A giant anteater pup will ride on its mother’s back for up to a year. The baby’s fur aligns perfectly with the mothers for natural camouflage. To learn more about mothers and babies in nature, check out my 2026 calendar in my Species Limited shop. Get your orders now as the cut off for apparel is December 11th if you want delivery by Christmas. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1800, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.
Here’s another wildlife mother that didn’t make the cut for the 2026 calendar. A superb starling feeding her chick in Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Kenya. To see the images that did make the calendar (and to pick up a few wildlife-themed holiday gifts) check out www.specieslimited.com. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 3200, f/5.6 at 1/2500th of a second.
Keeping the mothers theme going, here’s a Bennett’s wallaby with her joey. This is a rare white morph of the Bennett’s wallaby found on Bruny Island in Tasmania, Australia. Another white wallaby with joey did make my 2026 wall calendar. Head on over the www.specieslimted.com to see which one. And to buy a calendar (or shirt), of course. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 1600, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.
I’m going to keep promo-ing my wildlife calendar for the rest of the week. Here’s another one that didn’t make the cut — several lionesses and their cubs at a water hole in the Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana. For the images that did make the cut, head to www.specieslimted.com and get your 2026 Mother’s Nature wall calendar. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 270mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/400th of a second.
Here’s a page from my new 2026 wall calendar all about mothers and their babies in the wild. To view all the images, head over to the Species Limited website and pick up a few holiday gifts while you’re there. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-600 fill flash.
Bighorn lambs are typically born on steep, rocky cliffs — natural nurseries that help protect them from predators in their most vulnerable days. The ewe stays close, nursing frequently and guiding her lamb through increasingly difficult terrain as it gains strength. Within just a week, the lamb can scale ledges with surprising agility, always keeping its mother in sight. To see more maternal behavior from nature, check out the “Mother’s Nature” wall calendar I just added to my shop at www.specieslimted.com. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mmm lens (at 200mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/400th of a second.
In Peru’s northern Amazon basin, three-toed sloths are often seen slowly munching on the buds, fruits, and tender leaves of the Cecropia tree, a favorite food source that’s both abundant and easy to digest. These trees grow quickly along forest edges and gaps, making them a vital part of the sloth’s high-canopy diet. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/500th of a second, Godox 860iii fill flash.
The orange lichen found on the granite boulders of Binalong Bay in Tasmania’s Bay of Fires is one of the area’s most iconic features. The coloration comes from a species of lichen which thrives in the coastal environment thanks to its tolerance for salty air and strong sunlight. The lichen-covered rocks give the coastline a glowing, almost surreal appearance. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/40th of a second.
The Patagonian hog-nosed skunk is native to the open plains and scrublands of southern Argentina and Chile. It’s named for its pig-like snout, which it uses to root through soil for insects, grubs, and plant matter. Unlike its North American relatives, this skunk is more active during the day, especially in the cooler Patagonian climate where I photographed this one in Torres Del Paine National Park. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/3200th of a second.
Perfectly adapted to its swampy world, the top of an alligator’s head is flat, armored, and built for stealth. Its eyes, ears, and nostrils are all positioned on top, allowing the gator to see, hear, and breathe while the rest of its body remains hidden just below the water’s surface. The skin is rough and ridged, dotted with bony plates that offer protection and help regulate body temperature. Tiny pits near the snout detect vibrations and movement in the water, giving the alligator an almost sixth sense for approaching prey. In this image, I went very tight on the head and eyes from directly above the gator. Shot in Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.