numbers of sheep and, in declining numbers since they are now little used to work the land, donkeys (the best place to see the latter is around Mir jezero on Dugi otok).
Reptiles and amphibians
Croatia’s rocky limestone landscape provides a superb habitat for reptiles, of which Croatia has 41 species (nine of them endemic), with the greatest concentration of these being on the Dalmatian coast and islands.
Croatia has an impressive number of snakes, most of them harmless. Venomous snakes are absent entirely from some of the islands (Lastovo, Mljet, Vis), and on those islands where they are found they are less common than on the mainland. Non-poisonous species include the Four-lined snake, one of the largest European snakes, although completely harmless and easily recognisable by the yellowish-brown stripes along its back; the Leopard snake, which has distinctive brownish-red, dark-edged markings; and Balkan, Western and Large whip snake.
Two venomous species of snake are found on the islands in Croatia: the Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes, known locally as poskok), which is highly venomous and has been recorded on several islands including Pag, Krk, Brač, Hvar and Korčula; and the Common viper or Adder (Vipera berus). The Nose-horned viper is either light grey or brownish copper, with a dark-black zigzag pattern along its back, and is easily recognisable by the soft horn at the end of its snout. It is found on rocky hillsides, under low bushes and around drystone walls. The Montpellier snake, while also venomous (although much less so), has fangs at the back of its jaws rather than the front, so it is extremely unlikely for a human to be bitten unless the snake is actually picked up. Walking boots and hiking poles will usually alert a snake of your approach and give it time to slither off, and snakes will usually only bite in self-defence.
Italian wall lizard in a village near Paški most (near Zadar, on the mainland)
A number of lizards are common (several of them endemic), among them the Balkan green lizard (easily recognisable by its sheer size, up to 16cm or more in length, as much as by its striking green colour) and only slightly smaller Green lizard. Smaller, more commonly seen species include the Common, Italian and Dalmatian wall lizard – the latter two species are quite hard to tell apart, both having black and green stripes along their bodies – and the darker-coloured Sharp-snouted rock lizard. The Lastovo wall lizard is endemic to the island of Lastovo. Other species of reptile include Turkish gecko, European glass lizard and Hermann’s tortoise.
Hermann’s tortoise in the village of Jovići, near Paški most (Pag bridge)
Amphibians inhabiting the islands are less commonly seen, but include the European green toad (recognisable by its distinctive marbled pattern), Agile frog (pale brown, with a slightly pointed snout), the smaller (less than 5cm) European tree frog and a subspecies of the common newt.
A useful resource for identifying the reptiles and amphibians of Europe is www.herp.it.
Birds
The cliffs at Beli on the island of Cres constitute the last remaining habitat of the enormous Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Croatia. The birds are huge, with a wingspan of some 2.5 metres, and feed on carrion (historically, sheep carcasses, although a decline in sheep farming has meant there are fewer of these today). If approaching the cliffs by boat it is essential that engines are switched off and that the boat doesn’t get too close, otherwise it’s not uncommon for the young birds to try to escape their nests before they’re able to fly – and fall into the sea and drown. Smaller birds of prey include Common buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine falcon and Eleonora’s falcon.
Waders and wildfowl can be found in areas of brackish marshland such as Saline on Veliki Brijuni and Veliko blato among the saltpans of Pag, including Little egret, Grey heron, Purple heron and Great crested grebe, as well as rarer species such as Great white egret. Seabirds and shorebirds include Black-headed and Yellow-legged gull, Eurasian black tern, Cory’s shearwater and Pygmy cormorant, as well as the rare Audouin’s gull on the islets of the Lastovo archipelago.
Other species of bird include the Eagle owl (Europe’s largest species of owl, recognisable by its size and its prominent ear tufts), Eurasian hoopoe (recognisable by its distinctive black-and-white striped wings and prominent crest), European bee-eater (which has particularly bright-coloured plumage), Alpine swift (an extremely fast-flying bird, distinguishable from the Common swift by the white patch on its breast), Rock thrush and Rock partridge (the latter listed as near-threatened on the IUCN Red List).
For more information on birdlife in Croatia see www.croatiabirding.com.
Invertebrates
Croatia has a vast number of invertebrates – over 15,000 land-dwelling invertebrates have been recorded, plus another 1800 or so freshwater invertebrates and over 5600 seawater invertebrates. Over 600 of them are endemic, with underground karst habitats being particularly rich in endemic species. Invertebrates are also the least studied group of Croatian animals, and several new species have been discovered in recent years – which suggests that there are many species which are as yet undiscovered.
The large and exotic Two-tailed pasha on the summit of Kom, Korčula (Walk 27)
Croatia has over 180 species of butterfly (compared to 56 in the UK), and many of them can be seen on the islands – including such exotic, localised species as the Scarce swallowtail (easily recognisable by the distinctive, very long protruding ‘tail’ at the back of each wing), Southern swallowtail (with shorter ‘tails’), Two-tailed pasha (a large, fast-flying dark butterfly with orange wingtips and two prongs or tails at the back of its wings, which can be spotted on some island hilltops) and endemic Dalmatian ringlet. Croatia also has 71 species of dragonfly and damselfly (compared to 38 species of dragonfly in the UK), and those on the islands include Small spreadwing, Small red damsel, Winter damselfly and several classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, such as Bladetail and Black pennant.
Winter damselfly on Dragodid, the headland north of Komiža, on the island of Vis (Walk 24)
The European garden spider (also known as Cross-web spider) is common, its web (as the name implies) frequently slung between trees and branches across hiking trails, although it is completely harmless (and, thankfully, larger individuals tend to have their webs above head height). The European black widow spider (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus), the bite of which can be extremely dangerous, is also found in Dalmatia, albeit highly localised and in very small numbers (for example, in some areas around Zadar). There are also numerous species of ant – some 35 species on the Kornati islands alone.
For more information on butterflies, including photos for identifying different species, see www.eurobutterflies.com (and the Lepidapp app www.lepidapp.co.uk), www.lepidoptera.pl and www.leps.it.
Fish and other marine life
The waters of the Croatian Adriatic are abundant in fish and other marine life, including several species found only in the eastern Adriatic. Nevertheless, overfishing has resulted in several of these species becoming quite rare or even threatened – including some, such as John Dory and monkfish, that appear on menus at most seafood restaurants. (The Marine Conservation Society publishes a handy booklet on which fish you might want to consider avoiding eating, which can be downloaded for free at www.fishonline.org.)
Bottlenose dolphins are a not uncommon sight on the Croatian Adriatic,