The Maltese Islands, although small in area (316 km2), host many endemic species.
[1] Of the 10,000 estimated terrestrial and freshwater species in the Maltese archipelago,[2] 78 are endemic,[1][unreliable source?]
[1] Malta hosts around 860 plants of indigenous nature, occurring in the archipelago before man.
Another 20 taxa are considered archaeophytes, being introduced through human intervention but having established themselves before 1500 AD A further 180 taxa are of uncertain origin, whilst at least 640 taxa are considered neophytes, having been introduced after 1500 AD, and may include casual alien species.
[3] There are more endemic animals than plants in the Maltese Islands, they are often subspecies of species in nearby countries e.g. the Sicilian shrew in Gozo which has been defined as a subspecies of its own.