Cyprus is inhabited by about 25 reptile species including a number of endemic snakes and lizards. Only one of the snake species in Cyprus is dangerous to man, and this would not attack unless threatened. Unfortunately snakes have a very bad reputation on the island, in contrast to their positive contribution to controlling agricultural pests such as rats. Significant efforts are made in both parts of the island to protect two endangered sea turtle species, which use the island as a breeding station, namely the Loggerhead and the Green turtle.
To produce the reptiles section of www.natureofcyprus.org, we used a number of sources including: a) information provided by Dr. Bayram Goeshmen (a herpetologist), b) the book “Complete Mediterranean Wildlife” by Paul Sterry, and other sources.