Rolf Nussbaumer / Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis marcianus marcianus) coiled with tongue protruding. Fennessey Ranch, Refugio, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas Coast, USA

Andy Rouse / Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) chasing Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) during migration crossing, Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa

Alex Hyde / Light micrograph of pond water including single celled algae called desmids {Desmidiaceae sp}

Laurie Campbell / Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) flowering in oakwood, Perthshire, Scotland, UK, May

Mark Bowler,Mark Bowler / Dead Houseflies {Musca domesticus} and Bluebottle flies {Calliphora vomitaria}, UK

Edwin Giesbers / Sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) growing in sand dune, Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

Alex Mustard / A lone Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) cruises over sand ripples. Walkers Cay, Northern Bahama Islands, Republic of Bahamas.

Stephen Dalton / Meadow grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) leaping, UK

David Shale / Deepsea octopus (Benthoctopus johnsoniana) Mid-Atlantic Ridge, North Atlantic Ocean

Nick Garbutt / Arctic tern (Sterna Paradisaea) hovering in flight over an iceberg.Peterman Island, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica. February.

Nick Garbutt / Stump-tailed Leaf Chameleon (Brookesia superciliaris) on white background, from rainforest leaf-litter. Masoala National Park, Madagascar.

Stephen Dalton / Oak tree {Quercus sp} seedling, UK

Stephen Dalton / Brown rat {Rattus norvegicus} backlit, night, controlled conditions, UK

Peter Cairns / Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) pair in winter plumage, Cairngorms NP, Grampian Mountains, Scotland, UK, February.

Mark Bowler / Isula / Bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) close-up showing mandibles, Peru

Tony Heald / Hippopotamus at water surface. Kruger NP, South Africa

Edwin Giesbers / Eastern green mamba {Dendroaspis angusticeps} strike pose, captive, from East Africa

Ann & Steve Toon / Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) with young offspring, Mlilwane nature reserve breeding programme, Swaziland, Southern Africa

Michel Poinsignon / Wind turbine with oil seed rape flowers in the foreground, Sarre, Germany

Mark Bowler / Line of Leaf-cutter ants (Atta sp) carrying leaves, digital composite

David Noton / Autumn colours of the Aspen trees (Populus tremula) in the snow, near Muleshoe, Bow Valley Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. October 2009

Ian McCarthy / Wandering albatross {Diomedea exulans} flying over open ocean, South Atlantic

Patricio Robles Gil / Common peafowl {Pavo cristatus} silhouetted male peacock perched in tree in early morning mist, Royal Chitwan NP, Nepal

Edwin Giesbers / Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta / Endymion scriptum) flowering in Beech wood, Hallerbos, Belgium, April

Richard Du Toit / Aerial view of herd of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) on the move, Okavango delta, Botswana

Paul Hobson / Mute swan (Cygnus olor) looking out from between feathers, Dorset, UK

Mark Taylor / Silver tabby kitten with paws raised

Niall Benvie / Head portrait of Highland cow, Scotland, with tiny frond of bracken at corner of mouth, UK

Sandra Bartocha / Oxeye/Marguerite daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare), Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany.

Steven Kazlowski / Portrait of Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) sow standing with her cub on the snow in late winter, Arctic coast of Alaska

Mark Taylor / Ginger kitten with tail in the air

Steven Kazlowski / Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) looking into tundra buggy window, 1002 coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, October 2005

Hugh Pearson / Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother and calf swimming, Hawaii, Pacific Ocean

Jeff Rotman / Close-up of the eye of a Jewel Grouper / Coral hind (Cephalopholis Miniata) Red Sea, Egypt

Kristel Richard / Wild horse / mustang (Equus caballus) two young mustangs play-fighting in the Pryor Mountains, Wyoming, USA.

Steven Kazlowski / Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) head close-up portrait of an adult male, with snowflakes on fur, Barter Island, 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

David Tipling / King Penguin {Aptenodytes patagonicus} colony huddled together during storm, Right Whale Bay, South Georgia, November

Andy Rouse / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) about to enter water, Svalbard, Norway, September 2009. Image 01262546 is cropped from this frame

Mark Bowler,Mark Bowler / Red eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) walking, digital composite Captive

Alex Mustard / A split level digital composite showing a Basking shark (Ceterhinus maximus) feeding on plankton around St Michael's Mount, Cornwall, UK. June

Edwin Giesbers / Crown daisy flower (Glebionis coronarium) Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

Stephen Dalton / Leopard frog {Rana pipiens} diving into water, controlled conditions, from USA

Stephen Dalton / Ringneck / Java dove {Streptopelia roseogrisea} flight sequence, multiflash image, UK

Andy Rouse / Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelski) showing long tongue, captive, Marwell Zoo, UK

Philippe Clement / Lightning during thunderstorm above petrochemical industry seen through magnifying glass held against illuminated globe of the earth~Digital composite

David Tipling / King Penguin {Aptenodytes patagonicus} colony huddled together during storm, Right Whale Bay, South Georgia, November

Mark Hamblin / Mountain hare (Lepus timidus) running across wind swept snow field, near Carrbridge, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, January 2010. Highly commended in the Habitat category of the BWPA competition...

Jeff Vanuga / African elephant {Loxodonta africana} walking forward, Kenya, September

Stephen Dalton / Honeybee (Apis mellifera) in flight, UK

Edwin Giesbers / Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) sitting upright in deep snow, Austria, Europe

David Shale / Angler fish (Melanocetus murrayi) Mid-Atlantic Ridge, North Atlantic Ocean

Stephen Dalton / Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) female glowing, UK

Rob Tilley / Detail of leaf of Cabbage Palmetto (Sabal palmetto) Sanibel Island, Florida, USA

Jeff Vanuga / Coyote {Canis latrans} in snow, USA, September

David Tipling / Cape / Pintado petrel (Daption capense) in flight low over water, Southern Ocean off Chile, November

Edwin Giesbers / Head portrait of Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) captive

Stephen Dalton / Mexican axolotl {Ambystoma mexicanum} albino, controlled conditions

Stephen Dalton / Common / European treefrog {Hyla arborea} jumping sequence, multiflash image, controlled conditions

Andy Rouse / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) mother and cub (18 months) walking away after swimming, Svalbard, Norway (non-ex) September 2009. Images 01262527 and 01262528 are cropped from this frame

Stephen Dalton / Close up of eye of Common green iguana (Iguana iguana)

Alex Mustard / A domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica) swimming in the sea. Exuma Cays, Bahamas. Tropical West Atlantic Ocean. This family of pigs live on this beach in the Bahamas and enjoy swimming in the sea.

Nick Garbutt / Male Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) feeding on Preying mantis in beach side vegetation. Bay of Antongil, Masoala Peninsula National Park, north east Madagascar.

Stephen Dalton / Green cat snake (Boiga cyanea) striking, a rear-fanged arboreal rainforest species, controlled conditions, from India and SE Asia

Stephen Dalton / Giant sailfin dragon lizard {Hydrosaurus amboinensis} running over the surface of water, controlled conditions, from Indonesia

Laurie Campbell / Male Atlantic salmon {Salmo salar} leaping, migrating upstream to spawn, Perthshire, Scotland, UK, October

Edwin Giesbers / Silhouette of Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) standing on exposed rock over water, with reflections, Lesbos, Greece

Michael Hutchinson / Groundsel {Senecio sp} growing out of brick wall covered in colourful graffiti, Bristol, UK

Doug Perrine / Salmon shark (Lamna ditropis) female with mating scars and copepod parasites trailing from fins, Port Fidalgo, Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA. Digital composite

Sandra Bartocha / Gespensterwald (ghostly forest) - European Beech forest (Fagus sylvatica) in snow, Nienhagen, Germany. RUNNER-UP: Creative Visions of Nature - Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

Michel Roggo / Chub fish (Leuciscus cephalus) and Mute swan (Cygnus color) swimming over, Rhine river, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. RUNNER-UP - Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010.

Mark Taylor / British Shorthair Brown Spotted cat, Tiger Lily, reaching out.

Mark Taylor / Silver tabby kitten with big eyes.

Onne van der Wal / Young man snorkeling with a Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in the Grenadines, Caribbean, February 2010. Model Released.

Stephen Dalton / Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax) flying into spider's web, UK

Stephen Dalton / Scarce bamboo page butterfly {Philaethria dido} in flight, from Venezualan cloudforest

David Tipling / European brown hare {Lepus europaeus} on winter wheat field in snow, Norfolk, UK, January. Small repro only

Martin Dohrn / Group of lions (Panthera leo) at night, Masai Mara, Kenya.~Photographed using 'Starlight Camera' technology without artificial lighting.

Edwin Giesbers / Close up head portrait of melanistic / black Leopard (Panthera pardus) captive

Niall Benvie / Boy in protective white suit and mask in the wilds surrounded by green vegetation, using binoculars, Scotland, UK, Model released

Niall Benvie / A pair of Ravens (Corvus corax) perched in bleached out pine tree, Estonia, March 2008

Alex Mustard / Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) portrait, Guadalupe Island, Mexico, Pacific Ocean.

Eric Baccega / Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) catching salmon in Brooks river, Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA, July

Angelo Gandolfi / Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) swooping with folded wings and extended tallons. Canyon del Ebro y Rudron, Castilla y Leon, Spain. Digital composite

Edwin Giesbers / Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) soft focus running, captive.

Jeff Vanuga / Wild horses / Mustang in snow, Wyoming, USA, February 2008

Stephen Dalton / European beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) falling in autumn, UK

Edwin Giesbers / Borage (Borago officinalis) flowers, Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

Edwin Giesbers / Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) in flight, vocalising, aggresive behaviour, Farne Islands, Northumberland, UK, June