Sierra Nevada Animals

Nival Animals

There are few species that live in the heights, which is atypical characteristic of the animals of Sierra Nevadacompared 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 Nevadahave always been difficult to study, with a rather low number of zoologicalreferences. The undisputed animal queen in the Sierra Nevada is the ibex (Capra pyrenaica), which often grazes inmountain pastures.

The Ministry of Environment of Spain has designated 80 species asendemic. In addition, there are several unique species of invertebrates,including over 20 species of butterflies, numerous species of small birds, anda 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 walllizard (Podarcis hispanica).

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

Avifauna: rockpigeon (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 (PetroniaPetronia), escribano montesino (Emberiza ence).

Raptors: commonkestrel (Falco tinnunculus), owl (Athene noctua), and few pairs of perdiceraeagles (Hieraaetus fasciatus), golden eagles (Aquilachrysaetos), and eagle owls (Bubo bubo).

Animals of Scrub and Grassland

Mammals: commonvole (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: commonredpoll (Carduelis flammea), goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), siskin (Carduelisspinus), serin (Serinus Serinus), corn bunting (Emberiza calandra), ortolanbunting (Emberiza hortulana), Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), songthrush (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), subalpinewarbler (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), northernwheateater (Oenanthe oenanthe) black-eared wheateater (O. hispanica), rufousbush robin (Cercotrichas galactotes), woodlark (Lullula arborea), crested lark(Galerida cristata), and little owl (Athene noctua).

Reptiles:snub-nosed viper (Vipera latasti), Montpelliersnake (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 (Psammodromusalgirus), Spanish psammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus), three-toed skink(Chalcides chalcides), Bedriaga’s skink (Chalcides bedriagai).

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

Arachnids: CommonScorpion (Buthus occitanus).

Animals of Forested Areas

While in theory there are three types of forest areas, forvarious reasons (degradation, limited extension in forest area, etc.) animals arenot present in each one of them.

The species usually common among them are:

Avifauna: greenwoodpecker (Picus viridis), short-toed treecreeper(Certhia brachydactyla), long-tailed tit(Aeghitalos caudatus), firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus), chaffinch (Fringillacoelebs), 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 (Upupaepops), European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Eurasian wryneck (Jynxtorquilla), coal tit (Parus ater), Eurasian siskin (Carduelis spinus), citrilfinch (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), Europeantree frog (Hyla arborea), and Mediterraneanpainted frog (Discoglossus pictus).

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

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

Other mammals are Western European hedgehog (Erinaceuseuropaeus), 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: Spanishpsammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus), ocellated lizard (L. lepida ssp.Nevadensis), ladder snake (Elaphe scalaris), false smooth snake (Macroprotodoncucullatus).

Amphibians: firesalamander (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 (Anthusspinoletta), European robin (Erithacus rubecula), cerrojillo pied flycatcher(Ficedula hypoleuca), spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata), common chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), Western  (P. Bonelli), wood warbler(P. sibilatrix), melodious warbler (Hippolais polyglotta), olivaceous warbler(H. pallida), house martin (Delichon urbica), crag margin (Ptyonoprognerupestris), blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius), and others.

Nocturnal Predator:European scops owl (Otus scops).