touch
the riparian
forest

Fire salamander Salamandra salamandra The bright colours of the fire salamander warn the potential predators and discourage them to attack the salamanders. It can use poison for its self-protection produced in its glands behind its eyes, on both sides of its body and tail. This extract may irritate the people's eyes by contact and cause a strong burning feeling. It is active throughout the evening and night. Lives in its home several years. In winter the salamander is hidden under the earth. It can reach 24 years of age. Fire salamander Grass snake Natrix natrix The most widespread snake in Slovakia. It lives in swamps, near lakes, rivers and streams. Feeds on amphibians and fish. Lives in large part of Europe and West Asia. Belongs to the faster species of snakes achieving a speed about 7 km/h. As it is not a poisonous snake, being in danger it can produce a smelly fluid extracted from its cloaca. Another its strategy for protection is to feign death. Grass snake Common toad Bufo bufo The common toad lives all over Europe, in large part of Asia and in North-West Africa. It may occur up to altitude of 2000 m. It is active in the night. Lives on different insects, snails. Behind its eyes there are big, half-moon shaped poisonous glands. In case of danger it extracts irritating secret and it may protect itself also by inflating its body. The greatest danger for the common toads is represented by people. Common toad European pond turtle Emys orbicularis The only aborigine turtle living in Slovakia. On the Red List of Amphibians and Reptiles of the Slovak Republic it is included in the category of critically endangered species. The reason of its decreased number is the destruction and pollution of its biotope and introducing non-indigenous species. In the area in which they are native, there are altogether 13 subspecies. European pond turtle Dragonflies Odonata They belong to the oldest groups of animals, living in our planet almost 300 millions of years before, in the Palaeozoic Era. At that time they reached enormous sizes, the wingspreads of the largest species measured almost 75 cm. Dragonflies are predatory insects living on smaller insects and fish. In short distance they can reach a speed about 56 km/h. There are altogether 70 species of dragonfly in Slovakia and the largest one is the Cordulegaster heros. Dragonflies European tree frog Hyla arborea The European tree frog belongs to the genus of tree frogs. It has on its legs adhesive discs serving for climbing trees. Lives in hot lowlands near lakes and streams. The European tree frog colours are variable, their skin pigments react to the temperature and humidity of the environment. In the past, people used them at home as barometers for weather forecast. The slimy secret on its body is poisonous, however, it does not present any danger for the people. European tree frog Common European adder Vipera berus The common European adder is the only venomous snake in Slovakia. It is also the most widespread poisonous snake in the Earth. It is found from Great Britain to island Sachalin in the east coast of Russia. It is one of the species of snakes found also behind the Arctic Circle. Except of the time of reproduction and hibernation it lives solitarily. Belongs to the smaller species of snakes, its length usually does not exceed 80 cm. In the nature it achieves 10 – 15 years of age, the oldest individual was 25 years old. Common European adder European green lizard Lacerta viridis The European green lizard is the largest lizard in Slovakia, reaching the length of 40 cm. It lives in the hottest territories. It is one of the few species of lizards that can climb on trees. The green lizard is predator, feeding especially on insects, exceptionally other species of lizards. The adult males are prevailingly green. In the mating season they have bluish throat. The females have lighter brown-green colours. It is endangered especially by destruction of its biotopes. European green lizard

riparian forest

Riparian woodlands are waterlogged forested or wooded areas of land with high level of ground water and regular flood cycles. This formerly common biotope is disappearing gradually as a result of the growing regulation of the rivers and through cutting down the forests.

Willow-poplar riparian forests / Soft riparian forests
These are situated in the lowest regions of the valleys of larger rivers, flood plains rich in nutrients. The main ecological factors are the regular floods.

Oak-elm and ash forests / Hard riparian forests
They are to be found in higher, relatively dry places of bottom lands with fewer and shorter surface floods.

Transitive riparian forests
Between the two above types it is a transitive type where there are represented the trees of both of the types in different proportion; these forests are regularly flooded.

Ash-alder forests of submontane regions
Waterlogged forests influenced by surface floods or high level ground waters.

Mountainous alder forests
Vegetation of grey alder with spruce, sometimes other trees on the costs of mountainous rivers and cold valleys.

Moreland alder forests
Vegetation in the locations of abandoned meanders, water surfaces or coastal dune depressions. There are only fragments of such forests preserved today as they were cut down and replaced by meadows and fields.