Hajdúság, Hungary (Hajdúság, Ungarn) (Hajdúság, Magyarország) 10.2012.

Last October, I had the opportunity to join a group of mammalologists who study the lesser mole rats of the Carpathian Basin. In the Hajdúság region in East-Hungary (traditional county of the Hajdús) and in the Transylvanian Plain in Romania, an endemic (sub)species of mole rats is found: Nannospalax (leucodon) transsylvanicus. This blind rodent was once widespread, now only relict populations remain - it is strictly protected now. They spend their entire life underground, digging an extensive system of branched burrows and feeding mostly on roots. For studying the population in a military-owned area near Hajdúhadház, 2 specimens were dug out, examined and released back.

Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro (Nationalpark Biogradska Gora, Montenegro) (Biogradska Gora Nemzeti Park, Montenegró) 09.2012.

As we travelled through Montenegro, we stopped for a night in the Biogradska Gora National Park in the northern, mountainous region of the country. It was raining the whole day long, so we just set up our tents and spent the whole night listening to the roaring of local brown bears. Taking photos was not possible,  than, however, one interesting arthropod species turned out in the tents in great numbers: the orange harvestman Opilio ruzickai.

Bojana Island, Montenegro (Insel Bojana, Montenegro) (Bojana-sziget, Montenegró) 09.2012.

On the way back from Albania in September 2012, we stopped on the Bojana Island (Ada Bojana) for a day, which is located at the Montenegrin side of the boarder river of the same name. There are sandy coasts, coastal forests, salt swamps and a large number of interesting reptiles on this small island.

Sarandë District, Albania IV. (Kreis Sarandë, Albanien IV.) (Sarandë járás, Albánia IV.) 09.2012.

We spent our last days in Albania between the villages of Kulluricë and Kodër, where we visited a quite long abandoned bunker in search for animals. Bunkers are everywhere in Albania, and as they are abandoned since many years, they are perfect for cave-inhabiting fauna.

Sarandë District, Albania III. (Kreis Sarandë, Albanien III.) (Sarandë járás, Albánia III.) 09.2012.

We spent our last days in Albania between the villages of Kulluricë and Kodër. The landscape dominated by only 100-300 m high mounds is spectacular (and there is a nice view on the hills of Corfu), the vegetation was diverse even in the autumn and we managed to find many reptiles and arthropods here.

Sarandë District, Albania II. (Kreis Sarandë, Albanien II.) (Sarandë járás, Albánia II.) 09.2012.

We spent a day in the vicinity of Shalës in South-Albania, camping on the shore of a small river between 500-700 m high hills, covered with maquis shrublands. The area is used by goat herders, who roam around with the herd and their dogs on the steep hills - the landscape is just idyllic. Of course the local fauna offers some interesting discoveries as well.

Sarandë District, Albania I. (Kreis Sarandë, Albanien I.) (Sarandë járás, Albánia I.) 09.2012.

We spent the second half of our Albanian field trip in the southernmost part of the land. We drove to Sarandë and from there through the Butrint National Park (Parku Kombëtar i Butrintit), which is famous for its archeological sites of different eras. First, we stopped near Shkallë to search for reptiles. This landscape differs greatly from the mountainous, forested areas we visited earlier during the trip. It is covered by maquis shrublands and of course the fauna is also different.