Sandra Bartocha / European beech (Fagus sylvatica) woodland in spring, Maerchenwald, Wittow, Ruegen, Germany, May 2016.

Denis-Huot / Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) male and female (back). Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya.

Ross Hoddinott / Marbled White butterfly (Melanargia galathea) resting on grass, Dunsdon Nature Reserve, Devon, UK. July

Doc White / Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) female. Tonga, South Pacific, September.

Alex Hyde / Magpie Moth caterpillar (Abraxas grossulariata) showing warning colouration, photographed on a white background. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. June.

XI ZHINONG / Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) male, Kekexili, Qinghai, Tibetan Plateau, China, November

Claudio Contreras / Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) hibernating, Mariposa Monarca Special Biosphere Reserve, central Mexico, January.

Claudio Contreras / Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) hibernating, Mariposa Monarca Special Biosphere Reserve, central Mexico, January.

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male below female both displaying eyespots on Gorse, Captive, UK, April

Vladimir Medvedev / Camera trap image of wild Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) walking through woodland, Lazovsky Zapovednik Nature Reserve, Primorsky Krai, Far East Russia, November 1994

Vladimir Medvedev / Camera trap image of wild female Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) scent marking the trunk of a Cedar (Cedrus) tree, Lazovsky Zapovednik Nature Reserve, Primorsky Krai, Far East Russia, April...

Jordi Chias / Green Turtle, (Chelonia mydas), Swimming over volcanic sandy bottom, Armenime cove, South Tenerife coast, Canary Islands, Spain, Atlantic Ocean, May 2011, Commended in Wildlife Photographer of the Yea...

Andy Sands / Clouded yellow butterfly (Colias crocea) On Wild sweet pea flower, Captive, UK, July

Bertie Gregory / Raccoon (Procyon lotor) standing up investigating camera, portrait, Stanley park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Cananda, September.

Claudio Contreras / Detail of Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris / Agriocharis ocellata) plumage. El Mirador-Rio Azul National Park, Department of Peten, Guatemala.

Claudio Contreras / Detail of Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris / Agriocharis ocellata) plumage. El Mirador-Rio Azul National Park, Department of Peten, Guatemala.

Vladimir Medvedev / Wild female Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) on rocky hillside, Kedrovaya Pad reserve, Primorsky Krai, Far East Russia, January. Critically endangered species. Commended in Wildlife Photograp...

Andy Sands / Digger Wasp (Cerceris arenaria) carrying large weevil back to burrow, paralysed as food for larvae. London, England, UK, July.

Edwin Giesbers / Red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus) close up of head, captive

Edwin Giesbers / Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) close up of young calf skin pattern, captive

Edwin Giesbers / Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) close up, captive

Nick Turner / Freerange Gloucester old spot domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica) portrait with ears covering eyes, UK.

Nick Turner / Gloucester old spot piglets (Sus scrofa domestica) suckling at the Cotswold Farm Show, Cirencester, UK, July 2008.

Alex Mustard / Sand diver (Synodus intermedius) portrait on a coral reef, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Bluestriped grunt (Haemulon sciurus) portrait, West End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Bernard Castelein / Southern plains grey langur ( Semnopithecus entellus / Presbytis entellus) close up face profile, Sawai Modhopur, Rajasthan, India

Alex Hyde / Indian moon / Indian luna moth (Actias selene) photographed on a white background. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Bullseye / Io moth (Automeris io) showing eye spot markings on wings during deimatic display to deter predators, photographed on a white background, originating from North and Central America, sequenc...

Laurie Campbell / Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) squabbling near seed feeder in garden, Berwickshire, Scotland, April

Laurie Campbell / Female Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) portrait, in winter coat, semi habituated living wild in native oakwood, Lochaber, Scotland, April

Laurie Campbell / Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) squabbling near seed feeder, Berwickshire, Scotland, April

Sergey Gorshkov / Ruffs displaying and fighting (Philomachus pugnax) Agapa River, Taimyr Peninsula, Siberia, Russia

Petra Wegner / Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, blenheim puppy, 4 1/2 months, standing.

Mike Read / Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) calling, Falkland Islands

Markus Varesvuo / Eider (Somateria molisima) male head profile, Finland May

Markus Varesvuo / Black-throated Diver (Gavia arctica) Vaala Finland June

Rod Williams / Young male North Chinese Leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis). Captive. Endemic to northern China. Endangered. UK, June.

Pete Oxford / Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) The Orianne Indigo Snake Preserve, Telfair County, Georgia, USA, threatened species, captive

Alex Hyde / Heath fritillary (Melitaea athalia) resting on scabious flower, Nordtirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, August.

Bert Willaert / Hognosed Pit Viper (Porthidium nasutum) coiled. Ecuador, South America.

Bert Willaert / Amplectant pair of Natterjack Toads (Epidalea / Bufo calamita) with reflection in water. Belgium, Europe, July.

Edwin Giesbers / Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) close-up of back, captive

Chadden Hunter / Husky dog (Canis familiaris) Northern Canada, taken on location for BBC Frozen Planet series, 2009

Chadden Hunter / Close up of Husky dog eyes (Canis familiaris), note the different eye colour, Northern Canada. Taken on location for BBC Frozen Planet series, 2009

John Cancalosi / Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor) shedding skin from head. Guanacaste National Park, Costa Rican tropical rainforest.

Tom Struhsaker / Udzungwa Red Colobus Monkey (Procolobus gordonorum) adult female among canopy leaves. Udzungwa Mountains National Park headquarters near Mang'ula, Tanzania. Endangered species

Loic Poidevin / Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) perched on mossy branch. Breton Marsh, French Atlantic Coast, November.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Jersey tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria) large numbers resting on trunk of Sweetgum tree (Liquidambar orientalis) in the Petaloudes Valley, Rhodes island, Greece, August 2011

Juan Carlos Munoz / Jersey tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria) large numbers resting on the trunk of Sweetgum trees (Liquidambar orientalis) some with wings open in flight, in the Petaloudes Valley, Rhodes island, Gree...

Juan Carlos Munoz / Jersey tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria) large numbers resting on leaves of Sweetgum trees (Liquidambar orientalis) in the Petaloudes Valley, Rhodes island, Greece, August 2011

LYNN M. STONE / Common buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) feeding on Ironweed (Vernonia altissima) flower, North Guilford, Connecticut, USA, August

Petra Wegner / Border Collie puppy, 13 weeks.

Petra Wegner / Chinese Crested Dog, hairless puppy, 4 1/2 months / bitch.

Petra Wegner / Chinese Crested Dog, hairless bitch with puppy, male, 4 months.

Petra Wegner / Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, tricolour, 5 weeks.

Petra Wegner / Chinese Crested Dog, powderpuff puppy, 9 weeks.

Konrad Wothe / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera priamus) male on fern leaf and Blue Mountain Swallowtail butterfly in flight, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia, October

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

Andy Rouse / Burchell's Zebra (Equus quagga) foal hiding under its mother's tail. Masai Mara, Kenya.

Andy Rouse / African Leopard (Panthera pardus) 'Bahati', daughter of 'Olive', walking on path growling at photographer. Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.

Andy Rouse / Portrait of African Leopard (Panthera pardus) 'Bahati', 'Olive's' daughter. Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.

Andy Rouse / Burchell's Zebra (Equus quagga) mother with new born foal. Masai Mara, Kenya.

Andy Rouse / Grevy's Zebra (Equus grevyi) in late sunlight. Samburu, Kenya, Africa. (non-ex).

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) resting, Masai Mara, Kenya, December.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Plains Zebra (Equus quagga / quagga) in heavy rain. Masai Mara, Kenya, September.

Nuno Sa / Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) accompanied by Pilot Fish (Naucrates ductor) and Remora. The biggest fish in the world has only started to visit the Azores in the past three years due to water temperatu...

Jeff Rotman / Close-up of scales of the Yellowbar Angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus). Red Sea, Egypt.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes), female on Cowpen Daisy / Golden Crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides). Laredo, Webb County, Texas, USA, April.

Jeff Rotman / Poisonous Bluespotted ribbontail stingray (Taeniura lymma) at night, Perth, Australia, Indian Ocean.

Daniel Heuclin / Close up of skin of Rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria cenchria) captive, from French Guiana

Daniel Heuclin / Indian cobra (Naja naja naja) studio shot, captive, from India and East Pakistan

Colin Varndell / Adder (Vipera berus) basking on pebble beach. Abbotsbury, Dorset, UK, March.

Charlie Summers / King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) trio walking in line beside each other on a beach. Falkland Islands, South Atlantic Islands, December.

Hermann Brehm / A Jay (Garrulus glandarius) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Decdrocops major) fighting on a tree stump. Bavaria, Germany, November.

Hermann Brehm / Great Tit (Parus major) in flight. Bavaria, Germany, December.

Jane Burton / Chocolate registered Border Collie dog, 9 months.

Jane Burton / White-faced black-and-white Border Collie puppy.

Mark Taylor / Border Collie puppy portrait.

Kristel Richard / Close-up of the eye of a tobiano Kathiawari stallion, Gujarat, India.

Andy Rouse / Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) in snow. Wales, UK, December.

Andy Rouse / Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) in snow. Wales, UK, December.

Andy Rouse / Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) drinking from a pool. Wales, UK, January.

Jane Burton / Two smooth coated Jack Russell Terrier puppies, tan and white, 6 weeks,

Jane Burton / Rough coated Jack Russell Terrier puppy, black, tan and white, portrait

Jane Burton / Smooth coated Jack Russell Terrier, black, tan and white, female with two 8 week puppies

Mark Taylor / Blue Bearded Collie puppy, 3 months, yawning.

Mark Taylor / Head portrait of a Bulldog puppy, 11 weeks.

Mark Taylor / Portrait of a young Badger (Meles meles).

Mark Taylor / Border Collie bitch, running towards the camera.

Juergen Freund / Yellow Shortfin lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus) face. Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) portrait. Sipadan Island, Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia

Kim Taylor / Brown-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea) against a white background. Surrey, UK, April.

Kim Taylor / Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in profile (wild animal photogaphed in Africa, background digitally removed)

Jane Burton / Portrait of a silver tabby-and-white cat walking.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Jaguar (Panthera onca palustris) male wading through water at the shore of the Piquiri River. The Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, October.

Tony Heald / Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) rolling in Devil's Thorn flowers (Tribulus terrestris). Etosha National Park, Namibia, January.