French Animals Celebrate Bastille Day

ROOSTER

Habitat: Many roosters are domesticated, so they can be found in almost every continent, except Antarctica. They prefer mild and warm climates.

Fun Fact: The Gallic rooster is the unofficial national symbol of France. 

ALPINE IBEX

Habitat: Alpine Ibex, also known as Europe's greatest rock climber, loves to inhabit open, rocky habitats at high altitudes. You can often find these fearless animals above the tree line on steep slopes with grassy vegetation.

Fun Fact: The male alpine ibex's horns can grow up to three feet long.

CHARTREUX

Native Habitat: Legend has it that the Chartreux breed descended from cats that were brought to France by monks who were moving to a monastery in the Chartreuse mountains.

Fun Fact: If you want a playful cat that will horse around with your dog, the Chartreux is the cat for you. Described as having "dog-like" behaviors, the chartreux has been known to play fetch and respond to its name when called. 

CAMARGUE HORSES

Habitat: Camargue horses live in herds in the marshes and wetlands in the southern region of France. They can stand extremely harsh climates, from scorching hot summers to biting cold winters.

Fun Fact: These horses, believed to have descended from prehistoric horses from over 17,000 years ago, are extremely intelligent and agile. Because of this, they are often used for games and long-distance riding.

FRENCH DORMOUSE

Habitat: French dormice have a wide range of habitats, from forests and orchards to hedgerows and parks. Generally, they like to live in dense, deciduous woodland and thick shrubbery.

Fun Fact: The French dormouse has a special defense mechanism by which it can 'drop' it's tail to enable it to escape predators. The skin comes off their tails, leaving behind the bone and cartilage, which the dormice later chews off by itself.

GENET

Habitat: The genet loves dry areas like rocky hills and woodland areas. They tend to live where there are highly populated areas of prey.

Fun Fact: Many people describe the genet's behavior as "cat-like" due to its retractable claws and ability to meow. 

GREAT PYRENEES

Native Habitat: Hundreds of years ago, shepherds used the Great Pyrenees in the Basque region of France near the Pyrenees mountains. They were developed to guard sheep on steep, mountainous slops.

Fun Fact: Although a full-grown Great Pyrenees' weight can far exceed 100pounds, these large dogs are extremely agile. They are also extremely gentle and sly animals when they move.

RAGODIN (COYPU)

Habitat: Ragodins, also known as coypus, prefer a variety of habitats that include deciduous forests, scrub forests and rain forests.

Fun Fact: Ragodins are famous for their extremely soft fur. They have three sets: primary, secondary guard hairs and under fur. Their fur holds outstanding value in the fur trade. 

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE

Habitat: Red-legged partridges breed on dry lowlands, such as farmland and stony areas.

Fun Fact: They are extremely hard to spot, despite their colorful feathers. They blend very well with their habitat.

RED SQUIRREL

Habitat: Red squirrels are forest dwellers. Coniferous, deciduous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests.

Fun Fact: Red squirrels have such a strong sense of smell that they can locate stored food under three feet of snow.

WILD BOAR OF SANGLIER

Habitat: Wild boars love to live in dense forests, broad-leaved woodland and wild grassland areas.

Fun Fact: The wild boar's snout sets it apart from other wild pigs. At the end of a boar's snout is a cartilaginous disk that the boar uses as a bulldozer when foraging for food.

ROE DEER

Habitat: The quick and graceful animal can often be found in the woods, grasslands and sparse forests. As long as there is grass, leaves and berries to feed on, the roe deer can survive.

Fun Fact: Unlike other deer, roe deer do not live in herds and are often solitary.