In the Nahe valley, a huge number of thermophile species appear which usually can only be found in the mediterranean region or Eurasian steppe habitats. Characteristical species of plants are e. g. "Alyssum montanum", "Aster linosyris" ("Goldilocks Aster"), "Dictamnus albus" ("White Dittany"), "Dianthus grationopolitanus" ("Cheddar Pink"), "Gagea bohemica" subsp. "saxatilis" ("Early-Star-of-Bethlehem"), "Galium glaucum" ("Glaucous Bedstraw"), "Oxytropis pilosa" or "Stipa tirsa". These plants immigrated in a postglacial warm period to Europe but became extinct in most regions when the climate changed again to significantly cooler and more humid conditions. They only survived in small but still warm and dry places due to special geographic situations. In the Nahe valley and its tributaries these are mostly rocky precipices towards South or South-East, furthermore sunny slopes with shrubs, bushes and dry broad-leaved forests. On hot summer days the soil temperatures in these places can reach 60 °C/140 °F and above with truly steppe-like circumstances. A characteristical thermophile animal species is the insulated population of the dice snake ("Natrix tessellata") that exists along the Nahe. The snake is very addicted to water and captures small fishes.