![]() In 1800, Napoleon crossed one of the mountain passes with an army of 40,000. Hannibal notably crossed the Alps with a herd of elephants, and the Romans had settlements in the region. ![]() A mummified man, determined to be 5,000 years old, was discovered on a glacier at the Austrian–Italian border in 1991.īy the 6th century BC, the Celtic La Tène culture was well established. Wildlife such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 3,400 m (11,155 ft), and plants such as edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations.Įvidence of human habitation in the Alps goes back to the Palaeolithic era. The altitude and size of the range affect the climate in Europe in the mountains, precipitation levels vary greatly and climatic conditions consist of distinct zones. The Alpine region area contains 128 peaks higher than 4,000 m (13,000 ft). Mont Blanc spans the French–Italian border, and at 4,809 m (15,778 ft) is the highest mountain in the Alps. Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. The Alpine arch generally extends from Nice on the western Mediterranean to Trieste on the Adriatic and Vienna at the beginning of the Pannonian Basin. The Alps ( / æ l p s/) are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. The brown bear requires a large well-preserved habitat with minimum human impact.The Dolomites (Italy) are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As predators, bears are also known to prey on cattle. The brown bear can run very fast (60 km/h), swim and even climb.īrown bears feed on forest fruits, underground and green parts of plants, fungi, rodents and carrion. In three or more months in the den, the brown bear loses 30-50% of body weight, which it makes up for in the summer and autumn. The hibernation period is affected by the weather conditions and food deficit. ![]() During hibernation, its body temperature declines by 2 ˚C and its metabolic functions slow down slightly. The brown bear sleeps through the cold winter months in its den. In the territory of the Triglav National Park, individual brown bears are occasionally spotted on the Pokljuka plateau, in the Lower Bohinj Mountains, the Trenta Valley and the area of Tolmin. The brown bear population in Slovenia stands at 400 to 500 with most of the animals residing in the Kočevje forests. Marmots wake up when snow starts to melt away. They survive on stored fat supplies collected over the summer months. During hibernation their body temperature drops and their heart rate and breathing slow down. Marmots sleep through winter in winter dens that may be up to five metres deep. ![]() Excellent diggers, alpine marmots use their sharp forepaws to dig burrow tunnels which provide shelter from predators and the elements. Marmots are herbivores and spend most of their awake time collecting preserves for the winter. The marmot wakes up if the temperature falls below zero otherwise, it would freeze to death. Today it inhabits mountain meadows and screes.ĭuring hibernation, the body temperature of marmots will drop to almost the same as the air around them. It was reintroduced to the area at the end of the 20th century. During the Ice Age, the alpine marmot was quite common and widely spread in the territory of present-day Slovenia, but it became extinct at the end of that period. ![]()
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