Malta, like many islands, is surrounded by several islets, some more familiar – such as Filfla and St Paul’s – while others remain lesser-known, like Cheirolophus Rock. Located approximately 22 metres off the coast of Zurrieq, close to Wied Moqbol, this islet is referred to as ‘Hagra tas-Sajjetta’ in Maltese, possibly due to its exposure to lightning during a thunderstorm.

According to the most recent post by Arnold and Jeffrey Sciberras, brothers and researchers dedicated to compiling data on Maltese endemic species, this is the only islet where the Maltese national plant, the Maltese Rock centuary (or ‘Widnet il-Bahar’) can still be found.

Their most recent discovery makes the mysterious islet even more intriguing – that of the Cheirolophus Wall lizard, described morphologically for the first time in their recent scientific publication ‘Updates on the natural history of Cheirolophus Rock (Maltese Archipelago) with a description of its lacertid’.

The lizard was actually found back in 2010, when the Cheirolophus Rock was officially recognised and described by the researchers themselves, however this is the first formal description of this type of lizard, a unique population existing only on this little islet! The research duo spent over a decade visiting the islet and studying its unique biodiversity before they could officially identify this species. It can be distinguished by its greenish-blue spots, with the males measuring between 26 and 29cm.

Despite the islet’s small size, 33 other species of flora and fauna have been recorded on Cheirolophus Rock – a fertile land indeed!

Had you ever heard of ‘Hagra tas-Sajjetta’?