Reptile & Plant ID please

[Mad Mike]

Just back from a holiday in Tuscany. The cat went with us & proved to be good a finding local critters - didn't know what the heck to do next.

First a food plant growing out of a drainage hole in a retaining wall

Cats 1st find on our arrival. I am not sue how one that big got in!

This one was very unhappy about being disturbed. Its difficult to take pictures of a moving subject while keeping your distance & holding on to a wriggling cat.

I think I know what everything is, at least generally. If anyone can confirm please

Mike

 

[Harvestman]

Err, plant, lizard, cat, snake.

Where's JD when you need him?

Lovely pics mate, especially of the snake.

 

[Bushwhacker]

You took a cat on holiday?

 

[treelore]

plant could possibly be Eucalyptus regen but not 100% due to photo
lizard could be a Lacerta viridis European green lizard, but JD would be your man
thats a grass snake natri natrix if my latin has'nt got too rusty, but again JD is your man

 

[FerlasDave]

The lizard is a western green lizard. Most likely a female due to the slender head and slight blue throat.

 

[FerlasDave]

Heres a little more information.

http://www.herpfrance.com/reptile/western_green_lizard_lacerta_bilineata.php

 

[Harvestman]

Based on that useful and interesting link provided by Davey569, I'm wondering if the snake is a juvenile Aesculapian snake.

 

[FerlasDave]

Based on that useful and interesting link provided by Davey569, I'm wondering if the snake is a juvenile Aesculapian snake.

Looks like you could be right, I didnt ponder on the snake pic as I was thinking natrix natrix as already said. However the brown markings do look very smilar.

 

[Harvestman]

My mental alarms were telling me "not enough black around the neck stripe for a grass snake" so I had a look on your link.

I'm still not completely sure.

 

[Mad Mike]

You took a cat on holiday?

Oh yes she goes bushcrafting as well sometimes

Mike

 

[JonathanD]

Righty-O then...

The lizard is indeed a Green Lizard, more precisely a Western Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata), please check that as my spelling may be off. L. bilineata occurs, as the name suggests, in more westernly locations compared to its very very close relative L. viridis. It is a male, although some females may also have a blue throat with this species, but the head is far less pronounced and almost tapers without any definition from the neck. It also shows a slight penal bulge.

And yeah, again, the snake is a juvenile Aesculapian (Elaphe longissima). Female, undernourished.

Cool pics. I spent a while in Tuscany surveying for and studying the local Asp population. It was rumoured they had a rare subspecies occurring there, but I couldn't confirm that. Wickedly aggressive little blighters in Italy though.

 

[FerlasDave]

Righty-O then...

The lizard is indeed a Green Lizard, more precisely a Western Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata), please check that as my spelling may be off. L. bilineata occurs, as the name suggests, in more westernly locations compared to its very very close relative L. viridis. It is a male, although some females may also have a blue throat with this species, but the head is far less pronounced and almost tapers without any definition from the neck. It also shows a slight penal bulge.

And yeah, again, the snake is a juvenile Aesculapian (Elaphe longissima). Female, undernourished.

Cool pics. I spent a while in Tuscany surveying for and studying the local Asp population. It was rumoured they had a rare subspecies occurring there, but I couldn't confirm that. Wickedly aggressive little blighters in Italy though.

Huzzar! I got one right! Didnt need to look it up either, I remember reading about them as they can be found in some parts of south england along with Wall Lizards.

 

[Mad Mike]

Nice to have pictures appreciated. How about these from previous years. All taken within the same 5metre radius

Quite the biggest I have seen - that's a Land Rover tyre. There are loads of small (Wall) lizards as well. Something is keeping the bigger things fed.

Again I think I know what they are, but not what sex etc.

Mike

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Nice to have pictures appreciated. How about these from previous years. All taken within the same 5metre radius

That's a Western whip snake ( Hierophis viridiflavus )