Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Pere David's deer / Milu (Elaphurus davidianus), two stags testing their strength in Hubei Tian'ezhou Milu National Nature Reserve, Shishou, Hubei, China

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) testing nut. Cairngorms National Park, Highlands, Scotland, UK, November.

Sam Hobson / Scientists collecting samples, including cloaca swabs, from urban goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). Berlin, Germany. May 2014. Nominated in the Melvita Nature Images Awards competition 2014.

Jabruson / Hammer Headed bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus) in gloved hand - live mist net catch for blood sampling in search of the unknown reservoir host for Ebola virus. Ebola outbreaks in Mbomo in 2003 killed 12...

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / Plumose anemones (Metridium senile) feeding on Moon jellyfish (Aurilia aurita), which they have captured. Loch Long, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK, June. Did you know? Loch Long was previously used as...

Tony Heald / Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) male urine testing, flehmen reaction, Etosha National Park, Namibia October

Jose B. Ruiz / Spanish ibex male rut behaviour, testing female for oestrus (Capria pyrenaica) Sierra Gredos, Spain

Rolf Nussbaumer / Vermilion flycatcher fledgling testing wings {Pyrocephalus rubinus} Texas, USA.

Mark Jones / Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) large male testing ground for scent with specialized forked tongue, Komodo National Park, Komodo Island, Indonesia

IAN REDMOND / Forest Elephants with trunks raised among Giant Lobelia. Rwanda Parc National des Volcans

Anup Shah / Giraffe suckling with male testing urine of female Giraffa camelopardalis} Kenya

Doug Gimesy / Scientist examining analysis of river water, whilst testing for platypus DNA. Cesar Research Laboratory, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. June, 2017.Model released.

Sergio Hanquet / Scientists performing Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) calf necropsy on beach to determine cause of death, whale found drifting at sea. Tenerife, Canary Islands. 2010.

Jack Dykinga / Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) fledgling aged one month testing wings in flight whilst playing with stick. Marana, Arizona, USA. May.

Jack Dykinga / Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) fledgling testing wings in flight with siblings observing. Aged one month. Marana, Arizona, USA. May.

Jack Dykinga / Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), two fledglings aged one month, one testing wings in flight. Marana, Arizona, USA. May.

Jack Dykinga / Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), two fledglings aged one month, one testing wings in flight above sibling. Marana, Arizona, USA. May.

Jack Dykinga / Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) fledgling testing wings, aged a few weeks. In evening light, Marana, Arizona, USA. May.

Jack Dykinga / Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), two chicks testing wings, aged a few weeks. Marana, Arizona, USA. May.

Francisco Marquez / Researcher collecting a blood sample from a Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) juvenile's leg during the ringing process, Fuente de Piedra lagoon, Malaga, Spain. August.

Nick Garbutt / Vet from Project Oncafari testing pad of specially designed Jaguar (Panthera onca palustris) snare trap. Caiman Lodge, southern Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. September 2017.

Nick Garbutt / Vet from Project Oncafari testing pad of specially designed Jaguar (Panthera onca palustris) snare trap. Caiman Lodge, southern Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. September 2017.

David Perpinan / Field workers collecting blood from Blue-fronted amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva) chicks, Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Michael Pitts / Laysan albatross (Phebastria immutabilis) fledgling testing wings in a storm, Midway Island. Central Pacific.

Nick Hawkins / Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) chick testing its wings, Machias Seal Island, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, July.

Nick Upton / Judith Wakelam testing if orphan Common swift chicks (Apus apus) she has reared to full size in her home are ready to fly before releasing them, Worlington, Suffolk, UK, July. Model released.

Doug Perrine / Volunteers restraining a recently weaned male Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) while Marine Mammal Center veterinarian Michelle Barbiers takes a blood sample prior to tagging. Keokea Bea...

Ingo Arndt / Experimental set-up to investigate the orientation behaviour of desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria). The grasshopper is fixed and placed behind a fan. The wind generated by the fan causes them to f...

Ingo Arndt / Dr. Uwe Homberg, taking notes and observing experimental set-up to investigate the orientation behaviour of Desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria). The grasshopper is fixed and placed behind a fan. Th...

Ingo Arndt / Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) testing the sand on beach for finding the right place for laying eggs, Pacific Coast, Ostional, Costa Rica.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) inside camouflaged spring trap. Genetic testing and semen sampling to be undertaken, Strathsprey, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, February 2017.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Conservationists from the Royal Zoological Society Scotland / RZSS checking live trap with Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) inside. Genetic testing and semen sampling to be undertaken, Stra...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Field researcher from The Royal Zoological Society Scotland / RZSS transferring a live trapped Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) into a carry cage. Genetic testing and semen sampling to be u...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) caught inside spring trap. Genetic testing and semen sampling to be undertaken, Strathsprey, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, February 2017.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Cat Conservation Officer from Royal Zoological Society Scotland / RZSS carrying caught Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia). Genetic testing and semen sampling to be undertaken, Strathsprey, Ca...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Vet from The Royal Zoological Society Scotland / RZSS taking a blood sample from a sedated Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) male. Inside RZSS mobile vet unit, Strathsprey, Cairngorms Nation...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Veterinarian from The Royal Zoological Society Scotland / RZSS with blood sample from Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia). To be used for genetic testing. Inside RZSS mobile vet unit, Strathsp...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Veterinarian from The Royal Zoological Society Scotland / RZSS using a catheter to collect semen for genetic testing from a sedated Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia). Inside RZSS mobile vet...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Conservationists setting a live trap to bait Scottish wildcats (Felis silvestris grampia). Genetic testing and semen sampling to be carried out by The Royal Zoological Society Scotland / RZSS, Straths...

Todd Mintz / Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) young owlet testing its wings by jumping and flapping its wings to build strength.Grasslands National Park, Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada. June

Eric Baccega / Rothschild's giraffe male (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) sniffing female, testing her receptiveness to mate. Murchisson Falls National Park, Uganda

Eric Baccega / Rothschild's giraffe male (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) sniffing female, testing her receptiveness to mate. Murchisson Falls National Park, Uganda

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / A biologist working for the Spey Fishery Board collecting scale samples from an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr for accurate age testing back in the laboratory, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland,...

Nick Upton / Bat flight cage for testing the flight ability of recovering bats before they are released back to the wild, with insect-attracting flowers planted next to it, North Devon Bat Care, Barnstaple, Devon,...

Nick Upton / Bat flight cage for testing the flight ability of recovering bats before they are released back to the wild, North Devon Bat Care, Barnstaple, Devon, UK, June 2016. Model released

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) biologist, Justine Alyssa Smith, transferring blood for analysis, Santa Cruz Puma Project, UCSC Campus, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, California

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Two African elephants (Loxodonta africana) play, testing each other's strength, Amboseli National Park, Kenya.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Two young African elephants (Loxodonta africana) play, testing each other's strength, while a small calf tries to jon in. Amboseli National Park, Kenya.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls playing and testing each other's strength. Grumeti Reserve, Northern Tanzania.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls playing and testing each other's strength. Grumeti Reserve, Northern Tanzania.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls playing and testing each other's strength. Grumeti Reserve, Northern Tanzania.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls playing and testing each other's strength. Grumeti Reserve, Northern Tanzania.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls playing and testing each other's strength. Grumeti Reserve, Northern Tanzania.

Charlie Summers / Two Impala Rams (Aepyceros melampus) testing each other prior to more aggressive in dominance behaviour. Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

Denis-Huot / Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) male sniffing female, testing her receptiveness to mate. Samburu game reserve, Kenya.

Sam Hobson / Scientists collecting samples, including crop swabs to test for trichomoniasis, from urban goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). Berlin, Germany. May 2014.

Sam Hobson / Scientists collecting samples, including crop swabs to test for trichomoniasis, from urban goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). Berlin, Germany. May 2014.

Sam Hobson / Scientists collecting samples, including cloaca swabs, from urban goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). Berlin, Germany. May 2014.

Sam Hobson / Scientists working with urban goshawks (Accipiter gentilis), collecting samples including crop swabs to test for trichomoniasis. Berlin, Germany. May 2014.

Sam Hobson / Addled northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) eggs, removed during ringing for scientific testing. Berlin, Germany, March 2014.

Sam Hobson / Addled northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) egg, removed during ringing for scientific testing. Berlin, Germany, March.

Sam Hobson / Scientists collecting samples, including cloaca swabs, from urban goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). Berlin, Germany. May 2014.

Solvin Zankl / Scientist Marco Favelli holding Tyrrhenian Painted Frog (Discoglossus sardus) taking samples for Chytridiomycosis disease testing from frog skin using a cotton swab. Sardinia, Italy, April 2009.

Solvin Zankl / Scientist Susan Walker holding Majorcan midwife toad (Alytes muletensis) taking sample using cotton swab for testing for Chytridiomycosis disease. Torrent de s'Esmorcador, Majorca, Spain, April 2009.

Solvin Zankl / English-Italian research team searching for the Green toads (Bufo viridis) and Sardinian tree frog or Tyrrhenian tree frog (Hyla sarda) to get samples for Chytridiomycosis disease testing Lake Coghina...

Laurent Geslin / Juvenile urban Grey Heron (Ardea cincerea) testing it's wings on branch next to nest, Kelsey Park, London, England

Laurent Geslin / Juvenile Grey Herons (Ardea cincerea), one testing its wings whilst balancing on a branch, Kelsey Park, London, England

Cyril Ruoso / Common Frog (Rana temporaria) biologist Claude Miaud testing for signs of the deadly chytrid fungus, Alps, France

Cyril Ruoso / Common Frog (Rana temporaria) biologist testing for signs of the deadly chytrid fungus, Alps, France

Cyril Ruoso / Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) in drawing versus photo recognition experiment, Tokyo University, Inuyama, Japan

Cyril Ruoso / Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) in face recognition experiment, Tokyo University, Inuyama, Japan

Cyril Ruoso / Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) in face recognition experiment, Tokyo University, Inuyama, Japan

Terry Whittaker / 2020VISION / Researchers take skin sample from wing of Myotis bat probably a Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentoni) for DNA testing, near Faversham, Kent, UK, September 2010

Terry Whittaker / 2020VISION / Researchers taking a skin sample from wing of a Myotis bat probably a Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentoni) for DNA testing. Near Faversham, Kent, UK, September 2010

Terry Whittaker / 2020VISION / Researchers taking a skin sample from wing of a Myotis bat probably a Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentoni) for DNA testing, near Faversham, Kent, UK, September 2010

Anup Shah / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) juvenile putting a moth it has found in its mouth, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Ann & Steve Toon / Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), boar urine testing sow, Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa

Radomir Jakubowski / Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) male flehmen testing female, Norway, September

Kristel Richard / Konik horses (Equus caballus) - wild Konik newborn colt running around, testing his legs, Millingerwaard nature reserve, Netherlands, April

Kristel Richard / Konik horses (Equus caballus) - wild Konik newborn colt running around, testing his legs, Millingerwaard nature reserve, Netherlands, April

Orsolya Haarberg / Two Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) in snow storm, one with tongue out, testing the air for female ovulation, Gran Paradiso National Park, Alps, Italy, November

Orsolya Haarberg / Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) ram testing the air to sense ovulation in females, flemen response, Gran Paradiso National Park, Alps, Italy, November

Orsolya Haarberg / Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) ram testing the air to sense ovulation in females, flemen response, Gran Paradiso National Park, Alps, Italy, November

Orsolya Haarberg / Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) ram testing the air to sense ovulation in females, flemen response, Gran Paradiso National Park, Alps, Italy, November

Ann & Steve Toon / African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bull urine testing female, Addo national park, Eastern Cape, South Africa, January

Kristel Richard / Feral domestic horses (Equus caballus) young filly running around, testing her legs, Blue Swallow Reserve, near Kaapsehoop, Mpumalanga province / Eastern Transvaal, South Africa, October 2010

Kristel Richard / Feral domestic horses (Equus caballus) young filly running around, testing her legs, Blue Swallow Reserve, near Kaapsehoop, Mpumalanga province / Eastern Transvaal, South Africa, October 2010

Kristel Richard / Feral domestic horses (Equus caballus) young filly running around, testing her legs, Blue Swallow Reserve, near Kaapsehoop, Mpumalanga province / Eastern Transvaal, South Africa, October 2010

Anup Shah / Lion pride (Panthera leo) testing a herd of Cape Buffalo (Syncerus cafer). Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August 2009

Stephen Dalton / Ladybird spider (Eresus cinnaberinus) testing Woodlouse prey with its palps, Dorset, UK. In England this extremely rare spider has a habitat confined to a quarter acre patch in Dorset, and the male on...

Owen Newman / Red kangaroo {Macropus rufus} male testing to see if female is in oestrus, Sturt NP, New South Wales, Australia

Jeff Vanuga / Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep {Ovis canadensis} rams testing the air around a female, flehmen behaviour, Whiskey Basin, near Dubois, Wyoming, USA, November

Jeff Vanuga / Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep {Ovis canadensis} male testing the air, flehmen behaviour, Whiskey Basin Sheep Range. Wind River Mts, near Dubois, Wyoming, USA, November

Jeff Vanuga / Elk {Cervus canadensis} female trapped in a corale by the US Fish and Wildife Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department await testing by researchers for brucillosis disease. National Elk Refuge...

Jeff Vanuga / Elk {Cervus canadensis} trapped in a corale by the US Fish and Wildife Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department await testing by researchers for brucillosis disease. National Elk Refuge, Jacks...

Simon Colmer / European garden spider (Araneus diadematus) pair in courtship, male, smaller on right, testing signal line and approaching female, UK