Whether terrestrial, flying or amphibious, more than 120 species of wild mammals live in France today. Their presence in France - and more widely in Europe - is the fruit of a long history, shaped by countless morphological, behavioral and physiological evolutions. This has forged a remarkable diversity, essential to the vitality of our ecosystems. Deer, wolves, bears, wild boar, hares, weasels, shrews, squirrels, hedgehogs, forest cats, lynx, chamois, beavers, voles... These mammals are the discreet but essential players in nature's health. And we share a common territory with them.
But how do these animals, established since the end of the great Quaternary ice ages, react to the upheavals caused by human activity? Pollution, landscape fragmentation, the arrival of exotic and sometimes invasive species, climate change... the pressures are multiple and often intense.
This book invites you to immerse yourself in the world of these mammals, both familiar and little-known, through a series of portraits illuminated by their interactions, adaptations and sometimes surprising balances. It also raises questions about our role: will we know how to better live with them in the future, in the natural world we inhabit together?
