Animals and fauna of Crete
The size of Crete at 8,336 square kilometres and the fact that it is
isolated from the rest of mainland Europe, Asia and Africa, plus the
diversity of its terrain enables the island to support a wide diversity of
wildlife including a large number of species of bat, which inhabit the
thousands of caves on the island as well as the isolated forests and
abandoned farmhouses throughout the island. There are also many kinds of
migrating birds which rest on the island before heading on southwards and,
in the mountainous regions, the Golden Eagle and the Griffon Vulture.
Lake Agia is home to many species of birdlife, indigenous and visiting, and
often there are species of heron present. There are some intriguing reptiles
and amphibians, but only about 14 species are known to occur naturally. This
is probably due to prolonged isolation from other continents. Amongst these
are the Cretan frog and the Cretan Wall Lizard. Finally, Crete has a
multiplicity of mammal life including many types of small field and woodland
mammals such as rabbits, mice and other rodents, badgers, hedgehogs, shrews,
weasels and martens. However, Crete also has some animals that are rare to
other Mediterranean regions and some which are unique to the island itself.
Among these unique species is the proud Cretan ibex or wild goat Agrimi or
"Kri Kri". These animals exist now only in a few isolated areas of the
island, including the Samaria National Park. Archaeological excavations on
the island have discovered many wall paintings depicting the "kri kri" which
seems to support the view that it was worshiped during antiquity. Breeding
programmes have now been established on nearby islands of Crete in an effort
to increase their population.
A second mammal, extremely rare and unique to Crete is the "fourogatos" or
Cretan wildcat. It is the only wild cat on the island and is limited to a
small area in the region of the White Mountains and its surrounding
sub-alpine areas. It is larger than ordinary cats with males growing to a
body length of 50cm and a tail length of 30cm. Its tail is bushier at the
tip and narrower at its base than the domestic cat. Its coat is light brown
with dark markings and the tail has black bands and a black tip. The
fourogatos was thought for many years to be extinct until one was trapped in
the Amari valley in 1996. Shortly after this a shepherd discovered a lair
containing five kittens in the forest at Rouvas. Nevertheless, it is a
highly endangered species, mainly due to the use of pesticides and toxic
materials used to destroy other mammals.
Two other mammals of interest in Crete are the Cretan Hound or Cretan Tracer
and the horse of Messara. The hound is the oldest breed of dog in Europe and
its existence on Crete goes back 4,000 years. However, by the middle of the
last century it was found that only a few pure bred animals remained.
Fortunately, with this knowledge, attempts were made to save the breed and
the situation is now much more promising for the Cretan Hound.
The Cretan horse or horse of Messara, like the Cretan Hound, is the oldest
breed of horse in Europe and is a domestic horse breed that is native to the
island, not existing anywhere else in the world. Although smaller than the
common horse it is a hardy little fellow known for its strength and stamina,
making it an ideal animal for use in the rugged, harsh and inaccessible
parts of the island. Its key feature is its precise pacing gait which makes
it more comfortable to ride. Excavations discovered a skeleton of the animal
that dates back to 1700BC thus establishing the fact that it has existed in
Crete since at least before the Minoan period. Its image has been found on
coins dating from the Minoan era and also in wall paintings and sculptures.
It is thought to have been brought to Crete from Egypt although other
sources believe it is a descendant of the Tarpon breed in Russia.
In the early 1990s it was feared that this remarkable breed was in danger of
becoming extinct with an estimated population of only 80 animals. Today,
however, the future for the Cretan horse looks more hopeful with many
Cretans owning them, primarily for equestrian competitions on the island,
with one of the most famous contest held in spring and autumn on the
Stramboulas Plateau.
Finally, Greece hosts the largest nesting population of Mediterranean
Loggerhead Sea Turtles in a number of locations including Crete. The sea
turtle spends most of its life at sea but every summer, between the months
of June and August, adult females return to the beaches where they were
hatched. How they navigate their way through the ocean, to the very same
beach they started life on, is one of nature"s most remarkable secrets. They
make nests and lay their eggs on several beaches around Crete and the 11km
stretch of beach from Rethymnon Town to Skaleta is one of them.
The females come ashore at night and hollow out a body pit by sweeping the
dry sand away before digging an egg pit with their flippers. Each female
will lay around 120 eggs, each the size and shape of a ping-pong ball. She
then covers the eggs by pressing down the loose sand with her rear flippers
and throws dry sand over the area to conceal the nest before she returns to
the sea. Generally loggerheads nest only every two to three years. The eggs
incubate in the warm sand and hatch in seven to ten weeks. The hatchlings
struggle to the surface, sometimes taking two or three days to emerge
because oxygen is scarce. As they near the surface they stop and wait for
the sand to cool in the night or the early morning, before breaking out 50
at a time and dashing towards the sea, guided by the moonlight on the water.
The main threat to nesting turtles is tourism. The quiet, secluded places of
20 years ago are now developed with hotels, cafes, restaurants and bars
encroaching onto the beach. The light and the noise from these places
disorient adult females and their hatchlings trying to find the sea.
Furthermore, beach furniture, including umbrellas and loungers, pose a risk
because they deter adult females from nesting and the hatchlings can get
caught up in the obstructions. In addition, setting up umbrellas can reduce
the sand temperature and so affect egg incubation. Beach cleaning, if not
monitored, can be devastating because of the use of heavy vehicles which
rake and churn up the nests or leave deep tyre ruts which hinder or trap
hatchlings.
Consequently, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle is a protected species. Their
breeding sites are monitored and protected by Archeon, the Sea Turtle
Protection Society of Greece which was founded in 1983 with the aim to
protect turtles and their habitat through field work, management and
awareness programmes. Volunteers from all over the world spend a minimum of
28 days during the nesting season working for Archelon at their own expense
to ensure the turtles are given a chance in life. There are kiosks around
the harbour at Chania and Rethymno which aim to educate visitors to Crete
about the turtles. Archelon also presents a slide show at various hotels
during the summer season.
Crete has no dangerous mammals or snakes and the Ancient Greeks credited
this to the labours of Hercules who honoured the birthplace of Zeus by
eradicating all harmful or poisonous animals. Cretans also considered that
the island was blessed by the Apostle Paul who cleared it of all dangerous
animals after having lived in Crete for two years. However, to catch sight
of some of the animals who do live on the island, patience or luck is
required. The size and isolation of parts of Crete allow its natural
wildlife to exist in relative peace, unaffected by the traffic and centres
of population.