Potenza, home garden, late winter. While moving firewood at the base of a hazel tree, we notice small nests made of straw. Emerging from one, come the faint protests of a dormouse not wishing to be disturbed. We oblige, carefully putting the wood back in place so the dormouse can awake from hibernation at its own pace.

"Ancora cinque minuti" by Andrea Cerverizzo | Category: Urban mammals

In the Julian Alps, an ibex killed by wolves is being consumed by three scavenger species: vultures, a fox, and a raven.

"Competizione alimentare" by Renato Pontarini | Category: Eco-interactions

Some prefer a savory breakfast, others a croissant and cappuccino but the ermine starts its day by crunching on a snow vole, its favored prey in the Italian Alps.

"Colazione alpina" by Marco Granata | Category: Young photographers

In some villages of the Abruzzo Apennines, during mating season, large male deer approach inhabited areas, drawn by females now accustomed to living close to humans. This shot captures a powerful male as it senses a female’s presence and charges toward her.

"Il cervo dal bosco alla città per amore" by Niccolò Bavieri | Category: Urban mammals

Often overlooked, small mammals play a crucial role in ecosystem health. This photo, taken at night in a forest in the Abruzzo Apennines, shows a wood mouse (Apodemus sp.) searching for food in the undergrowth.

"Presenze" by Francesco Gallozzi | Category: Camera trapping

Before venturing out of the forest, a pair of hares pauses to check for danger, taking cover behind a fallen tree.

"Prima di uscire allo scoperto" by Andrea De Giovanni | Category: Camera trapping

A red deer (Cervus elaphus) looks into the camera through a van window, creating a humorous scene reminiscent of an animal behind the wheel. The image highlights the thin boundary between wildlife and human environments and invites reflection on coexistence and urbanization.

"Taxi Driver" by Jessica Peruzzo | Category: Young photographers

Late August, among oak trees in a reserve above the Montedoglio Dam in Arezzo. Out of the silence four wolf pups emerge. About three months old, they take their first steps into the world through play and exploration, under the discreet protection of the pack.

"Al di là delle parole" by Caterina Blasi | Category: Eco-interactions