Altitude: 235–307 m above sea level
Area of the natural monument: 27.3 ha
Material: Tertiary volcanic rock tephriphonolite, in places porcellanite (metamorphosed siltstone)

 

Stone was mined at the southern foot of Kunětická hora hill – in the 15th century the stone was used to build a castle on the top of the mountain and more intensive mining took place in the 19th century in connection with the construction of the Prague - Olomouc railway and the surrounding roads. Mining destroyed the most valuable steppe habitats. However, quarry walls became a partial replacement for the destroyed xerophytic habitats. Nowadays, the former quarry is overgrown with trees.

 

Fungi

Associated with quarry with overgrowth: Orange mock oyster (Phyllotopsis nidulans), True Morel (Morchella esculenta), Half-free Morel (Morchella semilibera)

 

Plants

Southern rock walls and foot of the hill: Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa), Large Garden (Thymus pulegioides), Field and Red-stem Wormwoods (Artemisia campestris, A. scoparia), Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias), non-native Yellowtuft (Alyssum murale)

 

Invertebrates

Rock habitats: Willowherb Hawkmoth (Proserpinus proserpina), Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion; hasn’t been confirmed recently), moths Polymixis xanthomista, Hoplodrina respersa, Eucosma pupillana, Hermit (Chazara briseis; extinct at the locality), geometer moth Euphyia frustata, moth Euzophera cinerosella, Hymenoptera, i.e. spider wasp Agenoideus nubecula, wasp Tachysphex nitidus

 

Vertebrates

Rock habitats: Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis), Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca); Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo bubo); Edible Dormouse (Glis glis)

 

Photo caption

Xerophilic plants on the rock base