© Stefan Zurschmitten
Fauna
The Binntal valley is home to an extremely diverse fauna. Many species are found only here in Switzerland or have their main distribution here.
The steep relief of the Binntal valley has always successfully prevented overly intensive use. In the Binntal Landscape Park, extremely dry and rocky slopes on the sun-exposed side of the valley form a stark contrast to the wooded, rather damp slopes on the shady side. In simplified geological terms, a distinction can be made between the southern side of the valley, which is dominated by alkaline rocks, and the northern side, which is dominated by acidic rocks. These geological and topographical features as well as the extremely dry and sunny climate of the Valais have led to an exceptionally rich fauna in the Binntal Landscape Park, whose park area extends from the lowest altitudes at around 1000 m above sea level to the regions of perpetual snow.
Ptarmigan
The ptarmigan's plumage, which is mostly mottled brown in summer, is pure white in winter and provides excellent camouflage on the snowfields. The ptarmigan's toes have a row of stiff horn spikes on both sides. This allows it to walk over the snow like snowshoes without sinking in. Both characteristics are adaptations to the high mountains, the habitat of this species. It is precisely this close connection to the high alpine habitat that could be a problem for the ptarmigan in the near future: with global warming, its habitats are shifting ever higher. The species' potential habitat is thus becoming ever smaller.
Red deer
The red deer was considered extinct throughout Switzerland around 1850. Natural recolonization began as early as 1870 from Austria via the canton of Graubünden, which continued in the mid-1930s over the Furka Pass into Valais. In the meantime, the population has grown to such an extent that the species has been hunted again for many decades. The research project "Red deer project Aletsch - Goms" showed that the majority of red deer in the Binntal undertake large seasonal migrations. The deer spend the winter in their dens in the Binntal and migrate over the Albrun Pass to Italy in late spring. They spend the summer and fall there and only return to the Binntal in November / December. This explains why red deer are not so frequently observed in the Binntal during the summer months and also during the rut.
Redstart
The common redstart is one of our most colorful songbirds. The perched bird can be easily recognized by its red tail. The white forehead also distinguishes it from the similar black redstart, which is much more monotonous black-grey in color. Since the 1960s, the common redstart has lost a lot of ground due to the intensification of agriculture. In many places, only a few males still sing their melancholy song. In the Binntal Landscape Park, however, the species can still be observed relatively frequently. It nests here mostly in villages and settlements, where it uses niches and caves in the old Valais houses and granaries.
Salt amber snail
The salt amber snail Quickella arenaria is one of the rarest snail species in Europe. In Switzerland, the main occurrences are in the Engadine and Valais. It is highly endangered throughout Switzerland. In Valais, it has so far only been recorded in the Binntal valley in the Twingi gorge and is therefore considered a faunistic specialty of the landscape park. Anyone looking for this rarity needs luck and a good eye: it is never common at the sites where it is found and camouflages its tower-shaped shell, which is barely a centimetre in size, perfectly with dirt particles. The reddish-brown color, reminiscent of amber, is only revealed when these are removed.
Wolf
Wolves live in a family group with a clear social structure. A pack consists of the two parent animals and their offspring (pups and young animals of the last 1-2 years). Older pups have to leave the pack and often roam several hundred kilometers in search of their own territories. After the last wolf from the Upper Valais was killed in 1947, no wolf was seen in the Valais for almost 50 years. On the border with Italy, where the species has been protected since 1977, wolves have been spotted again and again since 1994. Since then, the slow natural recolonization of the former habitat has begun.