Virtual guide Island Rab Croatia: Rab Flora & Fauna

After NP island of Mljet, island Rab is the second greenest island in the Adriatic sea. Rab has a wonderfully warm climate, ranking among the sunniest parts of Europe so its Mediterranean climate allows for lush vegetation of evergreen forests and delicious fruit and herbs – olives, figs, grapes, sage and rosemary grow in abundance here. Woodlands are a familiar symbol of Rab, even it's name derives from Arb - ilyric for dark /lush. Woods cover over 30% of the island surface. The vegetation of the island of Rab shows big differences; it varies from aromatic shrubs along the slopes of Kamenjak carst, currypepper, sage, dwarf everlast, immortelle, milkweed, asparagus, white grape, juniper, white hawthorn, to the small grass plants in the sandy area of Lopar, or nicely developed afforestation of pine and oaks in Kalifront woods. There are the wild olive, the Manna Ash, Downy Oak, Service Tree, False Olive, Strawberry Tree, tree heath, Prickly Juniper, and many others. This forest in the central part Kalifronta is known as Dundovo and is under special protection as a nature reserve. There are hundreds of cork oak trees, what is quite rare in the Adriatic. Kalifront spreads on an area of 1.400 ha, while the reservation park Dundovo with its 109 ha of the best preserved oaks ( Quercus ilex) that can be found only on Briuni and Hvar. The whole Kalifront woodland, is also a state- hunting ground for the stas, dees and mouflon. Administration of this area is carried out by the Zagreb University Faculty of Forestry, which apart from managing the area uses it for scientific research. In the middle part of island thrives most of the plant species. A large part of the land in that area is turned into fertile fields, gardens, vineyards, orchards and olive groves, and growing elm and oak, myrtle, ferns, elderberry, mulberry, various herbs, broom, blackberry, juniper, spruce and variouse shrubs. This variety makes a blooming beautiful spring picture. Until recently, the inhabitants of the extracted broom for a cloth production. On the part fields of the island are growing diverse field flowers, especially violets, cyclamen, irises, daisy, heather, wild carnations and roses and many are also present in local gardens. Many flowers are rare like clove gillyflowers, istrian bells or some orhids and lillies In addition to the rich indigenous vegetation, Rab has a wide spectrum of foreign vegetation; these are primarily alpine and austrian pines, cypress, poplar and laurel, old agaves and Indian figs. Thanks to the forestry superintendent Pravdoje / Iustus Belia a little more than 90 years was planted a beutiful pine park - town park Komrcar today one of the most beautiful parks on the Adriatic, with pines, cypress, ash, holm oak, juniper, evergreen shrubs, centuries-old agaves and Indian figs competing who will impress more.

flora / herbs, a set on Flickr.

flowers and herbs, island rab
The largest native mammals on the island of Rab are sheep, goat and donkey. From domestic animals we should also mention chickens, pigs, turkey and pigeons. Another common native mamal is a rabbit and its relative cony rabbit. Due to urbanisation and motorisation, today they are rare. From bloodthirsty animals encounter sunbleak marten. From small mammals are present rats, mice and bats. The birds are slightly larger than mammals. Some here are permanent, while others are migratory. Among birds of prey here lives goshawk and sparrowhawk. On the island nests and live different owls. Less frequent but still present are eagle or griffon vulture. From the resident birds we should mention pheasants, pigeons which nests in holes in cliffs northeast Kamenjak and some other areas, ravens, crows, partridge, and among songbirds goldfish, small and large bower bird, lark, sparrow. Also resident and common are gull and guillemot. Migratory birds that spend their holidays on the island and lodge are Cuckoo Bird, a turtledove, heron, stork, swallow and the nightingale. Even swans. Among the birds wintering in Rab we have Finch, Woodcock, Quail, and some types of swimmers and waders. Alltoghether 162 varieties of birds have been recorded on the island of Rab, both indigenous and migratory, all of which are protected by law. The woods of the island are also home to the European hedgehog and a number of varieties of bat. All animal varieties are protected by law, except the game species, which are protected by a quota system and other hunting regulations. From the genus of reptiles the largest lizard is a rare green lizard, snakes only copperhead snakes live here, there are no poisonous vipers on the island. Amphibians are represented with more species of frogs. From insects there are many species, most numerous are various kinds of butterflies, bumblebee, bees, in the summer one can hear music of the crickets. The neighbouring island of Sv Grgur is home to the fallow deer. We should also mention rich sea life; from seaweed, sea lettuces and various sea plants to sponges, crinoids, corals and shells. There are various crabs: little sea crabs, sea snails whish one can often spot on the shores to spiny lobster, thursh wrasse, sea spider, scampi as the local delicacy. there are cephalopod molluscs: cuttlefish, squid, pulp, sea slug, black fish, calamary.

From fishes here a few: golden grey mullet, saddled bream, ballan- wrass, garfish, sea bass, striped mullet, sea bream, brown mearge, gaper, dory, gilted sea bream, hake, common sole, giant goby, european conger, common dentex, red scorpion fish, greater weever, goldlin, John Dory, Rainbow wrasse, gurnard, common star- gazer, atlantic mackerel, spanish mackerel, horse mackerel, pilchard, sprat, smelt, tuna fish, catfish, spotted ray, common eagle ray, smaller samples of blue sharks and more..