Hunting and protection dogs
The Ariegeois is a breed of hunting dogs resulting from the crossing of an Artois dog and a Bleu de Gascogne. It is a dog of order, calm, sometimes stubborn (like any good Ariège), but nevertheless intelligent, it is a dog easy to live with that we meet more and more often as a pet. Affectionate, patient with children, he is also sociable with his fellow dogs. But its first vocation remains hunting, where its flair and its beautiful voice are precious assets.
The Braque de l'Ariège is a French pointing dog. Its construction is powerful but without excessive heaviness, robust and of a vigorous aspect. The subjects with lean limbs, prominent muscles and well defined lines are preferred. Its white coat, preferably with pale orange or sometimes with brown speckles, combined with its size, makes it an elegant, distinguished dog.
The Pâtou is the "king of dogs" and "dog of kings". The Pâtou, whose real name is Montagne Pyrénées, became famous in the 1960s thanks to the moving TV series Belle et Sébastien. It is a real protection dog combining bravery and courage in all situations. He fights to the death and never backs down. In the mountains, he is the only effective bulwark against predators and especially against stray dogs, which are responsible for most of the damage suffered by the herds in summer. "King of dogs" because his proud appearance with his rounded tail (very high and rounded), the purity of his whiteness and his typical bark, which can be heard several kilometers away, inspire respect and force admiration. "Dogs of kings" because, from Gaston Phoebus to Louis XIV, this prestigious guardian has accompanied and protected these prestigious monarchs.
Horses and cows
The Merens horse. Originally from the Upper Valley of the Ariège, this horse presents an astonishing morphological convergence with the Magdalenian horses represented in the cave of Niaux. It is a rustic Ariège pony with a black coat. It remained for a long time the working animal of the farmers. It is a good horse for hiking, driving and acrobatics, also used for the ecological maintenance of mountainous regions, thanks to its sure footedness and its rusticity.
The Castillonais is a horse originating from the Biros valley at the southwestern end of the department. With a black pangaré (chestnut) coat, reddish tan markings on the flanks and a fox nose, this horse is also well adapted to life in the mountains and is characterized by its dexterity, robustness and hard work.
The Gascon cow is a pretty gray cow with black markings on the edge of the ears. The search for larger animals, adapted to the work of the ground and to traction, led to the development of the trade of Gascon cattle between mountain people and farmers of the plains. It is a robust and powerful animal, formerly appreciated in animal traction.
In the mountains and in the forests
The deer is the largest wild animal that can be seen in the region. Adult males can reach a height of 1.50 meters. Their antlers fall off each year in March or April and grow back in July and August. The stag's bellow can be heard in September-October. For its part, the bear has been much talked about for many years. It is known that it moves constantly in the Pyrenees and one can obviously meet it in Ariège. This predator is part of the Pyrenean animal heritage but often comes into conflict with shepherds and pastoralism. The isard was hunted too much in the 1950's and would probably have disappeared if it had not found protection in the Pyrenees National Park. Finally, the marmot is today, certainly, the most visible species for visitors and audible by its shrill whistle.
In the sky and water
In the sky, with its 3 m wingspan, its golden eyes ringed with carmine, its black mask and goatee, its long anthracite wings and its orange chest, the bearded vulture distinguishes itself from other birds of prey. Only found in the Pyrenees and Corsica, it feeds on carrion bones that it breaks beforehand on the rocks. The golden eagle and the peregrine falcon can be observed in Haute Ariège and on the road to Andorra.
Also present in the department, the capercaillie. Also called the capercaillie, this bird of the gallinaceous family lives in the humid areas of the beech-fir forest, between 1000 and 2400 m. Famous for the grace of its nuptial parades (mid May-early June) and its very particular song.
In the liquid element, it is the trout that extends its supremacy in streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. The Pyrenean desman or rat-trumpet, a nocturnal, protected, 25 cm long creature that lives in the streams and feeds on various insect larvae, is also found here.
Flora
The fir forests are majestic like those of Bélesta or the royal forest of Sainte-Croix-Volvestre. Located at 330 m of altitude, this thick forest has always intrigued botanists by its altitude. In 1667, it impressed the intendant of the forests of Louis XIV by the beauty and the height of its trees, much used at the time of the navy with veil, in the construction of the boats. Other species are very present such as the beech, which made the happiness of the charcoal makers, the hazel tree, the birch, the oak or the chestnut tree. On the other hand, the flowers sun the springs of Ariège: wild orchids, brooms, rhododendrons, gentians, saxifrages. Other rarer and more isolated flowers can be admired and photographed, such as the Pyrenean lily, the martagon lily or the edelweiss. The forests, the sites, the woods, from the plains to the mountains are numerous and varied but don't miss Lapenne, Orlu and the Mont Valier.
And above all, don't forget that the protection of nature requires major measures at the national, European or international level, but also small gestures within reach: each time we walk in nature, we are only ephemeral guests whose actions can have lasting repercussions in time. To avoid excessive trampling that damages the vegetation, stay on the trails.
