Greece

Greece is home to several mammals found nowhere else including the Crete Spiny Mouse (Planet' Mammiferes), the Cretan Shrew (flickr), and an endemic subspecies: the Cretan Wild Goat or Kri-kri (Wikipedia).

Amphibians restricted to Greece include the Karpathos Lycian Salamander Lyciasalamandra helverseni (ARKive), the Karpathos Water Frog Rana cerigensis (ARKive), and the Cretan Water Frog Rana (or Pelophylax) cretensis (EFHC).

Reptiles unique to Greece include the Cyclades Blunt-nosed Viper Macrovipera schweizeri (ARKive), the Peloponnese Slow Worm Anguis cephalonnica (ARKive), the Greek Rock Lizard Lacerta (or Hellenolacerta) graeca (EFHC), the Skyros Wall Lizard Podarcis gaigeae (ARKive), the Greek Algyroides Algyroides moreoticus (lacerta.de), and the Peloponnese Tortoise Testudo weissingeri (Turtles of the World). The Cretan Wall Lizard Podarcis cretensis (ARKive) has recently been raised to a full species.

Freshwater fish known solely from Greece include the Greek Rudd Scardinius graecus (ittiofauna), the Gizani Ladigesocypris ghigii (ARKive), the Petropsaro Barbus euboicus (ittiofauna), the Daska Pseudophoxinus stymphalicus (ARKive), Rutilus ylikiensis (ittiofauna), the Marathon Minnow Pelasgus marathonicus (ittiofauna), the Lake Volvi Shemaya Alburnus volviticus (ittiofauna), the Thessaly Gudgeon Gobio feraeensis (ARKive), Leuciscus (or Squalius) keadicus (FishBase), Tropidophoxinellus spartiaticus (tsamisaquarium.gr), the Macedonia Shad Alosa macedonica (FishBase), the Hellenic Loach Cobitis hellenica (ittiofauna), a goby Knipowitschia milleri (ittiofauna), a stickleback Pungitius hellenicus (FishBase), and Aristotle’s Catfish Silurus aristotelis (ittiofauna). Economidichthys pygmaeus is one of two species in an endemic genus of freshwater gobies (ittiofauna).

Butterflies unique to Greece include the Cretan Argus (Matt Rowling’s European Butterflies), the Cretan Small Heath (Matt Rowling’s European Butterflies), the Cretan Festoon (eol), the Taygetos Blue (leps.it), and the Chios Meadow Brown (leps.it). Other endemic insects include the longhorned beetles Anaglyptus luteofasciatus (Cerambycidae) and Purpuricenus schurmanni (Cerambycidae), the Epirus Grasshopper Chorthippus lacustris (IUCN pdf file), a cave cricket Dolichopoda paraskevi (zenas.gr), and two threatened dragonflies: the Greek Goldenring (ARKive) and the Cretan Spectre (cretewww.com). Land snails endemic to Crete include Albinaria hippolyti (Francisco Welter-Schultes), Helix godetiana (AnimalBase), Metafruticicola lecta (AnimalBase), and Lindbergia pseudoillyrica (zenas.gr). Other endemic invertebrates include a jumping spider Pellenes moreana (Salticidae of the World), a cell spider Minotauria attemsi (zenas.gr), a scorpion Euscorpius naupliensis (flickr), and a woodlouse Schizidium perplexum (zenas.gr). A family of ostracod crustaceans known exclusively from Greece, the Kliellidae (figs. G to N at Google Books), is sometimes recognized as distinct from the more widespread family Ectinosomatidae.

Among over 700 endemic vascular plants are the Dittany of Crete Origanum dictamnus (ARKive), Baker’s Tulip Tulipa bakeri (Paghat's Garden), a chamomile Anthemis glaberrima (CretaPlant), Cretan Zelkova Zelkova abelicea (ARKive), Crocus oreocreticus (ARKive), Cretan Ebony Ebenus cretica (west-crete.com), a milkwort Polygala helenae (ARKive), Fritillaria conica (Pacific Bulb Society), Nonea cesatiana (CalPhotos), an orchid Ophrys lacaena (pharmanatur.com), the Cretan Peony Paeonia clusii (west-crete.com), a bellflower Campanula laciniata (west-crete.com), and a bugloss Anchusa caespitosa (Greek Mountain Flora). Endemic plant genera include Jankaea (Greek Mountain Flora), Hymenonema (flickr), Petromarula (Greek Mountain Flora), Ormosolenia (flickr), Phitosia (Cichorieae Portal), Thamnosciadium (Google Books), and Horstrissea (ARKive).

Greece is included in the Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots). Important terrestrial ecoregions for endemic species include the Crete Mediterranean Forests (EoE) and the Pindus Mountains Mixed Forests (EoE). Important freshwater ecoregions include the Ionian Drainages (FEOW) and the Southeast Adriatic Drainages (FEOW).