Special habitat

WATER LILIES IN THE LAKE

The lake's flora and fauna are unique due to the temperature and composition of the water. Some of Hungary's plant and animal species can only be found here and one of the most spectacular of these is the water lily.

The white water lily (Nymphaea alba L. var. minor) is native to the lake - although it is almost crowded out of the lake, there are many of them in the stream.

In the late 1800s, several attempts were made to plant different species of water lilies, of which the Indian red water lily (Nympaea Rubra var. loniflora) was successfully introduced. In 1898, the Indian red water lily was introduced by Sándor Lovassy, who was a teacher at the Academy of Economics in Keszthely. Since then, the plant has become a true symbol of the town, and several colour variations can be seen in the lake and the stream.
Actually, the home of the red water lily is the tropical Bengal, East India. A single stock develops up to 50-90 leaves in summer, with stems rooted in mud and growing up to 4-5 metres long. The flowers open late at night and close only the next morning. Flowering lasts from June until the end of November and the flowers are not only aesthetically important but also play a major role in slowing down the cooling of the water, while the stalks that crawl along the bottom protect the medicinal mud. In autumn the water lilies go back into the mud and sprout again in spring.

Water lily, pond lily, candock, lotus - there are so many names for this flower but there is no doubt that the pink and purple flowers swaying on the water fascinate everyone in Hévíz.

Special animals, some of which can only be found in Lake Hévíz

In addition to the flora, the fauna of the lake is also very diverse. There are small unicellular animals and also vertebrates. They don't bother bathers, as only those who look hard enough for them will be aware of their existence. Planktonic crustaceans, water snails, fish, dragonflies, leaf and flower beetles and even many species of butterflies live in the lake and its surroundings. In addition to the smaller animals or perhaps because of the large number of small animals and the ideal summer-winter natural conditions, Lake Hévíz and its surroundings are also home to several larger species. These include waterfowl, some of which breed or spend the winter here, but there are also birds that permanently reside here and birds that visit from the area of Kis (Small) Balaton.

A keen birdwatcher may encounter wild ducks, little grebes, coots, barn swallows and house martins, grey herons, egrets, little cormorants, occasionally swans, kingfishers and many smaller songbirds. The thermal water is not only home to small animals, but also to fish, crabs, grass snakes, frogs, which are very well adapted to the temperature and water composition of the thermal water. These animals include smaller crucian carp, tench, mosquitofish, rainbow cichlid, common bream, and ide. Some of these species are native to the lake, and others have been brought in from other waters or introduced. The most unique species is the Hungarian wild carp, which only lives here. In addition to fish, the water is also home to the dice snake, which is completely harmless. And the outfalls are home to smaller crabs, which are good indicators of water clarity.

The typical plants of the thermal spring are blue algae, some species of which have a special protein composition that makes them suitable for living at high temperatures. Sulphur bacteria are also typical inhabitants of the lake, they can store sulphur secreted from the water in their cells. The different strains of bacteria that live in the lake make the water disinfectant. A special species of micromonospore also lives in the lake, which has been named "Hévíz micromonospore" after its habitat. The species of actinobacteria discovered in Hévíz is also unique: it is the only place in Central Europe where it can be found.

A national treasure is the Hévíz mosquitofish, which was introduced into the lake by a Hévíz vet to control malaria mosquitoes.

In addition to the green frog, the lake is also home to the marsh frog and the European fire-bellied toad, while the European pond turtle and the smooth newt can be seen in the reeds. In the winter, it's a refuge for mute swans, black-headed gulls and Eurasian coot.