France
Note:
The following account covers only the European portion of
France
(metropolitan France). The five overseas regions (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion) each have their own
account. See also Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands,
New Caledonia, Saint
Barthelemy, and Wallis and
Futuna.
The Corsican Nuthatch (BirdGuides)
is France's only endemic bird species.
Amphibians
unique to
France include the Corsican Painted Frog Discoglossus montalenti
(ARKive)
, the Corsican Brook Salamander Euproctus
montanus (Naturalis),
and the Corsican Fire Salamander Salamandra
corsica
(Reptiles
& Amphibians of France).
Freshwater fish found only in France include a sculpin Cottus petiti (ARKive)
and two additional sculpins described in 2005: Cottus duranii (IUCN
Red List)
and Cottus
rondeleti (FishBase).
Two gudgeons, Gobio
occitaniae (INPN)
and Gobio alverniae
(p. 8 of MNHN
5 MB pdf file),
were also described in 2005. A minnow Phoxinus septimaniae
(Ittiofauna)
was described in 2007 from Languedoc. Other endemic
freshwater fish include the Rostrum Dace Leuciscus burdigalensis
(Ittiofauna),
an extinct whitefish Coregonus
bezola (Internet
Archive),
and a trout Salmo
rhodanensis (Ittiofauna).
The hydrozoan family Otohydridae
(Hydrozoa
Directory) consists of two species, Otohydra vagans and
Otohydra tremulans,
known solely from France. Moths unique to France include the Corsican
Gold Moth Axia napoleona
(lepinet.fr),
Nola dresnayi
(lepinet.fr)
and Dyscia royaria
(galerie-insecte.org).
Other endemic insects include the katydids Rhacocleis poneli (INPN)
and Steropleurus
chopardi (INPN),
a grasshopper Acrotylus
braudi (INPN
pdf file), a ground beetle Carabus
hispanus (galerie-insecte.org),
a cave-dwelling ground beetle Trichaphaenops
cerdonicus
(Univ.
Lyon),
a cave-dwelling water beetle Siettitia
avenionensis (p. 72 of Univ.
Lyon pdf file), a
longhorned beetle Brachyta
borni (Cerambycidae),
and
a cicada Cicadetta
fangoana (European
Cicadas). Endemic snails include the Corsican Snail Tyrrhenaria ceratina
(INPN),
Truncatellina arcyensis
(ARKive),
Heraultiella exilis
(ARKive),
Solatopupa
cianensis (INPN),
and Macularia saintivesi
(INPN).
Among the plant species that occur solely in France are the Rouen
Pansy Viola
hispida (INPN),
a cinquefoil Potentilla
delphinensis (florealpes.com),
the
Corsican Daisy Bellis
bernardii (Jean
Michaux), a broom Cytisus sauzeanus (florealpes.com),
a
mouse-ear chickweed Cerastium
soleirolii (Jean
Michaux), a columbine Aquilegia litardierei
(flickr),
a
rock jasmine Androsace
chaixii (florealpes.com),
a leopard's bane Doronicum
corsicum (Jean
Michaux), a toadflax Linaria thymifolia (Jean
Michaux), a sea pink Armeria
leucocephala (Jean
Michaux), a buttercup Ranunculus marschlinsii
(BioLib),
the orchids Dactylorhiza angustata
(florealpes.com)
and Ophrys aveyronensis
(Orchids
in France), Tulipa
platystigma (fr.wikipedia),
Angelica
heterocarpa (Belles
Fleurs de France), and Centranthus
trinervis (ARKive).
Portions of France are included in the Mediterranean Basin
biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Important terrestrial ecoregions include the
Corsican Montane Broadleaf and Mixed Forests (EoE)
and the Alps Conifer and Mixed Forests (EoE).
France
can also claim five of the world's most important caves for
biodiversity (caves.org
pdf file). Lists of French endemic species can be found at (fr.wikipedia)
or generated from the database of the Inventaire National du Patrimoine
Naturel (INPN).