Animals
There are more endemic animals than plants in the Maltese Islands. Many a time, the animal in question has been confused with a different species from a close country e.g. the Sicilian shrew in Gozo which has been defined as a subspecies of its own.
Below is a list of some endemic animals (together with their classification):
- Maltese Field Beetle Pimelia rugulosa ssp. melitana
- Schembri's Spider Fly Ogcodes schembrii
- Maltese Ruby Tiger Moth Phragmatobia fuliginosa ssp. melitensis
- Swallowtail (Maltese subspecies) Papilio machaon ssp. melitensis
- Maltese freshwater crab Potamon fluviatile ssp. lanfrancoi
- Maltese Palpigrade Eukoenia christiani
- Maltese Wall Lizard (this species has many subspecies, four of which are endemic to the Maltese Islands) Podarcis filfolensis
- Sicilian Shrew Crocidura sicula ssp. calypso
Read more about this topic: Endemic Maltese Wildlife
Famous quotes containing the word animals:
“He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no harm shall touch you. In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes. At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the wild animals of the earth. For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the wild animals shall be at peace with you.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Job 5:19-23.
“To err is human also in so far as animals seldom or never err, or at least only the cleverest of them do so.”
—G.C. (Georg Christoph)
“The greatness of man is so evident that it is even proved by his wretchedness. For what in animals is nature, we call in man wretchedness—by which we recognize that, his nature being now like that of animals, he has fallen from a better nature which once was his.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)