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| The major geological and climatic differences
found in Sicily between one area and another, even neighbouring
ones, permit the development of a very varied flora, boasting
exemplars of plants being typical of northern climates and
subtropical ones. Along the coastal zones, and up to a height
of 300 metres, there are above all citrus fruits, olives and
vines. Almost all these plants, which today are found all
over the island, were actually imported by the successive
conquerors of the island: for example, the Greeks and Phoenicians
brought the vine, the olive, the fig and the pomegranate;
the Arabs - among other things - the lemon and the almond.
The orange was only grow starting from the fifteenth century,
like the tomato and the prickly pear, imported to Sicily after
the discovery of America. Lastly, the mandarin orange was
introduced at the start of the nineteenth century. |
| The great forests that covered the whole
island having disappeared, woods are found only on the summits
of the main mountain chains - the Nebrodi, the Madonie, the
Peloritans - and on Etna. Cork and other oaks, chestnut trees
and beeches are the trees making up these woods, and there
are now only rare clumps of pines and Sicilian fir. The local
flora also includes the oleander and the plane tree, as well
as plants introduced by man in more or less recent times:
in addition to the previously mentioned prikly pear, vine
and fruit trees, we find agaves, palms, ficus, cedars, mulberries,
eucalyptuses and all sorts of flowers. |
| Changes in climate and environment, together
with indiscriminate destructive action by man, have considerably
reduced the presence of wild animals on the island. The big
mammals have mostly disappeared, as have most of the birds
of prey, the only significant presences being those of the
wild cat, the marten, the dormouse (rare) the hedgehog, the
wild rabbit, the hare and the weasel. Among birds there are
the falcon, the pilgrim hawk, the windhover, the kite and
the eagle, the rock partridge, the imperial crow. Some migratory
birds also stop off in Sicily, such as common species of waders,
the pink seagull, the grater sea swallow, the spoonbill. There
are a great number of insects and invertebrates: among snakes,
special mention must be made of the very beautiful spotted
grass snake. |
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