Shumen Plateau Nature Park (excluding mosses). The faunal species reported consist of 350 invertebrates and more than 240 vertebrates. The mammals recorded are: badger ("Meles meles"), beech marten ("Martes foina"), fox ("Vulpes vulpes"), red deer ("Cervus elaphus"), roe deer ("Capreolus capreolus"), wild boar ("Sus scrofa") and soforth. There are also several species of avifauna. The reptile species reported include Aesculapian snake ("Elaphe longissima"), European green lizard ("Lacerta viridis"), Hermann's tortoise ("Testudo hermanni"), horned viper ("Vipera ammodytes"), spur-thighed tortoise ("Testudo graeca"), and wall lizard ("Podarcis muralis"). Animals, which are under different protection categories, reported in the park are: black woodpecker ("Dryocopus martius"), Eurasian eagle-owl ("Bubo
Meles (genus) has been much discussion as to whether it is a single species or three distinct species. There are geographical differences between individuals from different parts of the range in skull structure, morphology of the first premolar teeth, and facial markings. Some authorities advocated placing European and Asian badgers in separate species, "Meles meles" and "Meles leptorhynchus" (Milne-Edwards, 1867), the boundary between the two being the Volga River. Others considered there to be three subspecies, "M. m. meles", found west of the Volga, "M. m. arenarius-leptorhynchus", found between the Volga and Transbaikalia, and "M. m. amurensis-anakuma" from the Amur region and