Fauna

Animal life of the Park is also rich and with high conservational value. Of the mammals, mention merits to the Cyprus mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion), which however is very rare and scarcely to be seen. It is only a casual visitor to the, west and north parts of the Park that are closer to the main mouflons habitat, the Paphos Forest. The fox (Vulpes vulpes), and the hedgehog (Hemiechinus aurita dorothea), live in the park; they have evolved to endemic subspecies, obviously because of their long isolation in the island habitats of Cyprus. Interesting in the special mammal group are the bats, which prefer mine galleries and old buildings for nesting.

More than 80 bird species have been recorded to nest or to visit the Park area during the year. Of particular interest are the rare and protected: griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), raven (Corvus corax), Bonelli's eagle (Hieraetus fasciatus). Typical of the Park, are the smaller birds, crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), treecreeper (Certia brachyodactyla), the nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), and the Cyprus wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca cypriaca) etc.

Various reptile species appear during the warmest seasons of the year. The blunt-nose viper (Vipera lebetina) which can be extremely dangerous only if somebody steps on it, the slim-tailed Agama (Agama stelio), the Mediterranean chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleo), different lizard species like Lacerta laevis troodica and other snake species.

In moist sites, the endemic freshwater crab (Potamion potamios) is characteristic; the green toad (Bufo viridis), the trout (Orhynthus mykinn), which is an escape from fish farms and various other smaller animals can be seen.

Of the insects, that are not so well studied, butterflies are of the greatest interest. More than 30 species have been recorded in the Park, including some very rare and endemic species. As regards other insect groups, hundreds of species have so far been recorded, some of them endemic to Cyprus and to the Park.