Editing Mayenne (section)

==Flora and fauna==
Mayenne has a diversity of habitat types such as forest, heathland, bog and farmland. Some 1445 species of plants, 63 species of mammals, 280 species of birds, 16 species of amphibians and 11 species of reptiles have been recorded, as well as thousands of species of invertebrates. The peat-lands and bogs are often fringed with woodlands of alder and ash, and in some places carnivorous plants such as [[sundew]] and [[butterwort]] flourish, [[Fritillaria meleagris|fritillaries]], [[Comarum palustre|marsh cinquefoil]] and [[Eriophorum angustifolium|cottongrass]] grow and butterflies, dragonflies and spiders abound.<ref name=Exposition>{{cite web |url=http://www.mayennenatureenvironnement.fr/exposition.html |title=Exposition: "La Biodiversité en Mayenne" |language=fr |publisher=Mayenne Nature Environnement |access-date=17 October 2015}}</ref>

The woodlands are mostly small with the deciduous trees dominated by [[oak]]. Here [[roe deer]], [[European badger|badger]], [[fire salamander]], [[Aesculapian snake]], [[middle spotted woodpecker]], [[little owl]] and [[Limenitis camilla|white admiral]] can be found and uncommon plants present including [[Aquilegia vulgaris|European columbine]] and wild [[russet apple]].<ref name=Exposition/>

The dry grasslands, which cover the limestone and sandstone soils, are also rich in fauna and flora. They house the snake ''[[Vipera aspis]]'', the [[Large blue]] butterfly, the [[Oedipoda caerulescens|blue-winged grasshopper]] and the [[bee orchid]]. The heathland in the north of Mayenne is populated by [[Ulex minor|dwarf gorse]] and [[Erica tetralix|cross-leaved heath]] and there are plenty of spiders, [[European nightjar|nightjars]] and [[warbler]]s. The old quarries are the refuge of bats, amphibians, the [[Geranium lucidum|shining cranesbill]] and [[Platanthera chlorantha|greater butterfly orchid]]. Rivers and ponds are home to eel, [[northern crested newt]], [[European otter]], [[common kingfisher|kingfisher]], [[grass snake]], [[common moorhen]] and plants such as [[Ranunculus|spearwort]], [[Iris pseudacorus|yellow flag]], [[Sagittaria sagittifolia|arrowhead]] and ''[[Isopyrum thalictroides]]'', a small poisonous plant.<ref name=Exposition/>