ΤΟ "ΚΟΚΚΙΝΟ ΒΙΒΛΙΟ ΑΠΕΙΛΟΥΜΕΝΩΝ ΖΩΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΣ"

Living National Treasures: Greece

Greece is home to several mammals found nowhere else including the Crete Spiny Mouse (Planet' Mammiferes), the Cretan Shrew (IUCN Red List), and an endemic subspecies:  the Cretan Wild Goat or Kri-kri (Wikipedia).  

Amphibians restricted to Greece include the Karpathos Lycian Salamander Lyciasalamandra helverseni (Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe), the Karpathos Water Frog Rana cerigensis (Tree of Life) and the Cretan Water Frog Rana (or Pelophylax) cretensis (Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe).

Reptiles unique to Greece include the Cyclades Blunt-nosed Viper Macrovipera schweizeri (ARKive), the Peloponnese Slow Worm Anguis cephalonnica (Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe), the Greek Rock Lizard Lacerta (or Hellenolacerta) graeca (Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe), the Skyros Wall Lizard Podarcis gaigeae (lacerta.de), the Greek Algyroides Algyroides moreoticus (Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe), and the Peloponnese Tortoise Testudo weissingeri (Turtles of the World).  The Cretan Wall Lizard Podarcis cretensis (ARKive) has recently been raised to a full species.

Freshwater fish known solely from Greece include the Greek Rudd Scardinius graecus (ittiofauna), the Daska Pseudophoxinus stymphalicus (ARKive), the Petropsaro Barbus euboicus (ittiofauna), Rutilus ylikiensis (ittiofauna), the Lake Volvi Shemaya Alburnus volviticus (ittiofauna), the Marathon Minnow Pelasgus marathonicus (ittiofauna), Tropidophoxinellus spartiaticus (tsamisaquarium.gr), Leuciscus (or Squalius) keadicus (FishBase), the Macedonia Shad Alosa macedonica (FishBase), the Hellenic Loach Cobitis hellenica (ittiofauna), a stickleback Pungitius hellenicus (FishBase), a goby Knipowitschia milleri (ittiofauna) and Aristotle’s Catfish Silurus aristotelis (ittiofauna).  Economidichthys pygmaeus is one of two species in an endemic genus of freshwater gobies (ittiofauna).

Butterflies unique to Greece include the Cretan Argus (Matt Rowling’s European Butterflies), the Cretan Small Heath (Matt Rowling’s European Butterflies), the Cretan Festoon (Tree of Life), the Taygetos Blue (leps.it), and the Chios Meadow Brown (leps.it).  Other endemic insects include the longhorned beetles Anaglyptus luteofasciatus (Cerambycidae) and Purpuricenus schurmanni (Cerambycidae), a cave cricket Dolichopoda paraskevi (zenas.gr), and two threatened dragonflies:  the Greek Goldenring (ARKive) and the Cretan Spectre (cretewww.com).  Land snails endemic to Crete include Albinaria hippolyti (Francisco Welter-Schultes), Helix godetiana (AnimalBase), Metafruticicola lecta (AnimalBase), and Lindbergia pseudoillyrica (zenas.gr).  Other endemic invertebrates include a jumping spider Pellenes moreana (Salticidae of the World), a cell spider Minotauria attemsi (zenas.gr),a scorpion Euscorpius naupliensis (Scorpion Files), and a woodlouse Schizidium perplexum (zenas.gr).  A family of ostracod crustaceans, the Kliellidae (Fauna Europaea), is known exclusively from Greece.

Among over 700 endemic vascular plants are the Dittany of Crete Origanum dictamnus (ARKive), Baker’s Tulip Tulipa bakeri (Paghat's Garden), a chamomile Anthemis glaberrima (CretaPlant), Cretan Zelkova Zelkova abelicea (ARKive), Crocus oreocreticus (ARKive), Cretan Ebony Ebenus cretica (west-crete.com), a milkwort Polygala helenae (ARKive), Fritillaria conica (Pacific Bulb Society), an orchid Ophrys lacaena (pharmanatur.com), the Cretan Peony Paeonia clusii (west-crete.com), a bellflower Campanula laciniata (west-crete.com), Nonea cesatiana (CalPhotos), and a bugloss Anchusa caespitosa (Greek Mountain Flora).  Endemic plant genera include Jankaea (Greek Mountain Flora), Hymenonema (flickr), Petromarula (Greek Mountain Flora), Ormosolenia (flickr), and Horstrissea (ARKive).

Greece is included in the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots).  Important terrestrial ecoregions for endemic species include the Crete Mediterranean Forests (WWF) and the Pindus Mountains Mixed Forests (WWF).  Important freshwater ecoregions include the Ionian Drainages (FEOW) and the Southeast Adriatic Drainages (FEOW).