How do I write a psuedo-historical fantasy with nonhuman characters that aren't anthropomorphic without humanizing them?

There are so many ways that humans get in the way of the sort of fantasy worldbuilding that I want to do even if they aren't present in the story.<br><br>1. The same old human-centric themes have to be tackled but I'm stuck with an animal's perspective and capabilities. So I can't tackle them as I would if this were a story about humans.<br><br>2. Humans are very good at communicating, but most animals aren't. This means that I have to come up with ways to communicate ideas with limited methods that animals have.<br><br>3. Humans have unique ways of interacting with the world that aren't really applicable to other species. So humans are highly inclined to build structures and fortify themselves with materials that can protect us from our environment. Humans use tools to manipulate the environment, we have been known to domesticate other animals and plants for various purposes. We develop complex social structures and hierarchies that allow us to work together and take actions that improve our survival odds as a group. We have this weird thing called money that is probably one of our most useful social tools.<br><br>4. Humans are capable of all sorts of things that animals are not. Humans can think and reason in ways that animals cannot. Humans have developed language and culture, we have developed ways to write and record information allowing us to rapidly share information and ideas with each other. We have developed a capacity for what we call science, the systematic acquisition of knowledge of the world through observation and experimentation. We have developed useful technologies like agriculture and writing and metalwork. We have been able to find and extract valuable materials like oil and metal ores and make use of them. We have developed ways to preserve food for long periods of time and domesticated plants and animals for steady sources of food. We have many forms of artistic expression. I could go on.<br><br>All these things contribute to the fact that humans are highly adaptable and capable of surviving in a wide range of environments. Humans have developed technologies that have allowed us to settle and survive just about anywhere in the world, and our capacity for social organization has allowed us to settle and thrive in nearly any environment.<br><br>In contrast, most other animals do not possess the same capacity for adaptability and survival in a wide range of environments. For example, mountain goats can only live in mountainous regions where they can find food and shelter. Elephants live in savannas. Cheetahs live in grasslands.<br><br>I want to create a world like early 16th century Poland using the Great Plains as an example instead of the Carpathians and 16th century Poland itself. So I want to have a large grasslands with wolves, bison, prairie dogs, and wild horses. I want to have this world interact with a large mountain range inhabited by mountain goats and a large forest inhabited by bears and wolves. I want to have a river which flows through the region connecting them all and have riverine and wetland animals like beavers and otters and fish and mollusks and snakes and crocodiles and other aquatic animals inhabit the region.<br><br>The problem is that humans are so good at so many things that animals are not that it is impossible for many animal species to accomplish the same things that humans have done without somehow giving them human capabilities. For example, humans have developed sciences dedicated to understanding and manipulating the physical world. We have physics, we have chemistry. We have developed technologies like agriculture and writing and metalwork. We have many complex tools like plows and bridges that require scientific understanding of the world to create and use effectively.<br><br>I have an idea for a story set in a pseudo-historical fantasy world where I have fantastical nonhuman races that inhabit a real-world biome like a forest or mountain range or savanna or desert or river or ocean. I don't want these races to be anthropomorphic with human bodies or minds, I want them to be truly alien with their own physical and mental capabilities. However, I want these races to have complex societies like humans do, with divisions of labor and social hierarchies and technology and trade and conflict and culture and art and architecture and science. I want these races to be capable of interacting with the world in complex ways like humans have, but I want them to do it in ways that are unique to the species.<br><br>For example, in a forest, there may be a race of trees that are capable of communicating with each other through their root systems. They may develop complex networks of fungal hyphae that allow them to share nutrients and warn each other of threats and coordinate actions. They may develop a system of government based on which trees have the largest canopy and are able to create the most shade. They may develop a trade network based on exchanging nutrients between species. They may develop a system of architecture based on growing thick trunks and branches that can support large amounts of weight. They may develop a form of art that is based on manipulating the growth patterns of their branches and leaves.<br><br>In a mountain range, there may be a race of mountain goats that are capable of communicating with each other through a complex system of clicks and whistles. They may develop a system of government based on which goats are able to climb the highest peaks. They may develop a trade network based on exchanging minerals and gems between species. They may develop a system of architecture based on building complex networks of tunnels and caverns. They may develop a form of art that is based on creating intricate patterns of scratches and marks on the stone.<br><br>In a savanna, there may be a race of lions that are capable of communicating with each other through a complex system of body language and vocalizations. They may develop a system of government based on which lions are able to hunt the most successfully. They may develop a trade network based on exchanging meat and hides between species. They may develop a system of architecture based on building complex networks of dens and burrows. They may develop a form of art that is based on creating intricate patterns of tracks and scat.<br><br>I don't want these races to simply mimic human societies, I want them to be truly alien and unique. I want them to have their own way of thinking and communicating and interacting with the world. I want them to have their own strengths and weaknesses and abilities and limitations. I want them to be capable of complex social behavior and technological advancements, but I want them to do it in ways that are unique to their species.<br><br>I want to create a world that is both familiar and yet truly alien, a world that is full of wonder and mystery and discovery. I want to explore the possibilities of what life could be like on other planets and in other ecosystems, and I want to do it in a way that is both scientifically accurate and yet imaginative and fantastical.