“Hidden Inhabitants of the Neretva Valley” at the Metković Natural History Museum

Croatian Natural History Museum and the Metković Natural History Museum
Hidden Inhabitants of the Neretva Valley
Metković Natural History Museum, 4 King Zvonimir Street, Metković

This exhibition presents part of the rich living world of the Neretva Valley to the public. When people think of the Neretva Valley, they usually associate it with its exceptionally rich birdlife, home to numerous resident and migratory bird species. The remarkable diversity of its avifauna is reflected in the extensive ornithological collection displayed in the permanent exhibition of the Metković Natural History Museum, as well as in numerous scientific publications devoted to the region.

In addition to birds, the area is renowned for its diversity of fish inhabiting the Neretva River, its tributaries, nearby lakes, ponds and wetlands, as well as the Adriatic Sea into which the river flows. Its rich plant life, together with the many butterflies and other insects associated with it, is another defining feature of the Neretva landscape. Most people are familiar with species that are large, colourful, conspicuous, vocal, or of economic importance.

Yet there is another world that largely remains hidden from view. It consists of hundreds of animal species that often go unnoticed because they are small, inconspicuous, inhabit inaccessible environments, are active mainly at night, or have no direct economic value. Despite their obscurity, these “hidden” species play an essential role in natural food webs and support many of the better-known organisms.

Among these hidden inhabitants are the molluscs—a diverse group including snails, bivalves, cephalopods, and several smaller groups. Although some molluscs are familiar because they are commonly encountered or eaten, these species represent only a small fraction of the remarkable diversity found in the Neretva Valley, much of which remains little known.

The exhibition Hidden Inhabitants of the Neretva Valley remains open until 10 May 2019.