Wildlife Photographer of the Year: there's no place like home

Carlos tracked this particular male sloth for several days before getting this perfect shot. The morning fog gives the forest a dreamlike quality as the sloth enjoys his view.

Fluff formation - Stefan Christmann

Not all animals live alone - in fact, for emperor penguins, their very survival is often dependent on the presence of their community. 

Stefan Christmann's striking shot shows young penguins huddling in what is known as a crèche while their parents go off to hunt. These early gatherings are formative for the young chicks who must learn to share the warm centre if they are all to survive.

Portrait of a Spanish Tarantula - Javier Aznar González de Rueda

Other creatures, like this Spanish tarantula (not a true tarantula but actually a type of wolf spider), rely on their homemaking capabilities for more than just warmth.

The spider's leafy underground lair is knit with finely spun silk. When insects pass by, the tiny vibrations that they create are transmitted along the silk so that the spider can dart out and catch her prey.

An intuitive and quick hunter, this spider blends perfectly into the decaying leaves that make up her home. 

The Albatross Cave - Thomas P Peschak 

For Chatham albatrosses, camouflage is less important than shelter. The large cave on the side of Te Tara Koi Koia island, New Zealand, provides the perfect shelter for nest-building and breeding.

This location is so perfect that it's the only place in the world where Chatham albatrosses breed naturally. Wildlife photographer Thomas P Peschak is one of very few people to witness such a moment.

Unfortunately, extreme storms have begun to erode the soil on Te Tara Koi Koia and the vegetation that the albatrosses need for nest-building has declined. Conservationists have recently translocated a new breeding colony onto a nearby island to improve the species' chances of survival.

Pondworld – Manuel Plaickner

A changing climate has also affected the habits of the common frog, the subject of Manuel Plaickner's colourful shot. 

Frogs live a solitary life for most of the year, gathering only to breed in the spring. As spring temperatures get warmer, the frogs are emerging from their winter shelters earlier each year to begin their migration.

Manuel tracked the frogs to a large pond where they had gathered to breed. Clusters of frogspawn can be seen among the pondweed as adult frogs linger nearby.

Dinner duty – Tommy Pedersen

Tommy Pedersen's peaceful shot shows a family of great grey owls at dinner time. Tommy photographed the young family for weeks, being careful not to disturb them by hiding under a camouflage net. 

Great grey owls do not build their own nests - they often reuse the nests of other large birds. This family has made themselves at home in the hollow of a tree. They will stay for a number of weeks while the young chick prepares to fledge, protected by its parents at all times.

The Rat Pack – Charlie Hamilton James

Charlie Hamilton James used a remote camera set-up to get this photo of a group of rats emerging from their home under a tree grille.

Unlike most animals, rats benefit from the spread of human civilisation. They thrive in places where there is ample food and shelter, like in big cities.

Rats are smart and able to navigate underground systems with ease. They are also strong swimmers and good at burrowing, so they're well adapted to life underground.

Lucky Break -Jason Bantle

Racoons are also particularly well adapted to live alongside humans. This resourceful racoon mother has found an ideal den to keep her young cubs safe while she forages for food. 

Jason Bantle used a long exposure to get his photo as the mother poked her head out and surveyed her surroundings. 

The doors and windows of the car are shut, leaving the hole in the windshield as the only entrance. Happily, it was just big enough for her but too small for predators such as coyotes.