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| The Sierra Nevada was designated a national park in 1998
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Sierra Nevada National Park - Fauna
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Fauna
The park's main draw for fauna is its rich birdlife, with over 60
species inhabiting the Sierra. Nesting birds of prey include golden
eagles, Bonelli's eagles, peregrine falcons, griffon vultures and
kestrels. On the higher slopes are Alpine accentors, black redstarts,
northern wheateaters, rock thrushes, rock buntings, red-billed choughs
and skylarks. In the woodland areas are hoopoes, short-toed treecreepers,
green woodpeckers, coal tits, great tits, goldfinches and golden
orioles.
The most commonly seen mammal by far is the Spanish ibex, a type
of mountain goat with distinctive curling horns. Mediterranean pine
voles and weasels are among the mammals inhabiting the higher slopes,
while lower down are wild cats, wild boars, foxes, badgers, beech
martens, genets, field mice and garden dormice.
The Sierra Nevada has 78 endemic vertebrate species, most of which
are butterflies and beetles. The park is renowned for its outstanding
variety of butterflies with 120 species recorded here, like the
apollo butterfly. Other important invertebrate species are the 37
native species of beetle, including the rare endemic rhinoceros
beetle and the grasshopper chorthippus nevadensis.
Reptiles and amphibians include ladder snakes, southern smooth
snakes, ocellated lizards and natterkack toads.
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