Ponds

Ponds: where there is water, there is life

Rana montana (Rana temporaria) (foto di Arch.MUSE)

For those passionate about amphibians and reptiles, Vela Ponds are a must seen. In the urbanised context in which they are placed, these small bodies of water are some of the few places suitable for the reproduction of amphibians. Here you can see the Italian tree frog (Hyla intermedia), the common frog (Rana temporaria), the European green toad (Bufotes viridis), the green frog (Pelophylax sp.) and the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra).

The arid scarp above the ponds is an ideal habitat for many reptiles: common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) and grass snakes (both ring snakes - Natrix natrix - and dice snakes - Natrix tessellata) find shelter between rocks or either warm themselves on the stones near the banks. In the aquatic vegetation we can see some dragonflies and some butterflies that in our continent are at risk of extinction like the jersey tiger (Euplagia quadripunctata) and the false ringlet (Coenonympha oedippus).

The abundance of insects attracts a lot of birds: common house martins (Delichon urbicum) and Eurasian crag martins (Ptyonoprogne rupestris) go up from the valley floor and reach the overhanging cliffs in order to feed themselves and build their nest. In the crevices of these rocky walls, two skilful predators try to hide themselves: the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), the biggest nocturnal raptor in Europe.