Text and research by Nikos Aivalis, translation by Eva Trombetas
In the articles on our page, we have referred to various species of animals, that inhabit the Peloponnese or pass through it, if they are migratory. It is worth getting to know some of these species better, so that if a person finds himself on the site of these creatures, he can recognize some of these species. Throughout the Peloponnese we meet hares, wild Boars, badgers, ferrets and other species, so we will refer to the rarest species listed in our articles.
We start from the avifauna, a very important part of the fauna of our country. Clearly we can not write about all species, so as we mentioned above, we will refer to the slightly rarer already, without this of course reduces the ecological value of all fauna as a whole. In our first article about
Taygetos, we meet the majestic golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). The golden eagle is the largest nesting eagle in Greece and the fifth largest wingspan in the world. The name refers to the golden hue of the bird's neck. Its spread is from the northern part of America, southern Europe, to the depths of Asia. It lives mainly at high altitudes, as in mount Taygetos, where it hunts and breeds. Its wingspan is from 188 centimeters to 254 centimeters, its average speed is 50 kilometers per hour, its maximum acceleration is 130 kilometers per hour, while in vertical pounce it can reach up to 240 kilometers per hour. It usually hunts small and medium animals. The golden eagle is very strong, as its claws can exert a pressure of 230 kg, about ten times the strength of a human hand. In Greece it was a very widespread species, but with the destruction of its habitats, it stayed in really few places, in the mountain Taygetos in the Peloponnese (it was also recorded near the wetland of Moustos), in the mountains of Crete, in the mountain Pindus and in Thrace.
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| golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) |
Another species of eagle we have met, is the bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata). We find it in north Africa, in southern Europe mainly Greece and Spain, while it reaches as far as India and some parts of south China. The bonelli's eagle frequents mainly dry, mountainous areas with rocks, but outside the breeding season it can be found even in wetlands. In Taygetos we find him nesting many times in gorges. It is clearly smaller than the golden eagle, its wingspan is from 150 cm to 175 cm, while due to its size many confuse it with a hawk, as it is quite fast and flexible, compared to other species of eagles. In connection with the migratory golden eagle, the bonelli's eagle is epidemic, it remains all year round in one area. Like the golden eagle, bonelli's eagle, due to the destruction of its habitats and poaching, we now find it mainly in mount Taygetos in the Peloponnese, in Evros in few populations, and in some islands also in few populations.
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| bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) |
West marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), we have met him in the wetland of Moustos, as well as in
lake Taka, in Tegea. It is a day bird and one of the circus (eg pallid harrier, montagu's harrier and others) that we meet in Greece. The Latin name refers to the bronze color of the bird, while the Greek name refers to the bird's habitats. Its spread is mainly in Europe, the Middle East, in some parts of northwest Africa, as well as some parts of Asia in the south. As its name says (marsh), it is found mainly in wetlands with reeds, in grasslands, river deltas and lagoons. West marsh harrier is the largest European circus, about the size of a hawk. The opening of its wings is from 110 centimeters to 130 centimeters. In flight it has a characteristic that circus have and distinguishes them from hawks, they fly with raised wings in the shape of V, having hung their legs, while they make frequent abrupt stops and small dives, as it flies low, near the reeds in search of prey. He is also, like the bonelli's eagle, an epidemic species. In Greece we find it in wetlands, as we mentioned the Moustos wetland and lake Taka, but it is at risk from wetland desiccations and poaching, which significantly reduces the population of west marsh harrier.
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| west marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) |
Buzzard (Buteo buteo), an almost legendary bird for Greece, which has even become a song (Stelios Kazantzidis - son of gerakina, gerakina = female buzzard). A day predator, just like the west marsh harrier. We find it almost all over Europe and Russia. In the Middle East and a part of east Africa, we also find the buzzard, where, however, it does not breed there, but only resides at certain seasons of the year. In Greece it is an epidemic species, a permanent resident and we find it in mount Taygetos,
Alpheios river, the delta of the Eurotas, lake Taka and other areas, where fortunately there is no immediate danger of its population. It lives in small forests, meadows, shrubs and at the foot of mountains. The buzzard is a robust predator, but hardly distinguishes from other predators, which are almost the same size. It has a wingspan of 117 centimeters to 140 centimeters. It has elegant and stable flying, in contrast to the west marsh harrier.
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| buzzard (Buteo buteo) |
Another bird that has its own place in the folklore and songs of Greece, is the rock partridge (Alectoris graeca). We find it in many songs, with perhaps the most famous one that connects it with the Peloponnese, the traditional heroic tsamiko "Perdikoula tou Moria" (tsamiko is traditional folk dance of Greece, perdikoula/perdika = partridge). The rock partridge was well known to the ancient Greeks, as it refers to the hens of Aristophanes, while Theophrastus claimed that the partridge changed its voice. The ancient Athenians regarded it as one of the most refined delicacies. The name of the genus (alectoris) comes from the ancient Greek, alectoris, which referred to domestic chickens. Rock partridge is an endemic bird of southern Europe and the Balkans, from Italy to Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. It is found throughout the Peloponnese and throughout mainland Greece, as well as in some Ionian islands. As its name indicates, it lives on rocky slopes, mainly in the mountains, although it can also live in coastal areas when it is not in danger from hunters. It has a gray color with a brown back, white sides with black streaks red legs, beak and eye ring and white neck with black margin. She is petite, just 33 by 36 centimeters long and a wingspan of 46 by 53 centimeters. As it is a ground bird, it flies only at need, low and with quick wings. Rock partridge, a traditional bird of Greece, faces many dangers, such as intense predation, but also hybridization with island partridges (Alectoris chukar), released uncontrollably by thousands for hunting, as in island Kythira, where the entire population is now characterized as hybrid, resulting in the species of rock partridge disappearing.
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| rock partridge (Alectoris graeca) |
Leaving avifauna, we go to reptile fauna, where we meet four endemic lizards, in almost all our articles, from Taygetos, Eurotas, Alpheios,
Ladonas, to the wetland of Moustos. The first is greek algyroides (Algyroides moreoticus). It is an endemic species of Greece and the Peloponnese, which means that we will not find it anywhere else in the world. Its size is 10 cm with the tail, fast and flexible. It is found up to 1200 meters altitude in bushy areas. It is easiest to meet it in the spring, as in the summer it hides, avoiding high temperatures. The colors vary depending on the sex and age of the person, from light brown, to dark brown.
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| greek algyroides (Algyroides moreoticus) |
The second is greek rock lizard (Hellenolacerta graeca). Endemic species of the Peloponnese and this, lives near forests, but also in bushy areas, always near stony ground. Its size is about 16 cm with the tail. Her body is somewhat broad, while the legs are long and slender. The color is usually glossy brown, but it can also be yellowish brown, with a slight reddish tint. We find it up to 1600 meters altitude, but usually most populations find it from 300 to 700 meters. It is an agile species and climbs on rocks, walls and tree trunks, while avoiding remaining for many hours in the sun. The main threats facing greek rock lizard, are fires and the planting of eucalyptus in place of the natural vegetation of the area.
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| greek rock lizard (Hellenolacerta graeca) |
Third is the peloponnese wall lizard (Podarcis pelonnesiacus). Also endemic species of the Peloponnese. It inhabits rocky areas, pastures and fields. We find it up to 2000 meters altitude. It is larger than the greek rock lizard, its size is about 18 cm with the tail. The colors of the lizard are grayish brown, with a pale vertebral stripe. The lower part is red, orange or white. It is an agile species and climbs rocks, walls and tree trunks, while it can make long jumps between rocks.
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| peloponnese wall lizard (Podarcis peloponnesiacus) |
Finally, the fourth species is limbless skink (Ophiomorus punctatissimus). A species of lizard that many may confuse with a snake, hence its name (ophis = snake), since it has no legs and unfortunately many kill it as a snake, while it is completely harmless, since it has no poison as it feeds only on invertebrates. Its size is 18 cm with the tail. Endemic species of the Peloponnese, prefers areas with low vegetation up to 900 meters altitude, hiding under stones or buried in soft soil. It avoids, like the other three lizards, the high temperatures of summer.
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| limbless skink (Ophiomorus punctatissimus) |
In mammals now, few know that one of the rarest species, although famous, is the jackal or golden jackal (Canis aureus). It is found in Taygetos, in the wetland of Moustoss, but also in other parts of Greece, such as Evros, Macedonia and Samos (the only island we find jackal). Really misunderstood mammal, unfairly hunted, since it's a scavenger. Jackals are in immediate danger, since there are now only 1500 recorded animals. It lives up to 600 meters altitude, in forests and foothills of mountains. With the intensification of animal husbandry, the habitats of the jackal change dramatically, resulting in it disappearing steadily and rapidly from the Greek land, where along with Bulgaria, are the last two places in Europe where we find the jackal, as it has already disappeared throughout the rest of Europe. The jackal looks very much like a wolf, but it is much smaller in size and lighter (70 by 80 centimeters long, 40 by 50 centimeters tall and 11 by 14 kilograms). Its fur in winter is either red gray with black tones due to black hairs, or a brighter red of rust. It is a shy species and rarely comes into direct contact with humans, while the most characteristic of the species is its howling in the evenings.
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| jackal (Canis aureus) |
Another species is the otter or European otter (Lutra lutra), which is found in Alpheios, Ladonas, Eurotas, and other parts of Greece. Inhabitant of rivers and lakes with fresh water, but sometimes also brackish waters, with a long body, elastic, muscular with thick fur of a brown color. It has short legs, yet swims extremely fast, wagging her tail and hind legs. It eats insects, frogs and smaller mammals. It has a length of 92 to 140 cm with the tail and weight from 5 to 12 kg. Quite playful, it often plays or hunts on the banks of rivers.
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| otter (Lutra lutra) |
A rare species is the grey dwarf hamster (Cricetulus migratorius), found in Lake Taka, in Tegea. Its spread is from eastern Europe, Russia, central Asia, to western China. In Greece we find it only in Arcadia, as mentioned above, in Achaia, Corinthia, and Phocis. It's a big reduction in the pesticide population. This rodent, belonging to the category of hamsters, is gray in color with large ears, while its size is only 130 millimeters. It lives at more than 600 meters altitude, in bushy areas as it avoids dense forests.
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| grey dwarf hamster (Cricetulus migratorius) |
The other species also found in lake Taka, is the leuconychterida = white bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii). With a size of only 5 cm, it lives mainly in north Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. It is found in temperate forests, but also in bushy soils, in areas of the Mediterranean type. Despite the deceptive name, it is not white, but brown in color with a small white stripe under the wing. It finds shelter in crevices and openings in walls of buildings, in bridges, on the roofs of old houses, but also in trees. It feeds on small flying insects, such as flies, mosquitoes and small moths. Despite the prevailing opinion that bats are blind, the white bat has very good eyesight, which makes it extremely effective in hunting insects.
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| white bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii) |
Passing through the ichthyofauna, we start with a small rare fish, with the name zacharias almiris (Aphanius almiriensis). Zacharias internationally is characterized as "critical danger" and exists only in the brackish waters of
Moustos throughout the world, as it is endemic of the Peloponnese but also quite rare species. It is only 4 centimeters in size, it has no fishing value, but it has a huge ecological value. It lives in brackish waters with calm flow and at a shallow depth, where the vegetation provides cover and food. Zacharias is an excellent swimmer and lives in shoals.
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| zacharias almiris (Aphanius almiriensis) |
Another extremely endangered species is the laconikos pelasgos (Laconian pelasgus), endemic of the Peloponnese which we find only in
Eurotas. It's an extremely rare species, with little information unfortunately. Small in size, Brown in color with a dark horizontal line. But there is another pelasgus, also an endemic species. The stymphalikos pelasgos (Pelasgus stymphalicus), which we find in Alpheios, lake Taka and lake Stymphalia, from where it took its name. Reaches 12 cm, freshwater fish, lives in rivers with a calm flow, although hardy species is threatened by water pollution. The colors of the stymphalikos pelasgos are silvery at the bottom and greenish at the top.
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1. stymphalikos pelasgos (Pelasgus stymphalicus)
2. laconikos pelasgos (Laconian pelasgus) |
Next species, is the kaiadic menida (Squalius keadicus). It is also an endemic species, inhabiting only the waters of the Eurotas, which makes it extremely vulnerable like the laconikos pelasgos, from the pollution of the waters of the river and its poor management. It is of a silver color with a light olive green on the top of the fish. It reaches 25 cm in size, occurs in the deepest waters of the river, preferring places where the current is slow. We find it on a sandy bottom. It feeds mainly on aquatic insects.
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| kaiadic menida (Squalius keadicus) |
Finally, another important member of the ichthyofauna is the golden menida (Tropidophoxinellus spartiaticus), which we also find in the waters of the Eurotas, the waters of the river Pamisos of Messinia and the waters of the
river Nedas. Also endemic and endangered species, a kindred species of carp. Its name testifies to its golden color, with a dark horizontal line. It reaches 10 cm in size, while inhabiting places with a moderate current. It feeds on invertebrates, plants and small aquatic insects.
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| golden menida (Tropidophoxinellus spartiaticus) |
In the other fauna species, we have the butterfly Menelaos (Polyommatus menelaos), a beautiful butterfly, which is endemic species and exists only in Taygetos, beautifying the slopes of the mountain, like a little fairy. Usually it has bluish blue wings or brown, and sometimes it has black spots. It flies near and above trees, in places with springs and waters, where it breeds.
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| butterfly Menelaos (Polyommatus menelaos) |
Another endemic species is the butterfly of the Peloponnese (Charissa pelonnesiaria), which we find in the areas of Parnonas and southeast of Kalavryta. Its color is golden to white and light brown.
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| butterfly of the Peloponnese (Charissa peloponnesiaria) |
