“The Stoat’s Game” by Jose Grandío, Terrestrial Life Finalist. All images courtesy of BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition, originally published in bioGraphic, shared with permission

Stoats, a type of short-tailed weasel, are known for their mesmerizing dances, a distraction tactic that involves twists and leaps like the one captured by photographer Jose Grandío. Jumping above the snowy landscape, the ermine bends its tiny body and opens its mouth in an extravagant gesture. Grandío’s shot is one of a dozen winners in the 2022 BigPicture Natural World Photography competition, which showcases the stunning diversity of life around the world. Similar to the 2021 contest, this year’s iteration focuses on the risk the climate crisis poses to the ecosystem and creatures so deftly captured by an international group of photographers. See some of our favorite images below, and find all of the winning shots on the competition’s site.

 

“Bee Balling,” by Karine Aigner, Grand Prize Winner

“Tunnel Vision” by Tom Shlesinger, Aquatic Life Finalist

“After the Fall” by David Slater, Aquatic Life Winner

“Frame Within a Frame” by Sitaram May, Winged Life Winner

“Hidden Beauty” by Tom St George, Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora Winner

“Spider Web” by Bence Máté, Terrestrial Life Winne

“Face to Face” by Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar, Human/Nature Finalist

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