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In this article, we invite you on a journey to the heart of the Ukrainian Carpathians – to Bukovel, that most people know as a popular ski resort, but few realize that it is a true paradise for young herpetologists. Here, among dense forests, along cold mountain streams and on open “polonyny” (high-mountain meadows) one can find super rare and charismatic herpetofauna species (e.g. Carpathian newt or fire salamander).
This article is our personal report on a herpetological expedition to the Bukovel area, conducted in July 2025.
The Bukovel Region
Bukovel is located in the northeastern part of Ivano-Frankivsk oblast’, on the slopes of the Chornohora and Gorgany mountain ridges of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The climate is temperate, with cool summers and harsh winters. One of the most important features of the region is high humidity: annual precipitation here reaches 1000-1400 mm with frequent fogs, dews and rains creating comfortable conditions for amphibians (so-called climatic refugium) in terms of global climate change.
Beech forests dominate at elevations of 700-1100 m a.s.l., while spruce forests begin above 1000 m a.s.l. Mixed forests create a transitional zone where the greatest number of herpetofauna species are concentrated.
Find the full article in the RH Journal issue #25
