Endemic Maltese Wildlife - Animals

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

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