Cretan fauna you may come across in the Gardens
Hares (lepus europeus)
A mammal living in the park in small numbers
The Cretan badger
This is one of the biggest wild animals found living in the park.
Porcupines
One of the most usual mammals on the island, usually moving around at night and often spotted in the park.
The Cretan “thorny” mouse
This is a mammal threatened with extinction , found exclusively on the island of Crete.
The Cretan “zourida” or rock ferret
A mammal living in underground tunnels
The Cretan weasel
It is an endemic species of the common weasel.
AMPHIBIANS
The Cretan climate is normally warm and dry, with the waters of lakes and rivers drying up soon after spring. However, the few and limited habitats provide shelter for the few species of frogs and toads living on the island.
The Cretan Frog ( Pelophylax cretensis or Rana cretensis)
The Cretan frog is one of the 3 endemic amphibian species of Greece , which is found only on the island of Crete.Unfortunately, though, its numbers have been eliminated due to various reasons.
The Tree Frog
A unique species of tree frog all over Europe, found in most wet parts of Crete . The fact is that these tree frogs are separate endemic sub-species (Hyla arborea veluchiensis and Hyla arborea cretensis).
The Cretan Lizard ( scientifically called Podarcis cretensis)
This is the only endemic lizard on the island.
The “Kolisayra” (Lacerta trilineata)
A species of bright green colour found all over Greece. It is also known as “tranosavra”(the great lizard) or “prassinosavra” ( the green lizard).
