Mt. Hermon (33.3N, 35.78E) is Israel's tallest mountain (and many would argue Israel's only true mountain). The highest peak in the area controlled by Israel is ~2300m a.s.l. It is a massive Karst formation of Jurassic limestone, in the southern-most tip of the Anti-Lebanon range. Amidst its chilly peaks one can find such rarities as the near-endemics Montivipera bornmuelleri, and of course Mediodactylus amictopholis.
The Hermon trip is not an official part of the conference. We will nonetheless go there the day before it starts, on Saturday the 25th, going from Tel Aviv early in the morning and arriving back in the early evening (hopefully). It is a self-driven tour: some of us will bring our own cars, but if there is no room and you want to go please arrange to rent a car well ahead (Saturday is not a day rental companies in Israel know exists, they shut at Friday around 13:00 - except in Ben Gurion airport where a 24/7 service is likely).
We will drive up to the alpine habitats of Mt. Hermon and search for these endemics, as well as other species which, in Israel, can only be found on the heights of the Hermon, such as Phoenicolacerta kulzeri or Eirenis modestus. Stopping en route we will search for other Mediterranean biome species such as the exciting Ptyodactylus puisseuxi, as well as non-gecko things such as Lacerta media israelica, Dolichophis jugularis, Platyceps collaris, Phoenicolacerta laevis, and the always exciting Hemidactylus turcicus. We might even sample some local delicacies such as Kanafeh.
As this is an unofficial trip, we will be driving ourselves.
The Hermon trip is not an official part of the conference. We will nonetheless go there the day before it starts, on Saturday the 25th, going from Tel Aviv early in the morning and arriving back in the early evening (hopefully). It is a self-driven tour: some of us will bring our own cars, but if there is no room and you want to go please arrange to rent a car well ahead (Saturday is not a day rental companies in Israel know exists, they shut at Friday around 13:00 - except in Ben Gurion airport where a 24/7 service is likely).
We will drive up to the alpine habitats of Mt. Hermon and search for these endemics, as well as other species which, in Israel, can only be found on the heights of the Hermon, such as Phoenicolacerta kulzeri or Eirenis modestus. Stopping en route we will search for other Mediterranean biome species such as the exciting Ptyodactylus puisseuxi, as well as non-gecko things such as Lacerta media israelica, Dolichophis jugularis, Platyceps collaris, Phoenicolacerta laevis, and the always exciting Hemidactylus turcicus. We might even sample some local delicacies such as Kanafeh.
As this is an unofficial trip, we will be driving ourselves.