Hermon nature reserve is a nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

  located in the north of the Golan Heights, which was declared a nature reserve on December 6, 1974. The reserve includes an area in southern Mount Hermon

Mount Hermon

Mount Hermon is a mountain cluster in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m above sea level, is the highest point in Syria. On the top there is “Hermon Hotel”, in the buffer zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied...

 which is located in the Israeli occupied portion of the Golan Heights. The reserve excludes the Mount Hermon ski resort

Mount Hermon ski resort

The Mount Hermon ski resort is situated on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Hermon, a few kilometers off the Israeli-Syrian ceasefire line, in the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights. The site is surrounded by the Hermon nature reserve...

, Neve Ativ

Neve Ativ

Neve Ativ , is a small Alpine-styled Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights, founded in 1972, and located on the slopes of Mount Hermon, west of Majdal Shams. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights illegal under international law, but the Israeli...

 and the Nimrod Fortress

Nimrod Fortress

The Nimrod Fortress or Nimrod's Fortress, is a medieval fortress situated in the northern Golan Heights, on a ridge rising about 800 m above sea level.-History:...

. The total area of the reserve is 18,842 acres (76,250 dunam).

Vegetation: due to the height of the mountain the growth and the blooming begins at the top of the mountain in August, instead of the spring.

Fauna: the common birds in the reserve include White-throated Robin

White-throated Robin

The White-throated Robin is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, family Muscicapidae...

, Western Rock Nuthatch

Western Rock Nuthatch

The Western Rock Nuthatch, Sitta neumayer is a small passerine bird which breeds from Serbia east through Greece and Turkey to Iran. This nuthatch is largely resident apart from some post-breeding dispersal...

, Sombre Tit

Sombre Tit

The Sombre Tit is a member of the tit family found in southeast Europe and southwest Asia.Though it is traditionally placed in Parus, mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data suggests that that genus should be split, as already adopted by the American Ornithologists' Union, for example...

 and Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...

. There are many species of butterflies, of which 23 are unique to the Hermon nature reserve and do not exist in Israel. The common reptiles in the reserve include the Vipera bornmuelleri

Vipera bornmuelleri

Vipera bornmuelleri is a venomous viper species found in Lebanon and Syria. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Grows to a maximum length of about 75 cm, but usually much less. Males tend to be larger than females in some populations. In specimens from Mt. Lebanon, the maximum...

 and the Four-lined snake

Elaphe quatuorlineata

Elaphe quatuorlineata or the Four-lined Snake is Europe's largest non-venomous colubrid species.-Geographic range:It can be found in southern Europe, mostly in Italy and the Balkans from Croatia to Greece.-Description:...

.