Vertebrate species that inhabit the shores of the lake

The wall lizard (Podarcis siculus - sarmuçéla) is the most common and visible species, characterized by a reticulated dorsal pattern. The slow worm (Chalcides ocellatus - saṅġumía), a terrestrial reptile, is equally abundant along the shores, sometimes venturing onto dry stone walls to thermoregulate. The only snake present on Pantelleria, the horseshoe snake (Hemorrois hippocrepis - biscia), is very common near the lake.
Harmless to humans, it feeds mainly on rodents. The Mediterranean shrew (Crocidura pachyura - bufirína), a small mammal of African origin, is rare and often confused with the house mouse (Mus domesticus). The latter, together with the two rat species (Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus) and the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), represent the most abundant paralloctone species (whose transport by humans took place before the discovery of America).