Endemic Pleistocene mammals

Candiacervus ropalophorus and Candiacervus cretensis

discover crete
discover crete
fullscreen
previous arrow
next arrow
It is not known with certainty, if the first immigrants who settled on the island met these deer.

The deer Cervus ropalophorus was a slender and impressive endemic deer that evolved on Crete since the upper Pleistocene after crossing, by swimming, the sea passages of that time.

He had a long antlers with only the tine resempling clubs.

Another cretan deer species is Candiacervus cretensis with small antlers with tines.

Generally in Crete at least 6 morphotypes of endemic deer of various sizes were found. Still it is not known with certainty, if the first immigrants who settled on the island met these deer.