LIFE ON TOP OF THE WORLD
AT 8,850 metres above sea level, Mount Everest is the world’s highest peak. It lies in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Lots of plants and animals live on Everest and the surrounding slopes. Only a few species can survive near the top of the mountain, which is rocky and icy yearround. In winter, winds at the top of Everest can reach 280 km/h, stronger than a category-five hurricane.
NIVAL ZONE
ABOVE about 5,480 metres lies the nival zone. Hardy plants here include low-growing members of the thistle, daisy, and mustard families. No plants grow above 6,700 metres, and few animals can survive as the air has little oxygen.
ALPINE ZONE
BETWEEN about 3,780 metres and 5,480 metres, you’ll find grasses and plants, such as cushion plants that can withstand the dry winds. There are no trees above the tree line at about 4,000 metres.
SUBALPINE ZONE
AT ABOUT 3,000–3,780 metres, trees such as blue pine, East Himalayan fir and drooping juniper grow in mountain valleys. In summer, Himalayan black bears and wolves can be seen in this zone, but they migrate to lower slopes in winter.
FORESTED TEMPERATE ZONE
PLANTS growing between about 900 metres and 3,000 metres include the silver birch, tree-sized rhododendrons and bamboo. Hiding among them are red pandas, mountain monkeys and musk deer. Yellow-throated martens, the largest of the Asian martens (weasellike mammals), hunt the deer.
HIGH FLYER
ON MIGRATION between north and south Asia, bar-headed geese fly across the Himalayas in seven hours, at a recordbreaking maximum altitude of 7,000 metres. They have large lungs and a fast-pumping heart to help move oxygen around their body.
AGILE CLIMBER
THE Himalayan tahr eats grasses and woody plants at up to 5,000 metres. Its hooves have a rubbery sole, so that they can grip rock.
UPLAND PHEASANT
IN WINTER, the Himalayan monal digs through snow for roots and insects. In summer, it eats grubs, caterpillars and mushrooms.
RED PANDA
THE red panda forages at night. Like the giant panda, it eats bamboo, but red pandas also devour small mammals, birds, flowers and fruits.
JUMPING SPIDERS
THE Himalayan jumping spider has been found at 6,700 metres, making it the world’s highest permanent resident. The spider eats tiny insects blown up from below by the wind.
TOP CAT
SNOW leopards are the top predator in the alpine and subalpine zones. Tahr and sheep are its main prey, but it also ambushes wild goats and smaller animals, such as pikas and voles.