Flora and Fauna in the Area of the Castle Hill

The territory of the Devín castle hill is a part of the phytogeographic region Devínska Kobyla. It is a locality with great variety of species; more than 460 plant species are documented in the Devín castle site as such. The only Slovak locality of the critically endangered species Austrian wormwood (Artemisia austriaca) can be found here; the castle rock is the place where the species Dianthus praecox subsp. lumnitzeri was described for the first time. From among other rare and endangered species, one can find here, for example, perennial herb (Ranunculus illyricus), hairy medick (Medicago monspeliaca), Campanula xylorrhiza, and Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. bohemica. Alyssum saxatile (Aurinia saxatilis) is considered the embellishment of the castle rock. As for reptiles, green lizard (Lacerta viridis), common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus), and slow worm (Anguis fragilis) live here. Swallowtails and European mantis (Mantis religiosa) represent insects, northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) and white wagtail (Motacilla alba) birds, and common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) nests in the cracks of the castle rock.