Mammals
The best known of the Alsatian mammals is undoubtedly the large Alsatian hamster, which was also called the "Strasbourg marmot" in the past. Unfortunately, you will have little chance to observe it, except at the Naturoparc. It has almost disappeared because of intensive agriculture but many associations are working to reintroduce it. You will certainly have more chances to see deer, roe deer, wild boar and foxes along the paths. With a little effort, by climbing some of the peaks, you can go and meet the chamois, which had been introduced but are now well acclimatized. Finally, the luckiest will perhaps cross the path of the two discreet and protected carnivorous species, the wolf and the lynx.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Four species of reptiles have been recorded in Alsace: the ring-necked snake (found in the Alsace plain and up to 800 metres above sea level), the smooth coronelle (found in the Vosges foothills and in Alsace Bossue), the asp viper (found on the dry grasslands of the sub-Vosges hills in the Ribeauvillé and Rouffach regions) and the peliad viper (found in a peat bog in the Lapoutroie region). Don't panic, the snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them! With its many wetlands, Alsace is also a paradise for many rare amphibians such as the spotted salamander, which has inspired medieval coats of arms and legends.
Birds
Birds are very present all over the territory. The riverbeds are the preferred resting place for migratory species and for the establishment of curlews. In the Vosges du Nord, you may see near the cliffs the great horned owl, the peregrine falcon, the small Tengmalm owl and the little owl or the great raven. In the forests live the woodpeckers (including the largest black woodpecker), chickadees, kinglets and nuthatches and some mountains are home to the capercaillie, which you can hear more than you can see.
But of course one cannot talk about Alsatian birds without thinking of the stork! In the 1970s, there were not even fifty of them left. Today, thanks to numerous protection programs, the stork is everywhere and even in the city! In the spring, its characteristic beak snaps herald the arrival of babies, for them but also for you perhaps? Indeed in Alsace, children do not come from cabbages or roses, but are parachuted in by storks! Storks also have the power to announce weddings. If you are an unmarried woman and one of them approaches you on the ground, it's coming soon!Natural Parks
Alsace has two natural parks. Their mission is to sustainably protect the heritage through an adapted management of natural environments and landscapes while contributing to economic, social and cultural development.
Straddling Alsace and Lorraine, the Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park was created in 1975. It covers more than 1,300 km², more than half of which is covered by forest. Its highest point is the Grand Wintersberg at an altitude of 581 metres. It has 2,600 kilometres of walking, horse riding, mountain biking and cycling routes, including 1,700 kilometres of paths marked out by the Vosges Club. The presence of more than thirty fortified castles in ruins is also one of the characteristics of this territory.
The territory of the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park created in 1989 covers almost the southern half of the massif, over four departments (Haut-Rhin, Haute-Saône, Vosges, Territoire de Belfort): i.e. 3,000 km2. Nearly three quarters of its territory is occupied by forest. It has 400 peat bogs and 4 nature reserves. Its highest point is also that of the Vosges: the Grand Ballon which culminates at an altitude of 1,424 metres. The head office of the Parc des Ballons is in Munster and offers an exhibition area that is regularly renewed as well as information on the Hautes-Vosges massif, fauna, flora, accommodation, etc.Natural Reserves
The Rhine forms a natural border between Alsace and Baden-Württemberg. Five nature reserves are located along the river and offer a wide variety of environments. Water inlets, ponds and mudflats, wet and dry grasslands, gravel pits and alluvial forests are home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Scientific research is regularly carried out there on the different species of birds, amphibians and reptiles, insects, etc., as well as on the flora and the fungi.
Made up of willow groves, mudflats, reed beds and sedge meadows, the Sauer Delta nature reserve offers a guaranteed change of scenery. The 486 ha that make up this remarkable site from an ornithological, botanical, but also landscape or hydrological point of view, it is one of the last sectors where the waters of the Rhine come to flow in case of floods.
Situated on a former Rhine gravel bank, the Offendorf Forest Nature Reserve protects 60 hectares of alluvial forest. In the open areas, British inules, high violets, marsh spurge and marsh ragwort flourish. Numerous species of butterflies invade the edges, clearings and undergrowth: azure sylvain, great changeable March, map, machaon, dawn, lemon, etc. Amphibians include agile, green and red frogs, ridged, alpine or spotted newts.
With a surface area of 309 hectares, the Rohrschollen island nature reserve is made up of 157 hectares of forest, 25 hectares of meadow, the rest being made up of the river estate only 10 km from Strasbourg.
The Erstein Forest Nature Reserve is almost exclusively forest in nature. The 180-hectare site is criss-crossed by a dense network of former active arms of the river, the Giessen.
The island of Rhinau and the neighbouring Taubergiessen reserve in Germany are known for their great interest in protecting the birds that come here to spend the winter. The Rhinau Island Nature Reserve is 311 ha in size and covers the southern two-thirds of the island. It is managed by the Conservatoire des sites alsaciens, which offers guided tours.
Finally, the Petite Camargue alsacienne, first classified, offers relics and witnesses of the Rhine jungle.
