Sargantana De Menorca

Lilford's wall lizard is a species of lizard of the Lacertidae family endemic to the Balearic Islands. It is also endangered due to its habitat loss :( A lovely addition to my collection, gracias Elena :)

Mónsul Beach In Cabo De Gata-Níjar NP, Spain

One of the first swaps I had on FB was with Angela from Almería, who sent me this summery view of the nearby Playa de Mónsul (we are having a sort of a heatwave here (30 DegC), much like most of Europe, so a beach view seemed appropriate). This beach is situated in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, which is Andalucia's largest coastal protected area, a wild and isolated landscape with some of Europe's most original geological features. Spain's southeast coast, where the park is situated, is the only region in mainland Europe with a true hot desert climate.

The name Cabo de Gata relates to the mineral agate that used to be mined in this area. In 1997 it was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. 

Yasuni-Itt Postcards

 

Yasuni National Park in Ecuador, about 250 km from Quito, was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1989. It is within the claimed ancestral territory of the Huaorani indigenous people. It is arguably the most biologically diverse spot on Earth.

Yasuni-ITT Initiative is a proposal by the government of Ecuador to refrain indefinitely from exploiting the oil reserves of the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) oil field within the Yasuni National Park, in exchange for 50% of the value of the reserves. The rationale is to conserve biodiversity, protect indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation, and avoid CO₂ emissions.

These are some of the pre-paid postcard issued to support the ITT initiative, showing examples of that unique biodiversity. The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) I already have in my collection and on the blog :) A newcomer to my lizard collection is the Tropical Thornytail Iguana or Amazon Thornytail Iguana (Uracentron flaviceps) an elusive species of medium sized arboreal lizard found in the tropical lowlands of the Amazon Rainforest. Cute :)