Gibraltar lies at one of the most important migratory bottlenecks in Europe and its varied bird life reflects this. Bird migration is often visible over and within the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, complementing the assemblage of breeding and wintering birds.

A number of reptiles enjoy the sunny habitats that abound around the botanic gardens. Lizards and geckos are most frequently encountered, but snakes are common too. Frogs and terrapins bask around the edges of our pond.

Butterflies and moths abound in the gardens, encouraged by our policies of limiting use of pesticides and of planting and managing host plants for their caterpillars. Some of Europe's largest and most attractive butterflies are common in the gardens, such as the Monarch and Two-tailed Pasha, and there are sometimes large influxes of migratory species too such as the Painted Lady and Red Admiral. A full list of species in Gibraltar can be found here. 

A stand-out denizen of the gardens is the Gibraltar Funnelweb Macrothele calpeiana, a large, black spider that is restricted to southern Iberia.

The team at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens includes expertise in terrestrial fauna, particularly invertebrates and birds. For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..