Mammals
Crete is isolated from the rest mainland of Europe, Asia and Africa, which is strongly reflected in the genetic diversity of the fauna. From the proud Cretan ibex, the lynx and the spiny mouse, to the stenoendemic arthropods and bats of Crete, the fauna of Crete holds many secrets about the evolution of species.
There are no dangerous mammals for humans in Crete, in contrary to other places of Greece. Indeed, the ancient Greeks attributed this lack of large mammals such as bears, wolves, jackals- and poisonous snakes- to the labour of Hercules (who brought the Cretan bull alive into Peloponnesus), who wanted to honor the birthplace of Zeus by removing all "harmful" and "poisonous" animals. Later, Cretans believed that the island was cleared by the Apostle Paul, who lived in Crete for two years, with his exorcisms and blessings.
The Cretan wild goat is an emblem of Crete, that once lived proud in all mountain ranges of Crete. Today the population has shrinked to a few hundred animals living in the White Mountains and efforts are made to save the subspecies, by carrying groups in controlled areas, such as uninhabited islets.
The wild cat of Crete was a ghost animal until 1996, when a group of scientists managed to trap a living cat in the west slopes of Ida Mount. It is the rarest mammal in Crete and one of the most mysterious creatures on the island.
The Cretan stone marten (scient. Martes foina bunites) is a nice mammal, arboreous, night owl, carnivorous and fruit-eater that lives alone (except for the mating season) in rock fissures, in tree hollows, in raptors’ abandoned nests, in desert underground galleries, in sparse forests, in bushy places and in gorges.
The Cretican least weasel (mustela nivalis galinthias) is an endemic subspecies of the common weasel, which is met all over the island. Other names of the animal is dwarf, pygmy or mouse weasel. Cretans also call it kalogiannou or kalogynekari (meaning nun) due to its white-striped chest, making it look like a nun.
The Badger of Crete is one of the largest wild mammals of the island, which is met infrequently, since it likes hunting at night. It has a characteristic white stripe that starts from its nose and ends near its back.
The hedgehog of the Eastern Europe (scient. Erinaceus concolor) and the northern white-breasted hedgehog (scient. Erinaceus roumanicus) are the two species of cute hedgehogs found on Crete island. Hedgehogs are common nocturnal mammals, distributed from Europe to Siberia.
The Cretan Hound or Cretan Tracer is the oldest hunting breed of dog in Europe, with more than 4000 years of history on the island of Crete. By the middle of the last century, only a few purebred dogs were remaining, mostly in western Crete, but today the situation has improved considerably.
The horse of Messara is the oldest breed in Europe, initially found on the island of Crete. It has small body, but has great strength and durability in the harsh conditions in Crete. A key feature is the particular pacing gait, known as aravani that makes riding easy and comfortable.
The edible dormouse (Glis glis argenteus), squirrel tailed dormouse, myoxus or fat dormouse of Crete is a subspecies of the common dormouse species, met throughout Europe and western Asia. Crete is the southernmost point where we meet this species, with the largest population being limited in Samaria National Park and some individuals being reported in Psiloritis Mount.
The Cretan white-toothed shrew (scient. Crocidura zimmermanni) is the only endemic mammal in Greece and is found only in Crete. It lives at high altitude and is threatened with extinction, mainly because it is displaced from the common shrew (scient. Crocidura suaveolens), which has been introduced to Crete by humans. Moreover, the smallest mammal of the world, the Etruscan shrew, is the third species of shrew met in Crete.
The Cretan spiny mouse (scient. Acomys minous) a threatened species of mouse endemic to Crete and Africa. It is named so, after the coarse, stiff hairs on its back and tail. It has not been studied extensively, a fact that limits our knowledge on this.
Hare (scient. Lepus europaeus) is one of the most widespread mammals throughout Europe, which also exists in large numbers throughout the island of Crete.
The European rabbit (scient. Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a closely related species to hare, which has been introduced on the island of Crete by humans. The rabbit reproduces rapidly, causing several problems, especially for agriculture.
Crete apart from isolated forests and the many abandoned farmhouses, has more than 2000 caves, which increase at more than 5000 with small cavities. Thus it has always been an ideal place for flying mammals, bats, which find refuge in the forests, old houses and caves. Several species have already been identified on the island, numbering more than half of the island's mammal species.
Rodents is the second largest group of mammals in Crete, after bats. Apart from the hedgehogs, the dormice, the Cretan spiny mice, which have beed described in different articles, Crete hosts the countryside wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), the broad-toothed field mice (Apodemus mystacinus), the cityside house mice (Mus musculus), the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the black rat (Rattus rattus). Let’s see them all in brief.