Fauna

As far as the local fauna is concerned we cannot describe any peculiarity to Ledro a part from the fact that until 1918 there were some bears living on our mountains. The animals that live here may be defined common alpine species.

Things are quite different when we consider the invertebrates whose distribution and character originated from the quaternary ice ages that have left in the mountains endemic relicts very similar to those species that today are common in the very North of Europe (boreal alpine regions). A long time ago these invertebrates used to live at the border of the glaciers and to move following them. When the ice withdrew to the North some of these ancient species remained here continued to live in coldest areas, often hidden under the soil as they need very low temperatures. We can easily find some endemic specimen round Mount Gavardina because it was one of those isles above the ice-field during the Quaternary.
On the Ledro mountains, like in almost all alpine regions, also arthropoda, amphibia and reptilia find their own environment.

For the birds whose habitat is above the limit of the arboreal vegetation the peaks represent a good shelter, too. If you are lucky you may sight a raven, a black grouse, a capercaillie or a francolin, but there are a few eagles as well.
In the woods we find common birds like the woodpecker, the blackbird, the lark and the mountain swallow.

Concerning the mammalians at a certain altitude we find the alpine shrew and the rock whistler, a bit lower some chamois and red deer specimens, many roe deers, which often come down to graze in the meadows surrounding the villages, and then hares, foxes, badgers, shrews, bats, dormice, weasels.

Last but not least the abundant and varied ichthyc fauna; in lake Ledro there are plenty of burbots, chubs, perches, white fishes, bleaks, different kinds of trout, carps, pikes, some eels and ... on the shore many fishers waiting!