Agriculture Ministry officers and private sector scientists have joined forces to carry out an unprecedented research study on snakes, lizards and amphibians (frogs) living in the Mediterranean island’s protected Akamas peninsula.
This is what Philenews reported on Monday, adding that EU funds have been secured for the count, monitoring and study of the region’s reptiles by the Ministry, the University of Cyprus and Terra Cypria non-profit foundation.
The project is set to be concluded in 18 months.
The Department of Forestry of the Ministry of Agriculture has awarded a contract to the Terra Cypria Foundation for the provision of reptile and amphibian monitoring services in ​​the NATURA 2000 network area of the peninsula.
The programme is implemented in collaboration with Dr. Spyros Sfendourakis, Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Cyprus and Dr. Emmanuela Karameta, a researcher at the Biological Sciences Department.
The study provides for the collection of information on all species of snakes, lizards and amphibians that one encounters in the Akamas natural habitat.
The collection of such data is an obligation the Republic of Cyprus has towards the European Union for the most efficient management and conservation of species and habitats and is necessary for the assessment of the biodiversity of the island.
