David Fleetham / Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and a shoal of fish near sea surface. Tubbataha Reef, Philippines.

David Fleetham / Close up of the pattern on the Hawaiian spotted flatworm (Pseudobiceros) endemic to Hawaii.

Jussi Murtosaari / Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) newly emerged on asters, Jyvaskyla, Finland, August.

Aflo / Stray cat, with black and white face markings, sitting on bench, Aichi, Japan.

Christophe Courteau / Shore clingfish / Cornish sucker (Lepadogaster lepadogaster) portrait, Brittany, France, January.

Nick Garbutt / Owl-eye Butterfly (Caligo sp), Amazonia, Ecuador, South America.

Sam Hobson / Urban Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), adult male (dog). Bristol, UK. August.

Daniel Heuclin / Rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis), from Central Africa, captive, July.

Claudio Contreras,Claudio Contreras / Long-beaked Coralfish (Chelmon rostratus) eye, Inanuran Island, Danajon Bank, Central Visayas, Philippines, April

Jabruson / Boy walking on large pile of hardwood logs ready for loading onto railway trucks that will collect timber from lumber yard located inside the Lope National Park. Onward shipment via sea takes place f...

Loic Poidevin / Sheep (Ovis aries) flock herded together with ear tags and paint markings. Ossoue valley, French Pyrenees, September.

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

SINCLAIR STAMMERS / Preserved Coelocanth (Latimeria chalumnae) on public display at the Natural History Museum in London, found originally off the Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean. In life they are a dark blue colour w...

Alex Hyde / Death's Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos) against white background. Captive, UK.

Alex Hyde / Oleander Hawkmoth (Daphnis nerii) female, against white background. Captive insect, a rare but fairly regular immigrant to the UK.

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula artica) adult on breeding cliffs. Hermaness NNR, Shetland, UK, June. Did you know? After the breeding season puffins lose their bright beaks and the colourful markings arou...

Roland Seitre / Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) baby being watched over by its mother. Captive. Medellin Zoo, Antioquia, Colombia.

Roland Seitre / Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) baby looking at camera. Captive. Medellin Zoo, Antioquia, Colombia.

Roland Seitre / Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) mother with baby. Captive. Medellin Zoo, Antioquia, Colombia.

Claudio Contreras / Smooth Trunkfish (Lactophrys triqueter). Cancun National Park, Caribbean Sea, Mexico.

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...

Alex Hyde / Bullseye / Io moth (Automeris io) showing eye spot markings on wings during deimatic display to deter predators, originating from North and Central America, sequence 2 of 2. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Bullseye / Io moth (Automeris io) resting on leaf with eye spot markings on wings hidden, originating from North and Central America, sequence 1 of 2. Captive.

Bert Willaert / Trivandrum / Golden Frog (Hylarana aurantiaca) looking upwards. Western Ghats, India.

Bert Willaert / Male Alpine Newt (Ichthyosaura / Triturus alpestris) in aquatic phase. Belgium. Captive.

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

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

Andy Rouse / Portrait of African Leopard (Panthera pardus) 'Lorian'. Masai Mara, Kenya.

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

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Serval (Laptailurus serval) running. Masai Mara, Kenya, September.

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 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.

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.

B&S Draker / Mexican Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus mexicanus) adult drinking. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, May.

B&S Draker / Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) adult on nest. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, May.

George Sanker / Portrait of Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis) with a blade of grass in its mouth. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, May.

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

Alex Mustard / A Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) camouflaged in red Seafan (Muricella sp.). Pygmy Seahorses are small, most less than 15mm in length. Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia, October.

Alex Mustard / A Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) camouflaged in red Seafan (Muricella sp.). Pygmy Seahorses are small, most less than 15mm in length. Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia, October.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Female Jaguar (Panthera onca palustris) on the shore of Piquiri River. The Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, October.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Jaguar (Panthera onca palustris) dragging a Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacare) onto the bank of the Piquiri River. The Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, October.

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

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.

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

Daniel Heuclin / Ventral view of Wagler's / Temple Pitviper (Tropidolaemus wagleri). Controlled conditions. Mindanao, Philippines, February.

Christophe Courteau / Photo-identification of Jaguars (Panthera onca) for scientific Research, Pantanal, Brazil, September 2008

Paul Hobson / Grass snake (Natrix natrix) swimming amongst duck weed, Oxfordshire, UK

DOC WHITE / Pygmy Killer Whales (Feresa attenuata) with scarring / markings on skin, Pacific

Tim Fitzharris / Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) pair in snow fall showing the black and red markings of their cross phase, Montana

Geoff Simpson / Mountain hare track in snow {Lepus timidus} Peak District NP, UK

Geoff Simpson / Male Adder showing distinctive zig zag markings {Vipera berus}. Peak District NP, England UK

Marcelo rocha / John Downer Pr / Rear view of Eyespot / False eyed frog, with defensive eye-like markings to frighten away predators (Resolution restriction - image digitised from film, 'Weird Nature' tv series)

Nigel Cattlin / Emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male, wings open showing distinctive eye markings and feathery antennae.

Duncan Murrell / Green vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta), Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Unesco Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site, Sri Lanka. The green vine snake changes from pure green to chequered markings when it f...

Alex Hyde / Lubber grasshopper (Chromacris sp.) with spiny legs raised in defensive pose and bearing aposematic markings to warn of its toxicity. Cloud forest understory vegetation, 1600 metres altitude, Manu Bio...

Juan Carlos Munoz / Owl butterflies (Caligo sp) fully emerged adults and pupae.

Jeff Vanuga / Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) female and cub crossing highway on Togwotee Pass near Dubois, Wyoming, USA. September 2016.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Grey peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron bicalcaratum) close up of the feathers, Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, April.

Ashley Cooper / White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) nesting on electricity pylons in the Coto Donana in Andalucia, Spain. June 2011

Ashley Cooper / Orchids (Dactylorhiza sp) growing on a roadside verge in Cumbria, England, UK, July.

Ashley Cooper / Electric car recharging station at the Charnock Richard M6 motorway service station, Lancashire, England, UK. April 2012.

Ashley Cooper / Electric car recharging station at the Charnock Richard M6 motorway service station, Lancashire, England, UK. April.

Ashley Cooper / Electric car recharging station at the Charnock Richard M6 motorway service station, Lancashire, England, UK. 2012

David Fleetham / Young Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) displaying the markings that give this species their common name. These markings will fade as the shark gets older. Hawaii.

David Fleetham / Pattern on a Flamingo Tongue (Cyphoma gibbosum). Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean.

David Fleetham / Sccales and color pattern on the side of Bluestripe Grunt (Haemulon sciurus). Bonaire, the Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean.

David Fleetham / Scrambled Egg Nudibranch (Phyllidia varicosa), the most common phyllidiid in Hawaii. Like others in this family it releases a powerful toxin if disturbed. Maui.

David Fleetham / Harlequin Crab (Lissocarcinus orbicularis) camouflaged to match its commensal host, a sea cucumber (Bohadaschia argus). Yap, Micronesia.

Konrad Wothe / Elephant hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor) caterpillar, Upper Bavaria, Germany, August.

MYN / Joao P. Burini / Saturniid moth (Automeris or Pseudoautomeris sp) moth with false eyes display, Tapirai, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Atlantic forest. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

Bert Willaert / Map pufferfish (Arothron mappa), Bismarck Sea, Vitu Islands, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Bert Willaert / Nudibranch (Glossodoris cincta), Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Emanuele Biggi / Peacock katydid (Pterochroza ocellata) threat display. Los Amigos Biological Station, Peru

Robert Thompson / Saturniid moth (Automeris excreta) camouflaged in leaf litter, Guatemala.

Alex Hyde / Praying mantis (Majangella moultoni) with moss-like markings that provide camouflage. Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo.

Alex Hyde / Praying mantis (Majangella moultoni) with moss-like markings that provide camouflage. Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo.

Alex Hyde / Cicada (Cicadoidea) with camouflage markings. Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo.

Francois Savigny / Guard studying Bengal tiger pug marks {Panthera tigris tigris} Bandhavgarh NP India 1999,

Nick Garbutt / Owl-eye Butterfly (Caligo atreus) shortly after emerging from its cocoon. Lowland rainforest, La Selva, Caribbean slope, Costa Rica.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Eyed hawk moth (Smerinthus ocellata) Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Italy

Tony Wu / Dorsal view of distinctive markings of a juvenile Clown stink bug (Poecilocoris lewisi), Kobuchizawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.

MYN / Dirk Funhoff / Peacock butterfly (Inachis io), Lorsch, Hessen, Germany. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

Daniel Heuclin / Henkel's giant gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus henkeli) Isle of Pines, New Caledonia, captive.

Daniel Heuclin / Henkel's giant gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus henkeli) Isle of Pines, New Caledonia, captive.

Daniel Heuclin / Henkel's giant gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus henkeli) on white background. Isle of Pines, New Caledonia, captive.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Diagram of Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) pelage markings, part of a learning session for staff from the Scottish Wildcat Action project, National Collections Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland,...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Scottish Wildcat Action project staff learning about Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) pelage markings through examining pelts at National Collections Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, July 2...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Scottish Wildcat Action project staff learning about Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) pelage markings through examining pelts at National Collections Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, July 2...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Scottish Wildcat Action project staff learning about Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) pelage markings through examining pelts at National Collections Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, July 2...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Scottish Wildcat Action project staff learning about Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) pelage markings through examining pelts at National Collections Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, July 2...

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Scottish Wildcat Action project staff learning about Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) pelage markings through examining pelts at National Collections Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, July 2...

Alex Hyde / Orchard spider (Leucauge sp) showing distinctive 'smiley face' markings on underside, San Jose, Costa Rica

MYN / Javier Aznar / Moth (Automeris sp.) with false eyes on wings a warning signal to predators, Mashpi, Ecuador. Meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Javier Aznar / Moth (Automeris sp.) with false eyes on wings, a warning signal to predators, Mashpi, Ecuador. Meetyourneighbours.net project