 3 __All_Short_Notes_SHORT_NOTE.qxd 12.02.201610:42Seite35 S H O R T N O T E H E R P E T O Z O A 2 8 ( 5 6 3 / 4 ) W i e 7 n , Fig. 1: The Greek Island of Elafonisos south of the Peleponnese 3 (map from GLASER 2014). 0 . J Fig. 2: White dune communities and adjoining dune forests ä n with Juniperus along the Sarakiniko Bay , Elafonisos .
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