Climate and Nature on the Island of Brac

The climate on Brac is mild with moist winters and warm dry balmy summers with noticeable differences in the climate from the coastal regions to those above 500 meters. The northern parts of the island are at times exposed to the cold blows of winter which come from the mainland.

Plant life on Brac is intrinsically connected to the climate; the local flora is dominated by the once dense forests of Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) which is sadly less abundant than it once was. Inappropriate burning and cutting over the recent years have led to its demise in some areas and it is being fast replaced by dense, impenetrable Macchia.

You can however still find a lot of other vibrant plant life on the island such as Black Pine, Montpelier, Aleppo Pince and Common Oak. Today only a quarter of the island of Brac is covered with forests of trees and these mainly consist of Aleppo Pince (Pinus Halapensis) which can grow at an altitude of as high as 300m above sea level.

There are a large number of species of birds to be found on the island with as many as 130 separate species of birds to be found here. They can be found in abundance all year round and are known to use the island as a migration stop off.

Of the domestic animal population the goat is one of the oldest working animals to be found on the island. Sheep have also been farmed here for centuries and there are a lot of other working animals to be seen in the farms that are dotted all over the island.

Up until recently you would have found it hard to find a farmer without a mule, other than the farmer’s mule another famous resident of the island is the Fat Dormouse (Glis glis), this is a well known symbol of Brac and has a beautiful furry tail. It is also known as a delicacy of Brac cuisine.

There are some snakes to be found on Brac, one of the best known is the Ashen Horned Viper (Vipera Ammodytes) which has a small horn on its nose and also has two venomous teeth. You can recognize it from its dark zigzag markings which can be found on its back. But don’t worry, it attacks very rarely and only then when it feels it is in danger.