Although the harvest mouse has a life expectancy of 6 months, its days are full of adventure. It is the smallest rodent in Europe, the only mammal in the British Isles with a prehensile tail, which gives it the ability to cling to plant stems as it moves through vegetation. And there’s probably no photographer who’s ever photographed these little acrobats like Dean Mason from Dorset, UK.
More info: deanmasonwildlifephotography.co.uk | Facebook | Instagram
1.
Photo credit: deanmason
The 53-year-old photographer has been a photographer since he was 17: “I have been a wildlife photographer for the last 20 years, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. Wildlife fascinates me for many reasons: it is always challenging. I love the peace and quiet of nature, and since I have always suffered from anxiety, spending thousands of hours alone in nature with my camera has always seemed therapeutic.”
2.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow
3.
Photo credit: deanmason
“I am the owner of Windows on Wildlife and I run photo workshops to photograph these mice. I have bred them in captivity, under license. We offer other wildlife photographers the opportunity to photograph our spiky mice in controlled conditions, but our mice are free to do what they want. We never catch them, so they’re never stressed.”
4.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow
5.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow
“These mice are natural climbers, so we give them plants, stems and flowers to climb on, so there are lots of opportunities to take pictures of them.” Also, these captive-bred mice are used in wildlife centers to show the public, since they are so small that it is almost impossible to see them in the wild.
6.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow
7.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow
“Photographing harvest mice is fascinating, they’re very fast and it’s a challenge to photograph them. They’re amazing acrobats and it’s fun to watch them, they’re always adorable. They’re never embarrassed to pose for the camera and that’s why hundreds of photographers visit our workshops in Dorset.”
8.
Photo credit: deanmason
9.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow
10.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow
11.
Photo credit: deanmason
12.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow
13.
Photo credit: deanmason.wow