Costa del Sol Towns

Sierra Nevada Animals

Nival Animals

There are few species that live in the heights, which is a typical characteristic of the animals of Sierra Nevada compared to other European mountain ranges. The main ones are the snow vole (Chionomys nivalis) among mammals, and alpine accentor (Prunella collaris) among birds.

Crags and Cantilo

Biotope used mostly as a nesting area for birds:

 

The animals of the Sierra Nevada have always been difficult to study, with a rather low number of zoological references. The undisputed animal queen in the Sierra Nevada is the ibex (Capra pyrenaica), which often grazes in mountain pastures.

The Ministry of Environment of Spain has designated 80 species as endemic. In addition, there are several unique species of invertebrates, including over 20 species of butterflies, numerous species of small birds, and a large number of predators.

You can set the following classification Biotopes:

Mammals: ibex (C. pyrenaica), weasel (Mustela nivalis), marten (Martes foina), garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and some species of bats.

Reptiles: snub-nosed viper (Vipera latasti), ladder snake (Elaphe scalaris), Montpellier snake (M. monspesslanus), ocellated lizard (lacerta lepida spp. Nevadensis), Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanica).

Amphibians: common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) and common parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus).

Avifauna: rock pigeon (Columba livia), stock dove (C. oenas), rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis), rock solo (M. solitarius), crag martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), alpine swift (Apus melba), black wheateater ( Oenanthe leucura), rock sparrow (Petronia Petronia), escribano montesino (Emberiza ence).

Raptors: common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), owl (Athene noctua), and few pairs of perdicera eagles (Hieraaetus fasciatus), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), and eagle owls (Bubo bubo).

Animals of Scrub and Grassland

Mammals: common vole (Pitymys duodecimostatus), garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus), brown hare (Lepus europaeus), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), field mouse (sylvaticus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and weasels (Mustela nivalis).

 

 

Avifauna: common redpoll (Carduelis flammea), goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), siskin (Carduelis spinus), serin (Serinus Serinus), corn bunting (Emberiza calandra), ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortulana), Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), song thrush (Turdus philomelos), fieldfare (Turdus pilaris), mistle thrush (T. viscivorus), red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), quail (Coturnix coturnix), African stonechat (Saxicola torquata), dartford warbler (Sylvia undata), whitethroat (S. communis), spectacled warbler (S. conspicillata), subalpine warbler (S. cantillans), tawny pipit (Anthus campestris), hoopoe (Upupa epops), common blackbird (T. merula), bee-eater (Merops apiaster) , red-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis), black wheateater (Oenanthe leucura), northern wheateater (Oenanthe oenanthe) black-eared wheateater (O. hispanica), rufous bush robin (Cercotrichas galactotes), woodlark (Lullula arborea), crested lark (Galerida cristata), and little owl (Athene noctua).

Reptiles: snub-nosed viper (Vipera latasti), Montpellier snake (M. monspesulanus), Southern smooth snake (Coronella girondica), horseshoe whip snake (Coluber hippocrepis), ocellated lizard (L. lepida spp. Nevadensis), red-tailed spiny-footed lizard (Acanthodactylus erythurus), Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanica), large psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus), Spanish psammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus), three-toed skink (Chalcides chalcides), Bedriaga’s skink (Chalcides bedriagai).

Amphibians: natterjack toad (Bufo calamita), spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes), common parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus).

Arachnids: Common Scorpion (Buthus occitanus).

Animals of Forested Areas

While in theory there are three types of forest areas, for various reasons (degradation, limited extension in forest area, etc.) animals are not present in each one of them.

The species usually common among them are:

Avifauna: green woodpecker (Picus viridis), short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla), long-tailed tit (Aeghitalos caudatus), firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus), chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), bunting (Emberiza France), blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), whitethroat (S. communis), garden warbler (S. borin), turtle dove (Streptopelia Turtur), wood-pigeon (Columba palumbus), golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus), common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius), hoopoe (Upupa epops), European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla), coal tit (Parus ater), Eurasian siskin (Carduelis spinus), citril finch (Serinus citrinella), common blackbird (Turdus merula), brambling (Fringilla montefringilla), common crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), tree sparrow (Passer montanus).

Forest Raptors: goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), sparrow hawk (A. nisus), booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), common buzzard (Buteo buteo), eagle owl (Bubo bubo), European scops owl (Otus scops).

Mammals: wild boar (Sus scrofa), wild cat (Felis silvestris), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), least weasel (Mustela nivalis), stone marten (Martes foina), common genet (Genetta genetta), and the frequent common polecat (Mustela putorius).

Amphibians: Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl), Perez’s frog (Rana perezi), European tree frog (Hyla arborea), and Mediterranean painted frog (Discoglossus pictus).

Reptiles: Spanish pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa), European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), ringed snake (Natrix natrix), and the viperine water snake Viperine (N. maura).

Mammals of Aquatic Environments: Southern water vole (Arvicola sapidus), Mediterranean water shrew (Neomys anomalus), greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula), Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus), and different species of bats. It has yet to be confirmed whether the European otter (Lutra lutra) is extinct.

Other mammals are Western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), European mole (Talpa europaea), greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula), Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus), badger (Meles taxus), red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), and several species of bats.

Reptiles: Spanish psammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus), ocellated lizard (L. lepida ssp. Nevadensis), ladder snake (Elaphe scalaris), false smooth snake (Macroprotodon cucullatus).

Amphibians: fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), common toad (Bufo bufo), natterjack toad (B. calamita).

Rivers and River Groves

Aquatic Vertebrates: brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (S. iridia).

Aquatic Invertebrates: planaria, leeches, snails, bivalves, and crustaceans, especially crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes).

Avifauna of the Rivers: common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), white-throated dipper (Cinclus Cinclus), white wagtail (Motacilla alba), grey wagtail (M. cinerea), and yellow wagtail (M. flava).

The most common passerines can be seen: water pipit (Anthus spinoletta), European robin (Erithacus rubecula), cerrojillo pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata), common chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), Western Bonelli’s warbler (P. Bonelli), wood warbler (P. sibilatrix), melodious warbler (Hippolais polyglotta), olivaceous warbler (H. pallida), house martin (Delichon urbica), crag margin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius), and others.

Nocturnal Predator: European scops owl (Otus scops).