The Iskar ( bg, Искър, ; la, Oescus) is a right tributary of the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

. With a length of 368 km it is the longest river that runs entirely within

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Maced ...

.Statistical Yearbook 2017

National Statistical Institute (Bulgaria) The National Statistical Institute or NSI ( bg, Национален статистически институт or НСИ) is the Bulgarian state agency responsible for the collection and dissemination of statistical data on the population, ec ...

, p. 17 Originating as three forks in

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the wh ...

's highest mountain range

Rila Rila ( bg, Рила, ) is the highest mountain range of Bulgaria, the Balkan Peninsula and Southeast Europe. It is situated in southwestern Bulgaria and forms part of the Rila– Rhodope Massif. The highest summit is Musala at an elevation of 2,92 ...

, it flows in northern direction until its confluence with the

Danube River The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

. As it flows northwards it fuels the largest artificial lake in the country, the Iskar Reservoir, forms the divide between the

Vitosha Vitosha ( bg, Витоша ), the ancient ''Scomius'' or ''Scombrus'', is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Vitosha is one of the symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Conveni ...

and Plana Mountains in the west and the

Sredna Gora Sredna Gora ( bg, Средна гора ) is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to the Balkan Mountains and extending from the Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora ...

mountain range in the east before entering the

Sofia Valley The Sofia Valley ( bg, Софийска котловина, Sofiyska kotlovina), or Sofia Field ( bg, Софийско поле, Sofiysko pole, link=no), is a valley in central western Bulgaria bordering Stara Planina to the northeast, the Viskyar ...

, which contains the nation's capital

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

. From there the Iskar runs through the

Balkan Mountains The Balkan mountain range (, , known locally also as Stara planina) is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border be ...

forming the spectacular 84 km long

Iskar Gorge The Iskar Gorge is a gorge passing through the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) in Bulgaria. It is the chief pass through the Balkans, which otherwise cross northern Bulgaria in a solid line. The pass connects the capital of Sofia with other major ...

and as it crosses the mountains its water course turns in north-eastern direction at

Lakatnik Lakatnik ( bg, Лакатник ) is a small village located in Svoge Municipality, near the Lakatnik rocks. The village has a train station called Gara Lakatnik on the train line Sofia - Mezdra Mezdra ( bg, Мездра ) is a town in northwe ...

. North of the Balkan Mountains the river crosses the Danubian Plain and finally flows into the Danube between the villages of Baykal and

Gigen Gigen ( bg, Гиген, ) is a village in northern Bulgaria, part of Gulyantsi Municipality, Pleven Province. It is located near the Danube River, close to the place where the Iskar River empties into it, opposite the Romanian town of Corabia ...

. Geologically, Iskar is the oldest river in the Balkan Peninsula. Its watershed drains 8,617 km² in the provinces of

, Sofia City,

Vratsa Vratsa ( bg, Враца ) is the largest city in northwestern Bulgaria and the administrative and economic centre of the municipality of Vratsa and Vratsa district. It is located about 112 km north of Sofia, 40 km southeast of Montana. ...

Lovech Lovech ( bg, Ловеч, Lovech, ) is a city in north-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The city is located about northeast from the capital city of Sofia. Near L ...

and

Pleven Pleven ( bg, Плèвен ) is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality. It is the biggest ...

. The Iskar flows through nine towns and numerous villages. The Iskar river basin is home to more than 50 species of fish, including ''

Cottus haemusi ''Cottus haemusi'' is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in Bulgaria. It inhabits the of the Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontie ...

'' that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the upper Iskar and Vit drainages. The Iskar has a significant economic importance, providing water for the needs of the capital and a number of manufacturing plants. It waters are also utilised for irrigation and electrical energy generation, while the scenic gorges and rock formations throughout its course provide excellent conditions for recreation. Although the Iskar is not navigable its valley is very important for transportation, especially along the Iskar Gorge, which is one of the only three passes in the Balkan Mountains crossed by a railway.

Overview

The Iskar is 368 km long, which makes it the longest river that runs entirely within the territory of Bulgaria. The Danube and the

Maritsa Maritsa or Maritza ( bg, Марица ), also known as Meriç ( tr, Meriç ) and Evros ( ell, Έβρος ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of ,Black Sea river basin. It is the only river that takes its source in southern Bulgaria and flows north through the Balkan Mountains that form the water divide between the basins of the Black Sea to the north and the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...

to the south. In terms of geology, the Iskar is the oldest river in the Balkans and also the only one to have preserved its original direction despite the significant geological changes in later stages. The Iskar basin spans a territory of 8,646 km² in six Bulgarian provinces,

, Sofia City,

and

, with a total population of about 1,600,000 people. The most significant right tributaries from south to north are the Lesnovska River (65 km), Malki Iskar (85 km) and Zlatna Panega (50 km); the largest left tributaries are the Palakaria (39 km), Vitoshka Bistritsa (12 km) and

Perlovska Perlovska river ( bg, Перловска река) is a small river in the Sofia Valley in western Bulgaria. The river is only long. It takes its source from the foothills of Vitosha, runs through Sofia's South Park ''South Park'' is an Am ...

(31 km). Its average discharge at the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on t ...

is .

Course

Upper course

The Iskar

headwaters The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

consist of three forks in the northern slopes of

, Bulgaria's highest mountain range. The 23 km long Cherni (black) Iskar is considered the

main stem In hydrology, a mainstem (or trunk) is "the primary downstream segment of a river, as contrasted to its tributaries". Water enters the mainstem from the river's drainage basin, the land area through which the mainstem and its tributaries flow.. A ...

of the river. It takes its source from the Chamovsko Lake (2,500 m) to the north-east of the Damga Peak (2,669 m) and from there the river flows in north-eastern direction through the Govedartsi Valley, fuelled by the waters of the Chanakgyolski, Malyovishki and Urdini Lakes. Cherni Iskar's discharge at Goverdartsi is 1.60 m³/s; its basin covers 237 km². Beli (white) Iskar is the longest of the three with a length of 28 km and its springs are at the northern slopes of the Redzhepitsa Peak (2,677 m). It forms a deep and steep valley and has a basin of 91 km². One of its tributaries, the Bistritsa, takes its beginning from the Musala Lakes under the slopes of

Musala Musala ( bg, Мусала ); from Arabic through Ottoman Turkish: from ''Musalla'', "near God" or "place for prayer" is the highest peak in the Rila Mountains, as well as in Bulgaria and the entire Balkan Peninsula, standing at . With a topogr ...

(2,925 m), the highest summit of the Balkan Peninsula. In its upper course at an altitude of 1,900 m is located the Beli Iskar Reservoir, constructed between 1939 and 1945, that powers a small 16 MW hydro power station. Levi (left) Iskar is the smallest of the three and has its origins at the northern slopes of the Marinkyovistsa Peak (2,636 m). It flows through a deep valley for 18 km until its confluence with Cherni Iskar downstream of the village Mala Tsarkva and has a watershed of 56 km². Iskar proper is formed by the confluence of Beli and Cherni Iskar and remains a typical mountain turbulent river with very large inclination and dragging force before entering the Samokov valley at an altitude of 950 m. It flows through the town of

Samokov Samokov ( bg, Самоков ) is a town in Sofia Province in the southwest of Bulgaria. It is situated in a basin between the mountains Rila and Vitosha, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia. Due to the suitable winter sports conditions, ...

and is joined by its first significant left tributary, the Palakaria a few kilometres to the north. As it emerges out of the valley the river fills the Iskar Reservoir, the largest artificial lake in Bulgaria. Downstream of the dam the Iskar flows in north-western direction and forms the 22 km long

Pancharevo Gorge Pancharevo Gorge (Pancharevo saddle) is a deep and narrow gorge in the upper stream of the Iskar River in western Bulgaria. It is sandwiched between the mountains of Vitosha and Plana to the southwest and the Lozen Mountain to the northeast. The go ...

that divides the

and Plana Mountains in the west and the

mountain range in the east. There it fills the Pasarel Reservoir and Lake Pancharevo.

Middle course

The middle course of the Iskar takes its beginning at the village of German. As it enters the

(550 m) at the aforementioned village it turns northwards and forms a wide river bed. There the river flows through the easternmost suburbs of the national capital

and is crossed over by the runway of Sofia International Airport. In the southern parts of the valley the Iskar has an inclination of 6.7‰ that decreases to 0.06‰ in the northern reaches of the valley near the town of Novi Iskar. Upstream in Sofia Valley the sediment that the Iskar carries consists mainly of rough

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

while downstream it is mainly sand. The river enters the

at the town of Novi Iskar and forms a long and spectacular gorge, whose slopes reach a height of 200 m up to 500 m at some points. The

reaches a length of 70 km between its beginning at Kurilo, a neighbourhood of Novi Iskar, and the village of

Lyutibrod Lyutibrod ( bg, Лютиброд) is a village in Mezdra Municipality in Vratsa Province, western Bulgaria. As of 2007 it has a population of 452. The village is situated in the northern end of the Iskar Gorge, on the right bank of the river of ...

which marks its end. The river flows north through much of the gorge but at

it forms a right turn and starts flowing eastwards. Up to Gara Bov the Iskar flows through very eroded rocks and the gorge is wide with better developed and preserved river terraces. These terraces have formed during the

Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...

and can be 110 to 120 m high. Upstream the river runs through mesozoic limestone, which makes the gorge narrow and even canyon-like at places. At the very beginning of the gorge to Rebrovo the inclination of the Iskar is only 0.75‰ and it flows slowly, forming meanders and even islets. However, the inclination soon increases to an average of 4.1‰ and the flow quickens, forming a narrow and carved river bed. At Lyutibrod the Iskar enters the Pre-Balkan hills where it forms its fourth gorge with a length of 64 km. The inclination is 2.59‰ on average between Lyutibrod and the town of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

, and 1.38‰ between Roman and Chomakovtsi. At

Karlukovo Karlukovo ( bg, Карлуково ) is a village in Lukovit Municipality, Lovech Province, northwestern Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. ...

the river once again turns its course in northern direction.

Lower course

The lower course begins from the village of Chomakovtsi, where it leaves the pre-Balkan mountains and enters the Danubian Plain. From there the Iskar once again flows in north-eastern direction until its confluence with the Danube. In this section the valley of the river is hollowed into the

loess Loess (, ; from german: Löss ) is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loess or similar deposits. Loess is a periglacial or aeolian ...

sediments of the Danubian Plain. The valley is wide but narrowed by the valleys of neighbouring valleys of the rivers Vit to the east and Skat to the west. The right margins of the lower Iskar valley are higher and steeper than the left. In the past, the riverbed was carved into an alluvial bottom and due to the small inclination the river used to form meanders with swampy banks. Nowadays the Iskar flows in a corrected riverbed during the last about 17 km until it reaches the Danube. The riverbeds of some of its tributaries such as Blato, Stari Iskar and Kakach Kriva river have also been adjusted. The confluence with the Danube is situated at an altitude of 25 m, at 3 km to the north-east of the village of Baykal and to the west of the village of

Protected areas

There are several protected areas that include parts of the Iskar river. The headwaters of the river it its uppermost course fall within the territory of

Rila National Park Rila National Park ( bg, Национален парк „Рила“) is the largest national park in Bulgaria spanning an area of in the Rila mountain range in the south-west of the country. History It was established on 24 February 1992 to ...

, the largest one in Bulgaria. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...

network of nature protection areas

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

includes several protected areas along the river, such as the section of the Pancharevo Gorge under the code Plana BG0001307 and the lower course of the Iskar in the vicinity of the town of

Dolni Dabnik Dolni Dabnik ( bg, Долни Дъбник ) is a town in Pleven Province in the Danubian Plain of central northern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of Dolni Dabnik municipality and lies to the west of the city of Pleven. As of December ...

under the code Iskar River BG0000613.

Ecology

The autochthonous ichthyofauna consists of at least 50 species of two classes,

Cephalaspidomorphi Cephalaspidomorphs are a group of jawless fishes named for ''Cephalaspis'' of the osteostracans. Most biologists regard this taxon as extinct, but the name is sometimes used in the classification of lampreys, because lampreys were once thought ...

(jawless fishes) and

Actinopterygii Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or ho ...

(ray-finned fishes), and five orders,

Petromyzontiformes Lampreys (sometimes inaccurately called lamprey eels) are an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes , placed in the superclass Cyclostomata. The adult lamprey may be characterized by a toothed, funnel-like s ...

(lampreys),

Siluriformes Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

(catfish),

Gadiformes Gadiformes are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Anacanthini, that includes the cod. Many major food fish are in this order. They are found in marine waters throughout the world and the vast majority of the species are found in tem ...

, Esociformes (pikes and allies) and

Perciformes Perciformes (), also called the Percomorpha or Acanthopteri, is an order or superorder of ray-finned fish. If considered a single order, they are the most numerous order of vertebrates, containing about 41% of all bony fish. Perciformes means ...

. Many of them are restricted to the lower course near the confluence with the Danube. The jawless fishes of the order Petromyzontiformes are represented by a single family

Petromyzontidae The northern lampreys (Petromyzontidae) are a family of lampreys. Northern lampreys have the highest number of chromosome A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes t ...

with two species,

brook lamprey The brook lamprey (''Lampetra planeri'', also known as the European brook lamprey and the western brook lamprey) is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater environments. The species is related to, but distinct from, ...

, Carpathian brook lamprey. The Siluriformes include the only species of this order in Europe, the

wels catfish The wels catfish ( or ; ''Silurus glanis''), also called sheatfish or just wels, is a large species of catfish native to wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, in the basins of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. It has been intro ...

. The only freshwater fish of the order Gadiformes, the burbot, inhabits the lower course near the Danube, which is among the southernmost points of its range. The Esociformes are also represented by a single species, the

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a p ...

. The Perciformes are the most diverse order of fishes in the Iskar, represented by several families. The autochthonous species of the family

Percidae The Percidae are a family of ray-finned fish, part of the order Perciformes, which are found in fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The majority are Nearctic, but there are also Palearctic species. The family contains more than ...

include pikeperch,

Volga pikeperch The Volga pikeperch, or Volga zander (''Sander volgensis''), is a species of fish in the perch family Percidae. It is found in Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, a ...

European perch The European perch (''Perca fluviatilis''), also known as the common perch, redfin perch, big-scaled redfin, English perch, Euro perch, Eurasian perch, Eurasian river perch, Hatch, poor man’s rockfish or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply th ...

, common zingel, streber, Eurasian ruffe, Balon's ruffe, striped ruffe, The

Cyprinidae Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest vert ...

are represented by asp,

tench The tench or doctor fish (''Tinca tinca'') is a fresh- and brackish-water fish of the order Cypriniformes found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also ...

Danube bleak The Danube bleak or Caspian shemaya (''Alburnus chalcoides'') is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Iran, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, France,

, common bleak, riffle minnow, silver bream,

common bream The common bream, freshwater bream, bream, bronze bream, carp bream or sweaty bream (''Abramis brama''), is a European species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is now considered to be the only species in the genus ''Abramis''. ...

, white-eye bream, blue bream, Vimba bream, sabrefish, ide,

European chub ''Squalius cephalus'' is a European species of freshwater fish in the carp family Cyprinidae. It frequents both slow and moderate rivers, as well as canals and still waters of various kinds. This species is referred to as the common chub, Europe ...

common nase The common nase (''Chondrostoma nasus'') is a European potamodromous cyprinid fish. It is often simply called the nase, but that can refer to any species of its genus ''Chondrostoma''. Another name is sneep. Distribution The nase is found natur ...

European bitterling The European bitterling (''Rhodeus amarus'') is a temperate freshwater fish belonging to the subfamily Acheilognathinae of the family Cyprinidae. It originates in Europe, ranging from the Rhone River basin in France to the Neva River in Russia ...

, common roach,

common minnow The Eurasian minnow, minnow, or common minnow (''Phoxinus phoxinus'') is a small species of freshwater fish in the carp family Cyprinidae. It is the type species of genus ''Phoxinus''. It is ubiquitous throughout much of Eurasia, from Britain and ...

common rudd The common rudd (''Scardinius erythrophthalmus'') is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas. Identification Morphologically, this spec ...

, gudgeon, Kessler's gudgeon, Danube whitefin gudgeon,

common barbel The common barbel, ''Barbus barbus'', is a species of freshwater fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. It shares the common name 'barbel' with its many relatives in the genus ''Barbus'', of which it is the type species. In Great Britain it is ...

, Romanian barbel,

crucian carp The crucian carp (''Carassius carassius'') is a medium-sized member of the common carp family Cyprinidae. It occurs widely in northern European regions. Its name derives from the Low German ''karusse'' or ''karutze'', possibly from Medieval Lati ...

, The

Nemacheilidae The Nemacheilidae, or stone loaches, are a family of cypriniform fishes that inhabit stream environments, mostly in Eurasia, with one genus, ''Afronemacheilus'' found in Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most pop ...

are represented by the stone loach, while the species of the family

Cobitidae Cobitidae, also known as the True loaches, is a family of Old World freshwater fish. They occur throughout Eurasia and in Morocco, and inhabit riverine ecosystems. Today, most " loaches" are placed in other families (see below). The family includ ...

include

European weather loach The weatherfish (''Misgurnus fossilis'') is a species of true loach that has a wide range in Europe and some parts of Asia. It is an omnivorous scavenger bottom feeder, using its sensitive barbels to find edible items. The diet mostly consists o ...

spined loach The spined loach (''Cobitis taenia'') is a common freshwater fish in Europe. It is sometimes known as spotted weather loach, not to be confused with the "typical" weather loaches of the genus ''Misgurnus''. This is the type species of the spiny l ...

, Balkan loach, golden spined loach, Bulgarian spined loach, and ''

''. The

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morp ...

is the only representative of the

Salmonidae Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish that constitutes the only currently extant family in the order Salmoniformes . It includes salmon (both Atlantic and Pacific species), trout (both ocean-going and landlocked), chars, freshwater whitefis ...

. The predominantly marine family

Clupeidae Clupeidae is a family of ray-finned fishes, comprising, for instance, the herrings, shads, sardines, hilsa, and menhadens. The clupeoids include many of the most important food fishes in the world, and are also commonly caught for production of ...

is represented by the Pontic shad. The

Gobiidae Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and the ...

include Kessler's goby,

monkey goby Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...

and racer goby. The Iskar used to be inhabited by one of the six species of

sturgeon Sturgeon is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the Late Cretaceous, and are descended from other, earlier acipenseriform fish, which date back to the Early ...

s native to Bulgaria, the

sterlet The sterlet (''Acipenser ruthenus'') is a relatively small species of sturgeon from Eurasia native to large rivers that flow into the Black Sea, Azov Sea, and Caspian Sea, as well as rivers in Siberia as far east as Yenisei. Populations migrat ...

. It could be found upstream as far south as the town of Lukovit but has been extinct from the river and inhabits only the Danube. The amphibians are represented by frogs, such as the

European fire-bellied toad The European fire-bellied toad (''Bombina bombina'') is a species of fire-bellied toad native to eastern parts of mainland Europe, where it can be found near waterbodies such as ponds and marshes. It is known for its red colored belly used to wa ...

, yellow-bellied toad, European green toad, agile frog,

European tree frog The European tree frog (''Hyla arborea'') is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa,Frost, Darrel R. ''Amphibian Species of the World''. Allen Press, Inc., 1985, p. 126. but b ...

, common spadefoot, as wells as by two newt species— Danube crested newt and Balkan crested newt. The waters of the Iskar are habitat of the European pond turtle,

dice snake Dice (singular die or dice) are small, throwable objects with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. They are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, role-playing g ...

and

grass snake The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Subspecies Many subspecies are recognize ...

with a number of other reptiles inhabiting the river banks and surrounding areas, such as

spur-thighed tortoise The Greek tortoise (''Testudo graeca''), also known commonly as the spur-thighed tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. ''Testudo graeca'' is one of five species of Mediterranean tortoises (genera '' Testudo'' and '' Ag ...

, Herman's tortoise, horned viper, Blotched snake, Caspian whipsnake,

Aesculapian snake The Aesculapian snake (now ''Zamenis longissimus'', previously ''Elaphe longissima''), is a species of nonvenomous snake native to Europe, a member of the Colubrinae subfamily of the family Colubridae. Growing up to in length, it is among the ...

European green lizard The European green lizard (''Lacerta viridis'') is a large lizard distributed across European midlatitudes from Slovenia and eastern Austria to as far east as the Black Sea coasts of Ukraine and Turkey. It is often seen sunning on rocks or lawns, ...

, common wall lizard, Balkan wall lizard, etc.

Honour

Iskar Glacier on

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60° ...

in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

is named after Iskar River.

Citations

Sources

References

* * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Iskar (River) Rivers of Bulgaria Landforms of Pleven Province Landforms of Sofia Province Landforms of Pernik Province Landforms of Vratsa Province Landforms of Lovech Province Landforms of Sofia City Province