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. We introduce 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.
French wildlife gallery
New and updated!! See awesome photos of French animals at our France wildlife photo gallery
Large mammals
Semi-wild horses
Small mammals and insects
Aquatic mammals, animals and reptiles
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.
Note: 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.
France wildlife photo gallery
Click any picture to start the photo gallery
Hunting
Learn about 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.