Photographs of Greek Fauna and Wildlife

Amphibians & Reptiles

"Of animals which are furnished with tongue and lung, the oviparous quadrupeds produce a voice, but a feeble one; in some cases, a shrill piping sound, like the serpent; in others, a thin faint cry; in others, a low hiss, like the tortoise. The formation of the tongue in the frog is exceptional. The front part of the tongue, which in other animals is detached, is tightly fixed in the frog as it is in all fishes; but the part towards the pharynx is freely detached, and may, so to speak, be spat outwards, and it is with this that it makes its peculiar croak."

Aristotle, "The History of Animals"

Reptiles can be distinguished from amphibians because they have dry, scaly skins, whilst the latter usually have moist skins, without any obvious scales. Both reptiles and amphibians are quite primitive animals, compared with birds and, of course, mammals.

They also function on a very different energy budget. Birds and mammals usually maintain a constant high body temperature. This gives them a distinct advantage and allows them to be constantly active in a wide range of habitats and environmental conditions. The downside is that they have to produce a great deal of internal heat, which, in turn, requires a very high food intake.

Reptiles and amphibians, on the other hand, have very variable temperatures and either live close to the temperature of the surrounding air/water or get the required heat by basking in the sun or sitting on sun-heated surfaces. In cold conditions, activity may become totally impossible.

However, this disadvantage is more than balanced by the fact that reptiles and amphibians need to produce very little or no internal heat and can, therefore, get by on a very low food intake. Because of this, they generally do very well in situations where food is sparse or intermittent and, as a result, survive despite the competition by more sophisticated animals, such as birds and mammals.

Anyway, take a look at the pictures and peruse some facts about Mt. Pelion's reptiles and amphibians.


		Testudo marginata Enjoy some nice pictures of the Marginated Tortoise, a large, cumbersome creature with a very limited distribution range.
		Testudo hermanni Take a look at the Hermann's Tortoise, another cute, slow-moving reptile that can be found on the Pelion peninsula.
		Lacerta trilineata Browse through some great photos of the Balkan Green Lizard, one of the largest, commonest and prettiest lizards in the Pelion region.
		Bufo bufo View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.
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