Nature Fauna

The high diversity of the plant communities in the four altitudinal zones described above is reflected in the variety of fauna of the Krkonose Mts., the representatives of which are also able to move. Many species are widely spread from the foothills to the ridges and it is difficult to give a true picture of their distribution.

Four big species of beasts of prey were extirpated from the mountain forests by people during last few centuries - the bear, lynx, wolf and wild cat. Commonly found animals are now deer and red-deer, badger, fox, marten and in the lower locations plenty of boars.

However, the most frequent fauna are birds - e.g. Chaffink, Crossbill, Siskin, Nutcracker, Black Woodpecker and some big tit species, rarely the Black Stork, among the birds of prey can be counted the Common Buzzard, Goshawk, Sparrow Hawk, and even rarely Lesser Spotted Eagle.

Among the owl family we can spot the Tawny Owl, Long-cared Owl, and Tengmalm's Owl. Among the invertebrates there are frequently species of satyr butterflies and brushfooted butterflies, ground beetle (Carabus silvestris), Violet Ground beetle and Golden ground beetle (Carabus auronitens), one of the biggest European weevils (Liparus glabrirostris), and longhorned beetles or longicorn beetles.

There are quite different fauna to be found in the dwarf pine stands, on the mountain meadows and subarctic peatbogs. The Water and Meadow Pipit represent birds and in the past the glacial relic Dotterel was frequent here along with the minute bird of prey Merlin. On the contrary, in the last decade the Bluethrot and Redpoll have been occurring in greater numbers here. As far as mammals are concerned, the glacial relic alpine shrew lives in the mountain meadows, now and then you can see a lizard or a wiper that can even rarely occur in its black form.

The stony places and block screes are home for the Black Redstart, Wheatear and Kestrel, and even rarely for Alpine Accentor. They say in Kotelní jámy a beautifully colored Rock Thrush makes its home. Malá Snezná jáma is a well-known locality of the glacial relic whorl snail (Vertigo arctica) and of Gyllenhal Ground Beetle (Nebria gyllenhali).

Dippers, White and Grey Wagtails and Kingfishers live in the vicinity of the mountain brooks. Due to the strong acidity and chemical changes to the running water (imissions) trout have been lost from many of Krkonose' mountain brooks.

In the surface of snow cover some organisms, especially insect, have found their home for example: Snow Flea, and some stonefly species. The dark coloring of the snow surface need not always be caused by dust, needle-leaves or bark fragments, but also by the accumulation of minute springtails that also belong the the group of chionophilous animals. The occasional green, yellow or red coloring of firn snow cover is the work of some chionophilous algae.

The wealth of the Krkonose fauna is still unknown in many fields, especially in the group of invertebrates and the further intensive zoologic research promises many more surprises.