Illa de l'Aire (also ''Isla del Aire'' in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
) in an
islet
An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...
on the southeast coast of
Menorca
Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...
, in the
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...
, close to Punta Prima.
The island covers 34 hectares and has a circumference of 3.3 km. Its highest point was 15 m above sea level until the construction of the
Illa de l'Aire lighthouse.
The island has an endemic
lizard
Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...
subspecies, ''
Podarcis lilfordi
Lilford's wall lizard (''Podarcis lilfordi)'' is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Gymnesian Islands, the easternmost of the Balearic Islands, Spain. There are 27 subspecies that are recognized as being ...
lilfordi'' (Günther, 1874). On Menorca, it is better known as the ''sargantana negra'' (''black lizard''), though the lizards are able to change their skin colour to blend in with their surroundings. Lots of people land on the island but only in the accessible zone on the west coast (which is most of the island, including the lighthouse.) Indeed, the Illa de l'Aire is sometimes known as "Lizard Island", and forms a scenic backdrop for the resort of Punta Prima and the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of Sant Lluís. The black lizards are known to gather in numbers when a plum is placed on the ground.
The island has a population of 300
rabbits
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form ...
, an introduced animal, these were used as part of a self-spreading vaccine field trial in 2000 aimed at generating immunity to
myxomatosis
Myxomatosis is a disease caused by '' Myxoma virus'', a poxvirus in the genus '' Leporipoxvirus''. The natural hosts are tapeti (''Sylvilagus brasiliensis'') in South and Central America, and brush rabbits (''Sylvilagus bachmani'') in North ...
and
rabbit hemorrhagic disease
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), also known as viral hemorrhagic disease (VHD), is a highly infectious and lethal form of viral hepatitis that affects European rabbits. Some viral strains also affect hares and cottontail rabbits. Mortality rat ...
.
References
# Ferran Ramón-Cortés, "La Isla De Los 5 Faros", del Nuevo Extremo, 2005. {{ISBN, 978-847-871-260-1
External links
Isla del Aire on Google Maps
Islets of Menorca