Although the mountain areas of the world are so isolated and widely distributed that they can largely be regarded as separate faunal provinces, the fauna of the African-European Mountains show characteristics that are typical of mountain life the world over. The animal life of mountainous areas like this one is found at high altitude only during the summer months. In winter, when the snows come, herbivores such as the groaths move to lower levels to find shelter and grazing. The carnivorous animals, dependent on them for food, closely follow the herds on their seasonal migrations.