Grass snakeSnake = poisonous = fear! This is the harmless grass snake's downfall. Hikers and bikers occasionally kill grass snakes out of fear of snakes. Yet the grass snake is shy, rare, beautiful and protected by law. It likes to swim, hunts during the day, eats toads, frogs and fish and loves to sunbathe on warm trails. Life span: up to 25 years.
ShrewFull throttle: Her heart beats 1000 times a minute, if the shrew is startled, her pulse rate jumps to over 1200 and she can have a heart attack. It sees poorly, hears and smells well and uses echolocation to orientate itself. It kills large toads, snakes and voles with its venomous bite - harmless to humans! The shrew is slower than a field mouse and is therefore more likely to come under our tyres. Life span: 1-2 years.
Sand lizardThe sand lizard loves the sun, so it likes to lounge on the trail. It reacts with lightning speed, but is often too slow for a speeding biker. It has enough enemies anyway: crows, hedgehogs, snakes and foxes. It eats ants, spiders and grasshoppers. Strictly protected in Germany. Life span: seven years.
EarthwormWould you have guessed that the earthworm can live up to eight years? Or that it is one of the strongest animals in the world? The earthworm can lift 60 times its body weight when it burrows up to seven metres deep into the earth. It breathes through its skin, so it always has to be nice and moist. When it crawls over the trail, it does hard work and doesn't stand a chance against our studded tyres.
Grass frogThe grass frog is our most common frog. It is brown, not green - the water frog is green. The grass frog suffers from the fact that we poison its ponds, fill them up, drain them or run over them with cars or even bikes. Its life is dangerous, which is why it rarely lives to be over ten years old. In a terrarium, the grass frog can live to be 18 years old.
Alpine newt: We love the alpine newt - a miniature dinosaur, so cute! In 2019, the newt with its orange-coloured belly was voted amphibian of the year. A night hunter, it eats bugs and worms and dives in ponds, large puddles or water-filled car ruts from March to October. When the newt crawls ashore, it is sluggish, very vulnerable and easily overlooked. By the way: The newt has superpower! It can regrow skin, bones and even joints. Lifespan: up to 30 years.
We think so: If you love trails, you should follow simple rules. The "Love Trails - Respect Rules"-Together with partners from the bike industry, the BIKE, EMTB and FREERIDE campaign promotes respectful interaction on the trails. Together, we want to improve the image of mountain bikers in the long term. The six golden rules for environmentally friendly and relaxed coexistence in the forest are the foundation of our campaign.
Laurin Lehner
Editor
