Animals in Italy
Italian Wolf
Canis lupus italicus
Italy has no official national animal set by law, but the wolf is the one most tied to the country. Legend says that Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were fed by a she wolf, and the Capitoline Wolf statue is still a symbol of the city. The Italian wolf is a distinct type of wolf that survived in the Apennines when wolves vanished from most of Western Europe. By the early 1970s only about a hundred were left. Hunting was banned in 1971 and full protection followed in 1976, and the wolf came back on its own, without reintroductions. The first national survey, in 2020 and 2021, estimated about 3,300 wolves, from Calabria to the Alps.
Wildlife in Italy
Italy is a long, boot shaped peninsula of about 302,000 square kilometers that reaches from the highest peaks of the Alps into the middle of the Mediterranean, with Sicily and Sardinia, the two largest islands of that sea, off its coast. Most of its roughly 59 million people live in the plains and along the coast, so the mountains, which cover more than a third of the country, still hold long stretches of forest and pasture where wild animals can move. In a single trip you can go from glaciers and alpine meadows in the north to the wooded spine of the Apennines, wetlands like the Po Delta, and dry, sunny coasts and islands in the south. Summers are hot and dry near the sea, and spring and autumn are the best seasons for watching animals.
For centuries farmers, shepherds and hunters shaped this land, and by the early twentieth century most large animals had become rare. The answer was Gran Paradiso, the first national park, created in 1922 from a royal hunting reserve that had saved the last Alpine ibex. Today 25 national parks protect the Alps, the Apennines and long stretches of coast, Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country, including the Dolomites and Mount Etna, and the Pelagos Sanctuary, agreed with France and Monaco in 1999, protects whales and dolphins in the Ligurian Sea.
Millions of visitors come for Rome, Florence and Venice, but many also head for the Dolomites, the northern lakes and parks such as Abruzzo, Gran Paradiso and Stelvio, where marked trails make wildlife easy to look for. The animals follow these contrasts: mountain goats and big predators in the Alps and Apennines, deer and boars in the forests, birds of prey over the cliffs, flamingos in the wetlands, and dolphins and whales in the open sea.
Most Dangerous Animals in Italy
Italy is a very safe country when it comes to wild animals, and most visitors will never have a problem with one. Still, a few groups deserve respect. Vipers are the only venomous snakes in the country. They live in sunny, rocky places from the Alps to the south, and bites are rare, almost always when someone steps on a snake or reaches under a stone or into a crack without looking. Good shoes and watching where you put your hands are usually enough, and Sardinia has no vipers at all. Large predators live in the mountains and almost always avoid people, and most hikers never see one. Bears in Trentino are the exception worth knowing about: there have been a few serious attacks, and in 2023 a runner was killed in the woods above Caldes, so local rules on hiking, dogs and food should be taken seriously. Wolves are shy, but those that get used to people can lose their fear, which is one reason feeding them is against the law. Dogs should stay on a leash in the mountains, since a loose dog can provoke both. If you meet a bear or a wolf, stay calm, do not run, and back away slowly to give it space. Wild boars are the animals people actually meet most often, even on the edges of Rome and Genoa. They can charge when cornered, especially mothers with young, and they cause many road accidents at night, so it pays to drive slowly on rural roads after dark. The best advice everywhere is simple: keep your distance, never feed wild animals, stay on marked trails and follow the rules of each national park.
Top 10 Animals in Italy
Italy's best known animals are spread from the high Alps to the open sea, and each one has its own place and season. Brown bears live in two separate areas. In western Trentino, around the Brenta Dolomites, a population started with ten bears brought from Slovenia between 1999 and 2002 has grown to around a hundred. In the central Apennines lives the Marsican brown bear, found only in Italy; a genetic count in 2025 estimated about 81 bears, and the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park is the place to look, ideally at dawn in late summer, when bears feed on buckthorn berries. Italian wolves now live along almost the whole peninsula, and fresh snow in Abruzzo or the Maiella in winter is the best time to find their tracks. The Eurasian lynx is far rarer, with only a few animals in the forests of the eastern Alps around Tarvisio. Red deer are easy to see in Stelvio National Park, especially in autumn, when males roar during the rut. The European wildcat hides in the woods of the Apennines and Sicily, while hedgehogs are common in gardens and fields across the country. In the Alps, the European adder suns itself on rocky slopes in summer. The chameleon is a surprise: small, probably introduced populations live in Apulia and Calabria. At sea, sperm whales dive for squid in the deep waters of the Pelagos Sanctuary and are often seen on summer whale watching trips from Liguria, and a few puffins spend the winter far offshore in the Mediterranean. Bottlenose and common dolphins are easier to spot, sometimes even from ferries. Park visitor centers and rangers are the best source on where animals have been seen in recent days.
Golden Jackal
Canis aureus
The golden jackal is a relatively recent arrival in Italy, spreading westward from the Balkans over the past few decades. It has established itself in the northeast, particularly in Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Veneto region, where river plains and agricultural land offer ideal hunting grounds. A highly adaptable canid, it feeds on small animals, fruit, and carrion. Its status is Least Concern.
Alpine Ibex
Capra ibex
Italy is where the Alpine ibex was saved. By the early 1800s fewer than 100 survived in the Gran Paradiso massif, protected as a royal hunting reserve from 1856 and as Italy's first national park from 1922. Every ibex in the Alps descends from them. Italy has one of the largest populations today, but Gran Paradiso's herd fell from almost 5,000 in 1993 to about 2,700. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Badger
Meles meles
The European badger, or tasso, lives across mainland Italy from the Alps to Calabria and also on Sicily, in woodland, scrub, olive groves and farming valleys. It is mostly nocturnal and rarely seen, but its setts, latrines and digging marks are common signs in the countryside. It feeds on earthworms, insects, fruit, grapes and small animals, and it is a protected species. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
Italy has two bear populations. In Trentino, 10 bears brought from Slovenia between 1999 and 2002 grew to around 100, and in April 2023 a runner was killed by a bear there. In the central Apennines lives the Marsican brown bear, a form found only in Italy, centered on Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, with about 81 bears in 2026. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Chamois
Rupicapra rupicapra
Italy's northern chamois, the camoscio, live all along the Alps, from Gran Paradiso and Stelvio National Parks to the Dolomites, where sarcoptic mange has hit some herds. The Abruzzo chamois of the central Apennines belongs to a different species, the Pyrenean chamois. Alpine populations are large and hunted under quotas, alongside ibex and marmots. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hare
Lepus europaeus
The European hare is found across much of Italy, from the Po Valley to the hills of Tuscany, Umbria and Marche. In central and southern Italy and Sicily it shares the land with a smaller native hare found only in Italy, and genetic tests are used to tell them apart. Many Italian areas restock European hares for hunting, sometimes with animals brought from abroad, which has mixed local populations. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus
Across Italy, the European hedgehog is a familiar presence in gardens, olive groves and woodland edges, from the Po Valley to the toe of the peninsula and on Sicily and Sardinia. It feeds on beetles, earthworms and slugs, which makes it a welcome visitor for farmers and gardeners. Road traffic and the heavy use of pesticides in farming areas are the biggest threats to hedgehogs throughout the country. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Italian Wolf
Canis lupus italicus
The Italian wolf is native to the Italian peninsula and represents one of Europe's greatest wildlife recovery stories. Pushed below 100 individuals by the 1970s due to hunting and habitat loss, strict legal protection helped the population rebound to roughly 3,300 wolves by the early 2020s. Packs roam the Apennine Mountains and Alpine slopes, hunting wild boar and deer across territories spanning hundreds of square kilometers.
Alpine Marmot
Marmota marmota
The Alpine marmot is one of the best known mammals of Italy's mountain parks, living in colonies across the Alps and, after releases by people, in the northern Apennines. It can hibernate for up to nine months a year and emerges in spring to graze on alpine meadows. Its sharp alarm whistles warn the colony of golden eagles and foxes, a common sound for hikers in Gran Paradiso and Stelvio. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Pine Marten
Martes martes
In Italy, the pine marten lives in the forests of the Alps and the Apennines, in beech, fir and mixed woods, but it is scarcer on the mainland than the stone marten. On Sardinia and Sicily the stone marten is absent, and the pine marten takes its place, living not only in woodland but also in Mediterranean scrub, rocky areas and around farms. It hunts rodents and birds and eats a lot of fruit. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Stone Marten
Martes foina
In Italy, the stone marten, faina, is widespread across the mainland, from the Po plain to Calabria, in farmland, vineyards, villages and the edges of towns, and it climbs high into the Alps on rocky slopes. It is absent from Sardinia and Sicily. It sleeps in barns, attics and old stone buildings, hunts rodents and birds at night and eats a lot of fruit, especially cherries, figs and grapes. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Lynx
Lynx lynx
Italy has very few Eurasian lynx. They live in the eastern Alps of Friuli Venezia Giulia, where five lynx from Switzerland, Romania and Croatia were released in the Tarvisio forest in 2023, close to the reintroduced lynx of the Slovenian Alps. Single animals also wander in from Switzerland and Slovenia. A young female born in Slovenia was later killed on a highway near Chiusaforte. Roe deer and chamois are its main prey. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
Red deer live in the Alps, parts of the Apennines and Sardinia, where the small Sardinian deer has lived since ancient times and recovered from near extinction. In the Alps, numbers have grown strongly since the mid twentieth century, and Stelvio National Park is one of the best places to see them. A small native herd also survives in the Mesola Wood in the Po Delta, one of the last lowland forests of the region. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
In Italy, the red fox lives from the Alps and the Po Valley along the Apennines to Sicily and Sardinia, and it even turns up in parks and outskirts of Rome and other cities. It eats rodents, rabbits, insects, carrion and plenty of fruit. In 2008 rabies returned to northeastern Italy from the Balkans, carried by foxes, and was stopped by dropping vaccine baits until the last cases in 2011. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Red Squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris
In Italy, the red squirrel is native to the forests of the Alps, the Apennines and many other wooded areas across the peninsula. However, populations in northern Italy face growing competition from the gray squirrel, which was released near Turin in 1948 and has been spreading steadily ever since. Conservationists in Italy have been working to control the gray squirrel's advance and protect native red squirrel habitat. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Roe Deer
Capreolus capreolus
In Italy, the roe deer is widespread across the Alps, the Apennines, and many lowland areas in between. It thrives in mixed woodland and along the forest edges of the Po Valley. After being heavily hunted in past centuries, populations recovered strongly during the twentieth century and the species is now common throughout much of the country. It feeds selectively on buds, leaves, and seasonal fruits, and is often spotted at dawn along rural roads. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
The wild boar is one of the most abundant large mammals in Italy, found across almost the whole country, including Sardinia, home to a small native subspecies, and Sicily, where it was introduced. Its numbers have grown enormously since the mid twentieth century, and boars now roam the outskirts of Rome. They are the main prey of the Italian wolf and a traditional dish in Tuscany. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Italy had two raccoon populations started by escaped or released animals. The one along the Adda River in Lombardy, first seen in 2003, was eradicated by a national plan launched in 2017. The other lives in the Casentino Valley of Tuscany, in the Foreste Casentinesi area, where raccoons have been linked to declines of native crayfish and removal is still under way. IUCN status: Least Concern.
European Wildcat
Felis silvestris
In Italy the European wildcat lives along the Apennines from Tuscany to Calabria, in the Maremma, on the Gargano and in northern Sicily, and it is spreading into the eastern Alps from Slovenia. On Mount Etna camera traps followed one cat for nine years, the oldest wild wildcat on record. The wildcat of Sardinia is a different species. Italy moved it to Least Concern on its national Red List in 2022. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Mountain Hare
Lepus timidus
In Italy the mountain hare lives along the whole arc of the Alps, from Piedmont and the Aosta Valley to Lombardy, Trentino, South Tyrol, Veneto and Friuli, mostly between about 1,300 and 3,000 meters. Called the white hare, it turns white in winter and is hunted under strict limits in some areas. It shares the high slopes with chamois, alpine ibex and alpine marmots, and golden eagles hunt it. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Otter
Lutra lutra
In Italy the otter survived mainly in the south, in rivers of Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Molise and Abruzzo, after vanishing from most of the north and center. Protection and cleaner rivers have helped it spread again, and otters from Austria and Slovenia are now returning to rivers in the northeast. It shares southern rivers and forests with wild boar, badgers and red foxes, and Alpine valleys with chamois. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Chameleon
Chamaeleonidae
In Italy the common chameleon is an introduced species. Old records from Sicily have not been confirmed recently, but there are established populations in the south, in Apulia, especially in the Salento, and in Calabria. Genetic studies show that they descend from chameleons brought from North Africa and the Middle East, some released before the 1950s. Small and isolated, these populations are watched by Italian herpetologists. IUCN status: Least Concern.
European Adder
Vipera berus
In Italy, the European adder lives mainly in the Alps and pre Alps of the north, in mountain meadows, rocky slopes, pastures and forest edges, often at high altitude, and it is absent from most of the peninsula and the islands. It is one of several vipers in Italy, alongside the more widespread asp viper. Its populations are often small and isolated, and depend on keeping mountain pastures open. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
In Italy, the griffon vulture survives naturally in Sardinia, where a small population nests on cliffs in the west of the island and has been reinforced with new birds. Between 1987 and 2005, 264 griffons were released in five regions, bringing the species back to the eastern Alps in Friuli, the Apennines, Pollino National Park, and Sicily. Several of these colonies now breed on their own. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
In Italy, the lanner falcon breeds mainly in the rocky landscapes of the south, including Sicily and Calabria, where cliff faces provide ideal nesting ledges. It preys on pigeons, doves, and other birds, often hunting in pairs. The Italian population is small and considered vulnerable at a national level, with disturbance at nest sites and illegal persecution among the key pressures it faces.
Eagle Owl
Bubo bubo
In Italy, the Eurasian eagle owl is found throughout the Alps, the Apennine mountains, and rocky coastal areas, where it nests on cliff ledges away from human disturbance. After suffering serious declines due to persecution and habitat loss during the twentieth century, populations have recovered well following legal protection. Today it is a stable breeding resident across much of the country. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
Italy is a regular stopover and wintering area for small numbers of saker falcons, mostly birds from the Central European population that pass through in spring and autumn or spend the winter in open plains. The species used to breed in Italy, with the last nests recorded in Sardinia, but it has not bred in the country since the late 1960s. The IUCN lists the saker falcon as Endangered.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is widespread across Italy from the Po Valley to Sicily, nesting in old farm buildings, church towers, and ruins. It hunts mice and voles by sound alone in total darkness, relying on its heart shaped face to channel sound to its ears. In many rural Italian communities it has long been a familiar sight gliding silently over fields at dusk.
Crane
Grus grus
Common cranes pass through Italy during their autumn and spring migrations, following a flyway that carries them over the Alps and down through the peninsula. Wetland areas in the Po Valley and along the Adriatic coast serve as important resting and feeding stops. Some birds also winter in parts of central and southern Italy. The species is classified as Least Concern, and Italian wetland conservation efforts support these seasonal visitors.
Puffin
Fratercula arctica
The Atlantic puffin reaches Italy as a winter visitor, at the eastern edge of its range. Some birds from the colonies of the British Isles and France winter at sea in the western Mediterranean, and they are found off the Italian coast, mostly in the Tyrrhenian Sea and around Sardinia, usually far from shore. Records are scarce and often involve birds washed ashore after storms. They return north in spring. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Italy is a migration corridor for white storks, with many birds crossing the country each spring and autumn, and the Po Valley and Adriatic wetlands are key stopovers. Breeding was nearly absent for much of the twentieth century, but a growing population has returned, helped by projects such as the stork center at Racconigi in Piedmont, and pairs now nest in several regions. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
The white wagtail is widespread across Italy throughout the year, breeding in the north and wintering across much of the peninsula and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. It is a common sight along rivers such as the Po, around lake shores and in farmland, as well as in parks and urban squares. Several subspecies pass through Italy during migration, making the country an important crossroads for this bird in the Mediterranean. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
In Italy, peregrine falcons nest on the rocky cliffs of the Apennines and the Alps, as well as on the ledges of historic buildings in cities like Rome and Milan. After population crashes caused by DDT in the twentieth century, numbers have recovered well. Italians can spot these birds hunting pigeons and starlings over both countryside and busy urban skylines. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
In Italy, the mute swan is found mainly across the northern plains, where the lakes of Lombardy, the Po Valley wetlands, and the lagoons of the Venetian coast provide suitable habitat. Breeding populations are concentrated in the north, though the bird also appears at coastal lagoons and river mouths further south in winter. Numbers have grown steadily in recent decades. The species is stable across its Italian range and is listed as Least Concern.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Italy is one of the strongholds of the nightingale in Europe. The species breeds widely across the peninsula and in Sicily, favoring dense riverside vegetation, scrubby woodland edges and hedgerows in agricultural land. Its rich, powerful song is a celebrated feature of Italian spring nights. Populations remain healthy here, supported by the abundance of suitable Mediterranean scrub habitats. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Italy has one of the stronger golden eagle populations in western Europe, with several hundred pairs nesting across the Alps, the Apennines, Sicily and Sardinia. The species favours open ridges and cliff faces above forests and mountain pastures, hunting marmots, hares, foxes and, in the south, tortoises. Its numbers have grown since it was protected. Pairs keep the same territory for years and often have several nests. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
The greater flamingo has become a common bird in Italy over the last decades. It began breeding in Sardinia in the 1990s, and today colonies nest in the lagoons near Cagliari, in the Po Delta and in the salt pans of Margherita di Savoia in Apulia. Flocks can be seen all year in coastal wetlands from Sardinia to Sicily and the Adriatic, feeding on brine shrimp and small invertebrates in the shallows. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
The Eurasian magpie is widely distributed across northern and central Italy, especially in the Po Valley, where a mix of farmland, hedgerows, and riverside trees provides ideal habitat. It is less common in the south and largely absent from Sardinia. A highly adaptable bird, it has settled comfortably into Italian towns and gardens. It feeds on everything from insects to fruit and small vertebrates. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bearded Vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
In Italy, the last native bearded vulture of the Alps was shot in the Aosta Valley in 1913. The species returned thanks to the Alpine reintroduction project, and pairs now breed in the Stelvio and Gran Paradiso national parks and other valleys of the Italian Alps. There it feeds on the bones of chamois, alpine ibex and red deer that die in winter. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Bottlenose dolphins are the most common dolphins along the coasts of Italy, from the Ligurian Sea and the Tuscan islands to the Adriatic, Sicily and Lampedusa. They often live close to shore and around fish farms and trawlers, which gives them food but also exposes them to nets. Boat trips from Liguria, Sardinia and Sicily see them regularly. The Mediterranean population is Vulnerable. IUCN status: Least Concern (Mediterranean population: Vulnerable).
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
In Italy common dolphins, once among the most familiar dolphins of the Mediterranean, are now rare. The best known group lives around the island of Ischia, near Naples, where researchers have followed it for years, and they are also seen in the Strait of Sicily and around the smaller islands. Overfishing of their prey and bycatch caused their decline, and the Mediterranean population is Endangered. IUCN status: Least Concern (Mediterranean population: Endangered).
Sperm Whale
Physeter macrocephalus
Italy has sperm whales in several deep areas of the Mediterranean. In the Ligurian Sea, inside the Pelagos Sanctuary, summer boat trips from Genoa, Imperia and Sanremo see them regularly, and the canyons off Ischia, near Naples, and the seas around Sicily are other well studied places. The Mediterranean population, only a few hundred animals, is Endangered, and driftnets and ship strikes have taken a heavy toll. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in Italy?
Italy has wolves, brown bears, Eurasian lynx, red deer, roe deer, wild boars, wildcats, badgers and hedgehogs. The Alps add Alpine ibex, chamois and marmots, and the skies hold golden eagles, griffon vultures, eagle owls, storks, cranes and flamingos. Around the coast live bottlenose and common dolphins and sperm whales.
What is the national animal of Italy?
Italy has no official national animal set by law, but the Italian wolf is widely seen as its animal symbol. The link goes back to the she wolf that, according to legend, fed Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. The Italian wolf is a distinct type of wolf that survived in the Apennines and has since spread into the Alps, France and Switzerland.
Are there bears in Italy?
Yes, in two separate groups. In Trentino, ten bears brought from Slovenia between 1999 and 2002 have grown to around a hundred, living in and around the Brenta Dolomites. In the central Apennines lives the Marsican brown bear, found only in Italy; a genetic count in 2025 estimated about 81 bears across its range, most of them in and around the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park.
What dangerous animals live in Italy?
Very few animals in Italy are a real danger. Vipers are the only venomous snakes, and bites are rare. Bears in Trentino have attacked people on rare occasions, including a fatal attack on a runner in 2023, while wolves almost always avoid people. Wild boars can charge when cornered and cause many road accidents at night. Keeping your distance and staying on trails keeps the risk very low.
What endangered species live in Italy?
The Marsican brown bear is the most threatened large animal in Italy, with only about 81 bears left in the central Apennines. The Eurasian lynx survives with just a few animals in the eastern Alps, and griffon vultures, reduced to a small colony in Sardinia, are being helped with birds brought from Spain. The wolf shows that recovery is possible: from about a hundred in the 1970s to around 3,300 today.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .