Fauna
Chrisoula Pantelidi – Alexandrakis Stelios Kotsifaki Katherine - Patsourakis Giorgos Souvlaki Zafiroula – Kastrinakis Petros
Generally, the broader area has significant fauna by means of diversity and amount. The most significant mammals are the Cretan wild goat (capra aegagrus Creticus), a sub-species of a badger (meles meles arcalus), the Cretan ferret (martes foina bunites), a small mouse species (acomys minous), the Cretan weasel (mustela nivalis galinthias), the Cretan wild cat (felis sylvestris), and two bat species that are included in the Red Data Book, the rhinolophus blasii and the eptesicus serotinus.
The Cretan wild goat or agrimi lives in societies of two to four individuals, whereas some mails live most of the time alone. The most significant problem they encounter is their mixture with the common goats and that might result in the distortion of the species.
The small mouse (acomys minous) is a small rodent (endangered and very sparse), which has gray or brown and prickly fur. It is fed mostly by seeds and other vegetation plants but even with snails and insects. A few individuals still exist.
Crete's wildcat is a rare sub-species of the wild cat met in Greek mainland, although this document isn't verified yet.
The White Mountains region is a significant shelter for birds of prey. Sixty-nine bird species have been recorded in Samaria Gorge area but the peaks of the mountains are the places that host most of the birds of prey.
Boneli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus ) is a rather big bird . The main bulk of the population is in Crete and other Aegean islands. The last estimate about the presence of the bird in Greece has shown that only 35-45 pairs live in Greece from which 10 are in Crete.
The Golden eagle (Aquilla chrysaetos) is an endangered, sparse species with very few pairs left.
The bearded vulture (gypaetus barbatus) can be found mainly in Crete, in the inaccessible steep rocks of White Mountains. Some can be found in North Greece (Macedonia and Thrace). Only 12-18 pairs are left, according to the estimation. They live in high rocky altitudes of 800-2000m.
Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) is a very common bird of prey in Crete. Half of the population that exists in Greece is in our island (about 200)
Peregrine falcon (falco peregrinus) on the other hand is very rare in Crete. About 100-250 pairs are estimated to live in Greece.
The chough (pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) is another bird that nests in high altitudes, in steep inaccessible rocks and can be met in the White Mountains.