This spring, we enjoyed a fantastic trip through Northern Greece and Southern Bulgaria. The combination of stunning landscapes and rich wildlife made it an unforgettable experience, with several moments where the beauty of nature genuinely moved us. Our focus was on amphibians, reptiles, fish, and small mammals, which made every day very different. One moment we were standing in a river searching for fish, the next we were exploring caves for bats.
But the primary goal of the trip was to find four newt species that I had never seen before: Macedonian crested newt (Triturus macedonicus), Bulgarian crested newt (Triturus ivanbureschi), Greek newt (Lissotriton graecus) and Schmidtler’s smooth newt (Lissotriton schmidleri). We were delighted to find all four species, bringing us very close to seeing all European amphibian species.
Spring is also an excellent season for searching for reptiles. We looked for two elusive snake species that spend much of the year hidden underground: the European blind snake (Xerotyphlops vermicularis) and the Javelin Sand Boa (Eryx jaculus). Finding several Ottoman vipers (Montivipera xanthina), albeit juveniles, was another memorable moment.
There was no shortage of interesting freshwater fish species to discover, as Northern Greece is home to many endemic species such as barbels, spined loaches, cyprinids, etc. And although we did not visit the natural range of the Western Greece goby (Economidichthys pygmaeus), we were fortunate to see this species from an introduced population.
Much of our time spent searching for small mammals was dedicated to bats, by inspecting caves and abandoned buildings. However, the only new mammal species for me was not a bat, but the Günther’s vole (Microtus guentheri).
Looking back, it was a truly rewarding trip filled with memorable encounters and an incredible diversity of species.
