In this region, separated by Dinarides prevailes a dry and hot climate which assists and promotes the formation and existance of habitats of southern animals. This influence, near great rivers, penetrates even deeper into the continental area. Alongside southern animals, common european animals live here but only as endemics, especially insects, centipedes, spiders, snails and they are confined to higher mountain areas, while some species, like for instance the cokcchafer (Melolontha melolontha), the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) or the adder (Vipera berus) no longer live here.
Some animals went into northern area like the rock dove (Columba livia) into Lika or the cicada (Lyristes plebejus) and the praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) that can be found even around Zagreb.
There is a large number of southern bats in the area. Here the free-tailed bat (Tadarida teniotis) has the northern border of its areal. Its northern border the jackal (Canis aureus) found in Dubrovnik area while the grey mungo (Herpestes ichneumon) was brought in 1909 to this area. It is assumed that in the inaccessible parts of the outer islands still lives the only mediterranean seal - Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus).
Among birds we can find alpine (Apus melba), black (A. apus) and pallid swift (A. pallidus), rock doves, rock partridges, various hawks, numerous southern song-birds, sea-gulls, terns and cormorants. This area abounds with reptiles among which there are endemic lizards. Besides lizards we can find there European glass lizard (Ophisaurus apodus), the Turkish (Hemidactylus turcicus) and Mural (Tarentola mauritanica) gecko, the Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni), four-lined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata), the nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes) etc. Some sea turtles (Chelonia) as well as whales (Cetaceae) habitate here.
Arthropods with southern species also inhabit this area and thus we can find termites, tarantulas, big Diplopoda and Scolopendridae, some scorpions. Extreme in numbers are southern species among continental snails.
2. Kvarner-Velebit part- numerous southeren species (some bats, mediterranean pygmy shrew, swifts, warblers, endemic snails, spiders and insects).
3. Dalmatian-Zagorje part- in the higher areas middle-european animals, closer to the sea dominate Mediterranean animals. On mountains Mosor and Biokovo we can find endemic species.
4. Dubrovnik part- the most miscellaneous. Mostly Mediterranean animals and immigrants from the african belt of the mediterranean subarea. This area was best protected from the ice during the Pleistocen period which assisted the constant development from before the Tertiary period. To this we can thank a very old animal life one can finds here. Here you can also find a very rich underground fauna.
