The snake Ofis (Telescopus fallax) is distinguished by its eyes, that are vertical, like those of cats. It is the only poisonous snake in Crete; even so it is harmless, because the poison is in its back teeth and not in the fangs. It is found almost everywhere in Crete.

The Porcupine (Erinaceous concolor), although it is mainly an insect eater, relies a great deal on vegetation for its food.

Rana cretensis is a lake toad that lives exclusively in Crete. It is a day creature and favors humid and hot places. It can be heard croaking loudly day and night, especially during its mating season.

Natrix tesselata. A rather big water snake with gray and dark spots. It lives in and close to the water, and is fed almost entirely on fish, but also has a taste for small amphibians. It is not poisonous.

The Weasel (Mustela nivalis) is a small flesh-eating animal that is awake during the day but also during the night. It has a long tube-like body that helps it to squeeze into rodent burrows, which are its basic food resource. It is an excellent hunter and can kill animals much bigger than itself.

The Badger (Mele meles), which in Crete is also called Arkalos, is a night dweller. It digs underground nests that can hold two to three animals at a time. It is omnivorous; among its diet we can find earthworms, insects, corpses, grass and fruit. In rare occasions it hunts other animals for food.

The River Turtle (Mauremys rivulata) is the only turtle that lives in Crete. Its yellow and green lines on neck and feet distinguish it from other turtles. It lives in lakes, rivers, swamps, water canals and waterholes. It is very hard to be seen; when it detects a presence, it dives in the water or buries itself under mud. It eats mainly weed, larva, earthworms, small amphibians and corpses.

The Ferret (Martes foina), which in Crete is also called Zourida, adjusts easily to all environments and so can be found in agricultural areas, bushy regions and cities. It is a night dweller and feeds mainly on rodents and birds.

The Lacerta trilineata, or green lizard, is the biggest lizard of Crete. It is found equally in dry as in watery regions.

Hyla arborea or tree toad lives in bushy areas or trees, where it can climb easily due to the suckers on its toes. It is a night dweller and croaks loudly during mating season.

Sturnus vulgaris. An omnivorous, social and noisy bird that flies in great flocks during winter months.

Hoopoe (Upupa epops). A bird with black and white crosswise lines on its feathers and a characteristic crest that can stand upright. It feeds mainly on insects, caterpillars and worms, which it catches with its long beak. It is a summer visitor of our country and can be found in woodlands, parks and bushes. It nests in tree cavities and even in houses or ruins.

The Falco tinnunculus, is the most common falcon in Crete. It is fed on small mammals, lizards and insects.

Streptopelia decaoto. It is actually a city turtledove! Contrarily to the common pigeon, it builds its nest in trees of parks. Its origins are found in the Far East and first colonized Crete about fifteen years ago, but its population has seen a dramatically increase in the late years. A phenomenon that has been observed in all Europe.

Barn owl (Tyto alba). This truly beautiful owl has been misjudged in the past, due to its peculiar cry, and was thought to be a carrier of bad luck. The truth is that it is a very useful bird, because of its role on controlling the population of mice and rats.

Scops owl (Otus scops). A smaller and more common owl, that nests in trees even in the city. It is fed mainly on large insects.

Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephaia). It is one of the most common birds in the Mediterranean. It prefers regions with high bushes but can be also found in areas where it can feel safe (woods, cultivated land, even in city gardens). Its nest is always well hidden in low bushes near to the ground. During mating season the male bird sings from a high spot and can easily be seen due to its black characteristic head. It lays three to six eggs, in spring. Both parents take care of the incubation of the eggs and the feeding of their young.

Swift Apus apus and Alpine swift apus melba. These are insect eating birds that find their prey in flight, like swallows. They also have visual similarities with swallows, but no true relation. This is maybe one of the reasons why they are so popularly known as "rock-swallows". They nest on steep sea cliffs and high mountains.

Eleonoras Falcon (Falco Eleonorae). An immigrating falcon that passes the winter in Madagascar and returns to the Mediterranean only from March to October. It nests on steep rocky hills overlooking the sea and eats insects and birds which it preys in flight. It is the only predatory bird that nests late in the summer, delaying the birth of its young until August. In this way it takes advantage of the winter immigration of smaller birds to feed its young. Greece hosts 70% of the world population of these birds (about 5,000 pairs) in the islands of the Aegean.

The Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cacchinans) is certainly the most common gull of the Greek coasts. It nests in colonies, on small rocky skerries, but often can be seen miles inland, searching for food in disposal centers.

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) A most common wagtail, which can be seen in great flocks during the winter months, when big numbers emigrate from northern Europe to pass the winter in Greece. It nests on beaches, rocky islands, wetlands and mountains.

The Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) is a seed-eating common bird. It nests in trees or in deep bush. Its population increases during winter due to immigration from the North.

The Buzzard Buteo buteo is one of the most common predators in Greece. A big number of these hawks pass their winter in our country, mostly on the planes of northern Greece. It nests in trees and prefers to hunt in agriculture regions and in general open spaces. Its main meal composes of rodents, small mammals, hares and other birds. In the islands of the Aegean, they also prefer to hunt snakes and lizards.

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata). It eats insects and seeds, which it finds on the ground where it also prefers to nest. Fires in forests and farming lands on the island help it find food and have increased its population to big numbers.

Swallow (Hirundo rustica). A migratory bird; its arrival and departure indicate spring and autumn. Small numbers have been seen to stay during some winters in Crete and in other islands of the Aegean, when winters are unusually mild. It is fed on insects and nests even in city buildings.