Fauna

The gecko of Kotschy (scient. Mediodactylus kotschyi) is a common lizard species on Crete, which is very similar to the previous two, but belongs to a separate species. The major difference of this lizard with the other two gecko species mentioned is that it has a thin body and its fingers do not have suction cups.

The leatherback turtle (scient. Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest reptile in the world, with its shell growing up to 250cm and its weight, sometimes, exceeding 900kg. Infrequent appearances of the species have been reported in Greece (and in Crete), while there has not been reported any case of breeding on Greek beaches.

In Crete it is found anywhere there is fresh or brackish water. You'll see them sunning on the banks of rivers. When you approach their area, they disappear before you know it making a loud "plop". Crete is warm enough for them so they remain active throughout the year, but in times of drought they may get buried in the mud and hibernate during the summer.

False Killer whale (scient. Pseudorca crassidens) is a large dolphin (not whale), which is very rare in the waters of Greece and more frequent in the Eastern Mediterranean (Israel, Cyprus). It is distributed in warm waters worldwide, but has not been studied in depth yet. There has never been reported a pseudorca in Crete, but the occasional visits of this kind in the Aegean Sea, make its existence around Crete almost certain.

The striped dolphin (scient. Stenella coeruleoalba) is the most common species of dolphin in Greek waters. It is usully found far from the coasts, in the open Aegean and Ionian Sea, south of Crete or close to the coasts if the water is very deep. It lives in flocks of 50-100 individuals, and often coexists with other dolphins, such as the Common dolphin and Risso’s dolphin.

Lesser kestrel (scient. Falco naumanni) is one of the most known species of falcon in Crete, but today it is threatened with extinction. The locals call it “windfuc…r” because it has the ability to hover at a fixed point in the air, against the wind, so it seems like making love with the wind!

The American bullfrog (scient. Rana catesbeiana) is endemic to the Americal State of California and is widely used for the production of frog legs. However, in 2000 a businessman from Chania, who bred bullfrogs was disappointed by his investment and released all his frogs into the Lake Agia. This resulted in the complete displacement of the local Cretan frogs from the lake.

Chukar (scient. Alectoris graeca) or rock patridge is a beautiful bird abounding in Crete, for which many songs have been sung. The chukar walks and runs well on all grounds. It rarely flies, but it does so faster and better than all galliformes.