fauna

Fauna

written by
Iliana Halakatevaki - Zafiroula Souvlaki
Christina Kotsifaki - Katerina Kidonaki
5th grade students

Agia wetland represents a significant refuge, both for permanent and summer visitor birds, as they depend on it for food and shelter. So during wintertime one can observe many species of geese, ducks and swans. Nevertheless the nearby wastes, the uncontrollable grazing and illegal hunting pose a threat to the biotope. Analytically, the fauna of the wetland is as presented below.
Mammals.

We can meet 3 species of carnivorous mammals, two rodents, one insectivorous and one lagomorph (the hair). The most representative mammal is the Cretan badger. Additionally, nano-bats, hedgehogs, hairs and weasels are observed in the surrounding area.
Invertebrates. Although many studies have been demonstrated, the invertebrate fauna hasn't been inquired adequately, to date. Many species inhabit in the biotope, but neither of them can be distinguished. Many dipterous insects, such as larvae or snails that prefer very well oxygenized water are noticed. In the waters of the lake there are many leeches and water worms.
Sea animals. Eels that came from the Sargasian Sea and sweet water fish like the American trout, the mullet and a fish called by the local people “mosquito fish.
Amphibians.

All three amphibians that are seen in Crete can be met in the lake, the green toad (bufo viridis viridis), the forest toad and the bog toad. The green toad is a rather scarce species in the region. The buffalo frog appeared lately, which is becoming a threat for the other species. This peculiar frog must have escaped from a nearby illegal breeding farm. The stripe-necked terrapin (mauremis caspica), which is a threatened and protected by the European legislation species is very frequently met. These turtles need soft and not very wet soil to reproduce, but the appropriate soil is becoming scarce because of the expansion of cultivating land, waste disposing and the reed beds.
Reptiles.

Fourteen species of reptiles are recorded, to date. The most prominent is the whip snake (columber gemonensis gemonensis.
Birds.

To date, 188 bird species have been recorded. From these, 45 nest in the biotope or in the surrounding area and depend on it for food. Fifty-nine species are protected by the Greek and European legislation, while 13 are characterized as high priority species. Moreover, forty-five are mentioned in the Red Book of Greece's threatened vertebrates. Little grebes (tachybatus ruficollis) are small birds that feed themselves in the waters and are present all year round.The biotope of Agia is the most important biotope for their reproduction in the whole region. The populations of wild ducks vary in size and species composition, throughout the seasons. From mid-autumn until early spring, one may distinguish up to 11 species, among them the globally threatened ferruginous duck (aythya nyroca). Nine heron species make their presence felt here. The most common are the grey heron (ardea cinerea), the squacco heron (ardeola ralloides), the little egret (egretta garzetta) and the purple heron (ardea purpurea). Other birds met are:
v Glossy ibis (plegadis falcinellus)
v The little stint (calidris minuta)
v The ruff (philomachus pugnax)
v The wood sandpiper (tringa glareola)
v Whiskered tern (chlidonias hybridus)
v The snipe (gallinago gallinago)
v The yellow-legged gull (larus cacchinans)
v Swallows (hirundo rustica)
v Crag martins (ptyonoprogne rupestris)
v The coot (fulica atra)
v The king fisher (ascedo atthis)
v Swan species
Twenty-two diurnal and 3 nocturnal species have been recorded in the biotope. The marsh harrier (circus aeroginosus) is the most typical bird of prey met in the wetland. Every winter the booted eagle (hieraaetus pennatus) appears early in the morning, whereas during summer and autumn eleonorae's falcon (falco eleonorae) makes its present felt. Spring and autumn nights are coloured by the voices of scops owls (otus scops). In autumn, when the first raindrops convert the small brooks into raging torrents and the lake starts to flood, the migrating birds arrive. First comes the coot, which starts the exploration of the reed beds although the moorhen has already preceded this exploration. The moorhen is a permanent species, which reproduces in this rich biotope and moves around in family groups. The lake of Agia and its surrounding area, offers many opportunities to observe birds that are rare in Europe such as the bittern (botaurus stellaris), the spotted eagle (aquila clanga) and the aquatic warbler (acrocephalus paludicola), all of them threatened species.

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