Jose Manuel Grandío (Spain) braves below-zero temperatures to witness a stoat jumping high into the air above the snow.
Winter is Jose’s favourite season for photography.
He spotted this stoat jumping in mid-air on the last day of his trip in the French Alps. The small mammal hurled itself about in a fresh fall of snow, in what Jose saw as an “expression of exuberance”.
Scientists refer to this behaviour as ‘dancing’, although opinions are divided about what motivates it. Some think it is an attempt to confuse prey, while others believe it is linked to a parasitic infection.
Stoats are usually active at night and prey on small mammals and birds.
Spain
Jose Manuel has been a wildlife photographer for 25 years and specialises in birds. He’s also worked on several studies on the migration of birds, which have been published in magazines such as Ardeola. Jose’s photos have received several awards, including awards in Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year. He’s a member of the Spanish Association of Nature Photographers and the Spanish Ornithological Society.
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