16 brutal and captivating wildlife images from the Close-up Photographer of the Year shortlist

Look into the eyes of spiders, snakes, and a baby manatee.

By Popular Science Team

Posted on Oct 29, 2024

A malabar gliding frog struggles and holds on to twigs to try and escape from the venomous, strong bite of its predator - a Malabar pit viper. The viper didn't let go of the frog, and the frog didn't let go of the twigs either, until it had a little life left in it. However, the frog had to give up finally, and the snake won, and swallowed this beautiful green frog. This is a stack of two images, one for frog eyes, and another for the snake's eyes. We had almost given up hopes of finding any subjects in the rainforest of Agumbe, India, due to heavy rains, but decided to stop at one last place on the way back to our stay, and this was our lucky and only find for the night.
"Last Fight." A malabar gliding frog struggles and holds on to twigs to try and escape from the venomous, strong bite of its predator - a Malabar pit viper. The viper didn't let go of the frog, and the frog didn't let go of the twigs either, until it had a little life left in it. However, the frog had to give up finally, and the snake won, and swallowed this beautiful green frog. This is a stack of two images, one for frog eyes, and another for the snake's eyes. We had almost given up hopes of finding any subjects in the rainforest of Agumbe, India, due to heavy rains, but decided to stop at one last place on the way back to our stay, and this was our lucky and only find for the night.  

Credit: Pavan Kumar T S / Close-Up Photographer of the Year

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A gliding frog clings to twigs in its final minutes of life. A pit viper is latched to the frog that will soon be swallowed whole. This brutal battle took place in the rainforest of Agumbe, India where photographer Pavan Kumar T S captured the moment. The resulting image (seen above) made the shortlist in the Animal category at this year’s Close-Up Photographer of the Year awards.

Photographers from around the world submitted 11,681 photographs that 25 judges assessed to create the shortlist. The top 100 pictures and winners across 11 categories will be announced in January 2025. Tracy and Dan Calder founded the Close-up Photographer of the Year in 2018 and the competition has grown to be the largest dedicated to close-up, macro and micro photography.

(Click on the images below to expand to their full, incredible glory.)

a baby wallaby emerges from its mother's pouch
“Wallaby Baby”
Credit: Pedro Jarque / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
a mother bird feeds its young by putting its mouth over the baby's head
“Proud Parent”
Credit: Jackie Schletter / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
I was on a night walk in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest when I stumbled across this emerald tree boa. I saw a vivid green colour with my flashlight which looked so vibrant it couldn't of been a plant... Upon closer inspection, I couldn't believe what I had just found. There were many mosquitoes in this area which were both biting me and the snake. After many mosquito bites on my end it was definitely worth it. I used one hand held flash and wide angled lens to take the photo. Tambopata, Peru
“Emerald Gem”
I was on a night walk in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest when I stumbled across this emerald tree boa. I saw a vivid green colour with my flashlight which looked so vibrant it couldn’t of been a plant… Upon closer inspection, I couldn’t believe what I had just found. There were many mosquitoes in this area which were both biting me and the snake. After many mosquito bites on my end it was definitely worth it. I used one hand held flash and wide angled lens to take the photo. Tambopata, Peru.
Credit: Louis Guillot / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
What: This photo shows a spiny toad amplexus, with a female in the middle of several males. When: The photo was taken in May 2024. Where: The image was taken in the Pyrénées Atlantiques, France. How it was taken: The photo was taken at night, when hundreds of toads are crossing the roads to reach their egg-laying grounds. It's common to see such clusters of toads at this time of year. How it was post-processed: I made some basic adjustments to the brightness and contrast, as well as highlighting the individuals and applying a slight vignetting, while taking care not to distort the original photo.
“Deadly Amplexus”
What: This photo shows a spiny toad amplexus, with a female in the middle of several males. When: The photo was taken in May 2024. Where: The image was taken in the Pyrénées Atlantiques, France. How it was taken: The photo was taken at night, when hundreds of toads are crossing the roads to reach their egg-laying grounds. It’s common to see such clusters of toads at this time of year. How it was post-processed: I made some basic adjustments to the brightness and contrast, as well as highlighting the individuals and applying a slight vignetting, while taking care not to distort the original photo.
Credit: Aloys Pichard / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
The Yucatán rat snake typically hunts for lizards and small mammals on the forest floor. However, in the Mexican Kantemo cave, they have found a completely new niche – bats. As the bats leave the cave system in swarms at the onset of dusk, the scaled predators lie in wait in absolute darkness at narrow passages, for their easy meals.
“Bat Snack”
The Yucatán rat snake typically hunts for lizards and small mammals on the forest floor. However, in the Mexican Kantemo cave, they have found a completely new niche – bats. As the bats leave the cave system in swarms at the onset of dusk, the scaled predators lie in wait in absolute darkness at narrow passages, for their easy meals.
Credit: Bernhard Schubert / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
What: This photo shows a Gonocephalus klossi, a lizard observed with mites. When: The photo was taken in February 2024. Where: The image was taken in Indonesia, in the mountains south of Lake Danau Ranau in Sumatra. How: The photo was taken while climbing a volcano. We spotted this lizard resting on a branch at eye level. It was only after taking the first photos that I noticed the mites moving around on its head. How it was post-processed: I made the basic adjustments to improve the image, such as brightness and contrast, without altering the original photo.
“Tiny Host”
What: This photo shows a Gonocephalus klossi, a lizard observed with mites. When: The photo was taken in February 2024. Where: The image was taken in Indonesia, in the mountains south of Lake Danau Ranau in Sumatra. How: The photo was taken while climbing a volcano. We spotted this lizard resting on a branch at eye level. It was only after taking the first photos that I noticed the mites moving around on its head. How it was post-processed: I made the basic adjustments to improve the image, such as brightness and contrast, without altering the original photo.
Credit: Aloys Pichard / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
a walrus emerging from the water in front of snowy mountains
“Beach Master”
Credit: Jonas Beyer / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
a young manatee looks sheepish
“Curious Baby Manatee”
Credit: Remuna Beca / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
two fish face off under water
“The Match”
Credit: Ferenc Lorincz / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
a fish in the jaws of another fish
“Everything’s A OK”
Credit: Gabriel Jensen / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
a seal looks at the camera underwater as a sunbeam shines down
“Posing in Sunbeams”
Credit: Kirsty Andrews / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
This is a stacked image of a damselfly I encountered on an early morning macro outing this spring. I placed a blue background card behind it to give the image an icy, chilling quality.
“Damselfly Blue On Blue”
This is a stacked image of a damselfly I encountered on an early morning macro outing this spring. I placed a blue background card behind it to give the image an icy, chilling quality.
Credit: Benjamin Salb Artist
extreme close-up of an arachnid's eyes
“Eresus Walckenaeri”
Credit: Aris-Kolokontes / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
a wolf spider with a head covered in baby spiders
“Mother Wolf Spider”
Credit: Lane Kirstein / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist
a snake eats a toad
“Dinner Time”
Credit: Lawrence Hylton / Close-Up Photographer of the Year Artist