Ever Heard Of Ħaġra Tas-Sajjetta? This Tiny Maltese Islet Has Its Own Unique Biodiversity (And Lizard)
Have you ever heard of Ħaġra tas-Sajjetta? The remote islet on the southern coast of Malta is as small as they get… but it hosts a unique and thriving biodiversity including a completely different lizard.
The small rock-islet just off the coast of Ħal Far is “practically unknown” to many people, but has 34 species of flora and fauna which have been recorded for the first time on site. And one of those is a unique offshoot of the Maltese wall lizard, described as a “beautiful gem” of the archipelago.
Because of the population’s complete cut-off from the rest of the mainland, which sits tantalisingly close beyond a small stretch of very deep water on the southwestern coast, it has developed unique aesthetic traits.
Ħaġra tas-Sajjetta – whose official name is actually Cheirolophus Rock – was only described scientifically in 2010, with the presence of the unique wall lizard being found then. Now, however, a decade and a half later, the lizard (aptly named the Cheirolophus lizard) has finally been described, thanks to naturalist brothers Arnold and Jeffrey Sciberras
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Beyond the lizard, the tiny Ħaġra tas-Sajjetta can also boast the fact that it’s the only islet which hosts a population of the Maltese national plant, the Maltese rock century. But even here, its isolation from the rest of the mainland has meant that the population of this plant varies in appearance, attributing to the harsh environment on the islet.
“We are truly lucky living on a tiny gem that continually provides us with unique biodiversity to discover ” Sciberras told Lovin Malta. “We hope that this study enhances more conservation in our islands.”
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