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When the winter melts and the flowers appear, many wild animals venture into the gardens. Which ones can we see in the spring? How to recognize them?
With the return of sunny days, we like to go out into the garden to listen to the soft chirping of birds and the soothing buzzing of bees. Many species also take advantage of the arrival of spring to display the tip of their snouts, and it wouldn’t be surprising if you came across one of these specimens while passing a daisy.
Asp Viper
A protected species that protects us from the small rodents it includes in the diet, the aspen viper is found all over France in bushes and dry stone walls.
Recognizable by its flat triangular head and vertical pupils, it only bites when surprised, usually preferring to run away. Its bite is fatal only in case of anaphylactic shock, but still requires a visit to the doctor.
Hoverfly
Often confused with bees or wasps because of their yellow and black stripes, the firefly is actually a dipteran in the fly family. This tiny insect is an excellent ally for gardeners. Its larvae are eaten by aphids, and the adult centipedes, which feed on nectar and pollen, are excellent pollinators.
If you want to attract them to your garden, plant poppies, mint or even daisies.
Konipas gray
The gray wagtail belongs to the family of wagtails. It is easily recognized by its black and white plumage with variations of gray, a large thin tail with a white edge, and long legs with large clawed toes.
The gray wagtail insectivore lives in open areas, both in urban wastelands and on the edges of ponds.
Swallow
It is a sign of spring and one of the most elegant birds in our country, with blue-black plumage and a forked tail that gives the impression of an evening dress. Today, the swallow is an endangered species whose population is declining, mainly due to intensive agriculture, which causes the disappearance of prey and the destruction of its habitat when nesting along facades.
Read alsoWhat birds herald spring?
Marten
Unlike its marten counterpart, the marten, a solitary animal, rarely approaches homes. To see it, you have to go to the forest, its natural habitat, at dusk.
The marten has large, rounded ears with yellow edges, chocolate brown fur, and an orange-yellow “tie” on the chest that allows it to be distinguished from the marten. Carnivorous, in the summer it also likes to be tempted by fruits and insects.
Butterflies
Butterflies, which belong to the large Lepidoptera family, are represented in France by almost 5,000 species. You can recognize them by their three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings covered with scales of different patterns and colors. A coat that leaves nothing to chance as it allows them to regulate their temperature, scare off predators, attract mates and disguise themselves when necessary.