In many studies on mammalian distribution, vegetation is considered in particular as a source of food and its importance in terms of habitat has been neglected. The type of vegetation cover is a limiting factor only in the choice of ecological niches but does not in general affect the overall distribution. On the contrary, the density of mammals is in many cases associated with the morphology of the plant cover, especially in the case of granivores (rodents), less for insectivores and small carnivores. In the paper several examples are given concerning mammals of Europe and North Africa and the importance of vegetation morphology for nests, cover and landmarks, as well as exceptions and adaptations, especially on islands.