Camino Wildlife (excluding escaped circus animals)

[Bradypus]

I should point out there were three of them, I was very nearly surrounded

They weren't in Villafranca del Bierzo by any chance? Re-reading the diary of my first Camino a couple of days ago I was reminded of having to stop a young Siamese cat from attacking my trouser legs - she had already pounced on my poles and the hipbelt buckle of my rucksack. Those ones would be a few generations later though!

 

[J Willhaus]

I should point out there were three of them, I was very nearly surrounded

Wow! Lucky you escaped with only photos to remind you of the attack! Very cute, BTW.

 

[David61]

They weren't in Villafranca del Bierzo by any chance? Re-reading the diary of my first Camino a couple of days ago I was reminded of having to stop a young Siamese cat from attacking my trouser legs - she had already pounced on my poles and the hipbelt buckle of my rucksack. Those ones would be a few generations later though!

Unlike most peregrinos I have pretty much no idea where I was on any given day. Luckily the Spanish built a big churchy thing at the end so I knew I was there

 

[SeaHorse]

There were 2 green lizards sunbathing near the path. While I was standing quiet admiring them another pilgrim came, English speaking, possibly American. Immediately shouted "Snakes! Kill them!" I saved 2 innocent lives that day, first of all those were not snakes, second and more important, all snakes in Spain are protected species!

 

[Bradypus]

There were 2 green lizards sunbathing near the path. While I was standing quiet admiring them another pilgrim came, English speaking, possibly American. Immediately shouted "Snakes! Kill them!" I saved 2 innocent lives that day, first of all those were not snakes, second and more important, all snakes in Spain are protected species!

I've quite often read posts with photos where someone has mistaken a non-venomous snake for a viper. Understandable. But to mistake a lizard for a snake is a whole new level of ignorance! Except for slow-worms of course which is an easy mistake to make.

 

[SeaHorse]

I've quite often read posts with photos where someone has mistaken a non-venomous snake for a viper. Understandable. But to mistake a lizard for a snake is a whole new level of ignorance! Except for slow-worms of course which is an easy mistake to make.

Those very clearly had legs.

 

[David61]

I've quite often read posts with photos where someone has mistaken a non-venomous snake for a viper. Understandable. But to mistake a lizard for a snake is a whole new level of ignorance! Except for slow-worms of course which is an easy mistake to make.

And some are very beautiful. Nearly stepped on this little guy ,accidentally I should point out, its a close up pic, he was about four inches from nose to tail (BTW, zoom in on the pic to see the detail of him/her)

 

[Bradypus]

And some are very beautiful. Nearly stepped on this little guy ,accidentally I should point out, its a close up pic, he was about four inches from nose to tail

Pretty. But not a lizard. That's a salamander - amphibian rather than reptile. I saw a fantastic mural of one on a building on the Camino Frances last year.

 

[David61]

Pretty. But not a lizard! That's a salamander - amphibian rather than reptile.

I bow to your knowledge. We were quite high up and there was no obvious water around but I have frogs in my garden and the only water there is my water butt and they do not live in there

 

[Bradypus]

I bow to your knowledge. We were quite high up and there was no obvious water around but I have frogs in my garden and the only water there is my water butt and they do not live in there

A couple of times when walking in Japan I saw small crabs in forest areas many miles from the sea and hundreds of feet above sea level. Very surprising!

 

[davejsy]

For anyone who is skeptical about wildlife on the Camino F, this unfortunate and sad incident took place between Castrojeriz and Boadilla del Camino.