Of the 107 species of mammals in France, 75 live in the Pyrenees (ermine, stoat, bear, desman, pine marten, wild boar, fox, etc.)
Many are nocturnal and shy so there is still a lot to learn about their way of life in the mountains. Can the hedgehog live above 1400 m ?
This is a question that scientists still have not answered.

For over 30 years the National Park has been a refuge to many species endangered by the growing number of roads, hunting and human presence.

The Isard, (Pyrenean chamois) was over-hunted in the 1950s and would have disappeared if it had not seeked refuge in this land of freedom as early as its creation in 1967.
Since then their numbers have been steadily growing (5000 individuals in 1999).

The Marmot, which had disappeared from the Pyrenees since the end of the last glacial era, was successfully reintroduced by the National Park in all the valleys. Today it is the species most commonly encountered by visitors.

Only the bear's situation is worrying, their numbers have been steadily declining for the last 30 years (only 6 individuals left today).

The Bear :The question of their survival is serious as there are only six of them left in the Pyrenees (namely Papillon, Chocolat, Cannelle, Pyrène, Camille and a cub born in 1998).

Standing on his hind legs the Pyrenean bear can be over two metres tall : an awe-inspiring fact for humans. The male can weigh up to 200 kg.

They find relative peace in the mountains and forests. They need abundant supplies of food : bilberries, raspberries, acorns, beechnuts, plants, carrion. When starving they will occasionally help themselves to domestic grazing animals, and this is the reason for the ancestral hatred that shepherds have always borne against them and the reason why they were hunted until the 1950s.

The role of the Pyrenees National Park : Since its creation the National Park has been in charge of assessing any damage done to the herds and paying out compensation. This has led the Pyrenees National Park into intense contact with the bears and with the shepherds.... furthermore as an active member of the naturalist "brown bear network" the Pyrenees National Park contributes to the surveillance of the bears.

The Capercaillie :

Part of the gallinaceous family, this bird lives in the humid areas of the beech and fir forest, between 1000 and 2400 metres.

The male weighs up to 6 kg and the female up to 2 kg.
The Capercaillie is renowned for its courtship displays (mid May - early June) and its song is unique.

With its tail fanned out it will chase any other male bold enough to step onto its territory.
The females lay their eggs on the ground near a rock or a tree stump. The chicks are therefore an easy prey for predators..

The Ptarmigan:

A high altitude gallinaceous bird.
It can be seen near ridges and summits at up to 3000 m, which is the reason for its nickname "Snow partridge".
It spends the Winter at high altitude and changes its plumage according to the season : It becomes white in Winter, invisible against the snow.

The Black Woodpecker :

If you listen carefully you will hear it hammering beeches with its powerful beak.
The Black Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in Europe, it excavates its nest in old tree trunks (20 cm in diametre and 50 cm deep).
It feeds on insects that live in the wood.

The Desman :

With its long snout, its webbed feet and a mole's body, this small insectivore lives on river banks at up to 2200 m altitude.

It spends most of its time in water where it stocks up on insect larvae and small crustaceans.
It is exclusively found in the Pyrenees and in the North-West of Spain.

The Lammergaier or Bearded Vulture :

A three metre wingspan, golden yellow eyes circled with bright red, a black mask and beard tuft, long charcoal-grey wings and an orange breast, the Lammergaier is easily distinguished from the other birds of prey.

Its feeding habits are also specific : up to 90 % carrion bones which it will first drop to smash on the rocks below.

This extreme specialization together with the rarety of appropriate food gives the bird a very fragile status.

More particularly so as its reproduction cycle is slow : The Lammergaier does not reach adulthood until the age of seven and only rears one chick per year. Today nine couples live in the Pyrenees National Park.

In France this species is only found naturally in the Pyrenees and in Corsica.

The Griffon Vulture :

It has a very characteristic flight : It flies in wide circles above the summits, uses ascending air currents to rise as high as possible before swooping down to survey its territory from closer quarters.

When it finds a carcass it will spiral down thus alerting other Griffon Vultures

Here are a few points for easier identification : Its wingspan is 2.30 m to 2.50 m, its wide, rectangular wings end with long, dark finger-like feathers, its small head is a continuation of a long neck which is surrounded by a ruff.

Some 110 couples nest on the Ossau Nature Reserve cliffs.
This bird plays an important part in the ecological system : without it carrion would pollute the environment or spread contagious diseases.

The Peregrine Falcon :

This smaller bird of prey hunts other birds (crows, ducks, pigeons, etc) and finds an open space to pluck them.

It mainly eats the pectoral muscles and leaves the rest to carrion crows and foxes which usually feed after it.

The Egyptian Vulture :

It spends the Winter South of the Sahara and returns in Summer to nest in the cliffs of the Western Pyrenees.

It is smaller than the Lammergaier or the Griffon Vulture, its wingspan does not exceed 1.50 m and a length of 60 to 70 cm.
It is mainly a carrion eater. Its Pyrenean name is "Marie Blanque" (White Mary).

During the scramble for food around carrion it contents itself with feeding after the Griffon Vultures and the Ravens.

The Golden Eagle :

Its flight is similar to that of the vulture but its wingspan is smaller (2 metres) and its plumage is darker.
It is a fearsome hunter which feeds on the prey it kills.

Yes. Insect larvae, crustaceans and bacteria are able to survive in Pyrenean lake waters which remain between 0 and 4 °C in Winter when covered with ice and snow.
Hence Trout are found in these lakes where they find abundant food.

During the long Winter which at altitude lasts for 6 to 7 months the trout lives in a lethargic state. In the first few years of its creation the Pyrenees National Park repopulated many lakes with rainbow trout, Alpine charr, brook charr as well as Canadian charr.

Today this repopulating is done in cooperation with the fishing federations, and the young fish are mainly native trout.

The amazing Natterjack Toad …

At 2400 m tadpoles do not have time to finish their metamorphosis before the temperature drops again.

A good half of them will survive the Winter and continue their metamorphosis the following year.
In these conditions it takes the strongest ones a good ten years to reach adulthood. .