Polyaigos island

Polyaigos is the smallest and easternmost island of the four West Cyclades islands where the Milos viper occurs. Its name is the fusion of two Greek words, the word "Πολύ" which means "many" and the word "αίγος" which means "goats", hence, Polyaigos. The names Ypolivos, Polivos or Polylvos are considered synonyms. Polivos or Polyvos means, again, "many" and "vos" from the ancient Greek word "βοῦς" that means "cattle". On occasion the name Polinos is also used in the English literature. In reality Polyaigos has always been used as a pasture for goats by the shepherds of Kimolos. The island used to be inhabited in the past and before 1951 it reached 170 permanent residents whose limestone houses are still visible from the sandy beaches. After 1951 only 14 inhabitants remained and until the 2000s it become uninhabited yet again with the vast majority of people moving to Kimolos. As of 2011 there are 2 registered residents on Polyaigos - who live however on Kimolos and only visit the island to check on their goats that are free-roaming. Its total land surface is 18,146km² and it is but one nautical mile southeast from Kimolos.

The largest essentially uninhabited island of Greece belongs to the Natura 2000 network and is strictly protected both under the Habitats Directive (GR4220006) and under the Birds Directive (GR4220030). It is exceptionally important for one of the most endangered species of the country, the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) that uses its caves and sandy beaches to give birth and to nurse its pups. The island is also considered of great importance to Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae), to Bonellis's eagle (Aquila fasciata) and of course to the Milos viper (Macrovipera schweizeri). In the following photograph one can see the sandy beach of Ano Mysrini. We have witnessed numerous times both Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) on the west facing beaches. We have also spotted the gentle giants, Basking sharks (Caterhinus maximus) and even some Devil rays (Mobula mobular).

The island has always been a major attractor for the elite. Government officials, sports celebrities, supermodels, Hollywood actors and business moguls have all been using Polyaigos' natural harbors to dock their superyachts far from the watchful eyes. During our extensive expeditions on the island we have been lucky enough to meet some of them in person. As one can see, from both the previous and following photos, the natural beauty of this island is second to none. Natural private pools are also easy to come by. 

Apart from the pristine beaches and the turquoise waters, the island possesses a rugged habitat that is difficult to navigate. It takes about three hours to get from Panagia's Avlaki to Kato Myrsini and then another two hours all the way to the southernmost beach of the island. To arrive to Ammoura, where the Maskoula lighthouse is, you need about 4½  hours worth of trekking from the same starting point. The island is generally mountainous with dried up creeks that seem to be gathering the little rain water that rarely falls on the island. This gives way to very dense vegetation that sometimes prohibits a direct crossing thus forcing a workaround. Maquis, scrubland bushes are most commonly found, however, there are some taller tree-like plants that rise up to 2 meters high and offer shade for a variety of species, presumably for the Milos viper too. In these areas passerine birds can be seen resting on the tree tops.

Small ephemeral pools are also an attractor for small bird species and in turn for the Milos viper which seems to take advantage particularly of the passerine species that are unaware of their presence on the island. Such pools are very rare and we have only found a handful that offer ideal conditions for the Milos viper during daytime. Most of them lack surrounding vegetation and are overexposed thus not a preferable choice. Having said that, the species does not seem too strict in terms of a specific habitat preference on this island and can be found far from any water source. During nighttime if the winds are not too strong the humidity on the island, as in any island, spikes making everything soaking wet. It could be argued that the viper utilizes such accumulated condensation as a means of hydration though no such behavior has been recorded.

Since we have been visiting Polyaigos for more than 7 years in a row and we regularly spend more than a week on the island, we have come to meet the local shepherd and his wife - the only two registered residents. Mr. Petros was raised on the island, he is a great person full of stories and knowledge that he is openly sharing. Unfortunately, his affection for domestic cats and his fear of snakes have lead him to intensively breed them. To quote his words, "I will keep breeding my cats and multiply them the fastest possible as they are protecting me from the beasts (meaning the Milos vipers)". This is one of many cases where fear and lack of monitoring has allowed the introduction of yet another now invasive species on a Natura 2000 site. Perhaps in time we will manage to make him appreciate the importance of conserving the Milos viper but even he decided to stop breeding his cats the numbers are so high that a drastic approach would be still needed to remove them from Polyaigos. Fear is often fueling myths and tales of severe toxicity and deaths owed to snakebites. This is such a case. Currently nothing is done to contain the ongoing damage.

Polyaigos is also home to a few other reptile species while not surprisingly amphibians have never been recorded. The list includes the following: Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus), Kotchy's gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi), Milos wall lizard (Podarcis milensis), European snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii), European cat snake (Telescopus fallax), Grass snake (Natrix natrix schweizeri)