The Martégal coastline

Nathusius' pipistrelle
Average length: 4.3 to 5.8 cm
Average weight: 5 to 10 g
It shares its Provencal territory with 25 other species of bats and consumes the equivalent of 3000 mosquitoes each night. She mates with us in autumn and returns to her summer quarters (Germany, Poland or Russia) in order to give birth.

The Etruscan pachyure
Average length: 6 to 8 cm including 3.50 to 3 cm for the tail
Average weight: 1.30 to 2.50 gr
It is the smallest mammal in Europe.

Garenne's rabbit
Average length: 34 to 53 cm
Average weight: 700 gr to 2 kg

Red squirrel
Average length: 40 to 55 cm including 14 to 20 cm for the tail
Average weight: 230 to 480 gr

Red fox
Average length: 1 to 1.40 m including 40 to 50 cm for the tail
Average weight: 6 kg for females, 9 kg for males

The weasel
Average length: 17 to 30 cm including 4 to 12 cm for the tail
Average weight: 40 to 75 g for females, 70 to 130 g for males

The marten
Average length: 65 to 75 cm including 25 to 27 cm for the tail
Average weight: 1.10 to 2.10 kg

Anemone
Also called "sea tomato", it uses its tentacles to capture the plankton on which it feeds. When it is out of the water, it retracts its tentacles to avoid desiccation.

The monodont
Thanks to its pearly operculum, this snail is completely isolated in its shell, so it can withstand drought.

Limpet
Also called "Arapède" on the Côte Bleue, it moves on the rocks to graze on the algae then returns to its circular shelter which it has dug in the rock. Embedded in this way, thanks to its foot that it uses as a suction cup, it is protected against the waves which cannot take it off against desiccation if it is out of the water.

The littorine
It is a small gastropod of about 5 mm which grazes cyanobacteria (called blue algae) and thus participate in the shaping of the coastline.

Barnacle
It is a crustacean like the crab. When the waves bring seawater, it opens its shell from above and it captures the plankton with the help of its eyelash-shaped legs. It can withstand a temperature of 60 ° C.

The crab
To move on land without fear of drought, it keeps seawater in its gills.

Halophilic plants

The Foulon Cockchafer
Order: Coleoptera
There are over 300,000 known species of Coleoptera. After 3 years spent underground, its larva becomes one of the most beautiful and largest beetles in Europe.

The Calosome
Order: Coleoptera
It is a hunter of processionary caterpillars which it makes its main food.

Cicadas
Order: Homoptera
Three main species: The Plebeian Cicada is the largest in Europe, of medium size the Orne Cicada is the best known on our coast and the Black Cicada does not exceed 22 mm.

Locusts and grasshoppers
They belong to the order of Orthoptera, they are close relatives that are often confused and yet, compare the antennae!

The Serrated Magician
Order: Orthoptera
With its 9 cm, it is the largest of the European grasshoppers.

Stick insect
Order: Orthoptera
He uses his twig appearance to go unnoticed.

The Empuse

There are over 3000 species of lizards. Locally, we find particular species such as the ocellated lizard which is the largest lizard in France, and the three-toed Seps (three-toed) with rudimentary limbs.

Ocellated Lizard
Family: Lacertidae
Average height: 60 to 80 cm

Montpellier snake
Family: Colubrids
Average height: 170 to 250 cm

Seps
Family: Scincidae
Average length: 35 cm

Green lizard
Family: Lacertidae
Average length: 40 cm

Stepped snake
Family: Colubrids
Average height: 100 to 150 cm

There are over 3000 species of snakes. The vipers being absent from our department, the local species are essentially harmless snakes including "the Montpellier snake" which is the largest snake in France.

It is with surprise and enthusiasm that the inhabitants of Carro welcomed in the spring of 1987 an extraordinary tourist, a runner-up who was quickly baptized Fanny in order to remain in a regional setting. The cetacean having taken up residence on the spot, a team of scientists immediately set up an observatory in order to take advantage of the exceptional chance that presented itself, and thus monitor the movements of the animal in total freedom.

Risso's dolphin
Average length: 3.50 m
Average weight: 300 kg

Fin whale
Average length: 18 m
Average weight: 40 tons

The bottlenose dolphin
Average length: 3 m
Average weight: 250 kg

The blue and white dolphin
Average length: 2 m
Average weight: 50 kg

The pilot whale
Average length: 5 m
Average weight: 2 tons

The sperm whale
Average length: 13 m
Average weight: 25 tons

Sandy bottoms
Sea cucumber, cerianth and sole.
Sea cucumbers, a close relative of sea urchins, feed by filtering the sand. Only the sole's eyes are visible when it is buried in the sand. The cérianthe is an anemone which retracts at the slightest alert into a fibrous tube which it forms itself with its mucus.

Rocky bottoms
The octopus, the moray eel and the scorpion fish.
The octopus and the lionfish hide in the interstices of the rocks whose colors they adopt so as not to be seen by their future prey, or a possible enemy. The bite of the moray eel and the bite of the lionfish are very painful.

Posidonia meadows
The large mother-of-pearl, the saupe and the seahorse.
Partly buried in the sand and camouflaged between the leaves of Posidonia, the large mother-of-pearl, this giant lamellibranch, has nevertheless become rare by dint of collection. A vegetarian fish, the saupe lives in schools which evolve in tight formation. The seahorse, very comfortable in seagrass beds, clings to the leaves of Posidonia using its tail.

Sandwich Tern
Family: Sternidae
Average wingspan: 100 cm

White-backed gull
Family: Laridae
Average wingspan: 150 cm

Pond crazy
Family: Sulidae
Average wingspan: 170 cm

The great cormorant
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Average wingspan: 150 cm

Black-necked grebe
Family: Podicipédidae
Average wingspan: 60 cm

Common tern
Family: Sternidae
Average wingspan: 90 cm

Black-headed gull
Family: Laridae
Average wingspan: 100 cm

Algae are marine plants capable of developing their own organic matter from mineral elements and carbon dioxide dissolved in water. The sun for its part provides the energy necessary for this phenomenon called photos synthesis. The algae, rich in their diversity, are characterized by upright, hollow morphologies ... and various red, green and brown colors. Most algae are attached to the substrate by spikes, so they can resist waves and ocean currents.

Red algae, brown algae, green algae, calcareous algae

Esquinade
Also called "spider crab", it is a crustacean about 20 cm long. With its pliers, it cuts the algae which it then fixes on its shell bristling with thorns until it becomes almost invisible.

The original forest
Holm oak and pubescent oak. Aleppo pine and umbrella pine.
The forest of Provençal origin, on the limestone soil, consists of holm oaks, pubescent oaks and some Aleppo and Parasol pines.

The brachiopod lawn
Brachiopod and Thyme.

Scrubland
Kermes oak, Gorse, Rosemary.

The pine forest and the scrubland allow the re-establishment of the oak forest whose young plants need shade to develop.

Salicornia
Arthrocnemum glaucum. Chenopodiaceae family.

Obione
Halimione portulacoides. Chenopodiaceae family.

Sea fennel
Crithmum maritimum. Family of Umbelliferae.

Dune panicaut
Eryngium maritimum. Family of Umbelliferae.

Horned poppy
Glaucum flavum. Papaveraceae family.

Saladelles
Limonium minutum. Family of Plombaginaceae.

Halophilic plants have adapted by increasing their amount of salt in order to resist the presence of salt water in the soil or leaves.