The Fauna
More than 35 species of mammals, 150 species of birds, 11 species of amphibians, and 18 species of reptiles have been recorded on Mount Grammos!
Mammals
More than 35 species of mammals have been recorded on Mount Grammos. As for large mammals, the most significant are the wolf and the bear. A small population of chamois (Capra rupicapra) survives on the rocky peaks, constantly under pressure from poaching and the widespread presence of livestock. Roe deer and wild boars inhabit the forests, while the wider area is home to all the medium-sized and small mammals of the biogeographic zone, as well as a particularly large number of bat species, including some with a distribution restricted to the Central Balkans.
The bear, with its impressive presence and long history of coexistence with humans, is today the most iconic animal species of the Pindus Mountains.
The bear’s presence in Grammos is constant, both over time and across the landscape. It is easy to spot its tracks on forest roads and soft ground.
Birds
A total of 150 bird species have been recorded in the Grammos and Western Voio regions, 118 of which nest there.
The most interesting species in the area are the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo), the Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)—along with eight other woodpecker species—and the Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).
We note, however, that Grammos lacks the habitats of the lower zone and, above all, the most characteristic types of Mediterranean vegetation, such as phrygana and scrublands, which on other mountains along the country’s perimeter provide not only greater biodiversity but, above all, the opportunity for seasonal complementarity. Here we find primarily mountainous habitats, whose richness is based mainly on the mosaic formed by the terrain, soil and climatic conditions, and human activity. The region’s status as a border area also played a decisive role, granting it moments of tranquility amid the ebb and flow that has marked the course of human history.
It is worth noting that small flocks of Red-billed Choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) circle the peaks; this is a species found in alpine landscapes with a highly fragmented distribution in Greece and a very small overall population.
Reptiles
Eleven species of amphibians and 18 species of reptiles have been recorded in Grammos. As expected, reptile diversity is greater at low and mid-elevations, where we’ll find most amphibians, nearly all snakes (including the Crowned Snake, which, however, “climbs” up to the alpine zone), and most lizards, amphibians, and tetrapods.
In the lower zones, we will find all the amphibians reported from the area, while in the drier areas we will encounter the typical lizards of the lower zone. In permanent bodies of standing or very slowly flowing water, we will find the two species of newts found in the low and middle zones—most commonly the Greek Common Newt, and in more mountainous waters, the Macedonian Newt.
In the numerous subalpine and alpine lakes, we will find large populations of the Alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris).
