A tour to the Mediterranean shrublands

into the Natural History Museum of

Crete250579 – Natural Europe CIP-ICT PSP-2009-3

• Mediterranean Climate Shrublands are made up of shrubs or short trees. They are the areas that are located in regions between 30° and 40° North and South latitude.

• Some of the places include southern California, Chile, Mexico, areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, and southwest parts of Africa and Australia (see following map).

Expansion of mediterranean shrublands around the world

• These shrubs have adapted to drought-like conditions. They have small leaves to limit water loss, thorns to protect them from grazing animals, succulent leaves or stems, storage organs to store water, and long taproots to reach groundwater.

• Some have leaves with waxy coatings and leaves that reflect the sunlight.

• Several plants have developed fire-resistant adaptations to survive the frequent fires that occur during the dry season.

• Many typical members of the shrub flora are aromatic (for example, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano) and contain essential oils.

• The mediterranean shrubland houses many forms of wildlife such as wild goats, wild cats, foxes, crested porcupines, vultures and eagles.

• Many small mammals, reptiles and insects inhabit also this areas.

OUR TOUR INTO THE NATURAL HISTORY

MUSEUM OF CRETE

• Let’s start our tour in the NHMC Mega-Diorama of mediterranean shrublands and compare the life in three shrublands. One from Cyrenaica, another one from Crete and one from Balkans.

SHRUBLAND of CYRENAICA (LIBYA)

Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus• A small, migratory, scavenger bird species, which

usually feeds on food remains from larger birds. Its populations are declining in the Mediterranean.

Cape Hare, Lepus capensis• Cape hare is morphologically similar and has the

same behaviour with the European hare, even though they inhabit very different environments.

Common Raven, Corvus corax• Common ravens are found from the Arctic until the

Mediterranean ecosystems of North Africa. They are omnivorous; their diet may vary widely with location and season.

Phoenicean Juniper, Juniperus phoenicea• A large shrub that grows mainly in low altitude

rocky slopes, often close to the sea. Its leaves are scale-like, and the female cones are green, pearl-shaped, and turn brown when ripe.

Crested Porcupine, Hystrix cristata• A large rodent with characteristic long quills on its back.

It is mainly herbivorous. In order to ingest calcium and sharpen its incisors, it often gnaws on bones.

If threatened, it will stamp its feet, whirr the quills, and charge the disturber back end first trying to stab the enemy with the thicker, shorter quills. These attacks are known to have killed lions, leopards, hyenas, and even humans.

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Hippolais pallida• A typical insectivorous bird of the Mediterranean,

which prefers trees, bushes and river banks.

Chaffinch immature, Fringilla coelebs• A resident of North Africa, that differs from the

European chaffinch by its light blue crown and neck, and its green back.

Greater Short-toed Lark, Calandrella brachydactyla• A small, migratory lark with brown-yellow plumage. It

can be seen in the Mediterranean area from spring to autumn. This is a common bird of dry open country and cultivation. It nests on the ground and feeds on seeds.

SHRUBLAND of CRETE, GREECE

Wood Lark, Lullula arborea• Despite its

name, in Crete the wood lark is mostly found in shrub land and avoids cultivations. During winter it forms flocks.

Common Blackbird Turdus merula • The adult male has

glossy black plumage, and an orange-yellow bill. The adult female is sooty-brown with a dull yellowish-brownish bill.

• Its Cretan populations have increased during the last years in urban areas.

Bonelli's Eagle, Hieraaetus fasciatus• A typical eagle species, smaller than the golden

eagle. It nests in gorges from where it rarely leaves. Hunting in pairs is common for this species.

Chukar, Alectoris chukar• In the past, chukar was present all over Crete, but

nowadays is restricted to the mountains and isolated lowland areas.

Cretan Wildcat,Felis sylvestris cretensis

• Cretan wildcat lives on the mountains of Crete and preys upon small mammals and birds. It has intermediate characteristics between the European and the African wildcats.

• Irrational opening of dirt tracks as well as illegal poisoning have further restricted its distribution.

Sardinian Warbler couple, Sylvia melanocephala• The most common warbler in the Mediterranean

region. The male is easily distinguished by its black head and red eye-ring.

Woodchat Shrike,Lanius senator• Shrikes are migratory

medium-sized passerine birds with hooked beaks, like that of a bird of prey, reflecting their predatory nature. They eat large insects and small birds impaling their bodies on thorns.

Common Kestrel,Falco tinnunculus• The most common

falcon of Crete, which is often seen hovering in search of its prey. It feeds on rodents, reptiles and insects.

Scops Owl, Otus scops• The smallest and most

common owl of Crete, that preys mainly on insects. It nests in trees and houses.

Jerusalem Sage, Phlomis lanata• An endemic shrub of

Crete, quite common in rocky and arid areas. Its stems and leaves are covered with hair, that protect it from dehydration.

SHRUBLAND of BALKANS

Hedgehog, Erinaceus roumanicus• A common species throughout Europe, which is

rarely active in winter. Common diet items include insects, small vertebrates, fruits and nuts. When disturbed, it rolls into a tight ball, causing all of the spines to point outwards.

European Roller, Coracias garrulus• Α migratory species, with continuously declining

populations especially in Europe. • It feeds on plants and large insects.

Little Owl, Athene noctua• A small-sized owl,

symbol of wisdom. It is active during day and night. It takes prey such as insects, earthworms, amphibians, but also small birds and mammals. It usually nests in holes in trees or rocks.

Cirl Bunting, Emberiza cirlus • The Cirl bunting is a resident species of the

Mediterranean area. It occurs on arable land and nests in hedgerows, trees and bushes.

Spur Thighed Tortoise, Testudo graeca• The most common Mediterranean tortoise. Its

populations in North Africa are endangered due to intense collecting for food.

Kermes Oak, Quercus coccifera• An evergreen, drought resistant oak, with small,

leathery, spiny leaves. It is normally a shrub, but under certain conditions, it can grow into a big tree.

Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes• The red fox is a

carnivore with characteristic grey-reddish colour and a fluffy tail. It has not any special habitat preferences and reaches suburban areas for food.

The majority of its diet consists of mice, lizards, birds, eggs, insects and earthworms as well as plants. In winter it also scavenges carrion.

Turtle Dove, Streptopelia turtur• A very timid species, which nests in trees. Due to

intensive hunting its populations are declining worldwide.

European Glass Lizard, Pseudopus apodus• A robust legless lizard reaching 1.4 m in length. It lives

throughout the Balkans and the Middle East. If carefully observed, it can be easily distinguished from a snake by its ears and eye lids. It consumes various invertebrates and small mammals.

Booted Eagle, Hieraaetus pennatus• The smallest eagle in Europe. It prefers open

woodland or shrublands of low and medium altitude, where it feeds mainly on birds and lizards.

Eurasian Hoopoe, Upupa epops• It nests in holes in trees, rocks or buildings. The diet

of the hoopoe is mostly composed of insects and worms. It overwinters in Africa.

Buzzard, Buteo buteo• One of the most

common raptors in Greece. It nests in trees and hunts in cultivations or open wooded areas looking for small mammals and birds. On the islands reptiles constitute the majority of its diet.