Biodiversity

Teskei Geopark is home to about 15 species of reptiles, including endemic species such as the Tianshan lizard (Eremias stummeri Wettstein), Borkin’s lizard (Eremias velox borkini Eremchenko et Panfilov), and Darevskii’s colorful lizard (Eremias arguta darevskii Tsaruk), and more than 60 species of birds, nine of which are red-listed by the Kyrgyz Government and the IUCN:

• Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
• Eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca Sav.) 
• Steppe eagle (Aquila rapax (Temm.) 
• White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla (L.) 
• Black vulture (Aegypius monachus)
• Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis Hume) 
• The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) 
• Saker falcon (Falco cherrug J.E.Gray) 
• Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus Tunst.) 
• Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus)

There are more than 30 species of mammals in Teskei Geopark, including snow leopard, bear, lynx, wolf, jackal, fox, red deer, Marco Polo sheep, wild boar, roe deer, Siberian mountain goat, several species of bats, Eurasian hedgehog, badger, ermine, polecat, squirrel, American mink, muskrat, etc. Eight species are red-listed by the Kyrgyz Government and the IUCN:

• Snow leopard (Uncia uncia)
• Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) 
• Common lynx (Linx lynx) 
• Tianshan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus Horsfield) 
• Tien Shan Maral (Cervus canadensis songaricus Sev.)
• Marco Polo sheep (Ovis Ammon polii)
• Stone marten (Martens foina)
• Siberian jerboa (Allactaga sibirica)

Climate and hydrology 

The wide range of altitudes within the Teskei Geopark resulted in climatic diversity. While the mountainous areas of the Teskei Geopark have a continental climate, the coastal areas along the Ysyk-Kol Lake have a subtropical climate. The average winter temperature is -4°C in the coastal areas and -16 °C in the mountainous areas. 

Average summer temperatures are higher than +18°C in the coastal areas and higher than +10 °C in the mountainous areas. Annual precipitation ranges between different parts of the Teskei Geopark; e.g., the average annual precipitation in the eastern parts of the Geopark is at 1,771 mm, while in the western parts, it is as low as 150-160 mm. 

The major rivers such as Ulakhol, Ak-Terek, Zher-Ui, Tosor, Tamga, Borskoon, Chon- Jergulchak, Chon-Kyzyl-Suu, Jooku, and Jeti-Oguz originate in the Teskei Ala-Too mountains and flow into the Ysyk-Kol Lake. The length of the rivers ranges from 15 to 35 km. 

Besides the Ysyk-Kol Lake, there are several smaller lakes within the Teskei Geopark. For example, Chungkur-Kol (1.5 km*0.3 km), Chokaly-Kol (3.5 km*0.3 km), and numerous glacial lakes are located in the Arabel valley. The diversity of landscapes in the Teskei Geopark include: 

Coastal landscapes (1,600 m.a.s.l.)

Desert and semi-desert landscapes (1,600-2,000 m.a.s.l.)

Steppe landscapes (1,800-2,200 m.a.s.l.) 

Meadow-steppe landscapes (2,100-2,500 m.a.s.l.) 

Forest-meadow and forest-meadow-steppe landscapes (2,000-2,900 m.a.s.l.) 

Subalpine and alpine meadow (2,700-3,500 m.a.s.l.) 

Cold tundra and glacial landscapes (3,500+ m.a.s.l.).