It is a complex and delicate ecosystem, that of the Somma-Vesuvius complex, which over time has had to adapt to the very particular conditions of an active volcanic area, shaped and conditioned by the alternation of eruptions and more or less long periods of quiescence.
Without neglecting exceptional events, such as fires in vast areas, which have produced significant immediate consequences with a no less important projection in the medium and long term. Despite the tantrums of the volcano and other destructive events, the position of the volcanic complex, not far from the sea and in the center of a plain, has safeguarded and continues to favor a remarkable biologicaldiversity, evidenced by the presence of many species, including some decidedly rare ones.
There are many species of invertebrates, some of which are also very rare. And the presence of birdlife is extraordinary. In fact, being along the seasonal migration routes, Vesuvius is frequented by as many as 150 species of birds, including those of migratory birds who choose it for the winter and seventy-one who stop there to nest, while another forty-six are sedentary. Some, then, are protected and rare species. In particular, the honey buzzard, the peregrine falcon, the marsh harrier, the nightjar, the raven, the lesser kestrel, the European roller, the bee-eater, the lesser spotted woodpecker and the redstart fly over Somma Vesuvius.
There are also numerous species of butterflies, a good 44. Among the diurnal lepidoptera, observed up to a height of 600 meters, there is the swallowtail machaon, while where the strawberry tree grows, the very rare Charaxes jasius can be found.
After the disappearance of the spectacled salamander, reported in the area since the 19th century, only two species of amphibians remained, the green frog and the green toad, which are found on the eastern, western and northern slopes.
Vesuvius is an important breeding site for eight reptile species. The snake is the most widespread, but there are also the field lizard, the cervone, the snake of Aesculapius also known as the arrowhead and the common viper, which is the only dangerous one for humans. Among the lizards, there are the common gecko and the warty gecko.
There are as many as 29 mammal species, including several nocturnal rodents and insectivores, which in turn are essential for the survival of predators. Among the former, there are the dormouse mouse in the woods on the Somma slope, the dormouse in the woods and cultivated land. The first predator is the fox, widespread everywhere, while the stone marten lives in the woods and the weasel is present above all in the Somma area, while both the badger and the wild cat are reported to have disappeared. Lagomorphs are represented by the wild rabbit and the European hare.
Somma Vesuvius is home to ten species of bats, some of which are rare and at risk of extinction, included in the Habitats Directive. Like the pipistrello albolimbato, the pipistrello dwarf and the rare Molosso dei Cestoni.
