The prevailing vegetation of the island of Pantelleria is: Evergreen Wood This is located in various places on the island: at the slope of the Montagna Grande, on the top of the Monte Gibele, on the south-eastern part of the Cuddia Attalora, behind the island (Dietro l’isola) and on Ghirlanda. It extends for about 1500 hectars. It is mostly composed of marittime pine which is called in local dialect ‘Zappinu’ and extends for about 850 hectars. Also very common is the Aleppo pine, called locally ‘Deda’. The Maquis The maquis is found everywhere on the island. The most common shrub is the heather, in local dialect ‘Scappucino’. The Gariga The most resistant trees to dry weather are found here. There is plenty of rosemary. The most important garighe are at Sataria and on the precipice behind the island. The Mediterranean Steppes It is constitued by herbacious vegetation, with a prevalence of gramiceas. The main one is the terofite and it is mainly found at Margana, Punta Tre Pietre and Arenella. The flora of Pantelleria is constitued of about 570 different plants. It is mainly constituted of terofite, which represent about 60% , and then emicriptofite, geofite and macrofanerofite. THE FAUNA The fauna of Pantelleria is unique because of its geographical position which has isolated the species of the island, allowing the development and growth of endemisms, and the conservation of other species which are rare or extinct in other parts of the world. Terrestrial fauna The Pantescan Donkey (U Sceccu in local dialect), already well known in the first century B.C., was very common on the island until a few decades ago. The main features of this donkey were the height at the withers, which could reach 140 cm. and the unusual amble (camel-like) walk. Because of its robust and slender body the donkey played an important role in the development of the island’s viticulture as it could carry many loads along the steep paths; the donkey was so precious to the peasants that they were kept in their own stables, called locally ‘sarduni’. Another animal always found in peasant life is the Pantescan goat, unfortunately almost extinct. It was probably the first domestic to be introduced into the island by prehistoric populations, and it has adapted and avolved into an exceptionally robust animal. The Plecotus Bat, called locally ‘Tallarita i notte’ (night swallow) is expecially common in the natural caves in Gelfiser. The wild rabbit (Oryctolagus Cuniculus) is very diffuse, and can be easily seen along mountain paths after sunset. Very valuable are the rare sightings of wildcats (felix silvestri). Reptiles The island’s species of reptile offer a more interesting study. Two rare species which can be found are the ‘Colubro Ferro di cavallo’ (literally horse-shoe coluber, scientific name Coluber Ippocrepis), which is found only in Pantelleria and Sardinia and is considered Europe’s most beautiful snake because of it’s colours, the other rare reptile is the green tortoise (testudo graeca), locally called tortuca. The colony of tortoises in Pantelleria is one of the few today still in its natural state (it is completely extinct in its natural state in the rest of Sicily). The sicilian lizards (locally called ‘Sarmucela’) run about the island’s stone walls together with the geckos (locally called ‘Cucciarda tignusa’), both perfectly camouflaged. Other reptiles include the coluber, whose coloured species reminds one of obsidian stone, and the gongilo (called sangumia) which lives under the stones. Invertebrates Among the invertebrates of Pantelleria, although both European and African species are present on the island, it is worth mentioning the following endemic subspecies: a melliporous bee probably of african origin, which can be distinguished from other bees for its dark colour and aggressiveness, and the grilled talpa (literally cricket mole), which lives in a confined area around the lake called ‘Specchio di Venere’ (Venus’ mirror). Birds A visit to the beautiful lake is recommended to all bird watchers, as it is frequented by many varied species: the small blackcap (locally ‘fatascia’) and other sparrowlike specimens; the stilt-bird, as elegant as the grey heron, the pink flamingo and the crane. Because Pantelleria is between Europe and Africa, it is used as a bridge by many migrating birds, such as the rare falco della regina (literally queen’s falcon, scientific name falco eleonorate), whose black silhouette is sometimes seen on the island; other species of falcon include the brown kite, the pelegrine falcon, the buzzard and the hen harrier. One must not miss these large flocks of birds in spring time, soaring over the sea, carried by air currents. It is quite common to see the profile of the ‘capovaccaro’ (of the vulture family) or some eagle subspecies such as the ‘bonelli’ eagle or the harrier eagle. The unique species of falcon in Pantelleria is the kestrel, called locally ‘sicarro’, which is found in big colonies along the island’s cliffs. Other rare birds which are frequent visitors to Pantelleria are the bee-eater (vocally called ‘scilakila’, scientific name merops apiaster), the marine jay, the moore (called ‘catabubbo’ in dialect), the oriole (‘ghiannuni’); all these birds are mightly appreciated for their coloured plumage. Among the more common species found in Pantelleria are the thrush, the blackbirds, the woodcock, and the quail. Among the wading birds are the grey heron, the red heron, the nitticora, the gazzetta ciuffetto, the cavaliere d’italia, the avocetto, and the crane. It has to be mentioned that the Montagna Grande (Big Mountain) is the only European site where the algerian tit and the rare beccamoschino make their nests. Marine fauna Let us begin with an imaginary immerson to the seas’ depths. You will be surprised by an explosion of colours: many donzelle pavonine will swim around you. If you crack a sea urchin open and hold it in your hand, all these donzelle will come in hundreds and feed from your hand. Continuing your descent, just below the surface we can see schools of occhiate and castagnole; descending deeper we will find groups of pesci pappagallo, scari, school of saraghi fasciati accompanied by large saraghi. You can’t miss enormous shoals of salpe swimming in unison, while needle-fish and mullets swim above us. Lookig in the small gorges we will see small cernie and corvine and nests carefully made with algae by the tordi pavone. Diving even deeper, we will see large red scorpion-fish, motionless and perfectly camouflaged. In some areas we can find groups of trigoni, swimming slightly above the bottom of the sea. As we go even deeper more cernie and saraghi will be seen, and also dotti will join us. Among the pelagic fauna: ricciole, leccie and tunas of various sizes will appear from the blue. Dentex will be hunting on the bottom, while the mediterranean barracuda will hunt just below the surface for small boghe. Continuing our immersion in the shallows or in proximity of the promontories and caves which stretch out to the open sea we can observe large cernione ascending hunting for food shoals of dexter and paraghi and possibly the pesce luna which is carried lazily by the current, or the majestic nobula (manta) which even the though innocous can frighten us because of its threatening shape. If we go deeper than 30 meters, we will see gorgonie rosse waving by the current and gorges full of shrimps. But these will not be the only sightings in the sea of Pantelleria. We must mention the moray eels, which lives in gorges and can weigh up to 7 or 8 kilos, even the rare black moray, eel, otcopie, pointed like hunting dogs by sciarrani. There are also lobsters, who come close to the coast during the winter to lay their eggs, crayfish and cicale are frequently seen sharing their dens with cernie and corvine. Beautiful to observe is the spectacle offered by the menole who come in june and july to reproduce, gathering in the prairies of oceaninc posidonia in such numbers as to completely cover these algae. The presence of these menole attracts schools of dolphins which are visible from land. Other marine mammals to be found in the water of Pantelleria are globicefali, zifio, capodogli and monk seals which have disappeared from the rest of the Mediterranean. Colonies of these seals used to be so common in Pantelleria that a strip of coast was named after them, called bue marino (literally sea ox). The last sighting of the seal was in summer 1998 on the coast of Mursia. Pantelleria has a small faunistic heaven which deserves to be protected because of its uniqueness of species.