The wild animals of Liguria

It is true: Liguria has a spectacular territory. Its villages are often built on very steep cliffs, as in the Cinque Terre, or on rugged hills, as in Apricale, and the scenery is tinged with the most vivid colours, sometimes iridescent.

Yet, not only humans have managed to adapt to tortuous landscapes, in order to enjoy the mildness of the Ligurian climate and its unique landscape: even a great variety of wild animals, some very rare and endangered, has elected Liguria as its ideal habitat. If you love animals and biodiversity, keep reading: in this article we will discover some of the wonderful species that live in our region.

The Ligurian territory and the natural parks

The Ligurian territory is characterized by the concomitance of different natural scenarios: sea, hills and mountains vary the landscape making it surprising every time.

To the west protected by the Alps and to the east by the Apennines, Liguria is largely mountainous and hilly. This particularity is what makes our region truly special and the reason why it enjoys the presence of numerous parks and protected areas, where many fauna species live and reproduce.

Among these areas, we mention the most important in the Savona area:
• Beigua Regional Natural Park (Sassello, Stella, Varazze)
• Bergeggi Regional Nature Reserve
• Piana Crixia Regional Natural Park
• Gallinara Island Regional Nature Reserve
• Bric Tana Regional Natural Park (Millesimo)
• Regional Nature Reserve of Rio Torsero (Ceriale)
• Adelasia Regional Nature Reserve (Cairo Montenotte)

The Ligurian fauna

In our region, most people especially appreciate the beautiful beaches, maybe even some itineraries and the most fascinating Ligurian villages. But there is a hidden Liguria, which we would all like to know: that of the woods and mountain paths, where wild animals of extraordinary beauty live and reproduce.

Mammals

Here it is not rare, in fact, to come across foxes, roe deer, fallow deer, wild boar, badgers, stoats, alpine hares and marmots. Indeed, in the internal valleys of the Apennines, the wolf made its reappearance, which had disappeared due to the summary hunting of the early twentieth century. The rare families of wolves, which came to Liguria from the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, are found mainly in the Aveto Valley and in the Ligurian Alps.

Reptiles and spiders

Near the streams you can also meet snakes and snakes, such as the snake snake and the famous viper. A very particular reptile is then the ocellated lizard, 60 centimetres long, present in Liguria together with the tessellated natrice and the viperine natrice. Not everyone knows this, but in our region, there are also the black scorpion and the malmignatta, a spider very similar to the black widow.

Birds, frogs, and insects

If, as understandable, reptiles and arachnids are not your passion, we invite you to turn your gaze to the Ligurian sky, where peregrine falcons and some specimens of golden eagles fly proudly. But not only that: the black woodpecker, the wallcreeper, the eagle owl (the largest European nocturnal bird of prey) and the imperial raven have also chosen the Ligurian forests as their home!

Among the amphibians, however, the Apennine frog and the common frog stand out. Insects are by no means rare, indeed: not only precious bees hover in the air, but also numerous butterflies. Moreover, in the evening it is still possible to admire the very rare fireflies, now completely disappeared from almost all inhabited centres.

Where to meet some special animals of Liguria

If some of these animals can be difficult to meet, with a specialized guide you will be able to spot others, which can be admired on special occasions. This is the case, for example, of the Emys orbicularis ingauna, the marsh turtle that inhabits the Rio Carenda, in the hinterland of Albenga. Considered extinct until 1994 and miraculously saved from a hydrocarbon spill in 2012, this turtle now lives only in the Albenga plain. For this reason, the Emys Liguria Association was born, which deals with safeguarding the breeding environment of tortoises and offers visits by appointment.

At the Beigua Park, in the hills above Varazze, it is possible to admire the Biancone, a large bird of prey with an impressive wingspan: just think that it can reach up to 185 centimetres! In early spring it migrates from West Africa and, through the Strait of Gibraltar, reaches the Ligurian woods to reproduce. To admire these beautiful birds, in March the Park has been organizing Biancone Day for years.

If you want to make your Ai Pozzi Village holiday even more exciting with activities and excursions, we recommend that you visit at least one of our natural parks, where you can meet some of the beautiful wild animals of Liguria.

Do not hesitate to contact us for further information!