Veröffentlicht von This article is about the fauna of the island of Mallorca. As on many islands, the animal world on Mallorca is not as diverse as on the mainland. The sea represents a large, insurmountable obstacle for many non-flying animal species. The following is an overview of the animals on the island.
Mammals on Mallorca
The lack of species is particularly noticeable here. Many larger animals in particular are completely missing.
There are two types of hares and rabbits on Mallorca: the Iberian hare and the wild rabbit.
A rabbit
Hedgehogs are also part of Mallorca’s fauna. The Algerian hedgehog found here is a little bigger than our hedgehog.
Rats are found on Mallorca, as they are almost everywhere else in the world. The animal species on the island include the brown rat and the black rat. There are also three species of shrew and several other mice. These include species of dormice such as the wood mouse and garden dormouse.
The predators in Mallorca’s fauna are predominantly small. Stone martens, pine martens and weasels have conquered the island.
A weasel
There are also feral domestic cats. One of the interesting animals on Mallorca is the small-spotted genet. The civet is also widespread on the Spanish mainland, Portugal and southern France.
Wild goats have increased in number again on Mallorca. They are probably the largest land animals on the Spanish island in the Mediterranean. There are said to be around 100 real wild goats. There are also around 20,000 feral domestic goats, which are increasingly displacing the original wild goats. Other sources even speak of 50,000 feral domestic goats.
Bats can fly and can therefore cross the sea. There are around 20 species of them in Mallorca. This means that almost half of all mammals in Mallorca are bats.
This statement is at least true if you ignore the mammals in the sea. The Mediterranean monk seals are very popular with tourists. There are also an undetermined number of whale species, including dolphins. These animals around Mallorca include the following species: common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, pilot whale, sperm whale, Cuvier’s beaked whale, humpback whale and fin whale.
Examples of mammals that do not exist on Mallorca: squirrels, large predators (such as foxes, lynxes, wolves, brown bears or badgers), deer, roe deer, chamois, ibexes. Beavers and wild boars also do not live on Mallorca.
Snakes on Mallorca
According to our sources, the only poisonous snake on Mallorca is the hooded snake. However, it only has fangs at the back of its mouth. This means that in the rare case of a bite, the poison is usually not transmitted to humans. According to our sources, this snake is not very common on Mallorca, and its poison is not one of the most potent snakes.
The non-venomous viper snake is more common. It was not originally part of the island’s fauna and came to the Balearic Islands with humans. There are many reports of these snakes on Mallorca. Some sources speak of other snake species on the Balearic island, others deny this. Possible snakes on Mallorca include the ladder snake, the grass snake and the horseshoe snake. Unfortunately, we have not been able to determine with certainty whether these snakes actually exist. There are also frequent reports in the media about new snake species on the island. These are probably animals that have been released by humans. Thanks to fewer natural enemies and the mild climate, some species could certainly spread quickly. It is unclear whether this has already happened and whether there are poisonous snake species among them.
See also: Our article Snakes on Mallorca
Birds on Mallorca
More than 200 species of migratory birds stop off on the island. In addition, more than 100 species of breeding birds come to Mallorca. Bird watching is very popular on Mallorca. Many tourists from countries such as England and Germany pursue the hobby of bird watching on Mallorca. They are equipped with binoculars and/or cameras. Due to the lack of many predators and food competitors, birds on Mallorca are common and diverse. The well-known bird species on the large Balearic island include the black vulture, the Eleonora’s falcon and the red kite. Other birds of prey include buzzards, ospreys and falcons (kestrels).
Bonelli’s eagles had already become extinct on Mallorca. The animals were successfully re-introduced in an elaborate project. The mice, rats and rabbits on the island are ideal prey for many larger birds. Other popular bird species are the great egret, the purple heron, the spectacled warbler, the pygmy grouse and many others. The previously unmentioned bird of prey species on Mallorca include the black kite, the Montagu’s harrier, the red-footed falcon and the honey buzzard. Striking birds that are difficult to confuse include the bee-eater, the wryneck, the garden bunting and the golden oriole.
Lizards, toads, frogs and turtles on Mallorca
Three different turtles live on the island (tortoises). Two of the species are, however, very rare and threatened with extinction. The slightly more common species is the European pond turtle, which is also rare in Germany. The Greek tortoise is very rare on the Balearic Islands. It only lives in a few areas in the east of Mallorca. The Moorish tortoise is not much more numerous in the west of the Spanish island. There are also sea turtles around Mallorca.
The Mallorca midwife toad is endemic to Mallorca. Endemic means that the animals only occur here. Unfortunately, this species is becoming increasingly rare. Animals introduced by humans, such as the viper snake, kill many Mallorca midwife toads. Larger populations are still found mainly in the Tramuntana Mountains.
Aside from the Mallorca midwife toad, only three other species of anurans live on Mallorca. Anurans are a biological order of animals. These animals include amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts. The Iberian water frog is found on the Balearic Islands and all over the Iberian Peninsula. On Mallorca, for example, it lives in the S’Albufera Nature Park in the north of the island. The Mediterranean tree frog also lives in large parts of Spain and parts of North Africa. The fourth amphibian species on Mallorca is the green toad, also known as the common green toad. The lack of species applies not only to the mammals, but also to the amphibians of the largest Balearic island.
The fauna of Mallorca also includes several lizards and geckos. The wall gecko is often seen. The Balearic lizard is an example of a species of lizard on Mallorca. Other species such as the European half-finger (gecko species) or the Pityusian lizard also occur on the island.
Dangerous animals on Mallorca
The processionary moth is one of the animals on Mallorca that is unpleasant for people. The poison in the hairs of these butterfly caterpillars can cause allergies, asthma and severe skin irritations in people, among other things. Dogs can also have major problems due to the animals‘ poison.
In the sea, holidaymakers can expect poisonous fish such as the weever fish. A sting is not only painful, but also dangerous; you should call an emergency doctor. The dangerous animals are also called spider fish.
Scorpions are also dangerous and can be found on Mallorca. Compared to many other regions in the world, there are relatively few dangerous and poisonous animals on Mallorca.