Burgundy Snail - France

The metric system was originally based on two French systems for measuring distance and weight: the mètre des Archives and the kilogramme des Archives. France adopted the metric system in 1799. The metric system is now used in every country in the world except Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States of America.

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Helix pomatia - The Burgundy snail is a large land snail distributed throughout Europe and one of the leading snail species consumed by humans; as a food source it is referred to by its French name, “escargot.”  Water is essential to snails, but land snails are less confined in having to stay near a water source in comparison to marine snails. Land snails produce a thick layer of mucus to enable them to move easily across a rough surface. The mucus also serves as a protective shield against infectious elements picked up along the way.

Tour Eiffel - France

The Eiffel Tower, or Tour Eiffel, is located in Paris and stands on the grounds of the Champs de Mars. It was designed and built by civil engineer and architect Alexandre Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Universal Exposition. The structure stands on four wrought iron legs and attains a height of 324 meters, making it the tallest structure in Paris. The imposing tower is constructed of over 18,000 parts held together by over 2,500,000 rivets. The total weight of the Eiffel Tower is 6,350 metric tons.

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The French Revolution began in 1789 and continued through 1799. This ten year period had a profound impact on France, Europe, and the entire world. It marked the decline of the absolute monarchies and state affairs influenced by church doctrine. The French Revolution marked the rise of the ordinary man, the “Third Estate” and provided him with a voice and means in formulating governmental policy. The era came to an end with Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup d'état in November of 1799.

Planellas' Polygala - Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is a small archipelago featuring two primary islands: Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre. The two islands are separated by a narrow strait referred to as the Salt River. The channel is a mere 5 kilometers across at its widest point and is spanned by two bridges for motor vehicles and one bridge for pedestrians and bicycles.

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Polygala planellasii – Polygala is a genus of flowering plants distributed throughout the temperate and tropic regions of the world and are commonly referred to as “milkworts” or “snakeroots.” In appearance, the milkworts are often confused with peas; both are irregular flowers. The petals of an irregular flower are not uniform in shape or arrangement and form upper and lower lips. The sepal design is also different in polygala flowers and features inner and outer layers; sepals protect the flower when it is a bud and when it is in bloom. 

Capybara - French Guinea

The historical flag of French Guinea indicates the year when the town of Cayenne was founded. The French colony was destroyed by the Portuguese, endured repeated attacks by hostile natives, and passed between Dutch, French, and English control several times before being permanently returned to France in 1814.

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Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris - Also known as the carpincho, the capybara is the world’s largest rodent. A typical adult can reach 1 meter in length and weigh 45 kilos. The capybara has four toes on the front feet and three on the hind feet with a slight webbing between each toe. The webbed toes provide support when moving along the marshy banks of the South American rivers and lakes, but does not hinder movement on solid ground; they are fast runners. Except for Chile, the capybara is distributed throughout South America.

Martinique Lancehead - Martinique

Mount Pelée is a volcano located in the northern region of Martinique. It is listed as being quiescent, a term describing an inactive volcano registering seismic activity. The 1902 Mount Pelée eruption became the 3rd deadliest volcanic eruption in modern history. The pyroclastic flows killed more than 30,000 people.

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Bothrops lanceolatus - Thirty-two species make up the Bothrops genus. This group is closely related to the rattlesnake and is also found only in the Americas. The Martinique lancehead, or fer-de-lance, is endemic to the island of Martinique. It is named for its large triangular head. The body is slender, olive-brown in color, and has dark hourglass markings on the dorsal side; the underside is greyish-white. In length, the snake grows to a maximum of 1.8 meters. The lancehead is a nocturnal predator and shelters in burrows during the day.

Red-headed Fody - Mayotte

The Mayotte Archipelago consists of two primary islands, Grande-Terre and Petite-Terre; several islets are scattered nearby. The island chain is of volcanic origin and was formed almost 8 millions years ago. Geologically, Mayotte is part of the larger Comoros Islands, but has been a French political claim since 1841.

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Foudia eminentissima - About 120 species of birds are listed in the family of Ploceidae. Based on their style of nest construction, most of the birds within this family are known as weaverbirds. The red-headed fody, endemic to Mayotte, the Comoros, and the Seychelles is a typical weaver. Hanging nests are woven in close proximity from branches using a variety of material; fibers pulled from vegetation is the most common. The entrance chamber is narrow to keep intruders out and faces down. Most weaver species are native to Africa.

Réunion Marsh Harrier - Réunion

Piton des Neiges is one of two shield volcanos located on Réunion. The volcano rose out of the sea to form the island about two million years ago. It has been extinct for thousands of years, but managed to create most of Réunion’s land mass. Piton de la Fournaise, the second peak, is one of the most active volcanos in the world.

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Circus maillardi - The range of the Réunion marsh harrier had once included the nearby Mauritius Islands, but is now limited to Réunion Island. Measuring 54 centimeters in length, it is considered a large harrier, but unlike most birds of prey, the wings of a marsh harrier are short and rounded; this allows the bird to maneuver with ease through the denser brush. Only hummingbirds can perform a true hover, but most species of harriers are able to momentarily “wind hover” by flying into the wind at a speed equal in force to the on-coming wind.

Atlantic Pincer Lobster - Saint Barthélemy

Saint Barthélemy is the smallest French claim in the Caribbean region. The small island is the only territory in the Americas with the distinction of having been a long-term Swedish colony. France traded the island to Sweden in 1784 for access to Gothenburg, a Swedish port city. The island returned to French control in 1878.

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Thaumastocheles zaleucus - Five species are contained in the Thaumastochelidae family, a group of deep sea lobsters. Two are endemic to the Coral Sea, and one each for the Sea of Japan and the Timor Sea. The fifth species, the Atlantic pincer lobster is found in the deep waters of the Caribbean and the Western Atlantic. Deep sea lobsters are either completely blind or have severely reduced vision; an adaptation to living in total darkness. They are easily recognized by the numerous spiny fingers contained on one over-sized claw.

Venus Sea Fan - Saint Martin

Saint Martin is the smallest inhabited island in the world shared by two sovereign nations; the island of New Guinea is the largest. The French control the northern area and have a larger territorial share; the Dutch sector, referred to as Sint Martin, is larger in population. The island was divided in 1648 by the Treaty of Concordia.

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Gorgonia flabellum - The Venus sea fan is common in the waters around the Bahamas and Lesser Antilles. It prefers depths not exceeding 10 meters and is usually found in areas of strong and steady wave action. The intricate mesh skeleton does not consist of hardened calcium carbonate; it is a soft coral made of sclelites, small mobile structures able to flex back and forth against on-coming waves and currents to better feed on the passing plankton. Venus sea fans reach heights of 1.5 meters and are either yellow, white or lavender.

Hooded Seal - Saint Pierre And Miquelon

France maintains several categories in defining its many territorial possessions. The islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon have the status of being an “overseas collectivity” territory. João Álvares Fagundes, a Portuguese explorer, landed on the islands in 1520, but they were claimed for France by Jacques Cartier in 1536.

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Cystophora cristata - The hooded seal’s name is derived from the large inflatable sac extending from the nostril to their forehead; only males have this feature. Sexually mature males also have the ability to blow a pinkish balloon out of their left nostril. The males use these displays as a means of intimidating rivals during courtship battles and to attract females. This odd feature is also used as a signaling device in defining status within a group for feeding privileges or basking rights and as a general indicator of the animal’s health.

Cities in Europe

Celtic people known as the Parisi founded Paris in the middle of the 13th century. The location, along the River Seine, was ideal in taking advantage of trade developing between Northern and Southern Europe. The town grew into a thriving city, bringing on unwanted attention from Romans and Vikings. Clovis the Frank, the first king to unite the Frankish tribes, made Paris the capital of his unified kingdom in 508.

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In 1095, Hungarian King Ladislaus I established a diocese in an area featuring two prominent hills; Gradec and Kaptol. The diocese was built on Kaptol and a small village took shape on Gradec. The two communities suffered invasions, fires, and the plague. They often resorted to violence in resolving their own petty differences, but agreed to merge in 1609, resulting in the formation of Zagreb.

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Wien was founded by Celtic people and can trace its history back to 500 BC. The Romans called the settlement Vindobona and built it into a fortified city to guard their northern border. The city and surrounding area became part of the Duchy of Austria, a state in the Holy Roman Empire. By 1440, Wien became the resident city of the Hapsburg Dynasty and served as the capital for the Holy Roman Empire.

New Caledonia Giant Gecko - New Caledonia

In 1900, archaeologists investigated a site on Papua New Guinea containing ancient pottery. In 1917, another site, located on New Caledonia, Lapita, revealed a similar style of pottery. It was also found in Tonga, almost 5,000 kilometers away. The initial human migration into the Pacific region was rapid and widespread.

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Rhacodactylus leachianus - The New Caledonia giant gecko, with a  length of 36 centimeters, is the largest gecko in the world. The robust body and stumpy tail are odd features for an animal leading an arboreal life; it does have sharp claws for grip and a grasping pad on the underside of the tail. The gecko spends the day sheltering in tree holes or crevasses and emerges at night to forage in the canopy for insects, spiders, frogs, and small birds. Females produce two eggs per cycle and are able to securely “glue” them to the tree.

Breadfruit - Tahiti

In 1788, Pomare I, a Tahitian chief, began unifying the nearby islands into the Kingdom of Tahiti. It was one of several independent entities in Oceania. Tahiti became a French protectorate in 1842 and was allowed to retain a degree of self-government, but in 1880, Tahiti was annexed as a French colony. 

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Artocarpus altilis - Breadfruit has its origins in the Melanesian region of Oceania and was carried further east by the Polynesian people as they migrated from island to island. The plant, when cooked, has a texture similar to bread. Having high levels of starch, the fruit has the taste of potatoes. The tree is fast growing and provides a nutritious fruit. Cultivated trees require minimal labor, fertilizer or pesticides in bringing forth a bountiful harvest; a mature tree can supply 250 fruits annually and has a life expectancy of almost 50 years.

Medinilla Racemosa - Wallis And Futuna

Three main islands, Alo, Sigave, and Uvea, make up the French territory of Wallis and Futuna. The islands were independent kingdoms ruled by minor kings or queens. French missionaries began arriving on the islands in 1837. By 1888, the three kingdoms had signed treaties with France and were reduced to protectorates.

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Medinilla racemosa - The Medinilla genus has about 190 species of flowering plants distributed from Africa, across Southern Asia, and into the Pacific Ocean. They are either in shrub or liana form. Medinilla racemosa grows in the dense rainforest as a fleshy vine with a smooth straw-colored bark. Lianas are vines rooted in the ground near trees and use them as support columns for reaching into the canopy. Lianas strengthen trees by “latching” them together, but they also compete against the trees for food, water, and sunlight.