Читать книгу Walking in Italy's Stelvio National Park. Italy's largest alpine national park онлайн

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A valuable aid to identification is Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe by C Grey-Wilson and M Blamey (Collins: 2nd edition, 2001); sadly, this is now out of print but is occasionally available second hand. The Rezia Alpine Botanical Garden in Bormio has labelled species and is open in summer.

Wildlife

Many birds and animals that live at high altitudes have developed thick furry coats and plumage which even cover their legs and the contours of their beaks. Small air bubbles captured between the hairs or feathers can generate a layer of insulation that helps reduce heat loss.

Majestic ibex dwell happily throughout the Stelvio

One of the easiest animals for walkers to see is the alpine marmot. These furry beaver-like creatures live in burrow colonies on grass-rock terrain and hibernate from October to April. In summer they forage for sugary wildflowers, dashing back to safety when warned of danger by the shrill cry of a sentry. The widespread conifer woods provide shelter for roe deer and stately red deer, shy creatures best seen at dusk. They often leave hoof prints in the mud. Less intimidated by human presence are the magnificent ibex, which sport sturdy grooved horns – in males these can grow as long as 1m. Their hooves have a fold in the skin which allows them to grip the rocks. Reintroduced back in the 1960s, they happily dwell throughout the Stelvio. The highest mountain dweller of the ruminants is the fleet-footed chamois. A mountain goat with short curved horns like crochet hooks, it can be seen in herds clambering nimbly on impossibly steep cliffs.