Visit France

France information > France wildlife

Wildlife in France: because of the large size of France, and the large percentage of the country that is still rural and / or forested, there are many intact natural habitats.

france has a great range of natural habitats, and the diverse environments lead equally to a great diversity in the wildlife to be found - some species are found quite generally across France while other species are restricted to quite restricted areas of mountains or other specialised environments.

Likewise there is a significant difference in climate between the north of the country, the south of France, and the Mediterranean region - these are also important factors in explaining the distribution of wildlife across the regions.

This section looks at some of the more common wildlife in France that you might see on a visit, or might hear and hope you don't see, and some wildlife you are very unlikely to come across.

Large mammals

Wild boar / Roe deer / Red deer / Wolf / Fox / Brown bear / Badger / Chamois / Ibex

semi-wild horses: Camargue horses (see also Ardennes horses)

Small mammals

Alpine Marmot / Hare / Ragondin / Red squirrel / Beech Marten / Genet / Lynx

Aquatic

Dolphin

Reptiles

Wall lizard / Grass snake

Insects

Hornets / Praying Mantis

Hunting

Hunting in France - learn about the chasse / the hunt in France

Mythical Creatures

The one thing that France seems to lack is 'mythical wildlife' such as the Beast of Exmoor of England or Loch Ness Monster in Scotland - if such a creature exists somewhere in France please let us know! (The closest I found was the Beast of Gevaudan, a wolf-like creature that terrorised the Lozere department in the 18th century - but it seems that was very probably a man disguised as a wolf).