FAUNA IN SARDINIA

Sardinia owns without doubt a marvelous richness: its nature which hasn’t changed during the centuries because of his isolated position.

Compared with the Italian fauna, Sardinia is marked by many typical faunal elements from North Africa and from the Middle East.
The Sardinian landscape could be classified because of his diversity, in three different environments, the beaches and the crystalline sea, the inner hilly zone and the coastal pods.

In the coastal habitat there are all the range of Mediterranean sea birds, mammals and fishes.
Among birds noteworthy are: the peregrine falcon and the griffin. The peregrine falcon represents one of the nicest and most marvelous species of Falconidi family. It nidifies on the rocks and often on the nest left by other predatory.

A peregrine falcon

A wonderful sea turtle.

Among the aquatic mammals are worth to remember the dolphins, the rorquals but above all nun-seal, one of the rearest mammals on Earth.
Till to the beginning of ninthy years it represented a symbol of the fauna of the island. Unfortunately, it was haunted by the local fishermen, according to whom the roequals used to steal fishes catched in the nets. The tourism as well has caused their getting out the way, invading beaches and caves where they reproduced.
Submerged landscapes are very complex, colorful and attract on the island many keen on underwater dipping, to admire epinephelus, dentex and "ricciole".

In addition many species of turtles join the sea water. The common turtle is the most present in the Mediterannean sea. It can reach a length of 80-140 cm and a weight to 450 Kg.
Coupling occurs in proximity of sand coasts, where the females come back to lay the eggs 2 or 3 years later.

As regards the inner hilly zone, in the woods of maples, hollies, holm-oak and chestnut tree is very easy to find the traces of boars, which live all over the island, from coastal zones to the inner hilly ones. The Sardinian boar is smaller than the common species which live in the rest of Italy.

In this land very common are: wild cats, martens, hares, weasels and badgers.
Another typical animal is the Sardinian fox: It has a triangular head, pointed muzzle, big ears and eyes, a long reddish or greyish tail, whitish paws.

The mouflon, a small sized ungulate, with a thick braun-reddish mantel on the back and whitish on the abdomen, snot and paws, is completely adapted itself, as the royal eagle, the sardinian sections of goshawk, deer and buck.

A wild boar

A wild race of little horses.

Some animal species in Sardinia are affected with nanism, that is they are smaller than the same species which live in the rest of Italy.
An example are the famous little horses of Giara di Gesturi (Nu), a wild race of horse, whose origins are unknown.
It’s considered a real fossil because it keeps some ancestral characteristic.

On the isle of Asinara live the characteristic little white donkeys. Their color is due to a genetic mutation that they have kept because subjected to isolation.

A very interesting environment is made up of the pods which gather a beautiful eco-system, characterized by the famous pink flamingo . Every year it choose Sardinia for a leg and often lays the eggs.
It’s easy to find it in the pod of Molentargius, between the Municipality of Cagliari and Quartu Sant'Elena.
In the last years Molentargius is also became a place where they nidificate.
The nest is made with muddy materials on banks, islets and peninsulas Laying of the eggs occur in May. Other places where you can admire many other exemplaries are: Santa Gilla, a Mistras, S’Ena Arrubia, San Teodoro and Budoni, Colostrai.

The pink flamingo

Sardinian birds: a "cavaliere d'Italia"

To be mentioned: ducks, coots, storks, sultan chicken, the cormorant, and the "cavaliere d'Italia" (the italian horseman).
This bird is easily identified even from far distances thanks to the long light pink paws.
It is only 40 cm long and it has a thin body a black billy-goat.