Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus)

I have said before that I much prefer to photograph animals in their natural habitats. The images are better and the knowledge built up on the subject in question will be so much greater thanks to studying them in the wild. There is, however, not always the time available to wait for hours on the off chance of being in the right place at the right time to capture something highly elusive. This is why I took the opportunity to photograph this captive Harvest Mouse. Shooting it wasn't easy, the aim being to capture a scene with at least some semblance of realism. I will go again and if I manage to get some shots of this most adorable mammal using that famous prehensile tail, then I will post them here – if only to quote again what must be the most apt Latin name in zoology.

Canon 1Ds Mk II, Canon 100-400mm IS USM lens, 1/1,000th sec, f/5.6, 400mm at ISO 800