No, not an incorrect spelling of Ramadan which is the term most of us will recognise! Unfortunately we have not really been given an explanation of why it’s called Ramazan in North Cyprus – it just is! The month of fasting for all practising Muslims who choose to follow this religious event will culminate in family gatherings, visiting the graves of love ones past and generally having a few days holiday to get the body and mind back to its previous state.

North Cyprus is host to an eclectic mix of unusual wildlife, and some fascinating species can be seen at any time of year. North Cyprus is also home to common and recognisable species such as hedgehogs, foxes and tortoises, although the latter is not native to the island but was probably brought from Turkey and left free to roam the countryside!

The yearly arrival in North Cyprus of the turtle population brings about hectic activity by marine groups, volunteers and the general public! Beaches all over the island are cleared and made ready for female turtles which come to nest all across the shores of North Cyprus.

As the month of May is usually the time of year such things to come out of their hibernation slumber, we thought we would give you a run down of the various species of snake that you may come across in North Cyprus! Those of us who live here are fairly familiar with the varieties that we may all come across and, as most of them are pretty harmless, we would advise you not to panic should you come across one!

North Cyprus is a must-visit for bird lovers because it’s a major migration route for many species, and it’s also a permanent home for many others. The majority of migration is from March through to May when you will see northward migration, and then again between August and October when you can see the migration heading southwards.

North Cyprus has a huge variety of stunning flora, much of which you can see in any garden or field. North Cyprus is also home to many species of orchids, with visitors and eager botanists coming from far and wide to find them on the hillsides and mountains in the spring.

North Cyprus has its own Herbarium, located at the Alevkaya Forest Station up in the mountain area between Esentepe and Değirminlik on the east coast.