The natural history of the island of

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...

is determined by its geographic position, climate and geological diversity. Rhodes is in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin close to the coast of Turkey, and the flora and fauna are a mixture of Mediterranean and Asian elements. Rhodes is in the Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests ecoregion. The

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are: arable land; perennial crops, orchards and groves, ruderal land; coastline and coastal rocky areas, inland cliffs, sea cliffs and rocky shores: forest, native coniferous woodland; grassland steppes and dry calcareous grassland; shrub land, sclerophyllous scrub,

garrigue Garrigue or garigue ( ), also known as phrygana ( el, φρύγανα , n. pl.), is a type of low scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. It is found on limestone soils in southern ...

and maquis shrubland; wetland, rivers and streams.

Flowering plants

The flowering plant

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of Rhodes number 1,243.

Phrygana or spiny garrigue

Phrygana or

is open dwarf scrub dominated by low, often cushion-shaped, spiny shrubs. The phryganic species are high-temperature and drought tolerant, and they grow at low altitudes, usually on poor and rocky limestone and siliceous substrates. The most common phryganic species on Rhodes are: * ''

Sarcopoterium spinosum ''Sarcopoterium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family. The genus is sometimes considered synonymous to ''Poterium''. The sole species within this genus, ''Sarcopoterium spinosum'', is common to the southeast Mediterranean region a ...

'' * '' Cistus incanus'' * '' Cistus salviifolius'' * ''

Phlomis fruticosa ''Phlomis fruticosa'', the Jerusalem sage, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and countries of the former Yugoslavia. It is a small evergreen shrub, up to tall by wide. T ...

'' * '' Salvia triloba'' * ''

Quercus coccifera ''Quercus coccifera'', the kermes oak, is an oak bush in the ''Ilex'' section of the genus. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern African Maghreb, south to north from Morocco to France and west to east from Portugal to Cyprus an ...

'' * ''

Asparagus acutifolius ''Asparagus acutifolius'', common name wild asparagus, is an evergreen perennial plant belonging to the genus ''Asparagus''. The Binomial nomenclature, specific epithet, , meaning "thorny leaves", is derived from Latin (pointed, acute), and (-l ...

'' * ''

Genista acanthoclada Genista is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, native to open habitats such as moorland and pasture in Europe and western Asia. They include species commonly called broom, though the term may also refer to other genera, i ...

'' * '' Euphorbia acanthothamnos'' * '' Pistacia lentiscus'' Other species include * '' Coridothymus capitatus'' * ''

Thymus The thymus is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, thymus cell lymphocytes or ''T cells'' mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. ...

'' sp. * '' Hypericum empetrifolium'' * '' Salvia triloba'' * ''

Erica manipuliflora ''Erica manipuliflora'' is a plant belonging to the genus ''Erica''. The plant is native to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, East Thrace, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey Tur ...

'' * ''

Calicotome villosa ''Calicotome villosa'', also known as hairy thorny broom and spiny broom, is a small shrubby tree native to the eastern Mediterranean region. Etymology ''Calicotome'' is derived from the Greek ''Kalux'', calyx and ''tomos'', cut ; this refers to ...

'' * '' Ballota acetabulosa'' * ''

Asphodelus aestivus ''Asphodelus aestivus'', the summer asphodel, is a species of asphodel, a common Western Mediterranean geophyte with a short vertical rhizome and basal leaves. Its flowers are actinomorphic, pinkish-white, with six perianth segments, 14–19&nbs ...

Bulbous plants

Many bulbous plants on Rhodes flower in the month of October. Species include: '' Sternbergia lutea'' * '' Colchicum cupanii'' * ''

Cyclamen graecum ''Cyclamen graecum'', the Greek cyclamen, is a perennial plant in the flowering plant family Primulaceae that grows from a tuber. It is native to southern Greece, southern Turkey and neighboring islands and is prized for its variable leaf forms, ...

'' * ''

Drimia maritima ''Drimia maritima'' ( syn. ''Urginea maritima'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (formerly the family Hyacinthaceae). This species is known by several common names, including squill, sea squill, ...

'' (late summer) * '' Narcissus serotinus''. Notable are: * '' Colchicum macrophyllum'' * '' Fritillaria rhodia'' * '' Tulipa saxatilis'' Ophrys attaviria Rhodos 01

Orchids

Rhodes has a high diversity of orchid species, especially in the genus ''Ophrys'': * ''

Ophrys apifera ''Ophrys apifera'', known in Europe as the bee orchid, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae. It serves as an example of sexually deceptive pollination and floral mimicry, as well as of a highly selective and highly evolved ...

'' * '' Ophrys bombyliflora'' * '' Ophrys ciliata'' * '' Ophrys regis-ferdinandii'' * '' Ophrys cretica'' * '' Ophrys ferrum-equinum'' * '' Ophrys mammosa'' * '' Ophrys lutea'' * '' Ophrys sicula'' * '' Ophrys reinholdii'' * '' Ophrys tenthredinifera'' * '' Ophrys umbilicata'' * '' Ophrys umbilicata'' * '' Ophrys fusca'' * '' Ophrys omegaifera'' * '' Ophrys iricolor'' * '' Ophrys candica'' * '' Ophrys holosericea'' * '' Ophrys heldreichii'' * '' Ophrys dodekanensis'' * '' Ophrys oestrifera'' * ''

Ophrys speculum ''Ophrys speculum'', the mirror orchid, is a species of ''Ophrys'' distributed throughout the Mediterranean that is pollinated exclusively by a single species of scoliid wasp. Description A terrestrial orchid up to 25 cm tall and each infl ...

'' * ''

Serapias bergonii ''Serapias bergonii'' is a species of orchids found from Italy to western and southern Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mai ...

'' * '' Serapias carica'' * ''

Serapias parviflora ''Serapias parviflora'', the small-flowered tongue-orchid, is a species of orchid native to the Mediterranean Basin and the Atlantic coast of Europe. Description ''Serapias parviflora'' grows to around high (occasionally up to ). At the base ...

'' * ''

Himantoglossum comperianum ''Himantoglossum'' is a genus of orchids native to the Canary Islands, Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. Its members generally have a labellum which is divided into three parts, of which the middle part is the longest. The genera ''Co ...

'' * ''

Himantoglossum robertianum ''Himantoglossum robertianum'' is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) native to the Mediterranean Basin. Description ''Himantoglossum robertianum'' is a bulb, bulbous plant. It flowers from January to April. The bulb ...

'' (= ''Barlia robertiana'') * '' Anacamptis collina'' * '' Anacamptis laxiflora'' * ''

Anacamptis morio ''Anacamptis morio'', the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid (synonym ''Orchis morio''), is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East. Description It fl ...

'' * ''

Anacamptis papilionacea ''Anacamptis papilionacea'' (formerly ''Orchis papilionacea'') is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae. It is commonly known as the pink butterfly orchid. Distribution and habitat The species is found in Southern Euro ...

'' * '' Anacamptis pyramidalis'' * ''

Anacamptis sancta ''Anacamptis sancta,'' also called the Holy orchid, is a species of orchid closely related to '' Anacamptis coriophora'' that is found in the eastern Mediterranean. Description The species flowers look similar to ''A. coriophora'' but are big ...

'' ''

Anacamptis fragrans ''Anacamptis coriophora'', the bug orchid, is a species of orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along wit ...

'' * '' Anacamptis palustris'' * ''

Anacamptis coriophora ''Anacamptis coriophora'', the bug orchid, is a species of orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with ...

'' * ''

Orchis anatolica ''Orchis anatolica'' is a species of flowering plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is native to Crete, Cyprus, the East Aegean Islands, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Rep ...

'' * '' Orchis anthropophora'' * ''

Orchis italica ''Orchis italica'', the naked man orchid or the Italian orchid, is a species of orchid native to the Mediterranean Basin. It gets its common name from the lobed lip (labellum) of each flower which mimics the general shape of a naked man. In Ital ...

'' * ''

Orchis provincialis ''Orchis provincialis'', the Provence orchid, is a species of orchid in the genus ''Orchis''. Description ''Orchis provincialis'' is a herbaceous plant high. The 4-5 basal leaves are oblong-lanceolate, with a length of about 8 cm and ar ...

'' * '' Orchis punctulata'' * ''

Orchis simia ''Orchis simia'', commonly known as the monkey orchid, is a greyish pink to reddish species of the genus ''Orchis''. It gets its common name from its lobed lip which mimics the general shape of a monkey's body. The range of the species is centra ...

'' * '' Orchis lactea'' * '' Neotinea intacta'' * '' Neotinea lactea'' * '' Dactylorhiza romana'' * '' Spiranthes spiralis'' * '' Limodorum abortivum'' * '' Cephalanthera epipactoides'' * ''

Cephalanthera longifolia ''Cephalanthera longifolia'', the narrow-leaved helleborine, sword-leaved helleborine or long-leaved helleborine, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is native to light woodland, and widespread across Europ ...

'' * '' Neotinea maculata''

Other plants

Among the Mediterranean

endemic species Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

prominent in the Rhodes vegetation are: * Aleppo pine * stone pine *

Mediterranean cypress ''Cupressus sempervirens'', the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine), is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region, in northeast Libya, southern Albania, s ...

bay laurel ''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cookin ...

* Oriental sweetgum * holm oak *

kermes oak ''Quercus coccifera'', the kermes oak, is an oak bush in the '' Ilex'' section of the genus. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern African Maghreb, south to north from Morocco to France and west to east from Portugal to Cyprus ...

* strawberry tree * Greek strawberry tree *

mastic Mastic may refer to: Adhesives and pastes *Mastic (plant resin) *Mastic asphalt, or asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid * Mastic cold porcelain, or salt ceramic, is a traditional salt-based modeling clay. *Mastic, high-grade con ...

terebinth ''Pistacia terebinthus'' also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous tree species of the genus ''Pistacia'', native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and s ...

* common myrtle *

oleander ''Nerium oleander'' ( ), most commonly known as oleander or nerium, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the ge ...

* ''

Acanthus mollis ''Acanthus mollis'', commonly known as bear's breeches, sea dock, bear's foot plant, sea holly, gator plant or oyster plant, is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae and is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a leafy, clump-forming ...

'' * ''

Vitex agnus-castus ''Vitex agnus-castus'', also called vitex, chaste tree (or chastetree), chasteberry, Abraham's balm, lilac chastetree, or monk's pepper, is a native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of '' Vitex'', which is ...

'' * '' Valerianella coronata'' Nearly endemic to the Mediterranean genera found on Rhodes are: * '' Aubrieta'' * '' Sesamoides'' * '' Cynara'' * '' Dracunculus'' * ''

Arisarum ''Arisarum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region, east to the Caucasus and west to Macaronesia. Species Accepted species: Natural Hybrids # '' Arisarum × aspergillum'' Dunal - Spain ...

'' * ''

Biarum ''Biarum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is composed of plants that are native to the Middle East, southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Balkans), and North Africa. ''Biarum'' are often found growing in rock crevice ...

'' More widespread in South-east Europe and Asia Minor plants include * '' Ranunculus asiaticus'' * '' Tamarix parviflora'' * ''

Petrorhagia dubia ''Petrorhagia dubia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name hairy pink. It is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, but it is known on other continents, including Australia and Nor ...

'' * ''

Heliotropium europaeum ''Heliotropium europaeum'' is a species of heliotrope known by the common names European heliotrope and European turn-sole. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but it is widely naturalized elsewhere, such as in Australia and North Am ...

'' * ''

Centranthus calcitrapae ''Centranthus calcitrapae'' is a species of annual herb in the family Caprifoliaceae The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species, in 33, to 42 genera, with a nearly ...

'' and '' Globularia alypum'' RhodesTownCacti

Widely-grown introduced plants

Widely introduced plants include: *

Bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...

* Acacia *

Agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave'' species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for ...

* Artemisia * Calendula *

Clematis ''Clematis'' is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids have been popular among gardeners, beginning with ''Clematis'' × ''jackmanii'', a garden standby since 1862; more hybrid cultivars ...

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as e ...

Fuchsia ''Fuchsia'' () is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. The first to be scientifically described, ''Fuchsia triphylla'', was discovered on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) ...

Hydrangea ''Hydrangea'', () commonly named the hortensia, is a genus of over 75 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are shrubs tall, ...

* Impatiens *

Jacaranda ''Jacaranda'' is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. The generic name is also used as the common name. The species ''Jacaranda mimosifolia'' has achie ...

* Jasmine *

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

Melissa Melissa is a female given name. The name comes from the Greek word μέλισσα (''mélissa''), "bee", which in turn comes from μέλι (''meli''), "honey". In Hittite, ''melit'' signifies "honey". ''Melissa'' also refers to the plant ''Me ...

* Pelargonium *

Salvia ''Salvia'' () is the largest genus of plants in the sage family Lamiaceae, with nearly 1000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. Within the Lamiaceae, ''Salvia'' is part of the tribe Mentheae within the subfamily Nepetoi ...

Birds

257 bird species are recorded from Rhodes, many are passage migrants. 80 are breeding species. Breeding species include: * ''

Alectoris chukar The chukar partridge (''Alectoris chukar''), or simply chukar, is a Palearctic upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It has been considered to form a superspecies complex along with the rock partridge, Philby's partridge and Pr ...

'' * '' Burhinus oedicnemus'' * '' Otus scops'' * ''

Apus melba The alpine swift (''Tachymarptis melba'') formerly ''Apus melba'', is a species of swift found in Africa, southern Europe and Asia. They breed in mountains from southern Europe to the Himalaya. Like common swifts, they are migratory; the souther ...

'' * '' Apus pallidus'' * ''

Merops apiaster The European bee-eater (''Merops apiaster'') is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African populati ...

'' * ''

Upupa epops The Eurasian hoopoe (''Upupa epops'') is the most widespread species of the genus ''Upupa''. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow ...

'' * ''

Calandrella brachydactyla The greater short-toed lark (''Calandrella brachydactyla'') is a small passerine bird. The current scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, ''Calandrella'', is a diminutive of ''kalandros'', the calandra lark, and ''brachydactila'' ...

'' * '' Hirundo daurica'' * '' Anthus campestris'' * '' Cercotrichas galactotes'' * '' Oenanthe hispanica'' * ''

Gulosus aristotelis The European shag or common shag (''Gulosus aristotelis'') is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Gulosus''. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, mai ...

'' * ''

Ixobrychus minutus The little bittern or common little bittern (''Ixobrychus minutus'') is a wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. ''Ixobrychus'' is from Ancient Greek ''ixias'', a reed-like plant and ''brukhomai'', to bellow, and ''minutus'' is Latin for "sm ...

'' * ''

Buteo rufinus The long-legged buzzard (''Buteo rufinus'') is a bird of prey found widely in several parts of Eurasia and in North Africa. This species ranges from Southeastern Europe down to East Africa to the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The long ...

'' * '' Hieraaetus fasciatus'' * '' Circaetus gallicus'' * '' Falco naumanni'' * ''

Falco eleonorae Eleonora's falcon (''Falco eleonorae'') is a medium-sized falcon. It belongs to the hobby group, a rather close-knit number of similar falcons often considered a subgenus ''Hypotriorchis''. The sooty falcon is sometimes considered its closest re ...

'' * ''

Falco peregrinus The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, ...

'' * '' Falco biarmicus'' * ''

Aquila chrysaetos The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...

'' * ''

Clamator glandarius The great spotted cuckoo (''Clamator glandarius'') is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals. It is widely spread throughout Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. It ...

'' * ''

Melanocorypha calandra The calandra lark (''Melanocorypha calandra'') or European calandra-lark breeds in warm temperate countries around the Mediterranean and eastwards through Turkey into northern Iran and southern Russia. It is replaced further east by its relative ...

'' * '' Acrocephalus melanopogon'' * '' Phylloscopus bonelli'' * '' Sitta neumayer'' * '' Oriolus oriolus'' * ''

Corvus corax The common raven (''Corvus corax'') is a large all-black passerine bird. It is the most widely distributed of all corvids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. It is a raven known by many names at the subspecies level; there are at least e ...

'' * '' Emberiza hortulana'' * '' Emberiza caesia'' * '' Emberiza melanocephala'' * '' Lanius collurio'' * '' Hippolais olivetorum'' * '' Sylvia ruppeli'' * '' Saxicola rubetra'' Milvus migrans grup

Passage migrants include: ''

Nycticorax nycticorax The black-crowned night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax''), or black-capped night heron, commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and N ...

'' * ''

Ardeola ralloides The squacco heron (''Ardeola ralloides'') is a small heron, long, of which the body is , with wingspan. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Europe and the Greater Middle East. Behaviour The squacco heron is a migrant, wintering ...

'' * '' Ardea purpurea'' * ''

Plegadis falcinellus The glossy ibis (''Plegadis falcinellus'') is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek ''plegados'' and Latin, ''falcis'', both meaning "sickle" a ...

'' * ''

Pandion haliaetus The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

'' * ''

Falco vespertinus The red-footed falcon (''Falco vespertinus''), formerly the western red-footed falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly ...

'' * '' Milvus migrans'' * '' Circus pygargus'' * ''

Hieraaetus pennatus The booted eagle (''Hieraaetus pennatus'', also classified as ''Aquila pennata'') is a medium-sized mostly migratory bird of prey with a wide distribution in the Palearctic and southern Asia, wintering in the tropics of Africa and Asia, with a ...

'' * ''

Himantopus himantopus The black-winged stilt (''Himantopus himantopus'') is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family (Recurvirostridae). The scientific name ''H. himantopus'' is sometimes applied to a single, almost cosmopolitan spec ...

'' * '' Glareola pratincola'' * '' Calidris temminckii'' * ''

Tringa stagnatilis The marsh sandpiper (''Tringa stagnatilis'') is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to the Russian Far East. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name give ...

'' * ''

Larus audouinii Audouin's gull (''Ichthyaetus audouinii'') is a large gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''ikhthus'', "fish", and ''aetos'', "eagle", and t ...

'' * '' Gelochelidon nilotica'' * ''

Chlidonias leucopterus The white-winged tern, or white-winged black tern (''Chlidonias leucopterus'' or ''Chlidonias leucoptera''), is a species of tern in the family Laridae. It is a small species generally found in or near bodies of fresh water across much of the wor ...

'' * '' Chlidonias hybridus'' * ''

Coracias garrulus The European roller (''Coracias garrulus'') is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East, Central Asia and the Maghreb. The European roller is found in a wide variety of hab ...

'' * '' Anthus cervinus'' * ''

'' * '' Oenanthe isabellina'' * '' Oenanthe pleschanka'' Vagrant birds (many from nearby

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

) include ''

Circus macrourus The pale or pallid harrier (''Circus macrourus'') is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier subfamily. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek. ''Circus'' is from ''kirkos'', referring to a bird of prey named for its circling fli ...

'', '' Charadrius leschenaultii'', '' Apus affinis'', '' Luscinia luscinia'', ''

Merops persicus The blue-cheeked bee-eater (''Merops persicus'') is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. The genus name ''Merops'' is Ancient Greek for "bee-eater", and ''persicus'' is Latin for "Persian". It breeds in Northern Africa, and ...

'', '' Ficedula semitorquata'', '' Oenanthe cypriaca'', ''

Sturnus roseus The rosy starling (''Pastor roseus'') is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, also known as the rose-coloured starling or rose-coloured pastor. The species was recently placed in its own monotypic genus, ''Pastor'', and split fro ...

'', '' Hoplopterus spinosus'', '' Emberiza rustica'', '' Chettusia gregaria'', ''

Bubulcus ibis The western cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. Most taxonomic authorities lump this species and the eastern cattle egret together (called the catt ...

'', '' Anthropoides virgo'', '' Passer moabiticus'' and very many others. winter visitors on Rhodes include: ''

'' and '' Acrocephalus melanopogon''.

Mammals

There are 33 species: Cervidae ''

Dama dama The European fallow deer (''Dama dama''), also known as the common fallow deer or simply fallow deer, is a species of ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. It is historically native to Turkey and possibly the Italian Peninsula, Bal ...

''; Erinaceidae ''

Erinaceus concolor The southern white-breasted hedgehog (''Erinaceus concolor''), sometimes referred to as white-bellied hedgehog or white-chested hedgehog, is a hedgehog native to Eastern Europe and Southwestern Asia. Description It is very similar in lifestyle an ...

'', '' Erinaceus roumanicus''; Leporidae ''

Lepus europaeus The European hare (''Lepus europaeus''), also known as the brown hare, is a species of hare native to Europe and parts of Asia. It is among the largest hare species and is adapted to temperate, open country. Hares are herbivorous and feed mainl ...

'', ''

Oryctolagus cuniculus The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain, Portugal, and southwestern France), western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has b ...

''; Molossidae '' Tadarida teniotis''; Muridae '' Apodemus flavicollis'', '' Apodemus mystacinus'', ''

Apodemus sylvaticus The wood mouse (''Apodemus sylvaticus'') is a murid rodent native to Europe and northwestern Africa. It is closely related to the yellow-necked mouse (''Apodemus flavicollis'') but differs in that it has no band of yellow fur around the neck, h ...

'', '' Mus domesticus'', ''

Rattus rattus The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is ...

''; Mustelidae ''

Martes foina The beech marten (''Martes foina''), also known as the stone marten, house marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is li ...

'', ''

Meles meles The European badger (''Meles meles''), also known as the Eurasian badger, is a badger species in the family Mustelidae native to almost all of Europe. It is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List as it has a wide range and a large sta ...

''; Phocidae ''

Monachus monachus The Mediterranean monk seal (''Monachus monachus'') is a monk seal belonging to the family Phocidae. , it is estimated that fewer than 700 individuals survive in three or four isolated subpopulations in the Mediterranean, (especially) in the A ...

''; Rhinolophidae ''

Rhinolophus blasii Blasius's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus blasii'') is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Rhinolophidae found throughout large parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa. Taxonomy Blasius's horseshoe bat was described as a new s ...

'', ''

Rhinolophus euryale The Mediterranean horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus euryale'') is a species of insectivorous bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they ar ...

'', ''

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum The greater horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum'') is an insectivorous bat of the genus '' Rhinolophus''. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats in Europe an ...

'', '' Rhinolophus hipposideros''; Soricidae ''

Crocidura suaveolens The lesser white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura suaveolens'') is a tiny shrew with a widespread distribution in Africa, Asia and Europe. Its preferred habitat is scrub and gardens and it feeds on insects, arachnids, worms, gastropods, newts and sma ...

'', '' Suncus etruscus''; Vespertilionidae ''

Eptesicus bottae Botta's serotine (''Eptesicus bottae'') is a species of vesper bat, one of 25 in the genus ''Eptesicus''. It is found in rocky areas and temperate desert. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1869 by German naturalist Wilh ...

'', '' Hypsugo savii'', '' Miniopterus schreibersii'', '' Myotis blythii'', '' Myotis emarginatus'', '' Myotis myotis'', ''

Pipistrellus kuhlii Kuhl's pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus kuhlii'') is a species of vesper bat that occurs in large areas of North Africa, Southern Europe and West Asia. It lives in temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby ve ...

'', '' Pipistrellus pipistrellus'', ''

Plecotus austriacus The grey long-eared bat (''Plecotus austriacus'') is a fairly large European bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It hunts above woodland, often by day, and mostly for moths. In captivity, it has also been recorded t ...

''.

Amphibia

Rhodes has 3 species: '' Bufo viridis'', ''

Hyla arborea The European tree frog (''Hyla arborea'') is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa,Frost, Darrel R. ''Amphibian Species of the World''. Allen Press, Inc., 1985, p. 126. but b ...

'' and '' Rana cerigensis''.

Reptiles

There are 24 species of reptile certainly found on Rhodes. These are: Amphisbaenidae, '' Blanus strauchi''; Cheloniidae, ''

Caretta caretta The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around in carapace length when fully ...

'';Geoemydidae ''

Mauremys rivulata The Balkan terrapin or western Caspian terrapin (''Mauremys rivulata'') is a species of terrapin in the family Geoemydidae. It is found in the eastern Mediterranean region. While technically omnivorous, the terrapins are known to prefer meat. Th ...

''; Colubridae, ''

Platyceps najadum ''Platyceps najadum'', also known commonly as Dahl's whip snake, the slender whip snake, and the Zagros whip snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Eurasia. Four subspecies are recognized as being valid ...

'', '' Coluber caspius'', '' Coluber gemonensis'', '' Coluber nummifer'', ''

Elaphe situla The European ratsnake or leopard snake (''Zamenis situla''), is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to Europe, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus. Geographic range ''Z. situla'' is found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croat ...

'', ''

Natrix natrix The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Subspecies Many subspecies are recogni ...

'', ''

Natrix tessellata ''Natrix'' is a genus of Old World snakes found across Eurasia (although the range of '' Natrix tessellata'' extends into Egypt and those of '' N. astreptophora'' and '' N. maura'' into north-west Africa) in the subfamily Natricinae of the fa ...

'', '' Telescopus fallax''; Dermochelyidae, ''

Dermochelys coriacea The leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to and weights ...

''; Lacertidae, '' Podarcis erhardii'','' Anatololacerta oertzeni'', ''

Ophisops elegans ''Ophisops elegans'', commonly known as the snake-eyed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Mediterranean region and Central Asia. There are nine recognized subspecies. Description ''O. elegans ...

'' '' Lacerta trilineata''; Scincidae, '' Ablepharus kitaibelii'', '' Chalcides ocellatus'', '' Euprepis auratus''; Typhlopidae, ''

Typhlops vermicularis ''Xerotyphlops vermicularis'', the European blind snake, European worm snake, Eurasian blind snake, or Eurasian worm snake, is a species of snake in the genus ''Xerotyphlops.'' Despite its common name, the range of the European blind snake rang ...

''; Viperidae, '' Vipera xanthina''; Agamidae, ''

Laudakia stellio ''Laudakia stellio '' is a species of agamid lizard.Baig KJ et al. (2012)"A morphology-based taxonomic revision of ''Laudakia'' Gray, 1845 (Squamata: Agamidae)".''Vertebrate Zoology'' 62 (2): 213–260. (''Stellagama'', new genus, p. 222). also ...

''; Gekkonidae, ''

Hemidactylus turcicus The Mediterranean house gecko (''Hemidactylus turcicus'') is a species of house gecko common to the Mediterranean area which has spread to many parts of the world. It is commonly referred to as the Turkish gecko as represented in its Latin name ...

'' and '' Mediodactylus kotschyi''. Species uncertainly recorded include a further 8: ''

Eryx jaculus ''Eryx jaculus'', known commonly as the javelin sand boa, is a species of snake in the Boidae family. It is the type species of the genus ''Eryx''. Geographic range ''Eryx jaculus'' is found in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and ...

'', '' Eirenis modestus'', ''

Malpolon monspessulanus ''Malpolon monspessulanus'', commonly known as the Montpellier snake, is a species of mildly venomous Opisthoglyphous, rear-fanged snake. Geographic range It is very common in Spain, Portugal and Northwest Africa, being also present in the south ...

'', ''

'', '' Vipera xanthina'', '' Chamaeleo chamaeleon'', '' Testudo graeca'' and '' Testudo hermanni''.

Fish

See List of fish of the Mediterranean Sea. '' Squalius ghigii'' is endemic to Rhodes.

Insects

2,652 insect species/subspecies are recorded from Rhodes. Commonly seen insects in Rhodes are the sail swallowtail, the scarlet dragonfly, Cleopatra butterfly, European praying mantis,

cicada The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into tw ...

glow-worm Glowworm or glow-worm is the common name for various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. They include the European common glow-worm and other members of the Lampyridae, but bioluminescence also ...

hummingbird hawk-moth The hummingbird hawk-moth (''Macroglossum stellatarum'') is a species of hawk moth found across temperate regions of Eurasia. The species is named for its similarity to hummingbirds, as they feed on the nectar of tube-shaped flowers using thei ...

, firebug,

field cricket Field cricket may refer to: * Insect species ** In the British Isles a "field cricket" is the insect species ''Gryllus campestris''; ** in North America it may refer to various species in the genus ''Gryllus''; ** elsewhere, the term may be used for ...

, European tree cricket,

European hornet The European hornet (''Vespa crabro'') is the largest eusocial wasp native to Europe. It is also the only true hornet (genus ''Vespa'') found in North America, having been introduced to the United States and Canada from Europe as early as 1840. ...

cuckoo wasp Commonly known as cuckoo wasps or emerald wasps, the hymenopteran family Chrysididae is a very large cosmopolitan group (over 3000 described species) of parasitoid or kleptoparasitic wasps, often highly sculptured, with brilliant metallic colors ...

carpenter bee Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant m ...

and the rose chafer.

Land and freshwater mollusca

178 land and freshwater mollusca species/subspecies are recorded from Rhodes.

Other terrestrial invertebrates

The freshwater crab '' Potamon potamios'' is found on Rhodes. It is common at

Petaloudes Petaloudes ( el, Πεταλούδες) is a former municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is a municipal unit. Its population was 1 ...

Marine fauna

Characteristic habitat types of the Rhodes Mediterranean/Aegean coastal zone, are the ''

Cystoseira ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description ''Cystoseira'' is characterized by highly differentiated basal and apical regions and the presence of catenate pneumatocysts (air-vesicles). In ''Cystoseira'' old plants ...

'' biocenosis and the ''

Posidonia oceanica ''Posidonia oceanica'', commonly known as Neptune grass or Mediterranean tapeweed, is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It forms large underwater meadows that are an important part of the ecosystem. The fruit is free f ...

'' 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. These communities host sponges (Porifera), sea anemones, jellyfish (Cnidaria), sea mats and hornwrack (Bryozoa), segmented worms ( Annelida) snails, bivalves, squids and octopuses (Mollusca), starfishes and sea urchins (Echinodermata), crabs, lobsters and shrimps (Arthropoda) and little known groups such as

Echiura The Echiura, or spoon worms, are a small group of marine animals. Once treated as a separate phylum, they are now considered to belong to Annelida. Annelids typically have their bodies divided into segments, but echiurans have secondarily los ...

Priapulida Priapulida (priapulid worms, from Gr. πριάπος, ''priāpos'' 'Priapus' + Lat. ''-ul-'', diminutive), sometimes referred to as penis worms, is a phylum of unsegmented marine worms. The name of the phylum relates to the Greek god of fertility ...

Sipuncula The Sipuncula or Sipunculida (common names sipunculid worms or peanut worms) is a class containing about 162 species of unsegmented marine annelid worms. The name ''Sipuncula'' is from the genus name ''Sipunculus'', and comes from the Latin ' ...

, Brachiopoda, Pogonophora, Phoronida and Hemichordata. Amongst the thousand or so species of invertebrates found in the Rhodes Mediterranean/Aegean coastal zone marine environment are mantis shrimps, Mediterranean slipper lobsters, octopus, cuttlefish, scribbled nudibranch, '' Hypselodoris picta'', tasselled nudibranch,

precious coral Precious coral, or red coral, is the common name given to a genus of marine corals, ''Corallium''. The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely colored red or pink-orange skeleton, which is used for m ...

, zigzag coral, purple sail, Mediterranean jellyfish, spiny spider crab, circular crab, broad-clawed porcelain crab, noble pen shell, pilgrim’s scallop, ragged sea hare, violet sea hare,

Portuguese man o' war The Portuguese man o' war (''Physalia physalis''), also known as the man-of-war, is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It is considered to be the same species as the Pacific man o' war or blue bottle, which is ...

, black sea urchin, purple sea-urchin, long-spine slate pen sea urchin, Mediterranean starfish,

sea mouse ''Aphrodita'' is a genus of marine polychaete worms found in the Mediterranean sea and the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean. Several members of this genus are known as "sea mice". Etymology The name of the genus is taken from Aphrodite ...

, '' Barbatia barbata'' and '' Parazoanthus axinellae''.

Museums

There is a marine natural history display at the Aquarium of Rhodes together with a display of living Mediterranean fish and other marine creatures. A second natural history display at

is devoted to the mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, plants and geology of Rhodes. A more specialised museum devoted to

bee keeping Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in man-made beehives. Honey bees in the genus '' Apis'' are the most-commonly-kept species but other honey-producing bees such as '' Melipona'' stingless bees are also kept. ...

is close to Rhodes city). File:RhodesAquarium (4).jpg, Rhodes Aquarium File:AquariumRhodesMuseumSphyrnaZygaena (2).jpg, Museum of Rhodes Aquarium, smooth hammerhead shark File:NatureMuseumPetaloudesVertebrates (2).jpg, Nature Museum Petaloudes. A display case. File:NatureMuseumPetaloudesVertebrates.jpg, A display case. File:BeeMuseumRhodesExterior.jpg, Bee Museum of Rhodes. File:BeeMuseumRhodesDisplay (2).jpg, Bee Museum. A small section of the extensive displays. Rhodos Eleousa R11

Conservation

Greece is a signatory to the

Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, also known as the Bern Convention (or Berne Convention), is a binding international legal instrument in the field of Nature Conservation, it covers the natural h ...

and the

Habitats Directive The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a directive adopted by the European Community in 1992 as a response to the Berne Convention. The E ...

both affording protection to the fauna and flora of Rhodes.

References

Flora *

Flora Europaea The ''Flora Europaea'' is a 5-volume encyclopedia of plants, published between 1964 and 1993 by Cambridge University Press. The aim was to describe all the national Floras of Europe in a single, authoritative publication to help readers identify ...

*Vangelis Papiomytoglou, 2006 ''Wild Flowers of Greece'' Mediterraneo Editions *Panitsa, Maria, Britt Snogerup, Sven Snogerup & Dimitrios Tzanoudakis, 2003. Floristic investigation of Lemnos island (NE Aegean area, Greece). - Willdenowia 33: 79 - 105

Orchids *Kretzschmar, H. and G., 2004 ''Orchids - Crete and Dodecanese'' Mediterraneo Editions, Greece * Kreutz, C. A. J., 2002 ''Die Orchideen von Rhodos und Karpathos : Beschreibung, Lebensweise, Verbreitung, Gefährdung, Schutz und Ikonographie'' ( the orchids of Rhodes and Karpathos : description, pattern of life, distribution, threat, conservation and iconography) Seckel & Kreutz Publishers. *Zissis Antonopoulos, 2009 ''The Bee Orchids of Greece - The genus Ophrys'' Mediterraneo Editions

includes spring expedition repor
Frühling auf Rhodos 20. - 30. März 2008 pdf in German
Birds *

The Birds of the Western Palearctic ''The Birds of the Western Palearctic'' (full title ''Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa: The Birds of the Western Palearctic''; often referred to by the initials ''BWP'') is a nine-volume ornithological handbook c ...

and Avibase see External links *

The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds ''The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds - their distribution and abundance'' () is an ornithological atlas published for the European Bird Census Council by T & A D Poyser in 1997. Its editors were Ward J. M. Hagemeijer and Michael J. Blai ...

Reptiles
Bader T, Riegler C, Grillitsch H (2009) The herpetofauna of the Island of Rhodes (Dodecanese, Greece).''Herpetozoa, Wien''; 21 (3/4): 147–169
Butterflies *Bender, R., 1963 Beitrage zur Lepidopterenfauna der Insel Rhodos ''Zeitschr. wiener e.nt. Ges.'', vo1. 48: pp. 11–20, 2 pls. 1963. Review of previous studies& annotated list of 150 macros from Rhodes. Figures races of ''Gonepteryx cleopatra'' (in colour), ''Maniola telmessia ornata'', & ''Glaucopsyche alexis insulicola.'' In German. *Kudrna, O. 2002. ''The Distribution Atlas of European Butterflies''. Oedippus, Nr. 20. *Kudrna, O., Harpke, A., Lux, K., Pennerstorfer, J., Schweiger, O., Settele, J. & Wiemers, M., 2011. ''Distribution Atlas of Butterflies in Europe''. GfS, Halle, Germany. 576 pp. *Van Swaay, C., Cuttelod., A., Collins, S., Maes, D., López Munguira, M., Šašiæ, M., Settele, J., Verovnik, R., Verstrael, T., Warren, M., Wiemers, M. and Wynhoff, I., 2010. ''European Red List of Butterflies''. Mollusca *Frank C., 1997. Die Molluskenfauna der Insel Rhodos, 2. Teil. ''Stapfia'', 48: 1–179. *Maassen, W.J.M., 1981. De Molluskenfauna van het griekseeiland Rhodos. ''De Kreukel'', 17: 21–32. *Paget O.E., 1976. Die Molluskenfauna der Insel Rhodos. 1.Teil. ''Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien'' 80:681–780. *Barna Páll-Gergely and Zoltán Csabai, 2008. Notes on the continental malacofauna of Rhodes, with two new species for the fauna of the island ''Malacologia Bohemoslovaca'' 7: 76–7

*

Fauna Europaea Fauna Europaea is a database of the scientific names and distribution of all living multicellular Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight o ...

Insects *

Marine life *Noelle and Dinos Simeonidis, 2010 ''Life in the Greek seas and the Mediterranean'' Mediterraneo Editions {{ISBN, 978-960-6848-25-4 *Repetto, G.; Orlando, F. & Arduino, G. 2005. Conchiglie del Mediterraneo. 1770 Specie Illustrate con Distribuzione e Frequenza. Amici del Museo Federico Eusebio, Alba. 392 pp.

External links

WWF Southeastern EuropeFauna of Dodecanese lists
via search on

Birds
AvibaseEBBC AtlasBirdwatching report May, 2005
Flora
Michael Hassler
niversity of Karlsruhe
EU-Nomen
Pan-European Species Directories Infrastructure To access the East Aegean list go to advanced search > occurrence then select East Aegean from the menu
Mediterranean plants identification

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...

Orchids of Rhodes
Natura Mediterraneo
naturamediterraneo
Forum. Many images In Italian Rhodes