1. The document discusses several endangered species found on the Greek island of Samos, including plants like the tiny Viola Heldreichiana flower and animals such as the golden jackal, sea turtle, monk seal, and chameleon. 2. It provides details on the unique biodiversity of Samos, which is attributed to the island's location close to Asia Minor and its mountainous terrain containing different microclimates. 3. The document describes several of the endangered species in more depth, like the chameleon's camouflage abilities and the historical significance of the golden jackal in various religions.

1. Comenius

2. “HOW SCHOOLCHILDREN CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO KEEPING OUR
PLANET GREEN AND CLEAN”

3. Endangered Species
of Samos

4. The orientation and the relief that is created by the
mountains of Samos (Kerkis with an altitude of 1444
meters and Ampelos with an altitude of 1160
meters) create a multitude of microclimates on the
island. An immediate result of this is that Samos has
a very rich environment with great assortment in
plants and animals that cannot be encountered in
any other Aegean island.

5. As far as flora is concerned, some unique
plants exist in Samos. The most important
species are : Viola Heldreichiana and
Paeonia.

6. Viola Heldreichiana

7. Mountain Karvounis, is characterized by a high
concentration of rare, endemic flora. This is due to
three main reasons:
1 Location of Samos (very close to Asia Minor)
2 The altitude of the area
3 The relative isolation of the area and limited human
activities

8. The Area is protected and is in Natura
2000 and most plants found near the top
are included in the Red List of
threatened plants of the IUCN-World
Conservation Union. They are also
protected by Greek legislation
(Presidential Decree 67/81).

9. One of these plants is the tiny Viola
Heldreichiana with a height of no more than 3
to 4 cm.In the list it is marked as rare
especially in our country as it has been found
only in Samos a nd probably in Crete. It
blooms in April.
The viola was found in the area of AiLia in
1992 by Sven Snogerup

10. The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled
Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek god
of medicine and healing. Asclepius became
jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from
the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the
peony flower.

11. Samos also has rare and endangered
species of animals
The chameleon of Samos is one of the
most important

12. Chameleons are one of the most easily identified members
of the lizard family, and this is not just due to their ability to
change colour. They are able to move their eyes
independently of each other, which allow them to focus on
2 different fields of view. When a prey item is located, the
chameleon is able to switch to binocular vision in order to
target the insect better. Chameleons use their tongue as
the predominant method for catching prey. It is protruded
in a ballistic fashion so quickly that human’s eyes cannot
focus on it. The common chameleon moves in a slow and
deliberate manner, which is a ruse to convince potential
predators that it is just a leaf blowing in the wind.
This is a very important species of Samos and is highly
protected

13. Canis aureus
The Golden Jackal
Jackals are true members of the dog family and
can actually interbreed with both domestic dogs
and wolves.
The Ancient Egyptian god of embalming, Anubis,
was portrayed as a jackal-headed man, or as a
jackal wearing ribbons and holding a flagellum.
In Hinduism, the golden jackal is portrayed as the
familiar of several deities, the most common of
which being Chamunda, the emaciated,
devouring goddess of the cremation grounds.
Another deity associated with jackals is Kali, who
inhabits a cremation ground and is surrounded by
millions of jackals.
The vocabulary of the golden jackal is similar to
that of dogs, with seven different sounds
previously recorded.

14. Samos is the only island in the Mediterranean where the rarest
carnivore in Greece, the European "gold" jackal exists.
It is an integral part of the unique biodiversity of Samos, and
adorned with his presence on the island for thousands of years.
Supple, with long legs, an elegant nose and a short tail, jackal is a
close relative of the grey wolf. Nevertheless, except that it poses
no risk to humans, no bigger than a medium sized dog.
The colour can be red, brown or silver with gold. It is potentially
omnivorous and eat rodents, insects, dead flesh and fruit. The
jackal is cultivated mainly in areas like olive groves, vineyards and
plains moist soils, i.e. parts suitable for hiding and foraging.

15. Caretta Caretta

16. Three out of seven known sea turtle species can be found
regularly in Mediterranean Sea – loggerhead sea turtle
(Caretta caretta), green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and
leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Sea turtles
spend majority of their lives in the sea, but females come
to land in order to nest. They crawl out of the sea during
the night and lay their eggs on the sandy beaches. After
approximately one month of incubation the hatchlings dig
their way out of the nest and crawl back to the sea. The
coasts of Greece are one of the most important nesting
areas for the endangered Caretta caretta (listed on IUCN’s
Red List of Threatened Species) in the world.

17. Monachus Monachus

18. There used to be many seals (Monachus
monachus) as well on the rocky beaches of
Samos, today there are still some, at “Seitani”
area and for that reason this area has been
characterized as protected area of ecological
value. As many fishermen testify there are seals
in other parts of the island as well.

19. The Kaplani

20. There are no recent reports of encounters with the animal in Greece, though at the
end of the 18th century an Anatolian leopard from Asia Minor was forced, either by
a flooding of the Maeander River or by wildfire, to swim over to the nearby Samos
Island, where it became the apex predator and the scourge of domestic animals.
The Kaplani (Greek: Καπλάνι from Turkish: Kaplan meaning Tiger) was hunted by
farmers and shepherds and was forced to take refuge in a cave. The entrance was
documented as being blocked with large stones so that the animal would die out of
hunger and thirst. After some time, a villager named Gerasimos Gliarmis opened a
hole and climbed down the cave unarmed, in order to find the leopard's corpse. But
the animal had managed to survive eating the remains of its old prey and drinking
the water which had gathered in the cave's hollow. The leopard tried to fight his
way out, but the villager's brother, Nikolaos Gliarmis, also climbed down the cave
for help and managed to kill it. Gerasimos Gliarmis was injured by the wildcat in his
chest and died a short time later from infection.
The dead leopard was embalmed and is today displayed at the Natural History
Museum of the Aegean on Samos Island

21. Students of 4th , 5th and 6th grade