The Maltese Islands, although small in area (316 km²), host many endemic species. This may make the organism endangered. These endemic species are important to the Maltese Islands because they form part of Maltese national heritage and are topics of scientific research.

Introduction

Of the 10,000 estimated terrestrial and

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

species in the Maltese archipelago,Wildlife of the Maltese Islands, BirdLife Malte and Nature Trust, 1995. 78 are endemic, a large number considering the country's size. Only 4,500 species have so far been identified, and others still await correct taxonomic classification, which means that there may be several more endemic species yet to be discovered. Twenty-three of the endemic species are vascular plants and plants such as bryophytes, while the remaining 55 species are animals.

Plants

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. Most importantly, at least 24 endemic vascular plants, and 18 vascular plants that are sub-endemic to the Mediterranean region.

Endemic vascular plants

Sub-endemic vascular plants

Animals

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 The Sicilian shrew (''Crocidura sicula'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Sicily (Italy) and Gozo (Malta). Its natural habitat is temperate shrubland. Distribution and habitat It is present in Sicily and Ustica ...

Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...

which has been defined as a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of its own. Endemic animal species include:

References