A diverse fauna
The association " Gascogne Nature Environnement ", labeled Permanent Center of Initiatives for the Environment, has given itself the mission to promote the natural heritage of the Gers region. For the last twenty years, it has been drawing up an inventory of the different species of wildlife observed in the Gers. From the unavoidable roe deer and wild boar to the extremely rare mountain avens, reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds and mammals are patiently listed. Wild rabbits, red foxes, badgers and voles are regularly reported. Weasels, polecats, garden shrews, shrews and otters are less frequent. The probability of encountering a mink, a weasel or an elapid deer remains minimal. Among the reptiles, the snake is king. Perfectly harmless, it should not be confused with the asp viper, almost extinct in gardens and undergrowth. The wall lizard and the western green lizard are abundant, while the spotted salamander, once common, is less and less observed. At night, green frogs, southern tree frogs and common spiny toads make their croaking sounds. Are they likely to disturb the European pond terrapin, their neighbor? This small freshwater turtle, which can measure up to 20 cm, is threatened with extinction in France. It is still in the Gers that you will have the best chances to observe it, by being discreet. It enjoys sunbathing, but jumps into the water at the slightest signal. It joins pikes, pike-perches, perches and eels which are very present in the Gers waters. The amateurs know how to flush out the crayfish. But it is necessary to know how to distinguish the white-clawed crayfish, which has become rare and is forbidden to fish, from the American crayfish which has replaced it. The kingfisher brings up gudgeon and bleak with its dives. Its companions near the water are the mallard and the common grebe. During the migration period, he meets the grey heron, the snipe or the kite, all of them adepts of the Lizet, Astarac or Peyrusse-Vieille lakes. The birds of prey fly over the fields in search of food. We can observe many common buzzards, more rarely hawks, booted eagles, hobo falcons or black kites. The large fields provide shelter or food for pheasants, quails, partridges, thrushes and warblers. The wooded areas are home to woodpeckers, jays, crows, swallows, woodcock and goshawks. Insects enjoy this rural paradise just as much. Butterflies such as the lythria purpuraria spread their colorful wings in late spring. Dragonflies and damselflies announce the summer near the water surfaces. Wasps and hornets, including the dreaded Asian hornet, invite themselves to the summer dinner table. Spiders weave their webs to catch gnats and mosquitoes in homes. Praying mantises perform their unique ballet on the edge of fields. The Gers has a beautiful diversity of animals for those who take the time to observe.
A teeming flora
The Gers Botanical Association launched a census of the wild flora of the Gers about ten years ago. The aim is to list as exhaustively as possible all the flowers, grasses, trees, shrubs and ferns present in the department. In 2015, observers had counted 1,716 different species, including 16 nationally protected species. The taxa are listed scientifically, with their Latin and French names, an illustration and information on the great site www.eflore32.botagora.fr which is the indispensable companion for budding and experienced botanists. You can also, if you make an interesting observation, report it to the Association botanique gersoise, in order to allow them to have a permanently updated list. You will have the opportunity to discover a very varied flora during your walks, of which the most emblematic is the orchid. Especially present in the south of the department, with more numerous dry calcareous moors, the wild orchid is declined in 45 different varieties. It has its own fan club, which, driven by its love for this delicate flower, has composed an identification guide to the orchids of the Gers. Some varieties are perfectly indigenous and were discovered a little by chance, like the posteriorchis sandrinii lasportensis, which means "Sandrine sat on the orchis". The differences in hygrometry, elevation and soil type allow a very diverse flora to flourish. Where the soil is dry and calcareous, as in Astarac, the flora takes on almost Mediterranean characteristics, with the presence of broad-leafed lavender or the Montpellier carnation. The hillsides of Simorre are home to the spidery broom, as rare as it is sublime. Gorse and heather prefer the western slopes of the department, while the oak groves welcome the traveller's madder, the eagle fern or the white asphodel. The cultivated surfaces also welcome some rare species such as the mirror of Venus, the larkspur or the nigella of France. The forests of hillsides and plateaus see the growth of sessile or tauzin oaks, chestnut trees, privet and honeysuckle, while alders, ashes, and white and ash willows reign in the wetlands.
Nature in danger?
As everywhere else in France, biodiversity is threatened by intensive agriculture. The number of species, both animal and plant, is declining. Beekeepers are at the bedside of their bees, decimated by neonicotinoids and the Asian hornet. The voluntary or accidental importation of exotic species is greatly harming biodiversity. So much so that in 2015, the Midi-Pyrénées region launched a regional plan to improve knowledge of invasive alien plants such as mugwort, Himalayan balsam or Japanese knotweed. The aim is to limit the spread of these species, which can cause allergies and skin irritations, lead to livestock losses and profoundly transform landscapes.
