Palearctic

Physically, it is the largest ecozone, but it has few unique features since it is central and temperate or tundra, with no truly tropical areas, but some arid areas with near-tropical climates (Sicily, southern Spain, Greece).

Because of its size, it is often divided for convenience into the Western Palaearctic and the Eastern Palaearctic, the Ural mountains being taken as the boundary.

This zone and the Nearctic were often connected by the Bering land bridge, and therefore have more similarities than other faunal zones. They are therefore sometimes considered together as a circumpolar Holarctic zone.

Ecologically important features:

• heavily developed Rivers of Europe
• Rivers of Russia
• Mediterranean Sea north coast (Spain, France, Italy)

One bird family, Prunellidae, the accentors, is endemic to the Palearctic region . The Holarctic has four endemic groups: Gaviidae, divers, Tetraoninae grouse, Alcidae auks, and Bombycillidae waxwings.

Animal families originally unique to the Palearctic ecozone include:

• horses
• cows (imported to India and elsewhere?)

(this is a stub - must cover all ecologically important features)

External link :

Map of the ecozones (http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/ecoregions/global200/pages/mainmap.htm)

See also : List of palearctic ecoregions