If there is something of what la Sierra de las Nieves can feel proud it is the natural richness of this lands. An infinity of animal and vegetal species are present in these mountains, sierras and countryside. Some of these species are unique, like the Spanish fir or the mountain “quejigo”; some other, like the wild goat or the otter, although are present in other places, have in this Reserve of the Biosphere a regular population.

But the most remarkable aspect in la Sierra de las Nieves and surroundings is its variability. Variability in all the senses: ecologic, climatic, botanic and fauna.
That’s because in la Sierra de las Nieves several factors act together to result this variability.
Plus the situation of the region, between the Sierra of Ronda, the Guadalhorce Valley and the occidental Costa del Sol, and very influenced by the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean, there is a complex topography and a big difference in the height that go from 100 metres over the sea level to 2000 in the highest cymes in only a few kilometres.
This provokes the existence of an infinity of different climates, cause by differences in the temperature, the rains, the orientation and sun exposure, etc.

But also, the geological complexity of the area is outstanding. Peridotite, metamorphic, magma, and sedimentary materials are mixed in a way that only the most experts geologists can interpret. All these materials, once exposed to the climate and to the action of the living beings, produce a lot of different floorings and substratum, which have a powerful influence on the vegetation on them.
Finally, the time has left its own influence. But the time measured in millions and millions of years. The situation of frontier between the African and European Asiatic tectonic plaques, as well as the great climatic variations along the history, have allowed this zone to concentrate alpine, subtropical and northern African elements. Later, each element has developed its own history coming to the actual situation, that concentrate in a determined area a determined characteristics, which, at the end, determine the fauna of the place.

MAMMALS
Almost the mammals of Spain are present in la Sierra de las Nieves nowadays. The most representative and emblematic one is the wild goat, which finds in the steep mountains a perfect habitat. The roe deer are only found in the deep cork oak forests, at the south part of the Reserve, where a very protected population live. The wild boar lives in all the reserve, but most of the specimens are descendent of hybrid boars with pigs. Buck and muflon are the last species, but these ones are only in private places and are used for hunting.
From the carnivores, only have disappeared the biggest ones like the bear, the wolf or the lynx. The otter is still living in the permanent rivers of the area, the same as the small polecat. Weasels, martens and genets, live especially in the forests, while badgers, mongoose and wild cats live in the thickets. The clever fox can be located from the cymes to the villages.
Although their population have suffered severe illnesses, the rabbit, as much as the hare, is still abundant in many zones. There are some rodent species, like the common rat, the country rat and the water rat, the country mouse, the home mouse, the little mole, the dormouse or insectivores like the hedgehog and the shrew, that are the basic food for the carnivores and the rapacious birds.
Finally, there are eight different species of bat that live in caves, although some of them may not.
Swallows and swifts nest on the cliffs and on human constructions. A myriad of small insect eaters, like robins, nightingales, tarabillas, wagtails, currucas, blackbirds, thrushes, reyezuelos, coalbirds, smiths, etc. grain eaters like goldfinch, greenies, wheat birds, brownies, chaffinches, writers and thick beaks are in all the places of the Reserve.

Flora
As it has been said, the natural richness of la Sierra de las Nieves makes of this enclave to be one of the most important in the world, as it was made obvious with the declaration of reserve of the Biosphere by the UNESCO. Definitely, the main natural richness is the vegetal species present in this area.
We have already point the finger at the weather variability, and the height as the main reasons for this splendour. Even, the main ecosystems along the Reserve have been described, and they contain vegetal communities more or less complex.
Seen this variability, specially on the height, the temperature, and the periodicity and quantity of the rain, combined with the vegetation type in each of the different areas, in la Sierra de las Nieves, we can distinguish four of the five bio-climatic floorings established for the Mediterranean climate:
The thermo Mediterranean, until about 900 metres height, is characterized by the absence of hoarfrosts in the year, and the flooring can be dry and slightly wet. In this flooring can be found subtropical botanic elements.
The meso Mediterranean until about 1000 metres height is characterized too by the flooring dry and slightly wet. In here there are conifer forests and brushwood from the degradation of many of the trees.
The supra Mediterranean, that ranks from 1500 to 1700 metres, and where harder climatic conditions take place. In this area can be found the mountain gall-oak.
The oro Mediterranean, over 1.700 metres and only present in the highest part of the sierra. The dominant plants are brushwood and shrubs very adapted to the environment and the extreme special conditions like the wind, the cold, the strong sun exposure and the lack of water on the floor.
However, to facilitate the identification of the flora of the area to the non-expert visitors, lets see the principal vegetal species that can be found in la Sierra de las Nieves. Many of these species are named and described in the different chapters of the units patent in the Reserve; so that, they can be consulted in order to complete this information.
Anyway, given the enormous botanic richness in la Sierra de las Nieves, which description is not the main objective of this guide, we encourage to people interested in this subject, the use of other specific guides to reach a deeper knowledge, and better identification of the species here pointed out.