The flora and fauna of the island of Lanzarote

The cliffs of the Cordillera de Famara are a sanctuary for endangered species: the last Egyptian vultures on the island (Neophron percnopterus) (guirre), osprey (Pandion haliaetus) (guincho), the Barbary falcon (Falco pelegrinoides) (halcón de Berbería). The wealth of bird life also extends to the neighboring islands of the archipelago Chinijo, where we note the presence of the shearwater Scopoli (Calonectris diomedea) (pardela cenicienta).

In the salt marshes as the Salinas de Janubio in Yaiza or those of Los Cocoteros near Guatiza, species can be observed as the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), little egret (Egretta garzetta) and stilt (Himantopus himantopus). In the ruins of windmills githagine the nest finch (Bucanetes githagineus) and the hoopoe (Upupa epops).

Camels are animals that can reach a height of 2.5 m at the withers; their colors vary from brown, tan to almost white. Camels make excellent pack animals because they have large water storage pockets in the stomach and fat reserves in their humps. Their large feet spread, the padded toes, allow them to have a good grip on soft ground.

Camels were introduced to Lanzarote from North Africa to the fifteenth century, and even today they have camel (camelleros) Moroccan. Camels were used to pull the heavy wheels of animal traction mills, or to transport the grapes harvest and lapilli (picón) used in agriculture. You can see the harness camels in Agricultural Museum El Patio in Tiagua and Tanit Museum in San Bartolomé.