Reptiles and Amphibians

There are 6 species of amphibians in the area and 27 reptiles

Amphibians need puddles, ponds and other natural sites where water is collected so that they can reproduce and raise their young. The Bombina variegata, or yellow-bellied toad, can be found at an elevation of 400m in wet areas.

The salamander, a mountainous forest species, uses mountain gorges to reproduce, while toads (both the common brown and the green toad) can even reproduce in areas that are only temporarily wet.

Frogs eat insects and in seaside wetlands their populations are enormous. The service they offer humanity by eating flies and mosquitoes is incalculable. What is particularly interesting is the presence of tortoises in the area. The Testudo marginata or marginated tortoise, can be seen all over the area, even at very high altitudes. 

The Mediterranean tortoise, the Testudo hermanni, can be found in many areas, even in the lowlands. The most common turtle of the area in the gorges is the Mauremys caspica or Caspian turtle.

Ten (10) species of lizards have been recorded. The most common are Erhard’s wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii), the snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii), whose eyes never close and the magnificent Lacerta trilineata or Balkan green lizard. The Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) can be found in almost all manmade structures. The eastern green lizard (Lacerta viridis), a very impressive emerald green lizard with a royal blue neck, is more common at higher altitudes than the Balkan green lizard. The agile common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) abounds in the mountainous regions. The large European legless lizard (Ophisaurus apodus, or Scheltopusik) is quite common and can even be found in inhabited areas.

A large variety of snakes

Among the twelve species of snakes in the region, only the long-nosed viper (Vipera ammodytes) is dangerous and venomous.

The Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus), which is common all over Ochi, is not dangerous because its venom-bearing fangs are located at the back of its mouth so that even if it does bite, the quantities of poison deposited are such that the symptoms that ensue are either very slight or even non-existent. The grass snake (Natrix natrix) is one of the most common in the region and can be found in ravines. The Balkan whip snake (Coluber caspius) can be found in areas where there is maquis vegetation, in cultivated fields or in grazing lands. Dahl’s whip snake (Coluber najadum) can be found over the entire area. The European rat snake (Elaphe situla), which folk tradition considers lucky, and the eastern four-lined rat snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata) are strictly protected under Community Directive 92/43. Snakes are indicators of an area’s biodiversity and health. They are food for other animals, such as birds of prey. Most feed on rodents, insects or other reptiles and thus help limit the numbers of those species that harm agriculture.