Mammals

Certainly one of the most interesting and valuable features of the Corno alle Scale Park is its wealth of fauna, which is largely due to the limited impact of human activity over most of the area.

Walking along the upper ridge trails, one can easily hear the whistling cry of the marmot, introduced after the war in the nearby Modenese mountains, or spot the small entrance holes to the burrows of the European snow vole.

In certain rocky sections and along the mountain passes, it is not uncommon to encounter mouflons. These are sheep of Sardinian and Corsican origins that were introduced to the Tuscan Apennines after the war; the males are notable for their spiraled horns. Roe deer and wild boars are commonly found in the wooded regions of the park. The older high forests are home to the pine marten, an expert hunter of squirrels, beech marten, badger and fox, as well as to two small rodents: the hazel dormouse and the bank vole.

The vast wooded areas also provide a safe haven for one of the rarest and most fascinating animals of the country's fauna, which has returned to these mountains in recent years: the wolf; now, more than ever, a clear sign of a newfound ecological balance.