This trendy beach destination is also known for an animal that made wearing gold teeth cool long before the rappers did.
Greece is known for its breathtaking islands, white lime island homes, and rich and vibrant flora and fauna. More than 600 of the gorgeous Greek islands are classified into 6 groups: the Cyclades, Sporades, Ionian islands, Dodecanese, Saronic, and North Aegean Islands. Each island group is unique in character and architectural style.
The biggest of the Ionian islands — Kefalonia — is home to mysterious, fuzzy little creatures. The Kefalonian goats and sheep are known for their quirky fashion sense that puts today’s Hollywood rappers to shame.
Pylaros, a municipality of Kefalonia, became known for its goats and sheep that sport golden teeth! So who knew that the 1980’s rappers who made the grillz a pop culture phenomenon were only plagiarizing a beauty trend the Kefalonian sheep have kept up for centuries.
The Golden Diet
The general consensus is that their teeth are golden due to the ingredients of the soil and plants that they eat. In addition, the golden leaf film, which collects on the teeth, accumulates from certain minerals in the ground.
One of the plants of their golden died, commonly called the Nevrida plant, is known by the scientific name Polygonum Ideaum Hay. The herb is phosphorescent at nighttime, so its distinctive green color is noticed from a distance. Fluorescent plants grow in other parts of Greece, like Roumeli, but scientific searches in those regions did not find any sheep with golden teeth.
Like any beauty secret, the results take patience and effort to pay off. Similarly, the Kefalonian sheep are born with white teeth. Over time, their teeth became yellow, then coated with a gold film. Finally, the oldest sheep in age had golden teeth. Once the teeth became golden, this was a sign to the shepherds that it was time to butcher the sheep.
Aside from their unusual teeth, they have another trick up their sleeve. It has been said that these animals only need water from October until May. They survive off just catching the humidity of the winter air by having their mouths open!
So if you ever visit Kefalonia and go hiking, keep your eyes peeled for their beautiful and fashion-forward island goats!
