The Alpujarra preserves a big reserve of protected animals together with other varieties of wildlife, reflection of the huge biodiversity existing in the area. 

The animal communities often develop at the same time as the corresponding plant communities.  

TYPES OF FAUNA 

High Mountain Fauna

This ecosystem is home to mammals such as the mountain goat and the snow vole.

Numerous bird species typical of the mountain (golden eagle, alpine accentor, black redstart blight, griffon vulture) coexist with hoopoes, goldfinches and kestrels. 

The numerous invertebrate fauna has many endemic species, which include butterflies, beetles, and aquatic insects.  

Crag Fauna

The birds that nest stand out (crag martin, alpine swift, rock bunting, bunting, rock and stock dove, common and blue rock thrush). 

Among the birds, common kestrels, small owls, Bonelli’s eagles and owls are found. 

Mammals such as the fox, the mountain goat or the weasel join to numerous reptiles (lataste's viper, ladder snake and montpellier snake, ocellated lizard and Iberian lizard) and amphibians (common midwife toad, common parsley frog).  

Scrub and Pasture Fauna

There are many mammals such as the European rabbit, the wood mouse, the fox, the common vole or the European hare. 

The bird fauna is represented by sparrows, goldfinches, blackbirds, partridges, quails or several species of lesser whitethroat and wheatear. 

The lataste's viper is part of the reptiles, together with several species of snakes and lizards or the ocellated lizard. 

Amphibians include the natterjack toad, the western spadefoot or the common parsley frog. And, among the arachnids, the argiope and the scorpions.  

Fauna of Forested Areas

These are common animals in the ecosystems of mid-mountain, which find in the forests the habitat and food needed. 

Within the mammals, wild boars, foxes, wildcats, genets, common squirrels, badgers and different rats and mice stand out. Herds of wild goats, more typical of the high mountain, can reach these areas too.

The bird fauna is varied. Species such as the cuckoo, the hoopoe, the turtledove, the common dove pigeon or the blackbird are important here. The forest birds of prey (sparrow hawk, kestrel, goshawk, booted eagle, eagle-owl, etc.) complete this varied cast. 

The ocellated lizard, the ladder snake and cowl or the Spanish Psammodromus are part of the reptiles and the salamander, the common toad and the natterjack toad part of the amphibians.  

Rivers and Copses Fauna

To the reptiles, birds and aquatic mammals, others, that are not exclusive of this biotope, are joined. 

Among the aquatic vertebrates, the trout and the rainbow trout are found. They coexist with aquatic invertebrates such as snails, leeches, bivalves or crustaceans (crayfish).

Among the amphibians, the common frog, the Iberian ribbed newt or the painted frog. Among the reptiles, the Spanish pond turtle and the grass snake and viperine can be seen.

Aquatic mammals are, among others, the water vole or the shrew. 

The birdlife of the river is represented by the kingfisher, the dipper, the robin, the meloudious warbler, the eastern olivaceous warbler, the house martin or the crag martin. The Eurasian scops owl stands out as a nocturnal bird of prey.