Barcelona is an amazing city, full of life and cultural activity. Because it is a big urban area, many may think the only beings we can find there are of the human type. This reasoning is, however, inaccurate since Barcelona is also a city full of natural beauty, with beaches, mountains, rivers and forests. As an expected consequence of its natural surroundings, Barcelona is a very attractive place for animals. And if it is possible to find there a lot of exotic ones, it is also true that you may get to see many autochthonous species.
Check out some of the animal species you can observe when walking around Barcelona.
Related article: Butterfly Park Empuriabrava.
Table of Contents
Cylindera germanica ssp catalonica
This subspecies of Tiger Beetle can be found in brackish lagoons. It is distributed around Llobregat’s Delta but also near Seròs Lagoons (Lleida). Although the subspecies catalonica appears to not be internationally recognized, it is mentioned in the list of priority species to be protected in Catalunya as critically endangered.
Calotriton arnoldi
Photo by yo DADA via Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-SA.
The Montseny brook newt is an endemic salamander species from the Montseny Natural Park. This means you will not find it in any other place in the world. This amphibian has a chocolate-brown colored skin and lives under running rivers. It is estimated that there are around 1.500 individuals but the population is decreasing, mostly due to the mountain streams drying. The species is critically endangered, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Pseudophilotes panoptes
Commonly known as Panoptes Blue, this butterfly is a native species from the Iberian Peninsula and the of North Africa. It lives at low regions with areas of dry land with small bushes and trees. Its wings are silver-blue and can be easily confused with another species, the Baton blue (Pseudophilotes baton).
Egretta garzetta
Photo by Agustín Povedano via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-SA.
The Little Egret feathers are totally white, although sometimes they can have some colored plumage on the back of their head. Their beak and paws are black, but their fingers are yellow. The neck is long and S-shaped. Little Egrets live near the rivers and water banks from Southern and Center Europe. They usually feed alone, but can be seen in small flocks when sleeping.
Mus spretus
This animal can be known as Algerian Mouse or Western Mediterranean mouse because it can be found in the North Africa and along the Western Mediterranean. If you wish to find this wild mouse, search for open places. To do so you will have to stay up late since this is a nocturnal species.
The list is not over
If you wish to know more about Barcelona’s fauna, take the time to look at this list created by the Municipality of Catalonia. The document is written in Catalan which makes it difficult to read for English speakers, but the images and the scientific names can be understood in any language. Sometimes, Barcelona’s Zoo organizes workshops about Catalan fauna. However, at the moment, there is none. Check their website from time to time to know when the next session will happen.
If you are coming to Barcelona, consider renting a comfortable flat so that you can take the time to know Barcelona in its full essence – wild beings included.
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