All the wild mammals of Loir-et-Cher listed in a book

This is a book to be distributed to all schools in the department. And that every Loir-et-chérien should have in their library. The recent state of knowledge on wild mammals in Loir-et-Cher, written by Michel Gervais, is a very useful local scientific reference for the territory. It is also a plea for the richness of wildlife, which has something to make every inhabitant of this department proud.

Genet, beaver, wolf and even seal!

Among the approximately seventy-five species of wild mammals recently observed and recorded by the work, we notice unexpected specimens such as the raccoon and the Bennett wallaby – from the kangaroo family! – or even the seal seal – who knew that it was a mammal?

And what about the Aquitaine mole, whose presence was formally proven in 2022 by Michel Gervais, or the genet, a little-known carnivore but seen for the first time in Loir-et-Cher in 1950?

The book by the mammalogist (mammal specialist) is also an opportunity to remember the recent reappearances of animals formerly hunted, such as the wolf, immortalized by a photo trap at La Chapelle-Vicomtesse in 2020 and the beaver, reintroduced in the years 1970, observed since on the Loire, of course, but also in the Loir valley, which is less well known.

The reader of Michel Gervais’ book will appreciate the histories, descriptions and presentations of the species observed, accompanied by the numerous photographs of animals, footprints and bones. But also maps and other tables allowing you to know the state of different populations. The opportunity to learn that if the European deer went from common in 1989 to very common in 2022 (because of global warming?), the gray dormouse went from rare in 1989 to extremely rare in 2022.

The Atlas of Wild Mammals of Loir-et-Cher is the work of a nature enthusiast and lover of Loir-et-Cher in its diversity. Michel Gervais, who was president of the Perche nature association several times, has been an amateur naturalist since the 1970s. With his wife, he does not hesitate to track wolves – or bats, for that matter. sometimes state-of-the-art tools connected to your smartphone. To produce his latest work, he relied on data from the obs41.fr database which allows everyone to record their observations of species, but also on the work of the National Forestry Office, associations and his many friends and fellow naturalists – some of whom have left, like Alain Perthuis. His skills as a mathematics teacher undoubtedly also helped him to create the numerous worksheets and tables.

Some endangered species

It was painstaking work that he did. An essential work, at a time when changes are observable. “We found all the species that were there in 1910 in Loir-et-Cher, but sometimes with limited populations. The little creature is taking a terrible slap. But nothing is lost. » The work is an opportunity for the author, a concerned nature lover, to convey some messages. “I would like people to learn to live with flora and fauna,” he says, adding these few tips: “Don’t mow your entire lawn if you have a garden, and be careful when you drive…”

“Wild mammals of Loir-et-Cher, State of knowledge”, Michel Gervais, published by Perche Nature, with the financial assistance of the departmental council. 188 pages. €20. To obtain it, contact Perche Nature. Such. 02.54.80.11.05.