The former Timișoara embankment is an important natural value of Szeged. In the area, protected animals and plants can be found. Their habitat and the condition of embankment have to be preserved for the next generations as an outstanding value. Keep on reading and you can know what kind of animals and plants can be found here.
The old Timișoara railway line helped the transport between Budapest, Szeged and Timișoara. The trains passed through the railway-bridge on River Tisza near Szeged. Unfortunately, this bridge cannot be seen today. The old railway-embankment became the habitat of plants and animals after when the transport stopped.
Did you know?
Natural environment
The former railway-embankment is an important value not only for the memories of the ruined railway-bridge but for the rare species. If the railway line was opened again, there wouldn’t be any service on that so the animals and plants can live there without any disturbance.
English oaks and Hungarian ash trees provide oxygen to the surroundings. In the bushy, woody, yellow soiled areas, rich avifauna has been established. In the fauna, which has been established nearly in 100 years live 87 bird species. From them, 48 species nest on the embankment.
Highly protected animals of the embankment (with photos)
Western marsh harrier: It is widespread in Europe and Southeast Asia. It is 48-56 cm in length and its wingspan can be 130 cm. Males are greyish and reddish-brown, females are chocolate-brown coloured. In Hungary, they are protected birds, their ecological value is 50000 HUF. It hunts its prey by gliding. It feeds on small mammals, water birds and reptiles. It stays in Hungary from March to October but it often stays for winter.
Dorcadion aethiops (long-horned beetle): they are in the class of insects. They like warm and dryness. Their body is black and oval shaped, they are 1,5-2,5 cm long. They feed on leaves and roots of grasses. They mainly live in Southeast Europe.
Holochelus aequinoctialis: they are pests in Hungary and feed on roots of plant. Their ontogenesis can be 3 years long.
Blaps abbreviate: large-sized, black beetle, its back is bright and dotted, it can be 17-22 mm long. In the daytime, it stays under stones. It can be found mainly in Mediterranien regions. It is a protected animal, its ecological value is 10000 HUF.
Acridoidea: They can be found everywhere where there is flora and also in deserts. They can be 1,5-20 cm long. They like flora, warm and dryness. They can have various colours. Acridoideas with more vivid colour are more poisonous. They make stridulant noise by rubbing a row of pegs on the hind femurs against the edges of their forewings. Mostly the males stridulate. They fly and jump well.
Timarcha rugulosa
References:
Gaskó Béla: Csongrád megye természetes és természetközeli élőhelyeinek védelméről. Studia Naturalia, Szeged, 2008
http://www.szegedvaros.hu/ertektar/7758-volt-temesvari-vasutvonal-toeltese.html
http://szegedpanorama.blogspot.hu/2013/07/a-transzbalkani-vasut-hajdanvolt.html
