LIPU Natural Protected Area Gravina di Laterza

Right on the edge of the majestic ravine of Laterza a natural protected area is home to the local wildlife and vegetation. The LIPU (Italian League for Bird Protection) oasis of Laterza, extending over a surface of 8000 hectares in the heart of the ravine park, was established in1999, and has protected ever since different natural habitats, animal and plant species. Among the most important habitats a pseudo-steppe, grass vegetation is relevant for conservation goals. As for the habitats of community interest, the most important are: calcareous slopes with chasmophytic vegetation, endemic Mesogean pine forests, Quercus trojana and Quercus ilex oak groves, and Euphorbia dendroides shrubs. The everyday life of the protected area is enlivened by little birds and small terrestrial animals, rustling among the bushes: The Egyptian vulture, the black kite, the lanner falcon, the black stork, the lesser kestrel, the eagle-owl, the short-toed eagle, the black-eared wheatear, the Hermann’s tortoise, the pond turtle, the four-lined snake, the leopard snake, the Appenine yellow-bellied toad, the Italian newt, and the hedgehog are just a few of the species living in this area.