New friend

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JTh

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Re: New friend
« Reply #15 on: September 11, 2012, 05:16:02 PM »
Thank you, Oron, I had a suspicion the green lizard was L. viridis, but I did not  guess the subspecies. I suppose this one is the same species, I  saw it on the MGS trip to Epirus four years ago. It was sitting inside a small icon near the Konitsa bridge crossing the Aoos  river.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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Marilyn

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Re: New friend
« Reply #16 on: September 11, 2012, 05:30:26 PM »
Am so enjoying these photos of our "frineds" :)
A sad coincidence, after talking about bright green chameleons on the road: today I found one run over on one of the roads through the garden. I sincerely hope it was not on purpose...!
On a lighter note, here are some photos of encounters with a chameleon and a gecko.
I work in hotel and private gardens, promoting sustainable landscape management in the mediterranean climate through the use of diverse, beautiful and appropriate plants. At home, I garden on two balconies containing mostly succulents.

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Marilyn

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Re: New friend
« Reply #17 on: September 11, 2012, 05:31:30 PM »
And, WOW, Jorun, just seen this latest lizard; what a brilliant shot! :)
I work in hotel and private gardens, promoting sustainable landscape management in the mediterranean climate through the use of diverse, beautiful and appropriate plants. At home, I garden on two balconies containing mostly succulents.

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MikeHardman

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Re: New friend
« Reply #18 on: September 12, 2012, 01:47:19 PM »
Very nice Daisy!
He looks a well-fed one.
I can almost feel those strange feet on your skin.

Jorun - I like that last lizard shot; he looks very cheeky.
I saw a few nice lizards (and butterflies and violets) on a trip to Epirus (since you mention it) back in 1994, especially in the Vikos Gorge. They had brightly coloured throats, too. The pictures are on film, still awaiting scanning; one day, maybe...
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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JTh

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Re: New friend
« Reply #19 on: September 12, 2012, 02:54:00 PM »
And I love the chameleon photos, Mike and Marilyn, I have never seen such a creature. The last photo was from the Vikos Gorge, a place worth visiting.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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John J

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Re: New friend
« Reply #20 on: May 19, 2013, 05:00:45 PM »
Having mentioned in a previous posting that we don't often see chameleons on our property any more my wife spotted this little chap on our avacado tree this evening. We had returned from a day spent at the Annual Cyprus Cactus & Succulent Society Show in Nicosia and were strolling around the garden stretching our legs from the drive and enjoying the cooler temperature after the heat and humidity of the central plain when she saw him.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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Alisdair

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Re: New friend
« Reply #21 on: May 19, 2013, 07:20:52 PM »
Who does he/she remind me of?
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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MikeHardman

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Re: New friend
« Reply #22 on: May 19, 2013, 11:18:20 PM »
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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JTh

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Re: New friend
« Reply #23 on: August 08, 2013, 03:39:52 PM »
My friend, the green lizard (Lacerta viridis ssp. meridionalis) is still staying near our house. I was picking som figs from our tiny fig tree, when I suddenly discovered I  was not the only one there. The lizard was even bigger than last year, must be around 35-40 cm long now. It was watching me intently when I photographed it, wondering how to get away from from a sticky situation. I must admit I  was slightly frightened at first as well, before I realized what it was.

I don't think it is stealing my figs, but probably enjoying all the ants licking the sweet juice oozing from the fig, so it is a useful companion animal.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2013, 03:42:42 PM by JTh »
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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Fleur Pavlidis

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Re: New friend
« Reply #24 on: August 09, 2013, 07:07:30 AM »
A very interesting photo. i hadn't realised that our green lizards have such complicated markings. I found rather a nice web site detailing a trip round northern Greece searching out snakes and lizards. http://vipersgarden.at/reports/gr08.php
MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece

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John J

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Re: New friend
« Reply #25 on: April 06, 2014, 12:29:00 PM »
On the subject of lizards, one of the things I found surprising on the Morocco trip was their absence. In the whole 10 days I saw just one, whereas here in Cyprus they are everywhere, all shapes and sizes. By comparison it's almost like living in Jurassic Park.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: New friend
« Reply #26 on: July 31, 2014, 06:27:35 AM »
To go back to Daisy's original posting on this thread. While I was taking my usual early morning walk around the garden I came across this character apparently enjoying a hearty breakfast.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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MikeHardman

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Re: New friend
« Reply #27 on: July 31, 2014, 07:40:29 AM »
This is Argiope lobata, as discussed here
- http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=493.0

I don't know about you (anybody), but I find big spiders much less intimidating if they have a web. ...As opposed to the free-running types. We've had more tarantulas than usual here, and I can't say I'm very comfortable when sneaking up on one to photograph it. One night, in our electricity meter box, which also houses the irrigation controller, I was reaching in to press the override button and I almost pressed the adult tarantula that was sat there. That sent me running for a second!

Mike
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

SusanIbiza

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Re: New friend
« Reply #28 on: July 31, 2014, 02:55:39 PM »
Yikes Mike!  I would run for more than a second!  Are tarantulas common in the Mediterranean?  Are they in Ibiza? 
Now gardening in Ibiza, Balearics having moved last year from Queensland, Australia.  Mediterranean gardening is my challenge now, there is such a lot to learn, but it is lots of fun.

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MikeHardman

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Re: New friend
« Reply #29 on: July 31, 2014, 10:08:01 PM »
Susan,

Tarantulas in Ibiza...
Well Tarantulas actually comprise quite a large number of species, collectively the family - Theraphosidae;
see  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantulahttp://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=10635.
You'll see from the latter link there are eight species in Europe.

They are certainly known form mainland Spain (eg. Toledo and Andalusia), but I can't find definitive info for Ibiza.
They are also supposed to get around in packaged bananas. In Cyprus one is advised to be on the lookout for them in banana plantations. Maybe the same applies in Ibiza? Trouble is, in Cyprus at any rate, we have seen more tarantulas outside banana plantations than within them.

Let's just say I hope you don't come across one.

Mike
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England