Distribution and conservation status of the batracho- and

Distribution and conservation status of the batracho- and herpetofauna of the Croatian island of Mljet

(anura; Testudines; Squamata: Sauria, Serpentes)

Verbreitung und Schutzstatus der amphibien- und reptilienfauna der kroatischen Insel Mljet

(anura; Testudines; Squamata: Sauria, Serpentes)

DušaN JelIć & IVaN BuDINSkI & BorIS lauš

kurZFaSSuNG

In den Jahren 2007, 2008 und 2009 untersuchten die autoren eingehend die amphibien- und reptilienfaunader Insel Mljet und stellten dabei das Vorkommen von 12 arten fest, einer amphibienform und 11 reptilientaxa(Emys orbicularis, Testudo hermanni; Hemidactylus turcicus, Podarcis melisellensis, Dalmatolacerta oxycephala,Pseudopus apodus; Coronella austriaca, Hierophis gemonensis, Zamenis longissimus, Malpolon insignitus, Viperaammodytes). Darüber hinaus berichten frühere Publikationen über Vorkommen von Bufo viridis, Anguis fragilis,Elaphe quatuorlineata und Zamenis situla. Lacerta agilis und Podarcis siculus wurden in diesem Zusammenhangganz offensichtlich irrtümlich genannt. Mit insgesamt 16 arten liegt die Insel Mljet im Mittelfeld was den arten -reichtum auf mediterranen Inseln betrifft, aber weit vorne unter den Inseln der adria.

Vier der arten sind in der roten liste bedrohter amphibien und reptilien kroatiens angeführt: Carettacaretta als gefährdet (‘endangered’ - eN), Emys orbicularis und Testudo hermanni als potentiell gefährdet (‘near-threatened’ - NT) und Zamenis situla als wegen Datenmangels nicht einschätzbar (‘data deficient’ - DD).

aBSTraCT

In 2007, 2008 and 2009 the authors carried out an extensive study of the amphibian and reptile fauna of theisland of Mljet resulting in the detection of 12 species. one amphibian and 11 reptile species were recorded (Emysorbicularis, Testudo hermanni; Hemidactylus turcicus, Podarcis melisellensis, Dalmatolacerta oxycephala,Pseudopus apodus; Coronella austriaca, Hierophis gemonensis, Zamenis longissimus, Malpolon insignitus andVipera ammodytes). In addition, previous publications reported findings of Bufo viridis, Anguis fragilis, Elaphequatuorlineata and Zamenis situla. Lacerta agilis and Podarcis siculus were obviously mentioned erroneously.With a total of 16 species, the island of Mljet is of average herpetofaunal richness among Mediterranean islandsbut one of the richest adriatic islands.

Four species are listed in the red Data Book of endangered amphibians and reptiles of Croatia: Carettacaretta as endangered (eN), Emys orbicularis and Testudo hermanni as near threatened (NT), and Zamenis situlaas data deficient (DD).

key WorDS

amphibia, reptilia, herpetofauna, Mljet Island, Croatia, adriatic, conservation, protection

INTroDuCTIoN

HerPeToZoa 24 (3/4): 165 - 178 165Wien, 30. Jänner 2012

Mljet is the south easternmost of thelarge Croatian islands, exhibiting a total sur-face area of about 98 km2. The island is ofelongate shape, and almost 40 km fromnorthwest to southeast, which equals thewidth of the Dinaric mountain chain. Its cli-mate is characterized by long and dry sum-mers and mild, humid winters (Table 1), andgives rise to a characteristic North Mediter -ranean flora and fauna.

Mljet is located within the 100 m iso-bath, demonstrating its erstwhile affiliation

with the nearby mainland, as well as allother Croatian islands. Due to large-scalestorage of water in the glaciers, the globalsea level dropped about 135 m in the aver-age during the last glacial period (Bell &Walker 2005). This sea level descent driedout the entire northern part of the adriaticSea and most of the islands of today mergedwith the mainland, and remained so duringthe entire Würm glacial period (roDIć1970). With the subsequent melting of thepolar ice caps, the sea level rose to the cur-

©Österreichische Gesellschaft für Herpetologie e.V., Wien, Austria, download unter www.biologiezentrum.at

rent level, isolating the adriatic islands, aswe see them today, from the mainland in thelast 12000 years (krIšTuFek & kleTečkI2007). The island of Mljet is separated fromthe mainland by a sea canal, 55 m deep and6 km wide at its narrowest point. The high-est peak of the island is Veliki grad (514 m);elevations somewhat exceeding 300 m arenumerous.

The island’s lithological body is madeof Mesozoic limestone and dolomite. Thegeologically oldest parts, upper Jurassicsediments, are located at a relatively narrowzone in the center of the south coast. Mljet’scoast is well structured, northwest shores(the “lakes” - actually lagoons - Veliko andMalo jezero, the bays lastovo and Pomenaand the gulf Polače) and southeast shores(the bay Saplunara) in particular.

The island of Mljet belongs to theMediterranean phytogeographic region, andincludes two vegetation belts arrangedaccording to altitude: Mediterranean-littoral(from the sea level up to about 500 m abovesea level in some areas) and Mediterranean-alpine (only the highest parts of the island)(TrINaJSTIć 1995). a detailed floristicoverview of Mljet and its threat status ispresented by BoršIć et al. (2009).

The values of Mljet’s nature werenoted as early as the beginning of the 20thcentury, and the idea to officially protectthis area came up very early (MaDer 2010).This protection initiative is one of the oldestin the world, only approximately 30 years

later than the foundation of the first protect-ed area in the World – yosemite NationalPark, uSa.

MaDer (2010) reported the following:Within the years 1910 and 1915, a numberof australian intellectuals initiated the ideato set up ‘Mljet’s protected Nature Park’.one of the main obstacles for implementingthis plan was the extremely high number ofNose-horned Vipers living on the island. Inautumn 1913, the archduke ludwigSalvator wrote in the adria magazine: “Iremember that there was a talk about it inprevious years and a large number of snakeswas mentioned as an obstacle”, writingabout a problem pointed out also by profes-sor Max kleIBer from Munich, anotherintercessor of the Nature Park idea, duringhis first visit to Mljet in the summer of1903. He noted that Polače “with its sur-roundings would be the most interestingpoint of the island which is, for its manysnakes, more feared than visited”. In a foot-note kleIBer appended: “last autumn(1910) I learned from ranger commissionerNeJeDly in korčula that not so long timeago a number of mongooses has been setfree on the island, and that the citizens haveinstantly named them ’snake-eaters’”.Carrara (1846), koloMBaToVIć (1882)and WerNer (1908) all mention an extreme-ly large number of Nose-horned Vipers onMljet, whereas already HIrTZ (1927) statesthat it has become extremely rare, the rea-son for that being the Small Indian

166 D. JelIć & I. BuDINSkI & B. lauš

Table 1: Climate data for the city of Dubrovnik (42°39’N, 18°05’e, 52 m a.s.l.), representing the climateconditions of southern Croatia (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service 2010).

Tab 1: klimadaten von Dubrovnik (42°39’N, 18°05’e, 52 m ü. M.), als repräsentatives Beispiel für die süd-kroatischen klimabedingungen (kroatischer meteorologischer und hydrologischer Dienst 2010).

Month average air temperature (°C) Sunshine duration (∑ h) Precipitation (mm)Monat Mittlere lufttemperatur (°C) Sonnenscheindauer (∑ h) Niederschlagsmenge (mm)

January 9.1 131.8 117.4February 9.3 144.9 105.3March 11.2 178.6 100.8april 14.1 212.3 90.3May 18.5 271.9 64.9June 22.3 310.8 55.4July 24.8 349.2 33.6august 24.9 329.4 68.7September 21.5 255.6 90.2october 17.8 199.9 122.4November 13.7 132 148.7December 10.4 116.9 137.7

∑; x x = 16.5 ∑ = 2633.3 ∑ = 1135.4


Mongoose introduced only several yearsearlier.

The Small Indian Mongoose Herpes tesauropunctatus (HoDGSoN, 1836), was intro-duced on Mljet on 26th of august 1910,when 11 specimens of this species, importedfrom India, were released at the location ofVilina vodica (MaDer 2010). Since then themongooses dispersed across the wholeisland and made a serious impact on its sen-sitive eco-system (BaruN et al. 2010).

This study summarizes the currentknowledge of the batrachofauna and herpeto-fauna of the island of Mljet. Previous litera-ture data as well as recent unpublished findsof the authors and their associates are pre-sented in this paper. The findings of twoamphibian and 14 reptile species are present-ed on separate maps, and the authors proposeguidelines for the species’ protection.

MaTerIalS aND MeTHoDS

In simply referring to ‘Mljet’, most ofthe previous publications (Carrara 1846;koloMBaToVIć 1882; 1904; röSSler 1904;WerNer 1897, 1902, 1908; BouleNGer1905; Bolkay 1924; HIrTZ 1930; PaVleTIć1964; FrITZ 1992) quoted findings from thisisland without stating an accurate site. Withthis study, the authors remedy this deficien-cy by gathering information about preciserecord localities, to understand the distribu-tion of amphibians and reptiles on the island.

For this purpose, field surveys in theform of active searching in promisingplaces, was conducted on several occasionsduring 2007 (30 days from april to Sep -tember; two persons on average), 2008(seven days in July; one person) and 2009(five days in June; one person) on a numberof sites on the island (Fig. 1).

Targets of focused research were therare species (amphibians, snakes) and theeffect of the introduced mongooses on theirsurvival.

The faunal diversity on the island ofMljet was compared with other largeradriatic and Mediterranean islands, providedthat published herpetological data existed.Cited literature data are used without criticalreview, although authors suspect that forsome islands (e.g. krk, Cres) species num-bers are overestimated.

Distribution and conservation of the herpetofauna of the Croatian Island of Mljet 167

Fig. 1: record localities on the Croatian island of Mljet.

abb. 1: Die kroatische Insel Mljet und die im Text angeführten Fundorte.


During the surveys on Mljet, one am -phibian (Pelophylax ridibundus) and 11 rep-tile species were detected (Emys orbicu-laris, Testudo hermanni; Hemidactylus tur-cicus, Podarcis melisellensis, Dalmato -lacerta oxycephala, Pseudopus apodus;Coronella austriaca, Hierophis gemonensis,Zamenis longissimus, Malpolon insignitus,Vipera ammodytes). The status of sevenmore species (Bufo viridis; Caretta caretta;Anguis fragilis, Podarcis siculus, Lacertaagilis, Elaphe quatuorlineata and Zamenissitula) reported from Mljet in the literature,is discussed.

Pelophylax ridibundus (PallaS, 1771) Marsh Frog (Fig. 2)

The Marsh Frog is present in almostall freshwater locations and even in somebrackish water bodies on the island [fresh-water ponds, three brackish lakes (“blatina”in the local vernacular)]. Sites known fromthe literature are: Blatina near Blato(ParTSCH 1826; PaVleTIć 1964), Sobra(WerNer 1908), ”Mljet“ (koloMBaToVIć1904). During our research, the Marsh Frogwas observed in various puddles: Vodicenear kneže polje, near Ivanje polje, Blatinanear Blato and Slatina near kozarica.

Bufo viridis viridis laureNTI, 1768Green Toad (Fig. 2)

This species is the most commonamphibian on adriatic islands, due to itsadaptability and ability to reproduce inbrackish water. It was, however, notencountered during the present surveys.The only older published site for this specieson Mljet is environs of Sobra (WerNer1908). according to TVrTkoVIć et al.(2009), this species is almost extinct onMljet, found only on Slatina near kozarica,although there are clues that it is also stillpresent at Blatina near Sobra.

Caretta caretta caretta (lINNaeuS, 1758) loggerhead Sea Turtle (Fig. 3)

The loggerhead, which is by far themost common species in the adriatic, is the

only sea turtle species recorded from Mljetand the surrounding waters. laZar &TVrTkoVIć (2000) mention an earlier reporton a juvenile specimen found on the coastnear kozarica in 1987, as well as findings ofundetermined specimens of the FamilyCheloniidae in the sea between the islandsof Mljet and Vis, in the Mljet canal and onthe shore near Pomena. These latter obser-vations do not refer to records verified byexperts, and there is no certainty about thespecies they refer to.

Emys orbicularis hellenica(ValeNCIeNNeS, 1832)

european Pond Turtle (Fig. 3)

The Pond Turtle was first mentionedfrom Mljet by koloMBaToVIć (1904) in hispaper about the vertebrates of Dalmatia,which is also the earliest report of thisspecies for adriatic islands. However, theauthor does not state the exact site, just”Meleda“ (Mljet). later on, the Pond Turtlewas found on the islands of krk, Cres, Plav -nik, rab, Pag, and Veliki kornat (HIrTZ1930; FrITZ 1992), but may be in steep de -cline, as on many of these (Plavnik, rab,Veliki kornat) it has not been recently con-firmed. There is a specimen from Ivanjepolje in the Croatian Natural HistoryMuseum’s collection (obtained by HaJDIć in1905) (loNčar 2005). The authors foundPond Turtles in large numbers in the brack-ish lake Blatina near Blato, and severalspecimens in wells in Blatsko polje. at theIvanje polje locality, several small pondswere found, but not Pond Turtles.

Testudo hermanni boettgeriMoJSISoVICS, 1889

Hermann’s Tortoise (Fig. 3)

WerNer (1908) was the first to reportthe presence of Hermann’s Tortoise (underthe name Testudo graeca l.) on the island ofMljet, although he himself did not find any.In their study, the authors found tortoises infair numbers in the surroundings of Solin,near Goveđari, in Ivanje polje and inSaplunara bay. The local inhabitants oftenkeep them as pets in their gardens, making


SPeCIeS aCCouNT


Hermann’s Tortoise a quite common animalaround villages. Since a considerable num-ber of specimens showed shell lesions (sim-ilar to bite marks), the authors believe thatthese injuries are the consequences of wildboar attacks. The wild boar has extremelystrong jaws with which it can crack the tur-tle’s hard shell and get to the nutritive inte-rior.

Hemidactylus turcicus turcicus(lINNaeuS, 1758)

Turkish Gecko (Fig. 2)

This species was reported by ParTSCH(1826) along with the Marsh Frog, and thus,belongs to the earliest records of herpeto-logical species on Mljet. later it was men-tioned by Bolkay (1924) in his review ofthe herpetological collection stored in theBosnia-Herzegovina museum in Sarajevo.The only precise site known from the litera-ture is presented by WerNer (1908), whomentioned one specimen caught on the wallof an old house in Babino polje. Theauthors caught several Turkish Geckos inthe little bay Saplunara, in the villagekorita, in Polače and Soline, and found onespecimen killed by a cat in Goveđari.according to reports by the local inhabi-tants, this species is very common and canbe found all over the island. It is mostnumerous in villages, and quite numerouson crag, dry stone walls, pathway incisions,water tanks and cave entrances. local peo-ple kill them because of the popular myththat they are poisonous and can erase thewhole family if they fall into their food orwater.

Dalmatolacerta oxycephala(DuMérIl & BIBroN, 1839)

Sharp-snouted rock lizard (Fig. 2)

In literature, this species was men-tioned for Mljet very early, however, noneof the authors (WerNer 1891, 1908; ko -loMBaToVIć 1904; röSSler 1919a, 1919b;kaMMerer 1926; koCH 1926; karaMaN1939; raDoVaNoVIć 1956; PaVleTIć 1964;PoZZI 1966) gave any precise localities; thespecies is mostly characterized just as a verycommon one. our research confirmed thepresence of this species in the environs of

Solin, Saplunara bay, near Babine kuće andon Montokuc hill. It is apparent from thefindings at sea level near Solin andSaplunara bay (~10 m a.s.l.) to Montokuc(258 m a.s.l.) that the species is most proba-bly widely distributed all over the island.

Lacerta agilis lINNaeuS, 1758 Sand lizard (Fig. 2)

according to röSSler (1904) thevoucher collected by a. laNGHoFFer in1894 near Polače, was stored in the CroatianNatural History Museum (Zagreb). How -ever, PaVleTIć (1964) and loNčar (2005),in their collection catalogs, do not refer tothe above mentioned sample at all and wemust assume that it is no longer available.We consider the affair a matter of localitymistake or erroneous determination, whichwas corrected after röSSler’S (1904) publi-cation, maybe even a printing error in thefirst paper. In Dalmatia it can only be foundon higher mainland mountains (Promina,Svilaja, Dinara, kamešnica) (JelIć 2010b).There is, however, a mention of this lizardspecies for the island of lastovo, about 40km southwest of Mljet by Bolkay (1924),who indicated “Dalmatia, ubli nearbychurch, 1910” as the site and time. It is dif-ficult to believe that L. agilis, which isadapted to temperate and continental cli-mate, could live on adriatic islands.However, one should bear in mind that theislands were mountains connected to themainland until about 12000 years ago(kryšTuFek & kleTečkI 2007) and thisspecies may have survived here from thattime. Neither our studies nor the researchby TVrTkoVIć et al. (2009) could confirmthe presence of this species on Mljet. Thus,it was excluded from species list in our fur-ther analysis.

Podarcis melisellensis fiumanus (WerNer, 1891)

Dalmatian Wall lizard (Fig. 2)

The island is inhabited by the sub-species which also lives on the mainlandand most other adriatic islands, except thearchipelago of lastovo and Vis (PoDNar etal. 2004). This most common lizard speciesis present in almost all habitats. It can be




Fig. 2: amphibian and reptilian records on the Croatian Island of Mljet available from the literature (×) and the authors’ field observations (▲).

abb. 2: amphibien- und reptilienfunde auf der kroatischen Insel Mljet nach literaturangaben (×) und Beobachtungen der autoren (▲).



Fig. 3: reptilian records on the Croatian Island of Mljet available from the literature (×) and the authors’ field observations (▲).

abb. 3: reptilienfunde auf der kroatischen Insel Mljet nach literaturangaben (×) und Beobachtungen der autoren (▲).


extremely numerous in places and, as such,form the prey for various birds, mammalsand snakes.

along with normally colored P.melisellensis fiumanus, the inconspicuouscolor morph “modesta” occurs on Mljet,with approximately 20% frequency. Bothforms were recorded by WerNer (1908),which was the first finding of this speciesfor Mljet. The sites mentioned in literatureare: the island of Mljet (koloMBaToVIć1904; WerNer 1908; röSSler 1919a,1919b; kaMMerer 1926; raDoVaNoVIć1956; PaVleTIć 1964), Pomena (PoDNar-lešIć 2005; VaŽIć 2006), and Blato (VaŽIć2006). The authors recorded the DalmatianWall lizard on all visited sites: Babinakuća, Babino polje, Blatina kod Blata,Blatsko polje, road between Polača andGoveđari, road under Bugari, Dugo polje,Goveđari, Ivanje polje, korita, kozarica,pond in Ivanje polje, Mala Poma, Marano -vići, Montokuc, Nerezine dol, okuklje,Polaće, Pomena, Saplunara, Slatina nearkozarice, Sobra, Soline and Vodice.

Podarcis siculus siculus (raFINeSque-SCHMalTZ, 1810)

Italian Wall lizard

röSSler (1919a; 1919b; 1920) statedthat Lacerta serpa var. olivacea (synonymof P. siculus) is found on the island. Thisreference is most probably the result of amistake or wrong identification, as was laterconcluded by karaMaN (1939) andPaVleTIć (1964). There is no exact sitegiven for this find, just generally ”Mljet“.Moreover, this taxon was never again men-tioned from Mljet since that time. Thus, thisspecies was excluded from the list ofspecies in our further analysis.

Anguis fragilis lINNaeuS, 1758 Slow Worm (Fig. 2)

The only record is presented by DŽukIć(1987) in his paper on the taxonomy ofAnguis fragilis in yugoslavia in which hementions the finding of A. f. colchicus(NorDMaNN, 1840) nearby a dry stone wallnext to Goveđari. In the present study andthe research by TVrTkoVIć et al. (2009), thisspecies was not found. The Slow Worm is

very rare in Dalmatia, only recorded fromthree North adriatic islands: krk, Cres andkošljun (TóTH et al. 2006). It prefers humidand wooded habitats; thus, it should belooked for in such places, e.g., Mediter raneanprimeval forest remains, such as the nativeholm oak forest in the area of Velika dolina.

Pseudopus apodus thracius (oBST, 1978) european Glass lizard (Fig. 2)

only WerNer (1908) mentioned theeuropean Glass lizard for the island ofMljet, based on testimonies of local inhabi-tants, although he did not find it himself.This poorly supported information is verysurprising because the european Glasslizard is very common on Mljet in fieldsand around villages. Scrunched specimensare often found on the road since the Glasslizard is extremely slow moving on smoothsurfaces such as asphalt. During the re-search, it was observed in Mala Poma,Goveđari, Soline, Blato and Dugo polje.

Coronella austriaca austriacalaureNTI, 1768 Smooth Snake (Fig. 3)

This species is very rare on adriaticislands and is previously known only fromCres (HIll 2008), krk and Brač (WerNer1891; BruNo 1980; eNGelMaNN 1993). ForMljet, the Smooth Snake was first men-tioned from a student field trip report bylIPeJ et al. (1987). our research during2008 confirmed this species record for Mljet(JelIć 2010a). There was one adult speci-men observed on Montokuc hill (258 ma.s.l.) and one shed skin in Saplunara bay.

Hierophis gemonensis (laureNTI, 1768) Balkan Whip Snake (Fig. 3)

WerNer (1902) and koloMBaToVIć(1904) mentioned the Balkan Whip Snakefor Mljet based on GINZBerGer’s finding,and it was later reported by karaMaN(1939), raDoVaNoVIć (1964) and TorTo -NeSe & laNZa (1968). The site known fromthe literature is Maranovići (WerNer 1908).During our research, this species wasencountered only once, in Pomijenta, wherean adult specimen was observed basking ona dry stone wall. This species is very com-



mon on other islands; so it is surprising thatit was so poorly represented on Mljet.

Elaphe quatuorlineata quatuorlineata(laCéPèDe, 1789) Four-lined Snake

The presence of this species on Mljetwas repeatedly mentioned in the older liter-ature (WerNer 1987, 1902, 1908; kara -MaN 1939), but all reports are based on anindication by WerNer (1897) who writesthat he has, in his collection, one specimenof this species, caught on Mljet by GINZ -BerGer. This finding’s more precise loca-tion is not given. our research did not con-firm the occurrence of this species.

Zamenis situla (lINNaeuS, 1758) leopard Snake

Without giving a specific site, a recordfrom Mljet is mentioned in a paper byFarkaS & TóTH (1999) who refer to oBST etal. (1993). However, in oBST et al. (1993)there is no record for Mljet. Thus, theleopard Snake was excluded from the listof species in our further analysis.

Zamenis longissimus laureNTI, 1768 aesculapian Snake (Fig. 3)

This species lives in various habitattypes, but avoids open areas where shelter(mostly trees and shrubs) is rare. It is quitecommon on cultivated land, as well as nearvillages or farm objects. koloMBaToVIć(1904) reports this species to be present onMljet according to GINZBerGer’s findings,but does not provide any more detailedinformation. WerNer (1908) brings uplISIčar’s finding of two adult males nearMaranovići. During the present research,the aesculapian Snake was recorded nearVodice (one juvenile specimen run over)and in Dugo polje (adult).

Malpolon insignitus(GeoFFroy SaINT-HIlaIre, 1827)

Montpellier Snake (Fig. 3)

In spite of being very common onMljet, this species was only mentioned byWerNer (1908), who reported it from nearthe village Maranović and also referred totwo specimens caught by lISIčar in the same

Table 2: Diversity of the herpetofauna. Island size and number of taxa on Mljet compared with otheradriatic and Mediterranean islands. * - Numbers used in kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007) for krk and Cres con-tain some very doubtful findings that were not reconfirmed recently.

Tab. 2: Der artenreichtum der Herpetofaunen. ein Vegleich von Mljet und anderen Inseln der adria unddes Mittelmeeres hinsichtlich Inselfläche und anzahl der Taxa. * - Zahlenangaben in kryšTuFek & kleTečkI(2007) für krk und Cres beinhalten zweifelhafte Funde, die in jüngerer Zeit nicht mehr bestätigt wurden.

Country Island Number of species Surface area (km2) referenceland Insel anzahl der arten Inselfläche (km2) Datenquelle

Greece Corfu 34 585 ToTH et al. (2002)Croatia krk* 29 405 kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007)Croatia Cres* 27 406 kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007)Italy Sardinia 27 23813 SalVI & BoMBI (2010)Italy Sicily 27 25460 CorTI et al. (1999)Cyprus Cyprus 24 9251 CorTI et al. (1999)Greece lesbos 24 1630 CorTI et al. (1999)Greece Chios 22 842 CorTI et al. (1999)France Corsica 21 8681 CorTI et al. (1999)Croatia Hvar 21 300 kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007)Greece rhodes 20 1398 CorTI et al. (1999)

Croatia Mljet 16 100 this study

Greece Crete 16 8312 CorTI et al. (1999)Croatia Brač 16 395 kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007)Croatia Pag 16 285 kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007)Croatia rab 16 94 kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007)Croatia korčula 14 279 kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007)Croatia lošinj 14 74 ToTH et al. (2002)Croatia Dugi otok 12 124 kryšTuFek & kleTečkI (2007)



location. During our research we foundMontpellier Snakes on most of the sites visit-ed: Ivanje polje, Blatsko polje, Soline, theroad between Polače and Goveđari, Polače,the road below Bugari hill, as well asSaplunara bay and its surroundings. Duringthe studies, about 10 specimens were seenrun over on the road. Interestingly, four spec-imens caught in Saplunara bay had extreme-ly severe injuries, which were clearly inflict-ed by a predator. Two of the specimens werehurt so badly that the authors think that theycould not have survived. The producer ofthese injuries was most likely the SmallIndian Mongoose.

Vipera ammodytes ammodytes(lINNaeuS, 1758)

Nose-horned Viper (Fig. 3)

Carrara (1846), koloMBaToVIć(1882) and WerNer (1897, 1902, 1908)mention the occurrence of extremely large

numbers of Nose-horned Vipers on Mljet.later, HIrTZ (1927) who could not find anyvipers on Mljet, stated that, according tolocal inhabitants, the viper had becomeexceptionally rare, due to the predatoryactivity of the Small Indian Mongoose(Herpestes auropunctatus) introduced onMljet in 1910.

The only recent find of this specieswas made by members of the CroatianBiospeleological Society (CBSS), whorecorded one specimen near Nerezni dol in2008 (PreDraG rade, pers. comm.).Despite great efforts and tactic searching atfavorable sites, we were not able to recon-firm the presence of V. ammodytes on thisisland. on Mljet, the Small Indian Mon -goose mostly prefers lower altitudes, fieldsand the environs of villages. From this webelieve that the Nose-horned Viper shouldbe searched for in more inaccessible parts inhigher elevations of the island where popu-lations might have survived.


DISCuSSIoN

During their studies on the island ofMljet, the authors found one amphibian and11 reptile species. The occurrence of fourmore species is known only from the litera-ture (Bufo viridis, Caretta caretta, Anguisfragilis, and Elaphe quatuorli neata). Intotal 16 herpetological species were record-ed from that island, two species of amphib-ians, three of turtles, five of lizards and sixof snakes.

The low number of amphibian taxa ischaracteristic for east Mediterraneanislands (CorTI et al. 1999) and a conse-quence of dry climate, lack of fresh waterfor reproduction and the limited sea watertolerance of amphibians, which impedesisland hopping. on the other hand, travel-ling by “sea current drift” is quite commonwith reptiles which may arrive at nearbyislands using driftwood. This phenomenonwas observed during December 2010 whenthe currents of the Neretva river floodsbrought Pond Turtles (E. o. hellenica) to theisland of korčula. The authors assume thatthe Neretva river washed sedge clusterscontaining turtles into the sea, and that theclusters made their way to korčula by cur-

rents. on the beach near the town ofkorčula, 21 specimens of E. o. hellenicawere detected, 14 of which had survivedthis incredible 65 kilometers journey fromthe Neretva estuary. The turtles were foundpartly entangled in floating sedge, partlywalking around (S. VIloVIć, pers. comm.).This event shows that, in the past, such kindof transport may have happened quite often.It can be expected that the closer an island isto a mainland river estuary, the bigger arethe similarities between both island andmainland faunas. It is unrealistic to expectthat Pond Turtles could survive on korčulabecause there are no larger fresh water eco-systems here. However, if this speciesarrived at the shores of Mljet the same wayin the past, the turtles would have foundappropriate habitats in the lakes there (nearBlato, Sobra and kozarica). Thus, the PondTurtle population of Mljet is not necessarilyisolated since the end of the Pleistocene(12000 years BP), as we would suppose.

During the assessment, E. quatuorlin-eata, were not found, although it was men-tioned in older literature, and the authors areconvinced that it has or still is present on the


island. Since the introduction of the SmallIndian Mongoose considerably reduced thepopulation of snakes on Mljet, it is possiblethat these species became extinct under thisinfluence. However, we must leave thequestion unanswered if prolonged, focusedsearch could verify its presence.

Anguis fragilis was reported only once(from near Goveđari) and it is unknownwhether or not a population is still present.There are habitats on Mljet that could befavorable for Anguis such as the Mediter -ranean primeval forest remains (native oakforest) in the area of Velika dolina.

The record of Lacerta agilis on Mljetseems most questionable, and unlikely,because this lizard species has a clear pref-erence for higher continental habitats and isconsistently absent from the adriatic coastalregions and islands. also röSSler’s (1904)finding of Podarcis siculus was most likelythe result of an erroneous determination.The record of Zamenis situla by FarkaS &TóTH (1999) was found to be the result ofincorrect citation of oBST et al. (1993). Wedo not consider these last three species validfor Mljet.

Based on personal data of the authorsand available published data from otheradriatic islands mentioned in Table 2, wefind it very surprising that Lacerta trilinea-ta BeDrIaGa, 1886 and Natrix natrix (lIN -NaeuS, 1758) were not registered on Mljet.But according to BaruN et al. (2010) bothspecies tend to be more rare or absent fromislands inhabited by Small Indian Mongoose

(korčula, Hvar, Mljet) then on islands wheremongooses are not present (Brač, Dugi otok,lastovo).

With a total of 16 recorded species ofthe herpetofauna, the island of Mljet be -longs to the Mediterranean islands of aver-age species-richness (CorTI et al. 1999) andto the richest among the adriatic islands(Table 2). It is interesting to see that thelarge Mediterranean islands, Sicily, Sar -dinia, Corsica, Cyprus, Crete and rhodes,do not belong to the species-richest ones.Several times smaller islands like Corfu,krk and Cres made it to the very high ranks(* note the remark made in ‘Materials andMethods’ and Table 2). on the other hand,the herpetofauna of Mljet is as rich as that ofthe many times larger adriatic islands Brač,Pag and korčula.

out of 16 herpetofaunal species occur-ring on Mljet, four reptile species are quot-ed in the red Data Book of amphibians andreptiles of Croatia (JaNeV-HuTINeC et al.2006), from which Caretta caretta is classi-fied ‘endangered’ (eN). Emys orbicu larisand Testudo hermanni are ‘Near Threat -ened’ (NT), whereas Zamenis situla is a‘Data Deficient’ (DD) species. Particularlyfor Mljet, we identified Bufo viridis, Emysorbicularis and Vipera ammodytes as highlythreatened, and Coronella austriaca, Te -studo hermanni and Hierophis gemonensisas endangered. Anguis fragilis, Elaphequatuorlineata and Zamenis situla shouldbe addressed as data deficient species.


ProTeCTIoN GuIDelINeS For THe aMPHIBIaN aND rePTIlIaN FauNa oF MlJeT

allochthonous species regula-t ion.- Most of the protection-related prob-lems on Mljet are based on introduced inva-sive species which alter this sensitive islandecosystem considerably. Firstly, there is theSmall Indian Mongoose which exterminat-ed Vipera ammodytes almost completelyduring the last 100 years. This small carni-vore is most probably the reason for the lowdensities of Hierophis gemonensis, Elaphequatuorlineata and possibly Zamenis situla.It is absolutely essential to set up an eradi-cation plan as soon as possible, or at least a

plan for the reduction of the number ofSmall Indian Mongooses on the island toreduce the pressure on the indigenous fauna.

The wild boar is also causing extremeproblems to the island fauna, because wildboars are voracious omnivores which caneasily crack the turtle shell (especially ofsmaller specimens). Due to their bulkybuild, turtles are a perfect prey and are oftenfound with bitten and broken shells. Thismammal has extremely negative influenceon the abundance of snakes, slow wormsand glass lizards, and will eat them if there


is the opportunity (MarIáN 1957; SCHIe -MeNZ 1985). We feel that it is necessary tocome up with a plan to remove wild boarsfrom Mljet in cooperation with officialhunting organizations, as it was done for theislands of krk and Cres.

There is another widely spread inva-sive species on the island, the easternMosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki GIrarD,1859. This species inhabits all mud-swamps on Mljet and some ponds. With itsextremely aggressive behavior it adverselyaffects the survival of frog eggs and tad-poles. The Mosquitofish was originallyintroduced to europe to control the popula-tions of mosquitoes during the malaria out-breaks, but today it is frequently spread un -intentionally by a variety of vectors (watertransport in agriculture; together with eco-nomically important fish species etc.). Con -trolling this species is very difficult andexpensive, so the least one can do is try toprevent further spreading to new ponds.

Convincing and instructing local inhabitantsis the most important factor doing that.

Destroying habi ta ts . - on theadriatic islands, habitat destruction referschiefly to aquatic biota and is mainly athreat to amphibians, Marsh Frog and GreenToad in particular. Natural water surfacesare in danger of being subject to the deposi-tion of waste and poisons. The poisons usedin agriculture are highly effective dangerouschemicals, and it is necessary to regulatetheir application and reduce their concentra-tion in edge of field water bodies and waterbasins.

Set t ing up monitor ing for espe-cially sensitive and endangered species aswell as their habitats. It is necessary tocome up with the monitoring of the Emysorbicularis population in Blatina near Blato.Specific research strategies should beapplied to detect, monitor and support pos-sibly extant micro-populations of Bufoviridis and Vipera ammodytes.


CoNCluSIoN

The research of the amphibian andreptile fauna of Mljet began over 100 yearsago, and during this period of time a signif-icant change in the number of certainspecies can be noticed. Populations of var-ious species declined, so that some of themcan be considered extremely rare or evenextinct. The main reason for this drasticchange seems to be the introduction of inva-sive alien species which, with their presence

and interaction with native species, signifi-cantly changed the island’s ecosystems.Considerable progress in island fauna pro-tection could be effectuated by establishinga plan to regulate the number of alieninva-sive species. Further research efforts areneeded to investigate the lesser known andendangered species, and set up monitoringsystems, to ensure long-term survival ofthese species.

aCkNoWleDGMeNTS

The authors wish to thank the members anddirectors of the Croatian Herpetological Society Hylaas well as the management of the Public Institution“National Park Mljet” (PINPM) who contributed to thequality of this research with their support and commit-ment. We would especially like to thank our colleagues

osvin Pećar (PINPM, Goveđari), Marija kulJerIć,antica čulINa and Berislav HorVaTIć (CHS-Hyla,Zagreb) as well as Igor BoršIć (State Institute forNature Protection, Zagreb) for all their help during thefield research and writing of this paper.

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DaTe oF SuBMISSIoN: august 23, 2011 Corresponding editor: Heinz Grillitsch

auTHorS: Dušan JelIć (corresponding author), State Institute for Nature Protection, Trg Mažuranića 5,10000 Zagreb, Croatia, < [email protected] >; Ivan BuDINSkI, association for Biological research - BIoM,šestinski dol 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; Boris lauš, Croatian Herpetological association Hyla, radučka 15,10000 Zagreb, Croatia


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