Presentation in Dingolfing about Greece

Presentation in Dingolfing about Greece

by Alex Negro Live lectures

On Saturday, 15 March 2025, reptile specialist Jochen Zauner will give an richly illustrated lecture on Greece in Bavaria. He will report on his two trips to the western Peloponnese in 2006 and 2023. The Peoloponnese is a peninsula in the south of the Greek mainland. It is the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula and therefore the area of Greece that extends furthest into the Mediterranean. In addition to the famous cities of Mycenae, Corinth and Sparta, the peninsula is also home to a diverse herpetological fauna. Between the Strofilia forests in the north and the barren mountain slopes of the Mani in the south, you will encounter some endemics as well as old favourites of the Balkan Peninsula.

Jochen Zauner Herpetological observations in the Peloponnese  [German!]
DGHT regional group Niederbayern
Restaurant Aurora
Klausenweg 15
84152 Mengkofen
Begin of the presentation at 8.00 p.m.

Presentation in Basel about the Comoros

Presentation in Basel about the Comoros

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

Dr Oliver Hawlitschek from the University of Zurich will be giving a great lecture on the Comoros on Wednesday, 5 March 2025 in Basel (Switzerland). The Comoros are a group of four volcanic islands in the Western Indian Ocean. Compared to similar oceanic archipelagos such as Hawai’i and the Galápagos, however, they are little known globally and little scientifically researched. The fauna is characterised by a large number of endemic species. Over the past 15 years, Oliver has studied the taxonomy, biogeography and ecology of the reptiles and amphibians living there and has been involved in numerous conservation projects. He will be presenting the results of this work on this evening – it’s sure to be very exciting!

Dr. Oliver Hawlitschek The Comoros, a hotspot of herpetological diversity in the Indian Ocean [German]
DGHT city group Basel
Restaurant Schiff
Baslerstraße 32
4102 Binningen
Vortragsbeginn 20.00 Uhr

Presentation in Hamburg about Madagascar’s chameleons

Presentation in Hamburg about Madagascar’s chameleons

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

If that’s not an exciting and highly interesting start to the new lecture year! On Friday 10 January 2025, Falk Eckhardt, a long-standing member of the Chameleons Working Group, will be giving a detailed talk on the chameleons of Madagascar.

Hardly any other lizard family is as well known as the chameleons. This is mainly due to their many special features, such as their independently movable eyes, rapid colour change, sling tongue, pincer-like feet and prehensile tail. Madagascar is considered the centre of species diversity in this family. Almost half of all chameleon species, including the world’s smallest and largest species, live on this island. There are currently around 100 species on Madagascar, divided into four genera. Representatives of the two original genera Brookesia and Palleon are predominantly small, brownish in colour and usually stay close to the ground. Their ability to change colour is limited and their tail is rather short. The two other genera Calumma and Furcifer, on the other hand, show all the classic characteristics of the ‘typical’ chameleon.

In his lecture, Falk will discuss the distribution and lifestyle of Madagascan chameleons. Special attention will also be paid to the short lifespan of some species, which Falk has also worked with professionally over a longer period of time. The importance of chameleons in Malagasy culture will also be discussed. That really sounds like a wonderful chameleon evening!

Falk Eckhardt Madagascar’s chameleons [German]
DGHT regional group Hamburg
Clubhouse “Am Sportplatzring”
Sportplatzring 47
22527 Hamburg
Presentation starts at 8.00 p.m.

Picture: Furcifer labordi female, photographed by the presenter

Presentation in Dortmund about chameleons

Presentation in Dortmund about chameleons

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

Wolfgang Schmidt, long-time member of the AG Chameleons, will give a detailed lecture on chameleons in Bergkamen on 01 November 2024. Wolfgang has already kept and successfully propagated a large number of chameleon species at home. He has also been travelling with his wife to the various habitats of chameleons for years, be it in South Africa, Socotra or Saudi Arabia. It is sure to be an exciting and colourful talk, just the thing for chameleon lovers!

Wolfgang Schmidt Observations of chameleons in the wild and in the terrarium [German]
DGHT city group Dortmund
Restaurant Olympia
Im Alten Dorf 2
59192 Bergkamen
Meeting from 5.30 p.m.
Presentation starts at 7.30 p.m.

Presentation in Frankfurt about Madagascar

Presentation in Frankfurt about Madagascar

by Alex Negro Live lectures

On Tuesday, 01 October 2024, Rainer Dolch will give an exciting lecture at Frankfurt Zoo. Rainer Dolch has been working for the Mitsinjo Association in the eastern highlands of Madagascar for years, so he will be giving a first-hand report.

As a remnant of the ancient continent of Gondwana, Madagascar has been isolated in the Indian Ocean for more than a hundred million years. Due to the long period of isolation, evolution has gone its own way here and has produced a unique animal and plant world.

These include the lemurs, which comprise more than a hundred species, endemic predators such as the mongoose-like vontsiras and the puma-like fossas, as well as representatives of the tanreks – a group of mammals related to elephants and aardvarks – reminiscent of hedgehogs and shrews. Madagascar’s extinct megafauna also included several species of hippopotamus and giant lemurs as well as the giant ratite Aepyornis. The island’s animal world that still exists today is also massively threatened with extinction due to human influence. In his lecture, Rainer Dolch presents approaches for the urgently needed protection of this unique living world.

Rainer Dolch From Aye-Aye to Fossa – A laboratory of evolution: Can Madagascar’s unique living world still be saved? [German language]
Grzimek House
Zoo Frankfurt (Entry via Rhönstraße)
Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1
60316 Frankfurt am Main
Presentation starts at 6.00 p.m.

Presentation in Dortmund about Namibia

Presentation in Dortmund about Namibia

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

Regina Liebel will give a detailed presentation about a great trip to Namibia on July 5, 2024 in Bergkamen near Dortmund. After the European Championship match, of course ;) .

Regina Liebel A round trip over 3481 km through Namibia [German]
DGHT City Group Dortmund
Restaurant Olympia
Im Alten Dorf 2
59192 Bergkamen
Meeting from 5.30 pm
Lecture starts at 7.30 pm

Presentation in Munich about Greece

Presentation in Munich about Greece

by Alex Negro Live lectures

On Thursday, 20 June 2024, reptile specialist Jochen Zauner will give an richly illustrated lecture on Greece in Munich. He will report on his two trips to the western Peloponnese in 2006 and 2023. The Peoloponnese is a peninsula in the south of the Greek mainland. It is the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula and therefore the area of Greece that extends furthest into the Mediterranean. In addition to the famous cities of Mycenae, Corinth and Sparta, the peninsula is also home to a diverse herpetological fauna. Between the Strofilia forests in the north and the barren mountain slopes of the Mani in the south, you will encounter some endemics as well as old favourites of the Balkan Peninsula.

Addendum: The lecture was unfortunately cancelled due to the European Football Championship! Another date will hopefully be found.

Jochen Zauner Herpetological observations in the Peloponnese  [German!]
DGHT city group Munich
Tübinger Straße 10
80686 Munich
Start of lecture 7.00 pm

Presentation in Dortmund about Socotra (Yemen)

Presentation in Dortmund about Socotra (Yemen)

by Alex Negro Live lectures

On Friday, 7 June 2024, the ‘AG veteran’ Wolfgang Schmidt will give an illustrated lecture on Socotra in Bergkamen near Dortmund. He will report on a trip to the island in the Indian Ocean. Socotra officially belongs to Yemen, but has been ruled by the United Arab Emirates since 2018. The island is also known as the ‘Galapagos of the Indian Ocean’ because its centuries of isolation as an island have allowed a unique flora and fauna to develop. Over a third of the plant species found there are endemic, and the number of amphibians and reptiles is likely to be even higher. Between dragon trees and the largest coastal dunes in the world, there are many exciting herpetological observations, including chameleons.

Wolfgang Schmidt Socotra [German!]
DGHT City Group Dortmund
Restaurant Olympia
Im Alten Dorf 2
59192 Bergkamen

Lecture starts at 7.30 pm

Presentation in Zurich about Spain and Morocco

Presentation in Zurich about Spain and Morocco

by Alex Negro Live lectures

Dr Herbert Billinger will give a wonderful lecture on Morocco and southern Spain on Monday, 29 January 2024 in Zurich.

When the days get shorter and shorter in late autumn in Switzerland, the sun hides behind a thick layer of fog and the reptiles and amphibians sleep in their winter quarters, his wife Yvonne and he are always drawn to more southerly climes. The lecture is a summary of several winter trips to southern Spain and Morocco. And there is a lot to see there in terms of herpetology!

Dr. Herbert Billing Herpetological winter excursions in Morocco and southern Spain
DGHT City Group Zurich (Switzerland)
Canteen in the operations building of Zurich Zoo (1st floor)
Zürichbergstraße 221
8044 Zürich
Start of lecture 20.00 hrs

Presentation on Oman in Francfort

Presentation on Oman in Francfort

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

On 15 December 2023, Benjamin Scheler from Burgrieden will give an illustrated talk in Frankfurt am Main about a trip to Oman. The Sultanate of Oman is located in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula and borders the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

As a desert connoisseur, Benjamin Scheler travelled through Oman for two weeks last year. He travelled around 4500 km. From his starting point in Muscat, he travelled south-east down the coast. A short detour to the country’s largest island – Masirah – then took him to Dhofar. This southernmost province of Oman is the only area of the Arabian Peninsula to feel the influence of the summer monsoon. The flora and fauna are correspondingly different compared to the rest of the country. From there, we travelled a little further north, away from the coast, into the desert areas. We then took the only road through the arid hinterland back to the capital Muscat. Benjamin was able to track down 45 species of reptiles and amphibians, some in unexpectedly high numbers – including chameleons.

All in all, you can expect a great, colourful presentation that will certainly not only delight desert fans!

Benjamin Scheler A (first) trip to Oman to find reptiles and amphibians
DGHT City Group Frankfurt
Zoo school of Zoo Frankfurt
Alfred-Brehm-Platz 16
60316 Frankfurt am Main
Einlass ab 18.30 Uhr, Vortragsbeginn 19.00 Uhr

Photo: Chamaeleo arabicus in Oman, photographed by Benjamin Scheler