Mission marromatus- FAILED

[benjamin]

This last week I went to france hoping to encounter and photograph T. maromatus in the wild, in the south eastern corner of their range near the Camargue. Unfortunately the only amphibian I found was this large frog.

If anybody could identify it, it would be appreciated.

Later I went to Paris to the "Pet shop" district and walked in on this aquarium. Orgionally it probably contained several species of newts and frogs but now it was dominated by surprizingly healthy looking juviniles of some pachytriton species. There were about five african clawed frogs and one sad P. watl who's hind legs had been replaced by puffs of fungus. Clearly the Pachitriton's aggressiveness would eventually clear the tank of all other individuals.

 

[Jan]

Ben, if you want to find newts in France you should look for pools of stagnant water. Especially in the arid regions of the country; i.e. the part you visited, this might prove very difficult.I spent about 25 years of holidays in France and it was only this year that I succeeded in finding marmoratus in the south of the country.
I bought myself a very detailed map and simply went to all places where water was indicated; then look in the water(so bring a net) and start turning rocks and any debris you might come across.....

 

[benjamin]

Next time I'll probably go to a place more with in the range, at a better time of year, and with a good map. There were a few ponds there but most were occupied by fish. Heres a picture of nifty slug I found (I know it has nothing to do with newts).

 

[mike]

Hi Ben,
I would recommend the Cherbourg peninsula, in north western France, it's a lot closer to home.
In ponds, amongst the sand dunes there, you can find T.marmoratus and T.cristatus, and if you're lucky hybrids of those two species. Also lots of Bufo calamita.
The frog in your picture belongs to the European green or water frog complex, (Rana lessonae, the pool frog, R.ridibunda, the marsh frog, and R.kl esculenta, the edible frog, a hybrid which originated from crossing lessonae males with ridibunda females).
My guess is that it's a marsh frog, which has been widely introduced into France.
Nice slug.

 

[benjamin]

I thought it may have been a marsh frog my self because of its pointy nose.

 

[sergé]

Hi Benjamin,

october is really a bad time for marmoratus in the wild. Try april/may next time. And there are indeed more regions where it is much easier to find them. I think the Camargue is really on the edge of their distribution. My friend Rob Veen lives just south of the centre of France, (www.tigouleix.nl) and has a small camping site. There marmoratus is very common.

 

[william]

the frog is definitely a marsh frog

 

[Jan]

...and the snail is a leopard snail, until quite recently not found in The Netherlands where I live, but now it is(personal observation, namely my backyard). It is a carniverous snail that feeds on other snails...

 

[ajfr0ggy]

Every holiday i go on i end up looking for herps, when i went to spain i was hoping to find some nice Bufo bufo spinosus, but only found 1 bufo calamita, better than nothing i suppose!

Do you mean the slug, Jan?

I saw one of those in yorkshire, amazing thing. i also saw 2 floating down my local stream on a log. Are they really carniverous?

AJfr0ggy