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The Fauna

The Fauna

di Marco Panerai

The insularity and the particular environmental conditions of the Aeolian Islands have created particular endemic environment and general limits to wildlife.. Species of great interest were surely present in the archipelago as the “cotumice” and the seal nun. The first one is quoted by Sabatini, (an ornithologist of the beginning of the 90’s) that sighted him in Salina, close to Serro del Capo. Very curious the particular dialect toponym "Vancu a pirnici" of Filicudi in relation with the presence of this species, hunted during all the last century. The seal nun, that lived in the cave of the Sea Ox in Filicudi (from her dialect name) it was constantly a present species along the coasts of the island at least until1937, when the last individual was shot. Among the reptiles, sub-fossils of the terrestrial tortoise are known, recovered in Lipari, that attest the presence of it in remote ages. The only amphibian certainly present in Lipari and Salina it is the green toad or “smeraldino” (Bufo viridis Laurenti). This amphibian is able to bear prolonged periods of drought. It was observed in 1898 by some English researchers in Lipari, near the rivulets of the warm thermal water of the baths of  S. Calogero, which confirm the great  abilities of adaptation of this species. The “tarantula muraiola” or gecko (Tarantola mauritanica L) and the Hemidactylus turcicus L. are rather common and easily observable in the whole archipelago, despite their night time habits, when they chase bugs attracted by the light in the walls and on the houses ceilings. Always among the sauris, the fauna of these islands enumerates two species of lizards: the rural lizard and the rare lizard of the Aeolian Islands. This lizard is located on small islets and in Vulcanello, where it avoids the competition with the rural lizard, more opportunist and antropofila. Enough common and easy to see along the paths is the “biacco”, here called "sierpi niura" (black serpent) for its livery, characteristic of the adult individuals. It is absolutely harmless and particularly useless because its diet is based on small vertebrates such as rats and mice. The ornithological fauna of the Aeolian Islands is represented by around 44 species, certainly or probably breeding, while they are at least 120 those wintering or migratory. Among the most interesting species, we remember the great “berta” with its great opening wings (125 cm), able to stay in open sea for long periods. It feeds in prevalence of fishes, shellfishes and small squids. In nights with no moon, it sings nocturnal songs, similar to the sorrowful weeping of a baby. In the past such sounds were said to be the ghosts moans of the dead fishermen in sea during the storms and probably the songs of the sirens in the odyssey. In the Aeolian Islands there are about one hundred couples of great “berta” that nest. For what it concerns the small “berta” we do not have enough data elements on its numerical consistence of its colonies.