Wildlife of
France

France is a large Western European country that shares land borders with Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, and the Mediterranean Sea. Before it became a united country, the land was held under the sway of the Romans and the Celts. The French ecosystem is largely composed of forests, plains, and light hills, while several mountain ranges and inactive volcanoes, including the vast Pyrenees and Alps, extend across the southern parts of the country. This article will only cover the wildlife of mainland France and not its overseas territories.

The Official National (State) Animal Of France

The official animal of France is the Gallic rooster. The use of this animal actually stems in part from a linguistic accident. The Latin words for rooster and Gaul (the historical region of France in Roman times) were both the same: gallus. Over the centuries, the image of the crowing rooster (featured in the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus) became bound up with Catholic symbolism in France. Starting with the French Revolution, it later became an enduring symbol of the republic.

Since 1848, the rooster has been seen on the seal of the Republic and has been the emblem for French sports teams in international events and acting as the mascot. The Gallic rooster is a male chicken with a red waddle and crown, a rust-to-orange back, and raised blue tail feathers. It is believed that he symbolizes bravery, virility, and boldness.

Where To Find The Top Wild Animals In France

France contains 11 national parks and many smaller regional reserves, which encompass more than 10,000 square miles and around 30% of all French land. Here’s a short sample of them.

• The Pyrenees National Park, located near the border with Spain, is a mountainous area from which you can see frogs, minks, golden eagles, vultures, the unique desman, and even the elusive bear.
• The Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park encompasses pine forests, wetlands, and coastlines just south of Bordeaux, where the Leyre River merges with the Arcachon Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It contains more than 300 migrating birds, including spoonbills, godwits, pintails, and graylag goose.
• The Mercantour National Park, located slightly to the north of Nice in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is home to lots of wild boar, rock ptarmigans, nutcracker birds, and bearded vultures.
• The Armorique Natural Regional Park is a protected area in Brittany that extends from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the hilly rural interior. Here you can find otters, beavers, and interesting birds of prey in the hills, beaches, and swamps.
• Other interesting wildlife refuges include the Vanoise National Park in the Rhône-Alpes region, Le Perche Natural Regional Park in Normandy, the Auvergne des Volcans Natural Regional Park in Auvergne, and the Cévennes National Park in Languedoc-Roussillon.

Pyrenees National Park is 177 square miles of scenic landscape that includes waterfalls, granite rock faces, and large mountain ranges. You will also find a multitude of wild animals. The most famous might be the golden eagle. The bird of prey is considered to be more elusive than a vulture, spending hours, even perhaps days, sitting motionless on a high perch where they are virtually impossible to see. They are very territorial birds and are known to carry off prey that is larger than themselves.

The Most Dangerous Animals In France Today

France is home to a few venomous animals that may pose a risk to people’s health.

• Asp Viper – A relatively long snake with grey, brown, and black skin, the asp viper is native to an unbroken stretch of territory between Spain and Italy. The snake is not particularly aggressive, but symptoms of its potent venom include pain, dizziness, blurred vision, and tissue death. Approximately 4% of all untreated bites eventually prove to be fatal.
• Common European Adder – While not exactly the most toxic snake, this adder is quite common throughout Europe, and so bites happen on a frequent basis. Symptoms of its bite include intense pain, swelling, tingling, and blistering. Rarely, victims may experience nausea, vomiting, fever, loss of consciousness, and more. Complete cardiovascular failure may occur in very rare cases.
• Portuguese man o’ war – Sometimes found off the coast of France, this unique relative of the jellyfish has a powerful sting that can cause painful red welts on the skin. Fever, cardiac distress, difficulty breathing, and even death can rarely occur.
• Weever fish – Present in the waters of the coastline of mainland France, the weever spends most of its time buried under the sand. Just their backfin and venomous stingers are showing. France has large and small weever fish.

Portuguese man o’ war is a siphonophore, which is closely related to the jellyfish. The man o’ war is comprised of a colony of specialized, genetically identical individuals called zooids that all have various forms and functions, and that work as one unit. The tentacles contain stinging capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that distribute venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish and crustaceans. Although the man o’ war’s sting is rarely deadly to people, it is extremely painful and causes welts on exposed skin. It is still able to sting even after having been washed on shore for weeks.

Asp Vipers, found in all areas of France with the exception of the extreme north and northeast regions, have a penchant for stone walls, sunny slopes, dry locations, and similar habitats. A relatively small snake, they can grow up to 2 feet in length and live between 4 to 10 years.

Endangered Animals In France

While the French government does make a considerable effort to protect many endangered species, several animals are still at risk of becoming extinct:

• European Rabbit – This species is endemic to southern France and the Iberian Peninsula (one particular subspecies of the European rabbit is only found in the marshes of Camargue). It was later introduced into other parts of the world, where it had a negative effect on some local wildlife. However, this species is endangered in its original habitat from a combination of overhunting, habitat loss, and diseases.
• Mehely’s Horseshoe Bat – This species of bat prefers to roost in limestone caves near large bodies of water. However, the disturbances and destruction of its roosting sites have caused numbers to decline. It is not known whether this species is extinct in France.
• Pyrenean Desman – Closely related to the moles and shrews, the desman is a small semi-aquatic mammal with a long snout, a long, flattened tail, and sharp claws for digging. While this unique species is still listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, the desman is very rare in France. It only lives in the Pyrenees Mountains near the border with Spain.
• Iberian Lynx – This wild cat species was more common across southwest Europe in the 20th century. But overhunting, habitat loss, disease, and the decline of its main prey have all conspired to make the Iberian lynx endangered. It may now be completely extinct from mainland France.

The Iberian Lynx, endemic to southwestern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula, is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red list. They typically stand at 2.3 feet and have a length of 3.6 feet. The Iberian Lynx is slightly larger than the lynx, with weights of 21 pounds for females and 28 pounds for males. They are fast runners, averaging speeds of 50 miles per hour. Due to the decrease in its main prey, the rabbit, being caught in rabbit snares, illegal hunting, and car accidents, this lynx is on the brink of extermination.

The Rarest Animals In France

The Angel shark also referred to as the monkfish, is greenish-brown, reddish, or gray with small black and white patches located all over its body. They have large pectoral fins and look like a ray. They are commonly found in the waters off of the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. This shark likes to lie in wait along the sandy bottom until their prey, which consists of mollusks, skates, and crustaceans, comes along.

Currently listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, there are numerous causes. Due to increased tourism activities, there is a loss of habit, and the increase in fishing activities, which includes long lines and nets, hurts their outlook.

The Largest Animal In France

The Pyrean bear is the largest animal in France. While their population has declined, with numbers having dropped from over 200 to about an estimated less than 20, these bears are now located in the western French Pyrenees, in an area that includes a National Park. Pyrean bears weigh between 250 to 770 pounds and have average heights of 5.7 feet to over 7 feet tall.

National Parks In France

France is a beautiful country with natural wonders. Although many people travel to France to experience the romantic city of Paris, there is much more to do in 11 of the country’s national parks. From the French Alps to the Mediterranean coast, from the Indian Ocean to French Guiana to the Caribbean Sea, discover France’s diverse Alpine forests, mountains, and rainforests.

Mercantour National Park was created in 1979 and is located in the departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes. There are more than 274 square miles of parkland to discover over 2,000 species of plants and a multitude of wildlife, that includes wolves, red and roe deer, rabbits, buzzards, and the famous golden eagles. The national park has numerous guided trails for hiking, with Verdon Gorge being the most popular not only for its close location to the French Riviera but also because it has many opportunities for rock climbers.

Vanoise National Park is located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and is situated between the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys in the French Alps, bordered by Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy, which is its “twin”. This was officially created in 1963 and became the first National Park of France. There are over 218,000 acres of parkland to enjoy, filled with wetlands, streams, forests, cliffs, rock ridges, lakes, and streams. The park is considered to be in a protected zone, which has preserved the landscape and allowed the wildlife to roam free. Vanoise National Park can be enjoyed year-round.

Rivers In France

France is home to hundreds of rivers and streams cutting across its countryside. While rivers like the Seine and the Rhône are most famous internationally, the country is also home to a number of other rivers with stunning natural settings and wildlife. Let’s take a peek at some notable rivers in France:

• Loire River – Home to 165 species of birds (64% of nesting bird species in France) and 57 species of fish.
• Garonne River – The last remaining breeding ground for the critically endangered European sea sturgeon.
• Dordogne Rover – Features wildlife like sturgeons, salmon, otters, swans, cormorants, egrets, and kingfishers.

At a length of 625 miles, the Loire River is the longest in France and ranks 171st in the world. Considered to be the last wild river in Europe, it is the only river that has not been canalized. The Loire provides transportation as well as water for France’s agricultural center. It begins in the southeast and crosses six historic regions, flowing from the Languedoc region to Brittany.

The Garonne River is located in Southwest France and Northern Spain and flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the port of Bordeaux, France. It has a length of 329 miles and is a link between the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans. Because of this link, it is considered the most important river in Southwest France. Unlike the Loire River, the Garonne is canalized and is controlled by 50 locks.

The French Flag

The French flag is a tri-color of blue, white, and red vertical stripes. This is an emblem of the fifth republic and was a symbol of the French Revolution, representing freedom. Although not the original tricolor, the design was patterned after the French Revolution and evolved to be among the most significant in history. The meaning behind it is the unity of the King and the people. The white stripe originates from the original French flag and the King, while the red and blue stripes are from the coat of arms of Paris and stand for Paris and its people.

Blue and red, the traditional colors of Paris, were always popular among revolutionaries, while royal white was frequently added to many flags. This flag was seen as an embodiment of all that the revolution stood for – liberty, equality, fraternity, modernization, secularism, and democracy.