See also
My book entitled The birds of Cyprus in 4 volumes (A4 size) - Το βιβλίο του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου "Τα Πουλιά της Κύπρου"
The book, "The Birds of Cyprus" (A4 size), is now also available in English! - By George Konstantinou
It is the autumn of 2009. Naturalist and researcher of Cyprus biodiversity George Konstantinou is walking one afternoon along a dirt road in the coastal area of the community of Xylofagou. Suddenly, he stops. Something protruding from the side of the road catches his eye, at a point where the ground had previously been cut away to construct the road, some 5–6 metres above sea level. It was a fossilised elephant tooth.
Excited by the discovery of something hundreds of thousands of years old, he began carrying out research at the same location, work that continued for months. Eventually, it became apparent that the area contained numerous elephant bones, as well as remains of dwarf hippopotamuses. George Konstantinou also discovered bones belonging to birds of prey, a shrew, a freshwater turtle and a terrestrial tortoise.
From the very beginning, he was convinced that these remains did not belong to the well-known dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon cypriotes, discovered in 1903 by the British palaeontologist Dorothea Bate. The animal represented by the new material was a dwarf form, weighing around 600 kilograms, but was considerably larger than the approximately 200-kilogram Palaeoloxodon cypriotes. The most compelling indication was a large tusk that he discovered at the same site.
Convinced of the significance of his discovery, he decided to approach academics so that his conclusions could be scientifically verified. At that time, the Association for the Protection of the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity of Cyprus, of which he was president, was receiving some financial grants, enabling him to bring a palaeontologist from abroad to Cyprus.
He initially contacted a palaeontologist at the University of Patras, explaining that he believed he had made an important discovery. He repeatedly urged him to travel to Cyprus because he was certain of the significance of the material. In 2011, the palaeontologist arrived in Cyprus at the Association's expense and examined the bones one by one. Measurements of the skeletal remains and tusk were subsequently sent to the Natural History Museum in London. There, scientists announced: "It is a new species to science!"
Scientists from the Natural History Museum in London and Yale University subsequently travelled to Cyprus and confirmed that the remains represented a new species of elephant. From the very beginning, George Konstantinou had also informed the Geological Survey Department of the Republic of Cyprus about the discovery.
The first official announcement of the discovery was made at an international palaeontological conference, the 9th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists (EAVP), held in Heraklion, Crete, from 14–19 June 2011. George Konstantinou's name was also included in the published conference proceedings.
"Into the Depths of the Cypriot Earth"
Fascinating stories such as the discovery of the new species, Palaeoloxodon xylophagous, which helped fill an evolutionary gap between the large-bodied elephants that reached Cyprus from continental Europe and the much smaller dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon cypriotes, can now be enjoyed by readers in George Konstantinou's new bilingual book, in Greek and English, "The Prehistoric Mammals of Cyprus."
Following his first book, "The Birds of Cyprus," which is also available in both Greek and English, the naturalist now takes readers deep into the Cypriot earth, where prehistoric animals and their fossil remains reveal a little-known yet fascinating chapter of the island's natural heritage. As in his previous work, the book contains a wealth of photographic and informative material concerning fossils of prehistoric species brought to light through years of research.
"Long before the arrival of humans, the island was home to species found nowhere else in the world, such as the pygmy hippopotamus and the dwarf elephant, which disappeared forever, leaving behind only their bones and traces. From Aetokremnos, where remains of hippopotamuses were discovered, to Akanthou and other important localities, every discovery reveals another piece of the puzzle of prehistoric life," George Konstantinou told "P".
He emphasised that fossils are not simply stones; they are stories frozen in time, allowing us to discover the lost fauna of the island.
"The book presents the most important animals that lived in prehistoric Cyprus, the locations where their remains were discovered, as well as other valuable fossils that shed light on the past. At the same time, it highlights the timeless message that nature is fragile and that protecting biodiversity is a responsibility shared by us all," he stressed.
"Reptiles and Amphibians of Cyprus"
A second book, published alongside the volume on fossils, again explores the hidden world close to and beneath our feet—this time focusing on the remarkable diversity of reptiles.
Also bilingual, in Greek and English, "Reptiles and Amphibians of Cyprus" brings readers closer to the world of snakes, lizards, tortoises, turtles and amphibians, from the island's coastal areas to the peaks of the Troodos and Pentadaktylos mountain ranges.
The book includes all the reptiles and amphibians of Cyprus, with detailed descriptions and information on their biology, distribution and ecology, accompanied by extensive photographic material and personal observations accumulated through many years of field research.
"The pages of my book record a journey of exploration into the remarkable world of Cyprus' reptiles and amphibians. My aim is not only to highlight their uniqueness and ecological importance, but also to encourage respect and understanding for these often misunderstood creatures. Every species carries its own natural history and plays an important role in the fragile ecosystems of our island," the author notes.
Through the book, he invites every reader to discover the reptiles and amphibians of Cyprus not with fear or prejudice, but with admiration and an open mind—the same feelings that accompanied him throughout the countless hours he devoted to observing them in the wild.
That includes encounters such as the occasion when a coiled, beige blunt-nosed viper (Macrovipera lebetina lebetina), which he was filming on the trunk of a tree, became disturbed by his presence, raised itself and delivered a lightning-fast strike directly at the camera lens.
"Through my personal observations, field photographs and scientific information, I attempt to present a world that is fascinating, mysterious and vital to the balance of nature."
The work is the result of many years of observation, research and love for the natural world.
"It is the first book in Greek and English devoted exclusively to the reptiles and amphibians of Cyprus and aims to become a useful guide for naturalists, researchers, educators and every citizen wishing to better understand the reptile fauna of our country. It is, to date, the most comprehensive work published on the subject, as much of our knowledge and many of the data concerning the reptile fauna of Cyprus have changed," he emphasises.
Those interested may contact the author by telephone at 96376823 or 96659265, or by e-mail at fanigeorge@hotmail.com.
«Προϊστορικά Θηλαστικά της Κύπρου»
Below in English
Με μεγάλη χαρά ανακοινώνω την έκδοση του νέου μας βιβλίου, καρπός της αγάπης μας για τη φύση και της πολυετούς μας έρευνας πάνω στην παλαιοντολογία και τη φυσική ιστορία της Κύπρου. Το βιβλίο «Προϊστορικά Θηλαστικά της Κύπρου», σε μέγεθος Α4, είναι το πιο ολοκληρωμένο έργο που έχει εκδοθεί μέχρι σήμερα για τα εντυπωσιακά ζώα που έζησαν στο νησί μας κατά την προϊστορική περίοδο. Είναι δίγλωσσο, γραμμένο τόσο στα Ελληνικά όσο και στα Αγγλικά, και περιλαμβάνει όλα τα γνωστά είδη προϊστορικών θηλαστικών της Κύπρου, με λεπτομερείς περιγραφές, στοιχεία εξέλιξης, γεωλογίας και οικολογίας, καθώς και πλούσιο φωτογραφικό υλικό.
📍 Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση δίνεται σε όλες τις γνωστές θέσεις όπου έχουν βρεθεί προϊστορικά θηλαστικά στην Κύπρο, με φωτογραφίες και πληροφορίες για καθεμία από αυτές. Το έργο αποτελείται από 325 σελίδες και περιλαμβάνει 270 μοναδικές φωτογραφίες, που ζωντανεύουν τον κόσμο των πλασμάτων που περπάτησαν στην Κύπρο πριν από χιλιάδες χρόνια.
🙏 Ευχαριστώ θερμά όλους όσους συνέβαλαν στην πραγματοποίηση αυτού του σημαντικού έργου, το οποίο στοχεύει να διασώσει και να αναδείξει ένα ξεχασμένο κεφάλαιο της φυσικής ιστορίας του τόπου μας.
📘 ISBN: 978-9925-8181-9-8
📌 Όσοι ενδιαφέρονται να το προμηθευτούν, μπορούν να επικοινωνήσουν με τον συγγραφέα στο τηλέφωνο 96376823 ή 96659265. Email – fanigeorge@hotmail.com
“Prehistoric Mammals of Cyprus”
It is with great pleasure that I announce the publication of our new book, the result of our love for nature and many years of research into the palaeontology and natural history of Cyprus.
The book “Prehistoric Mammals of Cyprus”, published in A4 format, is the most comprehensive work published to date on the remarkable animals that lived on our island during prehistoric times. It is bilingual, written in both Greek and English, and includes all known species of prehistoric mammals of Cyprus, with detailed descriptions and information on their evolution, geology and ecology, together with a wealth of photographic material.
📍 Particular emphasis is given to all known sites in Cyprus where prehistoric mammal remains have been discovered, with photographs and information about each location. The book consists of 325 pages and includes 270 unique photographs, bringing to life the fascinating world of the creatures that roamed Cyprus thousands of years ago.
🙏 I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the completion of this important work, which aims to preserve and highlight a forgotten chapter of the natural history of our island.
📘 ISBN: 978-9925-8181-9-8
📌 Those interested in obtaining a copy can contact the author by telephone at 96376823 or 96659265.
Email: fanigeorge@hotmail.com
«Ερπετά και Αμφίβια της Κύπρου»
Below in English
Με μεγάλη χαρά ανακοινώνω την έκδοση του νέου μου βιβλίου, καρπός της μεγάλης μου αγάπης για την κυπριακή φύση και πολυετούς έρευνας και φωτογράφισης. 🌍📸
Το βιβλίο «Ερπετά και Αμφίβια της Κύπρου», σε μέγεθος Α4, είναι το πιο ολοκληρωμένο έργο που έχει εκδοθεί μέχρι σήμερα καθώς πολλά δεδομένα έχουν αλλάξει για την ερπετοπανίδα του νησιού μας, και είναι γραμμένο τόσο στην ελληνική όσο και στην αγγλική γλώσσα. Περιλαμβάνει όλα τα ερπετά και τα αμφίβια της Κύπρου, με λεπτομερείς περιγραφές, στοιχεία βιολογίας και οικολογίας, πλούσιο φωτογραφικό υλικό και προσωπικές παρατηρήσεις από πολυετή έρευνα στο πεδίο.
📖 Το έργο αριθμεί 325 σελίδες και περιλαμβάνει 368 μοναδικές φωτογραφίες γεμάτες πληροφορίες και στιγμές από τη φύση μας.
🙏 Ευχαριστώ από καρδιάς όλους όσους βοήθησαν να γίνει πραγματικότητα αυτό το έργο ζωής.
📖 ISBN: 978-9925-8181-8-1
“Reptiles and Amphibians of Cyprus”
It is with great pleasure that I announce the publication of my new book, the result of my deep love for the nature of Cyprus and many years of research and wildlife photography. 🌍📸
The book “Reptiles and Amphibians of Cyprus”, published in A4 format, is the most comprehensive work published to date on the subject, reflecting the many changes and new developments in our knowledge of the island’s reptile fauna. It is written in both Greek and English and includes all the reptiles and amphibians of Cyprus, with detailed descriptions, information on their biology and ecology, a wealth of photographic material, and personal observations gathered through many years of field research.
📖 The book consists of 325 pages and includes 368 unique photographs, filled with valuable information and remarkable moments captured in the natural environment of Cyprus.
🙏 I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make this lifelong project a reality.
✒️ Knowledge and words must one day be written down, so that they are not lost forever, but remain alive and are passed on from generation to generation.
📖 ISBN: 978-9925-8181-8-1
📌 Those interested in obtaining a copy can contact the author by telephone at 96376823 or 96659265.
Email: fanigeorge@hotmail.com
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