“It is the only eternal gift I could ever give her,” he had said. Throughout all those years, his wife Esther offered them great support, and Arnold showed his gratitude by naming the mite after her. This groundbreaking discovery was made by Maltese researcher Arnold Scibberas, who worked on the discovery with his colleagues for eight whole years. That makes it a completely new discovery to science, dubbed a “local endemic”. And that’s not all it’s only found in Wied is-Sewda in the limits of Qormi. The mite is not only endemic to Malta alone, but very specifically on Moorish geckos. This microscopic parasite has a huge story to tell, and it’s as interesting as it is…romantic. Found in Gozo, this tiny mammal was recently classified as a different subspecies. Sometimes, an animal is confused with a different species from a close country, and this is what happens with the Sicilian Shrew. If this little kickass guy goes extinct in Malta, it’s gone forever off the face of the planet, so let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. One of the largest (and probably last) populations of the Qabru is found in tunnels along the permanent watercourse that passes through the Baħrija Valley, but even there, rapid development and water pollution are leading to steady decline in numbers of freshwater crab. Since then, however, it has been declared endangered, and has been legally protected since 1993. This little guy is somewhat of a celebrity in Malta. Known as il-Qabru in Maltese, this freshwater crab was on the 5c coin of Maltese old currency, the Lira. Although endemic, the Maltese ruby tiger moth is common enough throughout the Maltese Islands to not be endangered. The caterpillars also look furry, and are often referred to as a ‘woolly bears’. This moth, known as Rubini in Maltese, has a tiny wingspan of only about 3cm. Speaking of Filfa, the endemic subspecies there is a large green lizard with bluish spots, and not, as Maltese urban legends have it, a two-tailed dragon. Those exist all over the world as a result of a common occurrence…although when it does happen to Maltese wall lizards, they look a thousand times more kickass. What’s so interesting about the Maltese wall lizard is that specific subspecies are endemic to tiny habitats, like Gozo’s Fungus Rock and Filfla. Just in case that name doesn’t sound local enough, the Maltese wall lizard is also known as the Filfola Lizard. This species actually has four subspecies, and all of them are endemic to the Maltese Islands.
From endemic animals that are close to being endangered, to indigenous breeds that have been optimally adapted to our environment, here are eight of the animals you’ll only be able to find in Malta: 1. Despite its famously small size, Malta still manages to host an impressive variety of species that can only be found on our tiny archipelago.
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