Being like a small continent with a comfortable climate and being in the proximity of three continents, it will come with no surprise that Cyprus has extremely fruitful wildlife. Here is an option to learn a bit about it:
Birds
Since Cyprus lies on one of the main bird routes, it is a very popular location for bird watching with more than 400 species to see. During spring and autumn, you can see millions of birds coming through. It is a true marvel.
Besides the migration, Cyprus has birds who are on the island all the time, two of them are endemic breeds, Cyprus Wheatear, and the Cyprus Warbler.
Spring migration is the time when the birds head from Africa to Europe and north-west Asia to escape the southern winter. It starts in late February and takes place till late April.
Autumn migration is the time when the birds head from Europe and north-west Asia to Africa to escape the northern winter. It starts in early September and takes place till late October. Some of the species stay on the island for winter.
Mammals
Often people think of mammals as exclusively land animals. However, in Cyprus, some of them are sea creatures such as the Striped Dolphin, whales, and seals.
Some of the mammals are in danger of extinction, this is in the result of mass hunting in the 1930s, therefore, the Paphos Forest is protected as a no-hunt zone.
Archeology tells us there used to be also elephants and hippopotamuses is on the island.
The only land mammal predator is the fox with many rabbits as its prey. Besides all the above you will see Rodents, wild goats, bats, and many more.
Reptiles
The reptile section can be divided between lizards, turtles, and snakes. The turtles are very interesting since there are two breeds of sea turtles that are in danger of extinction, the green turtle, and the loggerhead turtle. Therefore, there is a whole mission on Lara Beach, north of Paphos, to save these beautiful creatures. Getting to Lara Beach is done with 4×4 cars and the eggs hatch between June and August.
Snakes in Cyprus are a thing due to the warm climate. Which snakes should be feared? The real answer to that is all of them. The smart way is just to stay away. The Blunt-nosed Viper can grow up to around 1.8 meters and has a thick body with a triangular head. The snake usually hunts for birds and small rodents, however, if humans bother him, he can attack. When he attacks, he is extremely dangerous, so dress properly when out in nature and don’t turn over stones, and stay out of tall grass. The Blunt-nosed Viper’s biggest enemy is the Whip Snake, the largest snake on the island.
The lizard wildlife in Cyprus is very broad. There are Geckos you will normally see only at night, color-shifting Chameleons which are always fun to spot, and various types of day lizards that you will see all over the island.