The fauna of the forests of the Sanagra Valley
In the beech forests
I beech forests of the Sanagra Valley, especially those below Tremezzo Mountain, offer a fresh and rich environment. A true miniature world is hidden in the leaf-covered soil: invertebrates as the carabid beetles, with metallic highlights, they hunt for snails, which they can open and empty thanks to specialized mandibles. Also found among the litter are. pseudoscorpions, staphylinid and catopid beetles.
Among the amphibians, it is easy to encounter the Spotted salamander, which loves shady and moist places, especially near streams. Also sharing the habitat with her are the Common Toad and the Mountain frog, both very mobile and adaptable.
Among the lower branches or near the ground often roam the Robin, a territorial bird that does not hesitate to approach humans to defend its space. Some specimens ringed in the area have been found during migrations to distant places, such as the Balearic Islands and North Africa.
Among the mammals, the forests are home to the Dormouse, easily recognized by its nocturnal screeches, as well as voles e wild mice.
In the subalpine forests
The Lepontine foothills, although not home to true boreal forests, have some areas with Spruce, placed, however, in a context more typical of the sub-Atlantic belt. The Mountain pine is too rare to create an autonomous ecosystem. In these mixed forests, the fauna is diverse and "commingled", with species belonging to both beech and coniferous environments.
In the submountain forests
Interesting reptiles can be encountered in hilly forests, such as oak forests. These include the Common viper, well present on the southern slopes of the foothills of the Alps, can be observed especially in spring and September, when it exposes itself to the sun to warm the embryos in its body.
Another fascinating snake is the Coluber of Aesculapius, o Saettone, long, agile and able to climb trees to hunt small rodents. It is completely harmless to humans.
I birds of prey animate the sky above the woods: at night you can hear the song of theTawny Owl, which also nests in old logs, while during the day it is easy to glimpse the aerial evolutions of the Buzzard.
In meadows near population centers, the following often form flocks of Gray and Black Cornacias, two subspecies that interbreed in this area, producing hybrids. At Binadone, the social behavior of the flock can be observed, with an individual "guard" perched in a tree signaling any danger to other birds.
