Are you familiar with Mallorcan wildlife? The island is an endless paradise where varied landscapes coexist, such as marine areas, wetlands, mountainous areas, ravines, and cliffs.
This privileged geographical location and climate make our island a great ecosystem with a multitude of species, both animal and plant.
Typical Mallorcan wildlife: goats, toads and hedgehogs
Mallorca's enormous richness in wildlife is due to two factors. On the one hand, the island's terrain and vegetation, and, on the other, its century-old isolation from the rest of the continent, which has facilitated the evolution of endemic, unique and autochthonous species that coexist with the rest of the Mediterranean wildlife, made up mainly of fish, crustaceans and seabirds.
One of the most curious native species in Mallorca is the boc balear, a mountain goat that catches the eye with its reddish fur and open horns.
Another endemic Mallorcan mammal is the Balearic genet, which has an elongated head and body.
Nowadays, we can find varieties of this carnivorous mammal that belongs to the family of the vivérridos in the south of France, in the north of Italy, and in some parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
We also have the Mallorquina (a chicken endemic to the islands), which has a characteristic grey coat with black spots.
Another striking species is the Mallorcan hedgehog. It's about 25 centimetres long, weighs around a kilo and its quills, although not very thick, can reach three centimetres in length.
Among the Mallorcan crustaceans, the endemic species of the Iberellus and Xerocrassa genera stand out.
We also have the Tudorella ferruginea (a very common operculate snail in the countryside of Mallorca and Menorca) and the Allognathus graellsianus (native to the Tramuntana mountain range).
The lizards of the Balearic Islands are very well known. They're an institution on the island, especially the Balearic lizard (belonging to the Lacertidae family and still very common on small islands) and the Pitiusa lizard (native to Formentera and Ibiza).
Both of these boast more than forty subspecies that we can see as we walk around any part of Mallorca.
The Balearic toad, or ferreret, is a small anuran amphibian that some consider to be a "true living fossil", and it has avoided any evolutionary influence over the last few centuries.
Nowadays, it's only found in streams and pools in the Tramuntana mountain range and, unlike other similar species, it doesn't secrete toxins through its skin. It lays few eggs (although they are large in size) and it grows very slowly.
Although its survival remains a mystery to biologists, some research suggests that the ferreret, so named because its song is reminiscent of the sound iron makes when struck, has had no natural enemies or predators.
The green toad is another species that's closely linked to Mallorca.
In fact, our island is the only place in the whole of Spain where we can observe this animal, which originated in other Mediterranean enclaves such as Corsica and Sardinia.
To conclude this section on Mallorca's endemic wildlife, we'd like to mention some birds such as the Balearic shearwater (in danger of extinction) and the Balearic burruca, as well as the blue tit, the flycatcher, the swift, and the osprey.
You can see many of them in the Mondragó Natural Park, declared a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) and a true paradise for birding enthusiasts.
Spectacular wildlife under the sea
Although the Balearic boc, the toads, hedgehogs, lizards and birds are typical of the wild Mallorcan landscape, the island's greatest diversity is to be found in its seas and oceans, where there are more than 400 species of fish.
However, the "jewel in the crown" isn't a fish, but a plant, Posidonia oceanica, whose seagrass meadows on the seabed provide shelter and food for a huge number of species.
Posidonia is also responsible for oxygenating and cleaning the waters, and, thanks to it, we can enjoy the beautiful crystalline colour that's so characteristic of the waters surrounding our island.
There are two large reserves of Mallorcan marine fauna, on the Malgrats Islands and at El Toro, where it's possible to see groupers, tuna, the permit, barracudas, triggerfish, manta rays, and even monk seals.
In addition to this curious fauna, there are also Mediterranean turtles, which can be found sheltering both near the beach and in the mountains and vegetation.
Mallorca's natural surroundings are renowned due to the variety and beauty of its wild flora and fauna.
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