Cyprus is an island country located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. This beautiful island has a variety of animal habitats such as rocky coastal areas, pine forests, wetlands, and inland desert areas.
Cyprus has few native, land mammal species because, as an island, it is somewhat isolated from the diversity of the mainland. One of the most interesting native animals on Cyprus is a wild sheep called a moufflan. The males feature large, curved horns, and at one time they were almost hunted to extinction. Fortunately, their numbers have rebounded. Bats are abundant on the island, and Cyprus is the only European nation to have fruit eating bats.
Two types of endangered sea turtles use Cyprus for their breeding grounds: the
Loggerhead turtle and the Green turtle. Six species of snakes inhabit the island, but only one, the Cyprus Whip snake, is indigenous to the island. When full grown it is all black with a green tint.
Birds are abundant on Cyprus. Many types of birds use the island as a stopping point on their migratory routes between Africa and Europe, but the
Cyprus warbler is native to the island. It is small and dark, and can be identified by it's peculiar red eyes.
The most common types of fish in the sea surrounding Cyprus are the rainbow fish and parrot fish. Much of the fish around Cyprus has been depleted due to overfishing. The
Mediterranean monk seal and dolphins are protected species around Cyprus.
For a small, island nation, Cyprus is home to a fascinating plethora of animals.