Читать книгу Italy's Sibillini National Park. Walking and Trekking Guide онлайн

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A couple of snakes live in the Sibillini, the common viper or adder being the only potentially dangerous one. Light brown-grey with broad stripes or a zigzag pattern on its body, they sometimes hang around abandoned buildings in the hope of rodents for dinner. Sluggish in the morning until solar recharging takes effect (they often sunbathe on paths), they need time to slither away and only attack walkers when they feel threatened. Though painful, their bite is rarely fatal. However it should not be under-rated; speedy medical assistance is imperative. While awaiting help, the victim should be kept calm and still, and the affected limb bandaged to restrict circulation.

On the other hand a rare treat is Orsini’s viper, found solely in the central Apennines. Smaller, with attractive diamond markings, this harmless snake feeds on grasshoppers.

Two tiny crustaceans breed in the rare Sibillini lakes – and nowhere else in the world. The most famous is Chirocephalus marchesonii, a unique freshwater fairy shrimp discovered in 1954 and probably destined to disappear along with its home, Lago di Pilato which is rapidly shrinking (it once dried up completely, in 1990). The creature’s eggs are laid on the water’s edge and can evidently survive a year at a time while the shrimp itself needs to be immersed in water – see ssss1 for more.