Editing Crete (section)

====Reptiles and amphibians====
Tortoises can be seen throughout the island. Snakes can be found hiding under rocks. Toads and frogs reveal themselves when it rains.

Reptiles include the [[Aegean wall lizard]], [[Balkan green lizard]], [[common chameleon]], [[Chalcides ocellatus|ocellated skink]], [[snake-eyed skink]], [[Moorish gecko]], [[Turkish gecko]], [[Kotschy's gecko]], [[spur-thighed tortoise]], and the [[Caspian turtle]].<ref name=icw/><ref name=natrep>[http://www.aquaworld-crete.com/rep1.html Native Reptiles of Crete at Aquaworld] Aquaworld Aquarium.</ref>

There are four species of snake on the island and these are not dangerous to humans. The four species include the [[leopard snake]] (locally known as ''ochendra''), the [[Balkan whip snake]] (locally called ''dendrogallia''), the [[dice snake]] (called ''nerofido'' in Greek), and the only venomous snake is the nocturnal [[European cat snake|cat snake]] which has evolved to deliver a weak venom at the back of its mouth to paralyse geckos and small lizards, and is not dangerous to humans.<ref name=icw/><ref name=snakes>[http://www.cretegazette.com/archive/2005-11-snakes.php The Snakes of Crete by John McClaren] CreteGazette.com</ref>

Sea turtles include the [[green turtle]] and the [[loggerhead turtle]] which are both threatened species.<ref name=natrep/> The loggerhead turtle nests and hatches on north-coast beaches around Rethymno and Chania, and south-coast beaches along the gulf of Mesara.<ref name=turtle>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KVYFI9NzLz0C&pg=PA68 Crete p. 69], by Victoria Kyriakopoulos</ref>

Amphibians include the [[European green toad]], [[American bullfrog]] (introduced)<!-- not American toad (not introduced anywhere in Europe) -->, [[European tree frog]], and the [[Cretan marsh frog]] ([[Endemism|endemic]]).<ref name=icw/><ref name=natrep/><ref>{{cite book | author=Dufresnes, C. | year=2019 | title=Amphibians of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East: A Photographic Guide | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | isbn=978-1-4729-4137-4 }}</ref>