Of the 3000 plant species that exist in Slovenia, 60 are endemic. This means that they only grow in Slovenia and nowhere else. Why are there so many different plants here?
If you look at the map, you will see that Slovenia stretches over four different zones of influence: the Alps, the Mediterranean coast, the Pannonian lowlands in the east and the Karst regions. If you zoom in on the map, you will also see the different heights, which at the same time favor different plant species.
Incidentally, over a third of the country is a nature reserve and Slovenia is the third most forest-rich country in Europe. Almost 60 percent of the country is covered by forest. There is only more forest in Sweden and Finland.
Blossoming in the mountains of Slovenia…
In Slovenia you will find blooming mountain meadows between spring and summer, on which, for example, the Triglav gentian or the Triglav rose bloom. Both are plants that only exist in Slovenia.
The Julian poppy seeds are also something very special. The same applies to the dolomite carnations. The one -headed piglet has a funny sounding name. Well-known plants that grow in Slovenia are gentian and edelweiss.
Beeches, holm oaks and chestnuts grow in the country’s karst regions. Peony bushes bloom in the meadows and gladioli also grow.
If you hike further to the southwest, you will discover plants typical of the Mediterranean region that are also popular for cooking, such as rosemary, fennel and sage.
On the Slovenian coast there are cypresses, holm oaks, pines, pines, oleanders and even palm trees lining the banks. Vines and olive trees also grow in Slovenia, a country located in Europe detailed by zipcodesexplorer.
Which animals live in Slovenia?
Guess what the most famous animal in Slovenia is called! Look at the flag! There you see a Capricorn. The ibex was actually already extinct in Slovenia, but it has now been resettled. Like the mouflon, it mainly lives in the mountainous regions of Slovenia. From time to time you can also observe chamois on hikes through the mountains, but unfortunately their populations in Slovenia continue to decline.
Stone martens, marmots and mountain hares also frolic in the mountains. But you will rarely see these. The same applies to the brown bears, wolves and wild cats. Incidentally, most of the brown bears in Europe still live in Slovenia, apart from Russia. There are said to be 600 to 700 Slovenian bears.
What kind of animal is that?
A very special animal is typical of Slovenia, namely the olm. It only occurs in the Dinaric Mountains.
The salamander, more precisely the alpine salamander, also lives in the Alps. It is not poisonous, in contrast to two species of snake such as the adder and the sand otter. Snakes are very shy animals, and they don’t just attack anyone. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t step on it, they understandably resent that.
Geckos, lizards, blindworms and the European pond turtle can also be discovered in Slovenia. These are of course not poisonous. Poisonous animals can be found in scorpions, which in Slovenia can be a bit bigger. But only a few species of scorpion are really dangerous, most scorpion stings are unpleasant, but not life-threatening for humans.
The olm
There are many caves and jagged rocks in Slovenia. The largest caves are the Adelsberg Grottoes. Here the Grottenolm feels at home in the 22 kilometer long corridors. This is a 30 centimeter long tailed amphibian that is very well adapted to the conditions of life in dark caves. So his eyes are under the skin, he has no color and, since he lives underground, he doesn’t have to protect himself against sunlight. People used to think that the cave olms were the children of dragons. The grotto olm is the only olm found in Europe. By the way, you can also see grotto olms in Germany, namely in the Hermannshöhle in the Harz Mountains. They were brought there from Istria.
What flies and swims there?
Storks, gray herons and black grouse or wood grouse can be found in Slovenia, especially in the east. Even golden eagles make their rounds in the mountain regions. The griffon vulture is typical of Slovenia. Many migratory birds can also be found in Slovenia.
Also typical of Slovenia is a certain type of trout, the Soca trout, which can only be found in Slovenia. It was almost extinct and is now being bred and released back into the wild. This means that you raise this trout in a protected area and later release it back into nature in the hope that it will continue to reproduce there.
