Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

Mountain plants

High up where trees do not grow, alpine flowers

bloom in the short summer. the word alpine

means above the tree line. the leaves of most

alpine flowers grow low and flat so they are

protected from the bitter winds. these flowers

are pollinated mainly by flies, butterflies,

and other insects that have survived

the winter as eggs or as adults

under the snow.

The trumpet gentian is named

for its deep trumpet of petals.

It grows in stony places and in

damp, short turf at heights of

10,000 ft (3,000 m), in the Alps,

Pyrenees, and Apennines of Europe.

The alpine

longhorn beetle

shown here

suns itself on

mountain

flowers and

feeds on

their pollen.

Rock HyRax

the small, furry, stoutly

built hyrax of africa is the

closest living relative of

the elephant—the largest

animal on land. Rock

hyraxes live at heights of up

to 13,300 ft (4,000 m) in rocky

places such as Mount kenya.

spectacled beaR

the only bear in south america

is the spectacled bear, so named

because of the markings around

its eyes. it lives in the andes

Mountains and is found in warm,

moist forests and mountains at

heights of 11,500 ft (3,500 m).

spectacled bears eat a wide

range of foods, including leaves,

fruits, insects, eggs, small deer,

and other mammals.

358

Mountain wildlife

tHe Mountain RanGes of the world

are home to all kinds of wildlife—from

tiny beetles to huge bears. lower

slopes are often covered with lush

vegetation and are rich in animal life.

Higher up the mountain the temperature

is lower, and there is less wildlife. Mammals

living there have thick fur to survive the cold.

in places too steep for most creatures to

climb, surefooted goats and chamois leap

with ease over the rocks. near the top of the

mountain, the wind is so strong that only powerful

birds such as condors can fly. in some windy areas,

the insects have lost their wings during

the course of evolution; wings would be

useless to them. spiders and wingless

insects live higher up the mountain than

any other creature. as you climb higher,

the temperature drops by 6.5°F (3.6°c) for

every 1,000 ft (300 m) of height. above about

8,000 ft (2,400 m) small shrubs grow, bent and

twisted by the icy winds. Higher up still,

only mosses and lichens grow, and at the

very top there is permanent snow and ice.

cHaMois

a rubbery hoof pad

allows the chamois to grip

stony surfaces with ease as

it leaps nimbly among rocks

in search of grasses, herbs,

and flowers. chamois live in

groups of up to 30 females

and young. the males live

alone, except in the

breeding season.

The mountain goat is a North American

relative of the European chamois. Its body

is more thickset and sturdy, and it is three

times the weight of a chamois. The

mountain goat moves slowly and

deliberately through

deep snow.

North

America

Asia

Australia

South

America

Africa

Europe

laMMeRGeieR

the lammergeier is one of the biggest

vultures. it has a wingspan of about 10 ft

(3 m) and soars over the high mountain

peaks of africa, asia, and europe.

this bird of prey feeds mostly

on carrion (bodies of

dead animals).

Today the edelweiss

is a protected plant

in many areas.

Find out more

animals

bears and pandas

birds

conservation

and endangered species

lions, tigers,

and other big cats

Hyraxes eat Mountains

mainly grasses.

This map shows the main mountain

ranges of the world.

Mountains

conseRvation

Wildlife parks protect mountain

animals such as the bobcat shown

here. in the past, people hunted the

bobcat for its fur; today, this cat is an

endangered species.

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