The trip started 11th July from Szeged, Hungary; we travelled through Serbia and Macedonia to Albania. The team consisted of Balázs Vági (biologist, MSc), Patrik Katona (student in biology), Gábor Kardos (MD) and me. Our first aim was the Albanian side of the Korab mountains; we have started from Rabdisht, a small village close to Peshkopi. We received help from inhabitants of Peshkopi ; a local guy kindly offered a lift to Rabdisht in his Land Rover, which was indispensable as the road was too rough for our car. We reached Rabdisht at dusk and found a guide in the tavern, who showed us the path to the pastures. We spent a short night at the foot of the steep and reached the habitat in the morning, where we found clear water and a good campsite. We observed a number of Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis bosnica) and Agile frog (Rana dalmatina) as well as an adult male Karst viper (Vipera ursinii macrops), confirming its presence on the Albanian side of the Korab.

Karst vipera (Vipera ursinii macrops) © E. Mizsei

The habitat harbouring these herps was a highly humid small valley irrigated by several small streams, where the vegetation was dense, characterized by long grass with numerous daisies (Leukanthemum spp), and close to the streams with butterwort (Pinguicula spp)., globeflower (Trollius europaeus), orchids (Orchis spp, Gymnadenia spp) and false helleborine (Veratrum album).

Korab Mt. © G. Kardos

Karst viper habitat on Korab © P. Katona

We have spent the night in the habitat and left it early next morning. We got back to Peshkopi with a local autobus and started for Permet county. We reached a river valley where some thermal water burst forth from the moutainside and spent the night and the next morning there. The pools formed by the lukewarm water provide a habitat for numerous Pelophylax epeirotica, a few Bombina variegata scabra; we also observed a Natrix tessellata. The warm-watered pools and the cold stream together form an interesting combination of different microhabitats, so we plan to take a trip entirely dedicated to study the area in 2011. Unfortunately, conversion of the place to a target for tourists has begun.

Përroi i Frashërit stream © E. Mizsei

Early afternoon we started for Permet to build up provisions and reached the foot of the next mountain to be visited at dusk in the village Podgoran. We have found ample help there and next morning we climbed the mountain in the company of local people, Landi, Lushi and Cesar. The packs were carried by donkeys, but the climb was still hard on the hot mountainside.

Go up to Trebeshinë! © E. Mizsei

The lower parts (up to 700 m) were characterized by a dry grassy slope inhabited by Latrodectus tredecimguttatus and other insects. Higher we found a typical mediterranean shrubby macchia, then hop-hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia), even higher grassy slopes without trees or shrubs, but with numerous peonies (Paeonia spp). We reached the habitat at noon, and after the life-saving hospitality (water, coffee and raki) of our guides we built our camp in a small valley at 1700 m. The habitat is significantly drier then the Korab habitat, a typical association was Daphno-Festucetales with numerous bare rocks. The orthoptera fauna was rich, Stenobothrus spp. and Decticus albifrons being the most commonly seen. At 7 pm we have found the first Greek karst viper (Vipera ursinii graeca) among the Festuca grass, a juvenile female specimen, on a western slope.

First Greek karst viper (Vipera ursinii graeca) on Trebeshinë © E. Mizsei

Next day we started at 7 am, and within fifty meters from the campsite we found four snakes within ten minutes; three V. ursinii graeca females (all adults and gravid) as well as a juvenile Hierophis gemonensis. All snakes were found about 1750 m altitude and seemed to hunt when observed. Half an hour later we found two more adult gravid V. ursinii graeca females basking when found. The last one was an exceptionally large specimen of 38 cms in length. We found two moults as well. The afternoon search for snakes was unrewarded. In this way a new V. u. graeca habitat was discovered in Terebeshinë.

Juvenile Balkan Racer (Hierophis gemonensis) © P. Katona

Sampling the vipers © G. Kardos

Large female graeca © E. Mizsei

Trebeshinë habitat © P. Katona

During our stay in the mountain, the kindness and hospitality of our guides was constant. Next morning we returned to Podgoran, said farewell to our friends and after bathing in the Vjose during the hot hours, and travelling through Tepelene we reached the village of Vemblan at dusk again. After spending the night and most of the following day in Vemblan, and getting help from Pandeli and his relatives, we started climbing Griba at 6 pm. The packs were carried by a mule driven by our friend Maze. After spending the night in a very spartan camp, we reached the habitat (1800 m) next morning. We surveyed the area, where the association was the same, but besides Festuca and Stipa grass found on Terebeshine Daphne oleoides, Astragalus microcephalus and Rosa spp. were more frequent and the surface was a lot more rocky. We found a few tulips and daffodils with seed pods. The Orthoptera fauna was less diverse then at Terebeshinë, Stenobothrus spp. was absent. There were water tanks for sheep, in which Yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata scabra, adults and tadpoles), Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgraris) larvae and fairy shrimps (Branchipus spp.) was abundant.

In spite of the promising habitat, the afternoon search for snakes resulted in no observations, but we found Balkan greend lizard (Lacerta trilineata) at an unexpected altitude (1818 m). The night was extremely windy, which continued next day, so the snake hunting seemed and later proved to be hopeless. However, we observed further Lacerta trilineata specimens at high altitudes.

Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata) female © E. Mizsei

Getting back to Vemblan we observed an adult male Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes) on the steep western slope of the mountain in a grassy area with Ostrya patches.

Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes) © E. Mizsei

The snake basked when found. Lower on the slope close to village we found a fresh moult of a Easter Montpellier snake (Malpolon insignitus) in the macchia. Getting back to Vemblan we spent the night there then started for the coast for rest and two days later we returned to Szeged.

The team: Patrik Katona, Balázs Vági, Edvard Mizsei, Gábor Kardos (from left to right)