The development and consolidation of the “huerta” (an agricultural system of irrigated fields) of Orihuela (Alicante, Spain) involved a series of historical changes in the ecosystem that have determined the configuration of the fauna associated with it in time. Focusing on the Medieval period (130^th to 16^th centuries), the sociocultural factors that caused these changes and their impact on fauna during this period are analyzed in this study. For this we have conducted a review of various sources that can reconstruct the most significant processes in the evolution of the landscape and wildlife of the area. To a large extent, the variety of environments that have historically been part of this territory, now much more homogeneous, are the source of its high animal diversity.