There are some amazing facts about those animals and birds.
From the beginning let's take ten-pound note, where on the tail, in the center, we can see a bird with nestlings, down in the left-a turtle, argali and on the right-a butterfly. All the animals are well known, with the exception of the bird. Its name is hardly known for both, foreigners and even the residents. This very bird is called Cyprus Warbler or Sylvia Mela-Nothorax. This is the symbol of the island, very often placed on coins, as for example 20 cents coin and ten-pound note of the old and recent specimens.
Unfortunately, this bird is considered now rara avis, doomed one, on the way of disappearance. The reason is that this kind of singing birds is a delicacy on island; it is rickled in vinegar and eaten entirely.
In the period of 2000-2001 were killed more than 20 millions units, that is why in the present Cyprus Warbler is protected by law.
A Cyprus fauna's representative is green turtle, (Chelonas mydas). It bears on the island, then leaves it for 20-30 years, coming back home in the period of reproduction. Even after 30 years, they don't forget the birthplace. They come here to put eggs in the send and then leave it again for a certain period. The male units do never come to the place they emerged. The green turtle is the biggest among its kinds with strong shell: it grows up to one meter in length and weights up to 100-130 kg. Some individual kinds may achieve 1,7 meters and 250 kg. They have unruffled green-black shell, creamy barrel and skin. It is really very unusual colors combination. This type of turtle is a vegetarian one. Her food is sea grass and seaweeds. Starting with the year 1971, turtles and their nests are under the state protection. In the year 1976, the Clambake Protection department gave raise to the saving green turtles project, in order to avoid its total disappearance.
During the program, on the peninsula Akamas, a turtle station Lara was established, equipped with season monitoring system and incubators. It was the first project on saving the turtles' species in Mediterranean Sea, financed by the Cyprus authorities.
So, as we can see, the animals on Cypriot coins and notes are unique representatives of fauna and may be found just on Cyprus.
Depicted all together, they have a mythical meaning as well. The bird is an incarnation of spirit and freedom, turtle is patience, hardiness, longevity and stability, the argali is solar energy, courage and persistence, butterfly is immortality and renovation.
So, in the case you see one of these animal-symbols somewhere on the hotels, restaurants, cyprus villas walls, you'll have a lot what to speak about!
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