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  • Two trips to Romania and quite some trapping nights, but in the end we managed: photographing the Hungarian birch mouse (Sicista trizona)! This extremely rare mammal species is only known from two isolated populations in Hungary and Transylvania in Romania, each of which belong to their own subspecies. The Hungarian subspecies was not seen for over 70 years until being rediscovered in 2006, while the Transylvanian subspecies was only rediscovered in 2014. Well, at that time it was thought to be a subspecies of the southern birch mouse (S. subtilis). It was only in 2016 a study found sufficient genetic and anatomical divergence for it to be considered its own species. Sicista trizona depends on undisturbed grassland habitat or grassland grazed by livestock, but is threatened by intensive agriculture as well as overgrazing by sheep. These threats and rarity have led to the species being classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Hungarian birch mouse (Sicista trizona transylvanica) - Transylvania, Romania - April 2025 #sicista #birchmouse #sicistatrizona #hungarianbirchmouse #românia #romania #transylvania #mammalwatching #mammals #mammalsofinstagram #endageredspecies #endangered #research #conservation #natureconservation #wildlife #naturephotograpy #nature #mammal
  • The Mehely's blind mole-rat (Spalax antiquus) is an endangered species of rodent that can be found in a geomorphologically well-defined region: the Transylvanian Plateau. It is Romania’s only endemic mammal. Eurasian blind mole-rats are adapted to exclusively underground life. These small mammals have cylindrically shaped bodies with no external ears and are completely blind. They spend their entire life in their tunnel system and feed on underground plant parts such as roots, tubers, and bulbs. Mehely's blind mole-rat (Spalax antiquus) - Transylvania, Romania - April 2025 #spalax #spalaxantiquus #mehelysmolerat #molerat #mole #underground #subterranean #românia #romania #transylvania #mammalwatching #mammals #mammalsofinstagram #endageredspecies #endangered #research #conservation #natureconservation #wildlife #naturephotograpy #nature #mammal
  • One of the highlights during our trip to the Canary Islands was the encounter with Angelsharks (Squatina squatina). Angelsharks have been eliminated throughout much of its historical range over the past century and are listed as Critically Endangered. The Canary Island archipelago appears to be the last major refuge for this species. Albeit being aware of that, I did not expect to see them while snorkeling. Apparently I was wrong about that. In Lanzarote I saw the first one. I couldn't believe my eyes! After some minutes of pure thrill and enjoyment, I realized this resting male could be a good photo opportunity. I had no camera with me, so I swam and ran as fast as I could to my car and back. Luckily he was still there - Angelsharks are more active at night than during the day, so it's not unusual that he didn't move. After some pictures I swam back to the beach more relaxed and I saw another Angelshark! This one was almost completely buried, but still a pleasant surprise. A week later I saw a third one while snorkeling in Tenerife, together with Spiny butterfly rays. What a magical moments! Angelshark (Squatina squatina) - Lanzarote - December 2024 #angelshark #angelsharks #squatina #squatinasquatina #sharks #lanzarote #tenerife #canaryislands #oceans #shark #underwaterworld #underwater #naturephotograpy #conservation #endangered #endangeredspecies #angelote #freediving #snorkeling #canarys #oceanlife #marinescience #marinebiology #sharkresearch #sharkconservation #marine #angelsharkproject #angelsharkprojectcanaryislands
  • The Canarian herpetofauna is characterized by a high number of endemic species. When we visited Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Tenerife last winter, we found all seven reptile species that are endemic to these islands (three on Fuerteventura/Lanzarote and four on Tenerife). The hardest one was the Eastern Canary skink, Chalcides simonyi, as the species is scarce and difficult to find in the field. But in the end we managed to find two individuals on Fuerteventura. This species also occurs on Lanzarote, but seems even more difficult to find there. On both islands the two other endemic species are the Atlantic lizard (Gallotia atlantica) and the Eastern Canary gecko (Tarentola angustimentalis). Eastern Canary skink (Chalcides simonyi) - Fuerteventura - December 2024 #skink #chalcidessimonyi #reptiles #endemic #fuerteventura #Lanzarote #canaryislands #herpetologist #herps #fieldherping #naturephotography #herpingtheglobe #conservation #nature #spain #easterncanaryskink #chalcides #lizard #gecko #herpetology #canarias #islascanarias
  • I was lucky enough to photograph the Canarian shrew (Crocidura canariensis) during our stay on Fuerteventura. This shrew is endemic to the eastern Canary islands (Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and it's islets) and is the last surviving terrestrial mammal native to the Canary Islands. All other native mammals -such as the lava mouse- have become extinct. Sadly the Canarian shrew, classified as endangered, is not doing well either. It seems to be most threatened by habitat loss and the numerous species introduced to the islands, including feral cats. Another threat are discarded bottles. Every year, many bottles, cans and other containers for beverages are consumed and dumped in nature. They may represent a threat to all kind of small animals which are trapped and die inside them. After some research I found a case of a discarded bottle on mainland Spain with 54 (!) dead small mammals inside. You can imagine such a deathtrap may affect endangered populations of species with reduced ranges, like the Canarian shrew. Some information on the distribution of the Canarian shrew is based on remaining's found in bottles. With this in mind, I couldn't resist to have a closer look at a discarded bottle I saw in suitable habitat on Fuerteventura. I couldn't believe my eyes: the bottle was filled with dead animals. At least 4 Canarian shrews and many Atlantic lizards (Gallotia atlantica) died because someone was too lazy to take their rubbish with them. How sad is that?! Canarian shrew (Crocidura canariensis) - Fuerteventura - December 2024 #canarianshrew #canaryshrew #crocidura #crociduracanariensis #fuerteventura #canaryislands #spain #endangered #mammal #mammals #mammalwatching #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #shrew #litter #leefnothingbutyourfootprint
  • I photographed these Mediterranean horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus euryale) during a mammal survey in Montenegro. This species can be found in the Mediterranean ecoregion where its presence is linked to limestone areas with caves serving as shelters. Horseshoe bats get their common name from their large nose-leaf, which are shaped like horseshoes. The nose-leafs aid in echolocation; horseshoe bats have highly sophisticated echolocation, using constant frequency calls at high-duty cycles to detect prey in areas of high environmental clutters. Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale) - Montenegro - October 2024 #bat #bats #Montenegro #nature #horseshoebat #rhinolophus #rhinolophuseuryale #batconservation #wildlife #mammalwatching #naturephotography #chiroptera #batsofinstagram #batresearch #caving #research #wildlifephotography #mediterranean #caves #mammalsurvey #horseshoebats #speleo #speleology
  • 10 years ago I visited the coast of Brittany for the very first time. Since then it became a yearly trip during the highest spring tide of the year. And so I did this year. In the past years we stayed at one place and explored the region. This time we planned a small road trip dedicated to some species we wanted to see. One of them was this nudibranch, called Berghia coerulescens. I think there is no need to explain why this beauty was on our target list 😁 Berghia coerulescens - Brittany, France - March 2024 #nudibranch #nudibranchs #berghiacoerulescens #berghia #marinebiology #marine #rockpooling #naturephotography #nature #atlantic #ocean #macro #macrophotography #sea #marinelife #Brittany #france #atlanticocean #marinebiology #marinebiologist #breton #bretagne #marinewildlife
  • Last week I joined the Nietoperek Bat Census in Poland again. The Nietoperek Bat Reserve is a system of concrete tunnels with a total length of ca. 32km situated 20-30m underground. With numbers of hibernating bats exceeding 39000 individuals in some years, it is ranked in the top 10 largest hibernation sites in Europe. I made some photographs during the census. From left to right you see: Bechstein's bat - Myotis bechsteinii Cluster of Barbastelle bats - Barbastella barbastellus Group of mainly Greater mouse-eared bats - Myotis myotis Grey long-eared bat - Plecotus austriacus Cluster of Greater mouse-eared bats - Myotis myotis Natterer's bat - Myotis nattereri Daubenton bats - Myotis daubentonii Nietoperek Bat Reserve, Poland - January 2024 #bats #bat #Nietoperek #Poland #census #underground #tunnels #nature #naturephotography #Myotis #Barbastella #Plecotus #batconservation #conservation #wildlife #research #caving #mammalwatching #chiroptera #batsofinsragram #batresearch #hibernation #hibernating
  • Last Sunday an Orca was swimming close to the Belgian coast. It was the first one observed in Belgian waters since 1850. But five hours after the first report, the animal swam too close to the beach, stranded and died. So sad and surreal to see this happening. Investigations are ongoing to gain more clarity about the origin and weak conditions of the animal. A photo serie on my website (link in bio). Orca (Orcinus orca) - North Sea, Belgium - October 2023 #orca #orka #orcinusorca #whale #whalewatching #whaleresearch #ocean #beached #belgischekust #depanne #koksijde #Belgium #marinebiology #marinefauna #marinemammals #mammalwatching #whalewatching #whaleresearch #marineconservation #beach #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #cetaceans
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