Five invasive animal species living in France

International trade and people’s love for the exotic have meant that many invasive species of animals have arrived in France from elsewhere on the globe and are expanding their territory. 

Introduced into the wild ecosystem by accident, these animals thrive without natural predators to control them. 

They cause loss of biodiversity, habitat degradation, health risks to humans and economic costs. 

In English they are known as an Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and in French as “Espèces Exotiques Envahissantes” (EEE). Here are five examples of offenders. 

1. American bullfrog (ouaouaron or grenouille-taureau; Lithobates catesbeianus). Native to North America, the bullfrog arrived in France in the middle of the 20th Century via imports for fish farming; frog meat for restaurants; and demand for aquatic pets. It quickly escaped, or was released, and adapted to life in local ponds and shallow lakes where it could breed and hunt easily. Gigantic and voracious, it can exceed 20cm and consumes a corresponding amount of fish, amphibians and insects. It thrives mainly in the south-west and centre-west.

2. The Asian hornet (Frelon asiatique; Vespa velutina). Accidentally introduced from China, this fearsome predator became established in western France in the early 2000s. Since then, it has colonised almost the whole of the country. A formidable predator, it attacks honeybees at the entrance to their hives, reducing their ability to pollinate and produce honey. Its nests are found in both rural and urban areas. 

3. Siberian chipmunk (tamia de Sibérie; Tamias sibiricus). Originally from Asia, this little beast was imported as a pet and is sometimes known inaccurately as the Korean squirrel (écureuil de Corée). It has become resident in certain forest parks in the Île-de-France region, including Sénart and Fontainebleau. Agile and opportunistic, it competes with the red squirrel, which already has to struggle with habitat fragmentation. It is also a host to ticks which carry Lyme disease that can be transmitted all too easily to humans and animals.

4. Louisiana crayfish (Ecrevisse de Louisiane; Procambarus clarkii). Native to the southern United States, this crayfish was deliberately introduced into the Camargue as a commercial food source earlier this century. It had no problem moving into the wild and now proliferates in rivers and ponds. It devours aquatic plants, destroys riverbanks and causes a serious ecological imbalance wherever it goes. It competes with the native species of crayfish to the point of driving the latter towards extinction. 

5. Red-eared slider or terrapin (tortue de Floride; Trachemys scripta elegans). This small turtle also hails from the southern States. It was imported into France as a pet in the 1980s and 1990s and found its way into rivers and ponds. It has become established throughout mainland France, particularly in the Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie regions. It competes with the native European turtles for resting sites and food, greatly disrupting the ecosystem. Its longevity and earlier maturity give it a breeding advantage.