Late Winter: Morning Contest (03:28)

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In a French village, dormice continue attic hibernation while red wquirrels awake in rooftop nests. A female looks for a mate, testing a male's worthiness in an endurance race; he fails her courtship trial.

Late Winter: Night Predators (03:35)

House cats roam alleyways, hunting rats. Chickens in coops rely on keepers for protection. A stone marten gains entry and preys on eggs; it escapes before humans arrive.

Early Spring: Late Night Migration (06:11)

Fractional rises in temperature triggers male toad emergence from winter burrows; they head for the pond. Females follow, weighted with eggs. After reaching their destination, they mate.

Early Spring: Village Nests (04:06)

As the weather warms, birds claim territories and flowers bloom. A hornet queen emerges, finding an attic to lay eggs. In a cellar, a rat has her first litter of the season; a pair can multiply to 2,800 in a year.

Spring: Busy Mechanics (04:54)

Young blue tit males look for homes to woo mates; some birds nest within the village, where food is supplied. Stone martens love engine oil smells, and the taste and texture of rubber and plastic. Across Europe, they damage 500,000 automobiles annually.

Early Summer: River Life Cycle (02:28)

Mayfly larvae feed two years before mass emerging as adults. They have one day to find a mate and breed; they release eggs into the river. The event provides a feast for waterfowl and other predators.

Summer: Growing Predators (08:40)

Pollinators visit fully bloomed flowers. Cabbage white caterpillars eat growing gardens; blue tits feed on the caterpillars. A father searches for food and becomes prey for a sparrow hawk. A worker hornet delivers 100 kills daily to the queen's larvae.

Summer: Nighttime Garden Predators (08:23)

Slugs eat backyard garden plots. Slow worms eat the slugs while hedgehogs forage for bugs and worms. A wild boar descends from the woodlands and feasts in a garden; sensitive noses smell ripe fruit a kilometer away.

Peak Summer: Imported Threat (03:31)

Wildflowers are in full bloom, but honey production stalls. Asian hornets attack bees returning to their colonies with nectar. The invasive species spreads quickly and destroys hives in days.

Peak Summer: Underground Neighbors (05:02)

Rat have hinged ribs, allowing them to squeeze through tight spaces; they use sewers to avoid predators. Water flows through drains, delivering food and creating a warm atmosphere until flooding with storm runoff. Rodents use pipes as escape routes, ascending through toilets.

Late Summer: Pond Wildlife (03:44)

Damsel flies lay eggs on floating vegetation; males guard females or battle over territories. Frogs' leg muscles wind tendons, releasing stored energy. Migratory hobby hunt dragonflies, whose only defense is dropping close to the water's surface.

Late Summer: Ripe Fields (04:03)

Bumblebee colonies store honey in wax pots beneath cobblestones; they fly five kilometers to reach flowers surrounding the village. Meadows attract seed eating field mice; they are exposed to predators after farmers cut hay.

Autumn: Longer Nights, Colder Days (07:38)

Tawny owls reestablish partnerships with calls that can last hours; snails crawl between rocks, sealing themselves into shells with mucous. Earthworms recycle fallen leaves as mushrooms spread spores. A squirrel eats fly agaric; pigs root truffles for skilled farmers.

Autumn: Night Foraging Mission (05:28)

Attic dormice venture outside, navigating by odor trails; each must eat 500 hazelnuts before hibernation. Tawny owls detect their sounds, silently preying upon them, but the mice escape.

Late Autumn: Morning Contest (04:41)

As winter approaches, toads return to garden burrows, and hedgehogs and stone martens sleep in nests. The attic hornet hive is empty, while a new queen settles into a crevice. A male red squirrel, now in peak condition, catches up with a prospective mate.

Credits: Wild Tales From The Village (00:39)

Credits: Wild Tales From The Village