Michael D. Kern / Kaleidoscope pattern formed from picture of Johnstons Chameleon (Chamaeleo johnstoni) face and legs. Restricted for Editorial use until December 2015

Stefan Christmann / Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) two adults brooding chicks age 5 weeks, Antarctica. Highly commended in the Polar Passion Category of the Nature's Best Photography Awards 2019.

Theo Bosboom / Common blue damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) group gathering over water, Hondenven, Tubbergen, Netherlands, July.

Theo Bosboom / Common blue damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) group reflected in water, flying and perching on reeds - they sit on stems and fly around the water, looking for prey and females to mate. The stems ar...

Robert Thompson / Hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna) Brackagh Moss NNR, Portadown, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Robert Thompson / Sawfly larvae (Nematus pavidus) defensive posture, Peatlands Park, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. September.

Tui De Roy / Waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) group of three on nest, Punta Suarez, Espanola Island, Galapagos

Heike Odermatt / King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) trio, Saunders Island, Falkland Islands

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) pair performing their courtship dance in the mating season. The Netherlands.March 2014

Ingo Arndt / Mosquito (Culicidae) freshly hatched sitting on water surface with reflection, Germany.

Steve Gettle / Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) pair in courtship dance, North Dakota

Wim van den Heever / Two Gemsbok bulls (Oryx gazella) males fighitng, Etosha National Park, Namibia.

Robert Thompson / Four spotted chaser (Libellula quardrimaculata) Montiaghs Moss NNR, Aghalee, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, June.

Bence Mate / Two Great egrets (Ardea alba) standing opposite each other with Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) in between. Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary, January. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Na...

Bence Mate / Two Great egrets (Ardea alba) face to face against white sky, Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards competition 2015.

Alex Hyde / Emperor moth(Saturnia pavonia) female, Peak District National Park, UK. May.

Alex Hyde / Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) feeding on Goat Willow catkins (Salix caprea), an important food source for pollinators in early spring. Peak District National Park, UK. April.

Claudio Contreras / Boat on canal between chinampas, a wetland agricultural system. Xochimilco wetlands, Mexico City, September

Pascal Tordeux / Avenue of Poplar (Populus sp) trees in fog, Villers Le Sec, Aisne, Picardy, France, December.

Tui De Roy / Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) courtship behaviour. Prydz Bay, near Davis Station, Vestfold Hills, Ingrid Christensen Coast, East Antarctica, November.

Kirkendall-Spring / Doorway of the poet Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's house, near Paro, Bhutan, October 2014.

Markus Varesvuo / Jack snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus), Uto, Finland, November.

Roy Mangersnes / Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) courting on ocean ice north of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway, July.

David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) pair performing their courtship dance in which they mimic each other's movements. The Netherlands. April.

Stephen Dalton / Close up of the inside of a foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) showing the pistil and stamen, UK.

Denis-Huot / Two male Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii) fighting, Masai-Mara game reserve, Kenya.

Sven Zacek / Two Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) sniffing each other in the snow, Vorumaa, Estonia, January. Winner of the Animal stories portfolio in the Melvita Nature Images Awards competition 2014.

Sven Zacek / Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) group in snow, looking at camera. Vorumaa, Estonia, December. Winner of the Animal stories portfolio in the Melvita Nature Images Awards competition 2014.

Markus Varesvuo / Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) in flight, from directly below, Norway, July. Magic Moments book plate.

Markus Varesvuo / Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) hovering in flight, June, Iceland. Magic Moments book plate.

Alex Hyde / Malayan Jungle Nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) subadult male, photographed on a white background. Captive, originating form Malaya.

Alex Hyde / Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) basking with open wings on a white background in mobile field studio. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. August

Ernie Janes / Montbretia (Crocosmias) in flower in Norfolk garden, England, UK, July.

David Pattyn / Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) tail slapping, tail lob, lobtailing. Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, July.

Loic Poidevin / Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) flying low over the ground, Indre-et-Loire , France, June.

Matthew Studebaker / Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) catching rodent prey in snow, Ohio

Ben Hall / Black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) alighting on water at dawn, Cheshire, UK, November. Highly Commended in the British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) competition 2013.

Tim Laman / King of Saxony Bird of Paradise (Pteridophora alberti) adult male on calling perch above the rainforest canopy. Tari Pass area, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.

Theo Bosboom,Theo Bosboom / Green frog (Rana esculente) hiding in reeds Hondeven fen, east Holland, August

Inaki Relanzon / Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in Sequoia National Park, California, USA.

Claudio Contreras / View from bangka boat at dawn, Danajon Bank, Central Visayas, Philippines, April 2013

Bert Willaert,Bert Willaert / Portrait of a Darwin's Frog (Rhinoderma darwinii) Chile, Vulnerable species

Bert Willaert,Bert Willaert / Chile Four-eyed Frog (Pleurodema thaul) showing how it got its name - eye spots on the back of it's body, Chile, December,. Controlled conditions,

Andrew Parkinson / Gannet (Morus bassanus) breeding pair during part of their elaborate courtship ritual. Saltee Islands, Republic of Ireland, May.

Andrew Parkinson / Gannet (Morus bassanus) adult wing stretching and looking up, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, September.

Pascal Tordeux,Pascal Tordeux / Two rows of Poplar (Populus sp.) trees reflected in in flood water, during the floods of the River Oise, Picardy, France, January 2008

David Tipling / Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) in flight low over water, Fetlar, Shetland, June

Paul Harcourt Davies,Paul Harcourt Davies / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) backlit showing wing structure. Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy, October

Paul Harcourt Davies,Paul Harcourt Davies / Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) resting against a wood shed window, Orvieto, Italy, June

Igor Shpilenok,Igor Shpilenok / Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and snow bank reflected in river. Kronotsky Zapovednik Nature Reserve, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russian Far East, February.

Edwin Giesbers,Edwin Giesbers / Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) close-up head portrait, captive

Franco Banfi / Portrait of Siberian Husky dog face used as sled dogs inside Riisitunturi National Park, Lapland, Finland

David Pattyn / Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) close-up portrait. Lake Kerkini, Greece, March 2012.

Colin Varndell / Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) fresh leaf in spring, Dorset, UK April

Solvin Zankl / Different Snowflakes showing range in size and pattern, magnified under microscope, from Lilehammer, Norway. Digital composite

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

LYNN M. STONE / Great Egrets (Ardea alba) preening their breeding plumage, at nest. Osceola County, Florida, USA, March.

Danny Green / Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) portrait in winter coat. Norway, Captive, March.

Roland Seitre / Family of Hirola / Hunter's Antelope (Beatragus hunteri) . Critically endangered. Ishaqbini Reserve, Kenya, Africa, 2009.

Jan Hamrsky / Diving Beetle (Rhantus suturalis). Czech Republic. Controlled conditions.

Alex Hyde / Canopy jumping spider (Phidippus otiosus) female orginating from North America. Captive.

Brent Stephenson / White-faced Storm-petrel (Pelagodroma marina) feeding by pattering on the sea surface. Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand, November.

Brent Stephenson / Northern Giant Petrel (Macronectes halli) with wings outstretched and tail cocked in threat display. Off Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand, October.

Robin Chittenden / Mute swan (Cygnus olor) on water, Wheatfen, Norfolk, UK, November

John Abbott / Ichneumon wasp (Compsocryptus sp.?) in flight, Williamson county, Texas, USA, November

Sven Zacek / Fritillary butterfly (Melitaea sp.) – either Heath or False Heath – at rest on a grass stem. Estonia, Europe, June.

Andy Rouse / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) youngster landing in grass. Dyfi Estuary, Wales, August. It is the first time ospreys have bred at this location for 400 years.

Konrad Wothe / Tropical Butterfly (Adepha) on a leaf with wings spread. Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia.

Robert Thompson / Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) on reed stalk, Brackagh Moss NNR, Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, UK, June

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Arctic mountains and reflection in water. Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, September 2010.

Alex Hyde / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) resting on Meadow Clary (Salvia pratensis) flowers, on a white background. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Alex Hyde / Common Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) resting on Viper's Bugloss / Blueweed (Echium vulgare) in alpine meadow. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Andrew Parkinson / Mute swan portrait on water (Cygnus olor) Derbyshire, UK, April.

Markus Varesvuo / Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) landing in snow. Kuusamo, Finland, February.

David Maitland / Close-up view of the upward-looking giant dorsal compound eyes of the St Marks fly (Bibio marci) used to detect female flies flying above. Like many insects the eyes are "hairy". Feltwell, Norfolk, UK...

Fabrice Cahez / Young Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) sitting back to back on a hay bale in a field. Vosges, France, August.

Sandesh Kadur / Edwards Atlas Moth (Attacus edwardsii) defensive display. Bhutan, June.

Jane Burton / Portrait of Black-and-white Border Collie bitch.

Andy Rouse / Little Owl (Athene noctua) chick begging food from its parent. Wales, UK, June. (non-ex).

Juergen Freund / Star shaped Pincushion / Pillow cushion starfish (Culcita novaeguinea), detail of the underbelly. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Star shaped Pincushion / Pillow cushion starfish (Culcita novaeguinea), detail of the underbelly. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Andy Rouse / close up portrait of a Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus), about three year. Svalbard, Norway, Europe, February.

Andy Rouse / Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) male displaying at a lek. UK, Europe, May.

Andy Rouse / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) landing on a branch. Wales, UK, March.

Alex Mustard / Two Denise's Pygmy Seahorses (Hippocampus denise) on a seafan (Muricella sp.). Digital composite. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, November.

Mark Taylor / Flemish giant rabbit with ears erect.

Brent Stephenson / Sooty Tern (Onychoprion / Sterna fuscatus) seen from below in flight. Mauipihaa (Mopelia), French Polynesia, November.

Tony Heald / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) male scenting with trunk raised. Etosha National Park, Namibia, January.