LOT
Plants and Animals

Popular destinations FRANCE

Alsace	Ardeche	Auvergne
Brittany	Burgundy	Cevennes
Corsica	Cote d'azur	Dordogne
Jura	Languedoc-roussillon	Loire valley
Lot	Normandy	Picardy
	Provence

Plants and Animals

General

Parc Naturel Régional des Causses du Quercy_{Photo: Jojob 47 CC 3,0 no changes made}

The nature reserve 'Parc Naturel Régional des Causses du Quercy' covers almost half of the Lot department. The nature reserve was established on 1 October 1999 and its main objective is to protect the unique living environment of the causses.

Plants

The flora of the causses is very varied, but not very exuberant. The limestone plateau of Lot consists mainly of grasslands and disappearing truffle oaks. Due to the unfavourable conditions, mainly small plants with long roots and small leaves grow here, such as juniper, thyme and marjoram.

Orchid Lot_{Photo: Orchi CC 3.0 no changes made}

In spring, orchids (e.g. bee orchid, snipe orchid and mitten orchid) grow among the juniper bushes, which can withstand the heat and the poor soil. In the southern part of Lot, the Mediterranean broom and the truffle oak can be found. The Ségala region, with its acid and poor rocky soil, is covered with ferns, birches, beeches, rose bushes, heather and broom. The southernmost causse of Quercy, Causse de Limogne, is characterised by a somewhat Mediterranean flora, such as heather.

Animals

Birds of note are ortolans, orpheus grass sparrows, stone curlews, grey herons, shore swallows and eagle owls. Lot has many butterfly species (e.g. swallowtail, lesser kingfisher, hummingbird butterfly, peacock and cabbage white) and otters live in rivers.

Caussenrd sheep Lot_{Photo: Jean-Jacques Boujot CC 2.0 no changes made}

The Caussenard sheep breed, which is characteristic of Lot, has black-rimmed eyes and ears. Reptiles such as fire salamander, emerald lizard and bladder viper are common in Lot, as well as martens, badgers and other small predators.

The watery Lot is home to perch, carp, trout and pike. Falcons, sparrow hawks and many eagle species populate the skies above Lot.

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Sources

Best, J. / Dordogne, Limousin met Quercy en Berry
Gottmer/Becht

Denez, F. / Dordogne, Lot, Périgord, Quercy
ANWB

Dordogne, Périgord : Périgueux, Bergerac, Cahors, Rocamadour
Lannoo

Graaf, G. de / Dordogne, Limousin
ANWB

CIA - World Factbook

BBC - Country Profiles

Last updated March 2024
Copyright: Team The World of Info