8509 Magazine - 2024 edition - Magazine - Page 46
WILDLIFE IN CYPRUS
The rarely
fflon
rus Mou
spotted Cyp
Moufflon
This animal is the national emblem of
Cyprus. It is a really shy, fleet-footed,
horned wild sheep and, if you are lucky,
you’ll see one scooting up the hillsides in
Troodos or Paphos Forests - best chances
of sightings are in the summer months.
They are endemic to Cyprus, with a
population of only around 3000 and are
the largest animal found on the island.
Moufflon are officially classified as feral by
the IUCN.
Hedgehogs
There are a lot of these around the resort
and you’ll often hear them snuffling
around in the gardens a short while after
sundown. They are very shy creatures and
won’t like it if you get close, but they can
be quite fierce and will take on a snake
and eat it if it’s not too big.
Chameleons
If you are lucky then you will catch sight of
the elusive Mediterranean Chameleon, the
slow paced lizard with bags of character.
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Snakes
There are a small number of
different snakes on the island and
three of them are venomous - the
Montpellier snake, the Cat snake
and the Blunt Nose viper. These are
well camouflaged on and in the
rocks. You probably won’t see any
of them, but if you do, leave them
alone. You may see other, longer
black snakes (Whipsnakes) which
can look a little scary but these are
harmless. All snakes would rather
slide away than confront a human so
you really don’t need to worry about
them. However, it is not a good idea
to go rummaging around in bushes,
especially on the golf course, as you
may scare them and that is very
unwise. (Recommended reading –
Snakes of Cyprus by Hans-Jorg Wiedl).
Birdlife
Cyprus is a fantastic place to see
birdlife during the migratory periods
of February – April and October –
November. There are some beautiful
bird species, most notable are the
many finch varieties, hoopoes, bee
eaters, warblers and the famous
flamingoes found at the salt lakes.
Varieties that you are likely to see
around the resort year-round are the
hooded crows, magpies, buzzards,
kestrels, swallows and house martins
and you will probably hear the scops
owls and little owls during the night.
The Independent option on Aphrodite Hills since 2003