Fauna

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Fauna

Fauna

The Wolf
The wolf was very common until the'50s, but they risked the extinction between 1960 and 1970, when in the territories of Ottati and Castelcivita were killed 50 of them. Today, the carnivore is protected by law of 1975 and it came shyly in these mountains.

The Dormouse
Dormice are smaller than a squirrel; it feeds on leaves, bark, berries, nuts, acorns, eggs and small birds.
It lives in the woods, Sleeps deeply during the day in natural tree hollows. Dormice can hibernate six months out of the year, or even longer if the weather remains sufficiently cool, sometimes waking for brief periods to eat food they had previously stored nearby.

The weasel
It is one of the smaller European predators. Weasels length from twelve to forty-five centimeters and they weighs about 198 grams. They are mainly nocturnal and are found in woodlands, farmlands, and wetlands. Almost entirely carnivorous, they feed largely on small mammals such as voles and rats and, seasonally, on frogs and toads.

The boar
Thanks to insertion, by local association, the boar is diffused in the Park. In the woods, meadows, and pastures of Cilento this large mammal can find its food; it eats acorn, chestnuts, and wild tubers. Its presence also helps to stabilize its major predator, the wolf.

The Eurasian eagle owl
It is the largest nocturnal predatory bird of Europe, it is found in mountains and forests of the park, It mainly feeds on small mammals, but can kill prey up to the size of foxes, if taken by surprise Become sedentary as adults, while erratic in colder winters or at a young age. The Italian eagle owl population is estimated at 100-200 breeding pairs.

Cervo Imperiale
It is the biggest European sparrows and crows. Its wings opened exceed 1.3 meters of width; from beak to tail is 63 centimeters long. It prefers the rocky walls of Alburni, but you can also observe it on the cliff of the Cilentana coast. It feeds on carrion, but it is also a predator of small birds and rodents. In our country are estimated between 3000 and 6000 breeding pairs, well distributed over the Alps, Sardinia, Sicily, Gargano, and southern Apennines.

The Rock Partridge
It lives on the mountains and on hills with rocks and low vegetation of the Park The Rock Partridge is a rotund bird, with a light brown back, grey breast and buff belly. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks and red legs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance on rounded wings. Nests from May to June.

The wildcat
It is the most common feline in Italy. Difficult to spot, The Wildcat is extremely timid. It avoids approaching human settlements. It lives solitarily and holds a territory of about 3 km². Frequents the innermost woods of the Park, plundering mice and other mammals such as wild rabbits. Its distribution on the aera is estimated about 600-800 specimens, mostly distributed on the /central-southern Apennines, Gargano, Sicily and Sardinia.