Mammals and reptiles
Chamois, mouflon, genets, red foxes, wolves, deer, which can be heard bellowing in autumn near the Ventoux, beavers, once extinct but now making their way up the rivers again, and game (wild boar, rabbits, hares, pheasants, partridges) are omnipresent in the area.
Reptiles include the Orsini viper, one of France's rarest snake families. The northern slopes of Mont Ventoux are one of the last places where it can still be seen, as is the Girondine coronelle.
Birds
The avifauna includes some 1,200 different species (raptors and nesters). The finches and chickadees come from the north and meet the rollers and bee-eaters from the south, two pure marvels with extraordinary colors. The first is the bird of children's tales: electric blue, turquoise, ultramarine, depending on the light, contrasting with a bright red back. You can observe it during its long stations on an electric wire. Take advantage of its semi-circular flight to admire the exceptional brilliance of its plumage. The bee-eater is perhaps most remarkable: red, yellow, turquoise and green, all edged in black. The people of Provence call it the African hunter. It is astonishing in flight, alternating between soaring and swooping.
You can recognize the Egyptian vulture by its white plumage fringed with black and its bald head. It's a veritable scavenger, and has no equal when it comes to unearthing sheep, dead rabbits or reptiles crushed on the roads. More noble is the Bonelli's eagle, which loves rocky outcrops and dry garrigues. It takes refuge in these wild landscapes to reproduce and escape predators. Its main enemy is man, with hiking, photographic hunting, climbing and paragliding all disrupting the existence of this particularly shy eagle. Today, this magnificent white bird with grey wings is protected and its nesting grounds kept secret.
Pisces
With 700 ha of lakes, ponds and bodies of water classified as second category piscicole, and 2,600 km of waterways, including some 400 km of banks classified as first category piscicole. With such a large surface area, fishing enthusiasts are sure to find something to their liking: practically all French species are present, with some fifty species listed.
There are also "monsters" such as pike and catfish. The former, which goes by various names depending on the region, cannot be mistaken for either, even by novices. The sheatfish is the most impressive of these freshwater fish, with its large, flattened head, imposing jaw and tiny eyes.
Finally, Vaucluse is home to a number of migratory species, such as the mullet (or muge) and the best-known shad, which used to be caught in the Rhône. The shad, a maritime species, is classified as vulnerable.
Insects
Let's not forget the cicada, so emblematic of Provence! But we can't stop there. And since we're in the hills, let's not forget the magnificent green lizard, known in Provence as the limbert. It's an excellent climber and swimmer, as is its cousin the ocellated lizard, both as elusive as the little grey wall lizard.
And let's not forget the tarantula or gecko, which chooses the walls of old houses to bask in the sun or, alternatively, hunts with delight for insects gathered in the evening near the slightest spot of light. This hunt is made possible by microscopic hairs curved into hooks that enable it to use the slightest asperity, even on a vertical wall or window pane.
Butterflies are among the most fragile species, and are "bio-indicators". The Apollo and its cousin the Semi-Apollo are unfortunately among them. The Filipendula pearly has already disappeared from Vaucluse.
The flora
This flora includes many protected species on the slopes of Mont Ventoux. Among them is the Alysse à fleur en coin, with its yellow flowers blooming from June to July. This is a very rare plant, found only on a few Mediterranean massifs from Greece to Spain; Bertoloni's Anacoly, which grows on the scree and rocky outcrops of the north-facing slopes, with its beautiful purplish-blue flowers and yellow anthers (the terminal part of the stamen) from May to July; Loiseleur's Euphorbia; and the very rare white-thorned Panicaut, also found in the south-western Alps.
These jewels should not overshadow the Greenland poppy, the narcissus flowering garlic, the straight canary grass and the plantain viperine in the Luberon...
When it comes to classic Provençal flora, the olive tree comes first. For over 2,500 years, it has reigned supreme on limestone soils, followed by the fig tree And let's not forget the almond tree, the sorb tree, the pistachio terebinth, the pines, the plane trees, the plane mulberry, the hackberry trees that shade village squares where pétanque players play, the green or white oaks, the cedar, the cypress, a tapering spindle pointed in tight rows towards the sky, which is often planted alone, near houses, for its reputation of warding off evil spells.
Vaucluse is above all a bouquet garni! Thyme, bay laurel, fennel, savory, rosemary, sage...lavender and lavandin, saffron! In the 19th century, this was the land of madder, first cultivated in the old marshlands between Isle and Entraigues, then spread throughout the department. In Lauris, a conservatory garden for dye plants has been created, a remarkable garden where plants that will give rise to natural dyes are nurtured. It is located on the terraces of the château. And the store is full of treasures.
The Naturoptère in Sérignan-du-Comtat
An educational and cultural center dedicated to the world of insects and nature, this is a place not to be missed. You can also observe plants. There are workshops and exhibitions for young and old alike. Allow 1h30 for the visit.
