Natural history of Rhodes

The phryganic species are high-temperature and drought tolerant, and they grow at low altitudes, usually on poor and rocky limestone and siliceous substrates.

Breeding species include: Passage migrants include: Nycticorax nycticorax Vagrant birds (many from nearby Turkey) 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.

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.

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.

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.

A second natural history display at Petaloudes is devoted to the mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, plants and geology of Rhodes.