Natural history of Rhodes


The natural history of the island of Rhodes is determined by its geographic position, climate and geological diversity. Rhodes is in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin close to the coast of Turkey, and the flora and fauna are a mixture of Mediterranean and Asian elements. Rhodes is in the Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests ecoregion.
The habitats are: arable land; perennial crops, orchards and groves, ruderal land; coastline and coastal rocky areas, inland cliffs, sea cliffs and rocky shores: forest, native coniferous woodland; grassland steppes and dry calcareous grassland; shrub land, sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis shrubland; wetland, rivers and streams.

Flowering plants

The flowering plant species of Rhodes number 1,243.

Phrygana or spiny garrigue

Phrygana or garrigue is open dwarf scrub dominated by low, often cushion-shaped, spiny shrubs. The phryganic species are high-temperature and drought tolerant, and they grow at low altitudes, usually on poor and rocky limestone and siliceous substrates.
The most common phryganic species on Rhodes are: Sarcopoterium spinosumCistus incanusCistus salviifoliusPhlomis fruticosaSalvia trilobaQuercus cocciferaAsparagus acutifoliusGenista acanthocladaEuphorbia acanthothamnos Pistacia lentiscus
Other species include Coridothymus capitatusThymus sp.Hypericum empetrifoliumSalvia trilobaErica manipulifloraCalicotome villosaBallota acetabulosa

Bulbous plants

Many bulbous plants on Rhodes flower in the month of October. Species include:
Sternbergia luteaColchicum cupaniiCyclamen graecumDrimia maritima Narcissus serotinus.
Notable are:Colchicum macrophyllumFritillaria rhodia

Orchids

Rhodes has a high diversity of orchid species, especially in the genus Ophrys: Ophrys apiferaOphrys bombylifloraOphrys ciliataOphrys regis-ferdinandiiOphrys creticaOphrys ferrum-equinumOphrys mammosaOphrys luteaOphrys siculaOphrys reinholdiiOphrys tenthrediniferaOphrys umbilicataOphrys umbilicataOphrys fuscaOphrys omegaiferaOphrys iricolorOphrys candicaOphrys holosericeaOphrys heldreichiiOphrys dodekanensisOphrys oestriferaOphrys speculumSerapias bergoniiSerapias caricaSerapias parvifloraHimantoglossum comperianumHimantoglossum robertianum Anacamptis collinaAnacamptis laxifloraAnacamptis morioAnacamptis papilionaceaAnacamptis pyramidalisAnacamptis sancta
Anacamptis fragransAnacamptis palustrisAnacamptis coriophoraOrchis anatolicaOrchis anthropophoraOrchis italicaOrchis provincialisOrchis punctulataOrchis simiaOrchis lacteaNeotinea intactaNeotinea lacteaDactylorhiza romanaSpiranthes spiralisLimodorum abortivumCephalanthera epipactoidesCephalanthera longifolia

Other plants

Among the Mediterranean endemic species prominent in the Rhodes vegetation are:
Nearly endemic to the Mediterranean genera found on Rhodes are: AubrietaSesamoidesCynaraDracunculusArisarum Biarum
More widespread in South-east Europe and Asia Minor plants include Ranunculus asiaticusTamarix parvifloraPetrorhagia dubiaHeliotropium europaeumCentranthus calcitrapae and ''Globularia alypum''

Widely-grown introduced plants

Widely introduced plants include:

Birds

257 bird species are recorded from Rhodes, many are passage migrants. 80 are breeding species.
Breeding species include: Alectoris chukarBurhinus oedicnemusOtus scopsApus melbaApus pallidusMerops apiasterUpupa epopsCalandrella brachydactylaHirundo dauricaAnthus campestrisCercotrichas galactotesOenanthe hispanicaGulosus aristotelisIxobrychus minutusButeo rufinusHieraaetus fasciatusCircaetus gallicusFalco naumanniFalco eleonoraeFalco peregrinusFalco biarmicusAquila chrysaetosClamator glandariusMelanocorypha calandraAcrocephalus melanopogonPhylloscopus bonelliSitta neumayerOriolus oriolusCorvus coraxEmberiza hortulanaEmberiza caesiaEmberiza melanocephalaLanius collurioHippolais olivetorumSylvia ruppeliSaxicola rubetra
Passage migrants include:
Nycticorax nycticoraxArdeola ralloidesArdea purpureaPlegadis falcinellusPandion haliaetusFalco vespertinusMilvus migransCircus pygargusHieraaetus pennatusHimantopus himantopusGlareola pratincolaCalidris temminckiiTringa stagnatilisLarus audouiniiGelochelidon niloticaChlidonias leucopterusChlidonias hybridusCoracias garrulusAnthus cervinusPlegadis falcinellusOenanthe isabellina Oenanthe pleschanka
Vagrant birds include Circus macrourus, Charadrius leschenaultii, Apus affinis, Luscinia luscinia, Merops persicus, Ficedula semitorquata, Oenanthe cypriaca, Sturnus roseus, Hoplopterus spinosus, Emberiza rustica, Chettusia gregaria, Bubulcus ibis, Anthropoides virgo, Passer moabiticus and very many others.
winter visitors on Rhodes include: Melanocorypha calandra and Acrocephalus melanopogon.

Mammals

There are 33 species: Cervidae Dama dama; Canidae Vulpes vulpes; Erinaceidae Erinaceus concolor, Erinaceus roumanicus; Leporidae Lepus europaeus, Oryctolagus cuniculus; Molossidae Tadarida teniotis; Muridae Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus mystacinus, Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus domesticus, Rattus rattus; Mustelidae Martes foina, Meles meles; Phocidae Monachus monachus; Rhinolophidae Rhinolophus blasii, Rhinolophus euryale, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus hipposideros; Soricidae Crocidura suaveolens, Suncus etruscus; Vespertilionidae Eptesicus bottae, Hypsugo savii, Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis blythii, Myotis emarginatus, Myotis myotis, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Plecotus austriacus.
Fossils found on the island indicate that the species was inhabited by a dwarf elephant species of the genus Palaeoloxodon during the Late Pleistocene.

Amphibia

Rhodes has 3 species: Bufo viridis, Hyla orientalis and Rana cerigensis.

Reptiles

There are for certain 23 reptile species found on Rhodes. These are: Amphisbaenidae, Blanus strauchi; Cheloniidae, Caretta caretta; Dermochelyidae, Dermochelys coriacea; Geoemydidae Mauremys rivulata; Colubridae, Platyceps najadum, Dolichophis jugularis, Hemorrhois nummifer, Zamenis situla, Natrix natrix, Natrix tessellata, Telescopus fallax; Lacertidae, Anatololacerta pelasgiana, Ophisops elegans, Lacerta diplochondrodes; Scincidae, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Chalcides ocellatus, Heremites auratus; Typhlopidae, Xerotyphlops vermicularis; Agamidae, Laudakia stellio; Phyllodactylidae, Tarentola mauritanica; Gekkonidae, Hemidactylus turcicus, Mediodactylus oertzeni and also the invasive Trachemys scripta.
Species uncertainly recorded include a further 7: Malpolon insignitus, Eryx jaculus, Eirenis modestus, Vipera xanthina, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Testudo graeca and Testudo hermanni.

Fish

See List of fish of the Mediterranean Sea.
Squalius ghigii is endemic to Rhodes.

Insects

2,652 insect species/subspecies are recorded from Rhodes.
Commonly seen insects in Rhodes are the sail swallowtail, the scarlet dragonfly, Cleopatra butterfly, European praying mantis, cicada, glow-worm, hummingbird hawk-moth, firebug, field cricket, European tree cricket, European hornet, cuckoo wasp, carpenter bee and the rose chafer.

Land and freshwater mollusca

178 land and freshwater mollusca species/subspecies are recorded from Rhodes.

Other terrestrial invertebrates

The freshwater crab Potamon rhodium is found on Rhodes. It is common at Petaloudes.

Marine fauna

Characteristic habitat types of the Rhodes Mediterranean/Aegean coastal zone, are the Cystoseira biocenosis and the Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds, Lithophyllum lichenoides communities form coralligenous reefs which are a spectacular sight; the coralline alga is covered with large gorgonian fans, coral, and a diverse array of often colourful invertebrate organisms and hundreds of species of fish.
These communities host sponges, sea anemones, jellyfish, sea mats and hornwrack, segmented worms snails, bivalves, squids and octopuses, starfishes and sea urchins, crabs, lobsters and shrimps and little known groups such as Echiura, Priapulida, Sipuncula, Brachiopoda, Pogonophora, Phoronida and Hemichordata.
Amongst the thousand or so species of invertebrates found in the Rhodes Mediterranean/Aegean coastal zone marine environment are mantis shrimps, Mediterranean slipper lobsters, octopus, cuttlefish, scribbled nudibranch, Hypselodoris picta, tasselled nudibranch, precious coral, zigzag coral, purple sail, Mediterranean jellyfish, spiny spider crab, circular crab, broad-clawed porcelain crab, noble pen shell, pilgrim's scallop, ragged sea hare, violet sea hare, Portuguese man o' war, black sea urchin, purple sea-urchin, long-spine slate pen sea urchin, Mediterranean starfish, sea mouse, Barbatia barbata and Parazoanthus axinellae.

Museums

There is a marine natural history display at the Aquarium of Rhodes together with a display of living Mediterranean fish and other marine creatures. A second natural history display at Petaloudes is devoted to the mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, plants and geology of Rhodes. A more specialised museum devoted to bee keeping is close to Rhodes city).
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Conservation

Greece is a signatory to the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats and the Habitats Directive both affording protection to the fauna and flora of Rhodes.