We like to welcome you to the faunistic lessons of this course. From invertebrates to large carnivores, from herbivores of less than 1g to such of more than 100kg, from migrating to static species: animals show a very broad variety of organisms, each of them with different adaptations to the alpine environment and with different functions in the mountainous ecosystem.

You will get an overview of alpine faunistic as it has not been given yet in any publication. We wish you a pleasant study and hope to awaken your interest in alpine fauna. There is much to discover!

The authors work at the Grison Museum of Natural History, a Museum located amidst the study area in an alpine region of Switzerland. The Museum can look back on a long tradition of alpine research. The study focus is put on alpine ecology and its implementation. If you have questions or suggestions for supplements regarding our lessons please write to info@bnm.gr.ch.

Jürg Paul Müller & Thomas Briner