54
The marmot lives in high alpine
meadows and pastures.
Pine marten
Powerful forelimbs and strong
claws make martens excellent
climbers. They even race through
the trees to hunt squirrels.ITALY
Location
The Alps stretch through
eight countries in total.
The highest parts are
always snowy, but in
summer lower parts can
reach 86 ̊ F (30 ̊ C).HABITAT KEY
ScrublandsMountainsConiferous
forestsDeciduous
forestsSCALE
100 kilometers00100 milesAlpine marmot
The alpine marmot digs
long, deep burrows where
it hibernates for up to nine
months of the year. When
hibernating, a marmot
breathes just one to two
times a minute!FRANCE
SWITZERLAND
AUSTRIA
GERMANY
The sure-footed ibex has
long curved horns that
grow up to 40 in
(100 cm) long in males.Alpine
ibexThe endangered Apollo
butterfly’s bright-red wing
spots fade in the sun, so
older butterflies have spots
that are more orange.Apollo
butterflyBuilt for flight,
the alpine chough
has been seen
soaring as high as
26,250 ft (8,000 m)
above sea level!Alpine
choughThis hoofed mammal is able to
run up to 31 mph (50 kph), even
on a snow-covered mountain!ChamoisAlthough it mostly
comes out at night, this
little black salamander
also ventures out in the
daytime after rain.Alpine
salamanderYoung shrews “caravan”
behind their mother, by
following each other in a
line, holding onto the shrew
in front by their mouth!Alpine shrewThis ptarmigan
turns white in the
winter to hide
from predators
in the snow.Rock
ptarmiganN
S
E
WBernEuropean
steppe
The steppe is a temperate grassland habitat.
Many animals here are seasonal visitors from
other habitats, while some, such as hamsters
and moles, live here all year round.
The Alps
The mountains of the Alps divide the cooler
northern parts of Europe from the warm southern
parts. With mountain lakes, glaciers, meadows,
and forests, there are plenty of places for different
animals to live. As many as 30,000 different
species make their home here.
SLOVENIA
LjubljanaCROATIA
LICHTENSTEINUS_054_055_Alps_European_steppe.indd 54 31/03/2017 14:49