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Kyrgyzstan is rich in both flora and fauna. You may not come any closer to a Snow Leopard than the statues that line the road between Bishkek and Lake Issyk Kul — but there is a wide range and variety of plant an animal life that you can encounter.
The wide variety of flora which can be found in the country is due to the different landscapes, the various altitudes, the mountain ridges and the hollows formed between them which in many cases form isolated micro-environments.
In the low-lying valleys and in the low foothills, steppes prevail. In the middle mountainous zone are widely spread meadows, forests, and shrubs, whilst in the high mountainous zones alpine meadows, «kriofill»-cushion areas and mountain tundra can be found. «Thorny-cushion» vegetation covers the stone-detritus mountain areas.
About 4000 species of plants have been catalogued in Kyrgyzstan.
The most widely spread trees are spruce, juniper (archa), and nut- and fruit-tree forests. There are also spruce, maple, poplar-willow, and birch forests and Tien-Shan rowan-trees grow everywhere. There are walnut forests occupying an area of over 600,000 hectares, (the largest walnut forests in the world — featuring walnut-trees, apple-trees, pear-trees, and cherry-plum, cherry, currant, and rasp-berries canes), in the South-East of Kyrgyzstan in the Fergana and Chatkal ranges at altitudes between 1000 and 2200 meters a. s. l. Shrub thickets such as «karaghun», cherry, rosary, pistachio, almond, cherry-plum, sea-buckthorn, barberry, mellow are widely spread throughout the countryside. Sea-buckthorn, dog-rose, and willow grow in the flood-lands of several rivers.
In alpine meadows (at an altitude of 3000 meters a. s. l.) edelweiss, dandelion, Alpine Aster, Semenov onion and primroses grow. Edelweiss is not as rare as it is in Europe — and dandelions are not thought of as weeds in the same way as they are in the West. At certain times of the year the mountain sides may be covered with poppies or tulips. About 5 km south of the Jety Orguz sanatoria, is Dolina Svetov (Valley of the flowers) a valley opens out which is ablaze with colour from May — when there are multitudes of poppies — throughout early summer. Apparently there are repted to be petroglyphs here — but no-one seems to know exactly where. There are often yurts here which can offer accommodation.
In the forests, steppes, and meadows it is possible to find many different species of funguses. «Mushroom gathering» used to be a very common activity.
The flora of Kyrgyzstan includes many different types of medicinal herbs, such as: ephedra, plantain, milfoil, sage, dog-rose, dushitsa, wormwort — and many others.
The wildlife found in Kyrgyzstan is also rich and diverse. Over the territory of Kyrgyzstan one can find animal life typical of deserts and forests, valleys and mountains, steppes and meadows.
There are about 500 different species of vertebrates and over 3000 species of insects which have been catalogued, including 60 species of dragon-fly, 86 species of butterfly, 86 species of ants, 33 species of bees, and 250 species of cicadas.
Stocks of 49 different species of fish can be found in the waters of Kyrgyzstan? s, lakes and reserviors. In Lake Issyk-Kul there are chebachok, chebak, sazan, carp, trout, marinka, osman, bream, line, pike-perch, sig, and crucian. In the various reservoirs and rivers: sazan, crucian, barbel, pike, marinka and other species of fish. Trout can be found in mountain rivers.
There are 25 species of reptiles including tortoises, lizards, and snakes.
Ornithologists can spot a wide variety of bird-life — which includes some 335 species. In different areas of the country one can encounter pheasant, grey herons, the «cherry bird», woodpecker, eagle-owl, silvered sea-gull, red-wing flamingo amongst others. On Lake Issyk-Kul you can meet «hissing» swans, «crying» swans, grey geese, and pelicans. Amongst the rare species of birds it is possible to see in Kyrgyzstan there are «balaban», white stork, golden eagle, bearded vulture, bustard, demoiselle crane, «snake eater», white-tail sea eagle, steppe eagle, black stork. Cranes congregate at Son Kul and Chartyr Kul on the migratory journeys.
Mammals are represented by 83 different species, including Mountain Sheep (arkhar), bears, and «maral» in the spruce forests of the Tien-Shan and in the Ak-Sai, Arpa, and Suusamyr highly mountain valleys. The mountain ridges and valleys provide homes for foxes, wolves, badger, weasel, ermine, and stone martens. In some regions it is also possible to find snow leopard (Bars), wild boar, roe deer, Siberian goat, porcupine, hedgehog, hare, marmot, «andatrum».
Kyrgyzstan protects such rare animals as «dzheiran», red wolf, «maral», snow leopard (Bars), the Middle-Asian otter, the Mensbir marmot, Tien-Shan brown bear, Tien-Shan mountain sheep (arkhar) and «Marco Polo»sheep — amongst others. Some of the animals found in Kyrgyzstan are recorded in «Red Book» of International Nature Preserve Union:- The snow leopard, the «Mensbir» marmot, the «dzheiran», red wolf, and grey monitor lizard.
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