Fauna

The trademark of Aesculapius, the Roman god of medicine and healing, is the serpent-entwined staff. This Aesculapian

Especially observant visitors to the Donau-Auen National Park may often come across the clay-coloured Agile Frog –

The Asp is the only European carp which is purely predatory; it is one of the rare piscivore carp types. Once

A remarkable, butterfly-like flying dragonfly with metallic blue shimmering wing bars. In the Donau-Auen National

The Barbel is a characteristic species found on free-flowing stretches of the Danube. It is a demersal fish, meaning

During mating season, males exhibit a deep red underside – but during the rest of the year, the small silver

The Black Kite has dark plumage and is near in size to a buzzard. It requires open and partly-open areas near to

The true Common Carp, the base form for all cultivated carp, is endangered, but is being protected and boosted in the

Flight action of the Common Sandpiper is very unique: with a close flight path over water, it alternates between a

In Crown Prince Rudolph's day, the Corn Crake was a common meadowland bird in the Danube wetlands. Today, the

These primeval-looking creatures inhabit smaller bodies of water in the National Park. Although they may look like

Dice Snakes are aquatic snakes and live on and in the water. Able swimmers and divers, they can remain under water

On guided boot tours of the Donau-Auen National Park, living Duck mussels may sometimes be observed, or at least

The Eagle Owl belongs to the order of Strigiformes. It is the largest owl species in the world and is only slightly

Even the scientific name hints at why this species is so interesting to humans: "esculentus", meaning

This "Ruler of the Skies" above our waters is one of the largest among native dragonflies. On warm sunny

The beaver is the "master builder" of riverine landscapes. By felling trees, the beaver makes a significant

The bright green European Common Tree Frog may be found flitting about leaves and boughs. Because the tips of its

The European ground squirrel, also known as the European souslik, is a rodent belonging to the squirrel family. It is

The European Mantis belongs to the Mantidae family, Mantodea order of mantises. It prepares to ambush its prey by

The European pond turtle was once in high demand as a fasting food during Lent and thus hunted and captured in huge

The melodic  "ooh . . . ooh . . . ooh"  of the Fire-Bellied Toad may be heard on many ponds in the

The presence of freshwater mussels, also known as river mussels, is sometimes only apparent upon finding the single

Spongillidae are a family of freshwater sponges from the Animalia kingdom. In contrast to their flashy

The Grass Snake may be most easily identified on the basis of the characteristic yellow collar behind its head. This

With a body length of around 5cm, the Great Capricorn Beetle, one of the so-called Long-Horned beetles, is one of the

The great pond snail is active all year round. In order to breathe, the snail regularly comes to the surface of the

This dragonfly species is highly endangered across Europe and is only a vagrant species in the National Park.