The Flora

The natural terrain of the park of Aspromonte has a very rugged morphology that, moving from the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria to the Ionian, gives rise to a wide variety of plant species and produces a wide biodiversity, thanks to the particularly favorable climatic conditions. The waterways in the park are full of oleanders and tamarisks and along the rivers you can admire the black poplar, the willow and the black alder. At a low altitude there are typical Mediterranean elements (broom, holm, mirth, strawberry tree) and the magnificent holm oak forests, while climbing up to high altitude you can adminre centuries-old chestnut trees and numerous firs.
Widespread in Aspromonte is the white fir, long-lived tree, sleek and majestic.

In the areas of Aspromonte characterized by abundant rainfall there are vast forests of beech, while larch pine, present in the Tyrrhenian side, gives rise to the formation of spectacular pine forests, creating very dense woods. This is the foremost characteristic tree of Aspromonte, very tall and with narrow crown. Exclusively on the Ionian side is grow the bergamot, known for the essence that is extracted from its fruits. Up to 800 meters in altitude there are also the oaks, highly precious for their fine wood, and the farnetto (tree of the family of Fagacee), while most widespread is a type of small oak, the roverella.
The tropical fern is a species of great rarity that especially extended in the mild and stable temperatures places, where the lush vegetation and running waters protect it from light.

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The Fauna

Many species of animals live in the Aspromonte National Park, thanks to the variety of its territory. The lush vegetation and a Mediterranean climate enhance the presence of many species, which find in Aspromonte their ideal habitat.
The Aspromonte mountains represent a good refugee for animals such as wolves, whose presence among the mammals is proved nowadays, despite it was supposed to be extinct in the past; there is the wild cat, bird hunter difficult to see due to its ability to climb; the boar, that prefers hills and low mountains where can search acorns; there are also specimens of dormouse, nocturnal animal widespread in European forests, and even the little driomio. So much widespread in the forests of the Park is the black squirrel , characterized by a typical black fur, instead of brown or red. among other mammals can be sighted also the fox, the beech marten, the badger, the curl and the hare. At the end of 2011, as part of a project of restocking wildlife of Aspromonte, have been freed a group of deer, reintroducing a species absent from these territories for about a century.

In the Park of Aspromonte live also many reptile species, but they go to hibernation due to the extreme temperatures. An extremely variable species is the viper, that lives mainly in sandy or rocky areas; there is the cervone, slow and harmless snake and western green lizard, big reptile that is quite common. Hermann tortoise lives along the shores of the rivers and is a very ancient animal characterized by its yellow with black spots skin. Frogs are the most common amphibious together with the black and yellow salamander, while the ululone is very rare species, typical for its yellow belly and for not having tail. Also the invertebrate are varied, there are many species of aunt, scorpions, spiders and the praying mantis, which is widespread. The many waterways of Aspromonte are also very rich in trous and eels.