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Mammals
© 2020 C.FISC. 97871390155 - VAT 13672380964
Different individuals belonging to at least 18 species of mammals have a home-range that includes, totally or partially, the Carvignone area. Deer, roe deer, foxes, badgers, martens, beech martens, bats, micro-rodents, squirrels, etc., regularly or seasonally frequent the woods on the slope that rises from Berzo-Demo (on the left bank of the Oglio river) up to the Musna plateau and beyond towards Pizz Olda (2511 m editor's note). Carvignone is located roughly at the center of this slope at about 1000 m altitude and is situated between the gorge of the Rio dei Valzelli and the Coppo valley. In this area of the Adamello Park, however, the fauna is particularly elusive and wary. The presence of wild species is detected through constant monitoring carried out with cameras and video traps at certain passages and in the area surrounding the Observatory. The interventions planned by the project aim to implement measures that can spontaneously encourage some mammals to "approach" and make them, as much as possible, observable (even indirectly) and photographable. Precisely for this purpose, in agreement with the Adamello Park and the Municipality of Cevo, from the very beginning of the project, the first step was to expand the already existing Refuge and Acclimatization Zone by requesting the cooperation of the local hunting community. The Cevo Hunters' Association not only accepted this request but further extended the ZRA ban area upwards. It will take some time for the wildlife to perceive this changed situation. The animals' age-old and more than justified fear of humans suggests that the use of the nature trail, but even more so of the observatory, should be regulated, since it is precisely our presence that causes wild species to hide from our view. Our scent, our noise, and our clothing, which is not always suitable for the surrounding environment, mean that mammals notice us even before we become aware of their presence. Our beloved dogs are then another serious source of alarm and disturbance for roe deer, deer, and foxes, who see in man's best friend a "predator" without limits or rules. Unlike wolves, who try to go "unnoticed" by their prey in order to surprise them and make hunting more effective, domestic dogs, by their nature, do exactly the opposite and not by chance have been used for hunting for millennia. This is why access with dogs of any size or breed is prohibited. The small restrictions we ask of Carvignone visitors are only intended to make your visit more interesting and engaging.
The footprint table
This interactive table, called the “footprint table,” aims to introduce us to the other mammal species that share the territory with us. What is the first clue that makes us aware of the presence of wild mammals? It’s the footprints, the most direct and unmistakable sign of their presence. Since each species leaves a specific track in terms of size, shape, and pattern, with the help of a QR CODE, we can discover (through downloadable information sheets) the complex biology of the eight species represented.
Mammals
Terrestrial mammals can be divided into three large groups based on the structural characteristics of their limbs and their modes of locomotion:
1) PLANTIGRADES
2) DIGITIGRADES
3) UNGULIGRADES
PLANTIGRADES
Plantigrades are animals that, when moving, use the entire surface of their whole foot (plantar). An example is us humans, who, when walking, place the entire surface of the foot on the ground: from the last phalanges of the toes to the heel. Among the animals that belong to the fauna of our mountains, two plantigrades are the bear and the badger.
Plantigrades or semi-plantigrades are also all rodents, such as the squirrel, or insectivores like the hedgehog or the shrew.
Plantigrades are "slow" animals, omnivores, and therefore are not specifically prey or predators.
DIGITIGRADE
Digitigrades are animals that walk by placing only the surface of their toes on the ground. For these animals, this adaptation is the result of the evolutionary need to move quickly. In fact, they are generally carnivores and therefore predators. It is easy to understand that placing the entire plantar surface on the ground was not functional for running fast. Which animals are digitigrades? All species belonging to the family of canids and felids. Among the species in our woods we can mention: the wolf and the fox, both belonging to the Canidae family. A small parenthesis should be opened instead for the Mustelids such as the beech marten, the marten, the weasel, and the ermine (with the exception of the badger), which use locomotion in a differentiated way, that is, they can use their "paws" both as plantigrades (especially the hind legs) and as digitigrades (especially the front legs).
UNGULIGRADES
Unguligrades, on the other hand, are a group of animals that, during their evolution, being almost exclusively herbivorous ruminants and therefore potential prey, had to develop a "foot" made up only of nails and transformed into a hoof. This allows them to move with great speed and agility, having flight as their only means of defense against predators. At our latitudes, unguligrades (or ungulates) include the deer, roe deer, chamois, ibex (ruminants = polygastric) and the wild boar (non-ruminant = monogastric). The leg of these animals is a hoof made up of the nails of the third and fourth toes, which are extremely thickened and hardened and are the last part of the limb to touch the ground. In turn, unguligrades are divided into two other ORDERS: that of the artiodactyls (recently renamed cetartiodactyla because of a bone in common with cetaceans!) with even-toed hooves (third and fourth toes) and that of the perissodactyls with odd-toed hooves (only third toe) which at our latitudes has no representatives among wild species (except for the horse and donkey, which are, however, domestic breeds).
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© 2020 C.FISC. 97871390155 - VAT 13672380964