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Lusitanian Oak
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Griffon vulture
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Mediterranean temporary ponds are life-giving oases
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Marbled newt
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Red deer: the largest naturally occurring mammal in Portugal

With its gentle gaze and acute senses, the red deer is the largest naturally occurring mammal in Portugal. Spotting some of the specimens that live freely in Portuguese forests and woodlands is not always easy. Autumn is the best season.

Navigator Forests: maintaining and enhancing natural values

The forests managed by The Navigator Company total around 105,000 hectares in Portugal (a country where forest areas exceed 3 million hectares). In these forests, more than 240 species of fauna and 800 species and subspecies of flora have already been identified (end of 2021). Here, biodiversity management cuts across field operations to maintain and enhance their natural values.

  • Chaenomeles japonica, also known as the Japanese Quince, is an exotic ornamental species belonging to the Rosaceae family. In winter, it sheds its leaves and gives way to delicate five-petalled flowers. These flowers give the species its name. It is derived from the Greek word chainos, meaning to split, and meles, meaning apple, because it was believed that the small edible fruits (albeit less tasty than those of the quince), which are shaped in that way and appear after flowering, split in half. You can find this thorny shrub at Quinta de São Francisco in Aveiro.

  • Fairy ring. This is what this unique living being is known as. It is made up of more than 100 mushrooms of the Clitocybe nebularis species, arranged in an immense circle measuring more than 10 metres in diameter. The organism started in the centre and, over the years, became larger and larger. In this case, it took several decades free from interference to reach this size. It can usually be seen during the months of November and December at Quinta de São Francisco (in Eixo, Aveiro).

  • Tyto alba, known as the barn owl, is a nocturnal bird of prey that takes shelter and nests in church steeples, abandoned mills and barns, and even in the chimneys of residential houses. It is a common species in Portugal, and has been sighted in several of Navigator’s forests: in Malcata, Vale do Sado, and Quinta de São Francisco, for example. Even when it does not appear, its presence is revealed by its vocalisations and the “balls” of bones, feathers, or fur it regurgitates at the end of digestion.

  • Unlike most trees in Portugal, the southern blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) starts to flower at the beginning of autumn. Its yellowish-white flowers last until the spring (sometimes until early summer) of the following year. These flowers are among the largest of all the trees in the Eucalyptus genus and the nectar they produce helps to feed the bees during the months when the greatest shortage of food leads to reduced hive activity.

  • The largest dragonfly in Portugal is the blue emperor (Anax Imperator) which can grow to about 8.5 cm in length and 10 cm in wingspan. In males, its blue colouring stands out, giving it its name, but in females, green is more predominant, as can be seen in this photo taken by João Ezequiel at Quinta de São Francisco.

  • Are you familiar with this effective insect deterrent from the animal kingdom? We are talking about the friendly common gecko (Tarentola mauritanica), which can be found all over Portugal. It differs from other species due to its dinosaur-like appearance, complete with scales and spines that resemble armour. Its feet stick to surfaces thanks to intermolecular forces (or Van der Waals forces).

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Holly: a highly symbolic relict
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The Douglas fir: a giant Christmas tree

With its tall and elegant conical crown, the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is one of the most sought after species as a Christmas tree. Also known as the Oregon pine or pseudotsuga, it is native to the west coast of North America, where it is one of the most sought after species for decoration during Christmas festivities.
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Black stork

In spring, migratory birds bolster the Portuguese black stork population and in the autumn, they leave the country for Africa. Some of them fly along the coast in an elegant manner, alternating between vigorous wingbeats and calmer moments when they glide, seemingly suspended in the sky.
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Genet

This is the bold and agile common genet (Genetta genetta), a mammal that bears some similarities to cats, although it is not related to them. The species was introduced to Portugal a long time ago, has become one of our most common wild mammals, and can be found all over mainland Portugal.
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Montado

The montado is one of Portugal’s most iconic landscapes, and can be found specifically in Alentejo, but this sanctuary of biodiversity, which was first shaped by human activity many centuries ago, is also an endangered habitat.
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Old chestnut trees are a haven for biodiversity

At the end of October, the spiky cupules of chestnut trees (Castanea sativa), which resemble small hedgehogs, have already begun to fall. Inside them, the much sought-after chestnuts can be found. This is the case in the mountainous regions of Portugal, especially in the central and northern parts of the country, where the old chestnut trees provide shelter for dozens of species, including rare plants, birds of prey, and highly prized mushrooms.
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Rare plant Rhaponticum exaltatum found in Penamacor

Rare and little known, Rhaponticum exaltatum, which was formerly known as Leuzea rhaponticoides, is a “Critically Endangered” plant species in Portugal. It was previously thought to be confined to a small area in Trás-os-Montes, but in 2022 it was discovered in the forests managed by the Navigator Company in Penamacor by a team from Floradata.