Which animals live in and around Fethiye: loggerhead turtles and monk seals in the sea, wild boar and jackals in the hills, lizards, birds, insects – and which few are worth being careful with.
Sea: loggerhead turtles nest on Çalış and Yanıklar–Akgöl beaches (May–August, hatchlings July–September); rare Mediterranean monk seals live in sea caves between Fethiye and Göcek; dolphins visit the bay. Watch out for sea urchins, jellyfish and venomous lionfish.
Land: wild boar, golden jackals, foxes, martens, hedgehogs and Persian squirrels; geckos, starred agamas, tortoises and chameleons; mostly harmless snakes, with the Ottoman viper in rocky mountain areas.
Birds and insects: scops owls, hoopoes, bee-eaters, herons and kingfishers; Jersey tiger moths in Butterfly Valley; pine processionary caterpillars (February–April), scorpions and centipedes to be careful with. After any animal bite go to a hospital emergency department the same day; in an emergency call 112.