Predators
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Gray Wolf
Scientific Name: Canis lupus
Quick Facts:
- The only large predator of the Park.
- The Gray wolf, now a protected species, was almost extinct in the 1970s. It was never reintroduced, but re-established itself in the Apennine mountains naturally in the last twenty years thanks to legal protection and environmental modifications.
- Wolves live in packs, occupying large territories (with an average of 100 km²) and have a complex social structure with dominant and subordinate individuals.
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Fox
Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes
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Stone Martin
Scientific Name: Martes foinaPrey
![](sites/default/files/styles/listing_image/public/red_deer_cervus_elaphus_0.jpg)
Red deer
Scientific Name: Cervus elaphus
Quick Facts:
- The adult male can reach up to 250-300 kg (550-650 lbs).
- Mating season occurs in September and October. In this period it's common to hear adult males grunting from sunset to sunrise to attract females and intimidate other male competitors.
![](sites/default/files/styles/listing_image/public/roe_deer_capreolus_capreolus.jpg)
Roe deer
Scientific Name: Capreolus capreolus
Quick Facts:
- Together with the wild boar is the most common ungulate (hoofed animal) in the Park.
- It's small and very agile. Females average 25 kg (55lbs) and males average 35 kg (77 lbs).
- The white spot on the backside is heart-shaped in females and bean-shaped in males.
![](sites/default/files/styles/listing_image/public/wild_boar_sus_scrofa.jpg)
Wild boar
Scientific Name: Sus scrofa
Quick Facts:
- The most common ungulate of the Apennine.
- Very similar to a domestic pig, but with brown and thick hair called bristles.
- Boars spend a lot of time digging and rooting in the ground to find food. Their snout is mobile and highly specialized for this activity.
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Mouflon
Scientific Name: Ovis orientalis
Quick Facts:
- Mouflons are not native of Europe. They were first imported from Asia in the 18th century.
- Unlike other bovids, only males have horns, which can grow up to 1 meter (3 feet).
- When threatened, mouflons seek for refuge by climbing high up rocky walls thanks to their sharp hooves.
![](sites/default/files/styles/listing_image/public/european_hare_brown_hare_lepus_europaeus.jpg)
Brown hare
Scientific Name: Lepus europaeus
Quick Facts:
- Hares, like rabbits, are not rodents but lagomorphs.
- Differently from rabbits, hares don't live in dens; they use open but well-protected refuges (shelters).
![](sites/default/files/styles/listing_image/public/alpine_marmot_marmota_marmota_1.jpg)
Alpine marmot
Scientific Name: Marmota marmota
Quick Facts:
- Marmot is not native to the Apennines. It was introduced from the Alps between the 40s and the 80s.
- It can only be found in the western mountain ridge of the Park. Monte Orsaro is a great spot to see them.
![](sites/default/files/styles/listing_image/public/european_hedgehog_erinaceus_europaeus.jpg)
European hedgehog
Scientific Name: Erinaceus europaeus
Quick Facts:
- The hedgehog is a small insectivore.
- Unlike the porcupine, the hedghog's quills have no barbs and cannot easily detach.
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