Sifnos island

Sifnos is situated north from the Milos archipelago. The name 'Sifnos' is believed to originate either from Sifnos, the son of the Attic hero Sounio and the island's first settler, or alternatively from the adjective ‘sifnos,’ meaning empty or hollow—a reference to the many underground shafts created by extensive mining activity. With a total surface area of about 74 square kilometers it is a medium sized island with only one Natura 2000 area, GR4220008. Famous for its pristine beaches and a great road connection, during the peak summer months it suffers an influx of tourists.

There are many beaches that draw people's attention including but not limited to Cheronnissos, Platys gialos, Chrysopigi (following photo), Vathy etc. Locals try to maintain the islands character as much as possible and the mayor is putting a lot of effort to safeguard the island's natural habitats. However, heavy construction and wind turbine installations are always looming, removing habitats and increasing fragmentation. 

The vast majority of herpetologists are also not selecting this island to photograph Macrovipera schweizeri - and maybe rightfully so. Sifnos is considerably different from the other three islands. More dense and taller vegetation offer an exceptional habitat for the Milos viper to both hide and thrive. An infamous population of the species that is quite difficult to even spot. As opposed to the Milos standards, the species on Sifnos does not seem to be drawn to water pools and seems to be dispersed throughout the island. The island has an incredible number of stone walls throughout, much like Kimolos. It is one type of habitat that the viper seems to prefer (following photo). 

The animals also seem to have slightly different dorsal pattern coloration and size. Their dorsal markings seem to be more orange and in terms of size, the Sifnos population seems to be arguably the biggest of the four islands. Upon a closer look, the head shape also seems to differ to an extend, reminding more of Macrovipera lebetina obtusa than lebetina lebetina. On occasion the locals may encounter one but it is not common at all. The density of the viper on Sifnos seems to be quite low and coupling that with their extensive dispersal pattern exceptionally difficult to find.

The presence of the more abundant Dolichophis caspius on the island—absent from the other three islands—may represent a considerable pressure that has not yet been taken into consideration. The Caspian whip snake is a well-documented snake-eater and frequently preys on vipers. A similar pattern can be observed on the island of Symi, where Montivipera xanthina co-occurs with Dolichophis jugularis. Although the Ottoman viper is abundant on neighboring islands such as Leros and Lipsi, where the Black whip snake is absent, its density on Symi is noticeably lower, coinciding with the presence of D. jugularis. Their exaggerated secretive behavior may even be tied to this.

Although quite challenging, Sifnos is undoubtedly a fascinating island for studying the Milos viper. Intensive cultivation, combined with a stronger human presence around the few remaining water sources and the island’s homogeneous denser vegetation pattern, appears to have pushed the vipers toward readily available mammalian prey, such as rodents, and to seek refuge in stone walls that run through densely vegetated peripheral areas. Even if an individual is spotted, the observer often has but a handful of seconds to click - before the animal disappears without a trace. 

The herpetofauna of Sifnos island includes the following species: Caspian whipsnake (Dolichophis caspius), European ratsnake (Zamenis situla), Balkan frog (Pelophylax kurtmuelleri), Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus), Kotchy's gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi), European snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii), Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata hansschweizeri), Erhard's wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii erhardii)