Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TUSCAN WILDLIFE
The best time to see the Tuscan countryside is in May and
June when all the flowers are in bloom. Autumn rains
bring a second burst of flowering later in the year, and
then cyclamen carpet the woodland floors. Even winter
has its flowers, such as hellebores and snowdrops.
Animals, Birds and Insects
Viticulture
Many families make their
own wine and every spare
plot is planted with vines.
Hummingbird
hawk moths
hover in front of brightly
coloured flowers, feeding
with their long tongues.
Swifts perform
aerial acrobatics at dusk,
flying high above the city
rooftops and towers.
The green lizard
feeds on
grasshoppers and basks on
walls in the sunlight.
Wild boars
are abundant
but very shy as they are
hunted for their tasty meat.
Wayside Flowers
The blue chicory
plant
flowers all summer and is
used as animal fodder.
Pink, white and red
flowering mallows are a
valuable food plant for bees.
Olives
The olive tree with its silver-
backed leaves is widely
cultivated. Many farms sell
home-produced olive oil.
The blood-red poppy
often
grows alongside bright white
oxeye daisies.
The almond-scented
bind-
weed attracts a variety of
different insects.
