Piotr Naskrecki / Mantid (Mantidae), Woburn, Massachusetts

Piotr Naskrecki / Mantid (Taumantis sp) instar, Woburn, Massachusetts

Piotr Naskrecki / Turnip-tailed Gecko (Thecadactylus rapicauda), Suriname

Piotr Naskrecki / Scorpion (Brotheas sp) in defensive posture seen under ultraviolet light, Suriname

Piotr Naskrecki / Thick-tailed Scorpion (Tityus sp) under ultraviolet light, Suriname

Piotr Naskrecki / Thick-tailed Scorpion (Tityus sp), Suriname

Piotr Naskrecki / Three-striped Poison Dart Frog (Ameerega trivittata) male carrying tadpoles, Suriname

Piotr Naskrecki / Three-striped Poison Dart Frog (Ameerega trivittata) male carrying tadpoles, Suriname

Mark Taylor / German Shepherd Dog bitch pup, Coco, 14 weeks old, with raised paw.

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

Paul D Stewart / Chromolithograph illustration of Cromagnon 'Skull of an old man' Plate 1, Section C. Edouard Lartet and Henry Christy. 'Reliquiae Aquitanicae' 1865-1875, Williams and Norgate, London 1875..

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Alex Hyde / Various rockpool animals and seaweeds, photographed on a white background. Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, UK, March. Digital composite.

Alex Hyde / Various pollen grains from several species of UK plant. False coloured scanning electron micrograph. Digital composite.

Nick Garbutt / Wallace's Flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus) male from lowland dipterocarp rainforest, Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo. Photographed in situ in makeshift studio in the forest.

Daniel Heuclin / Timor monitor (Varanus timorensis) captive, from Timor

Daniel Heuclin / Asp Viper (Vipera aspis) captive

Daniel Heuclin / Pope's pitviper (Trimeresurus / Popeia popeorum)captive, from SE Asia

Daniel Heuclin / Western Diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) coiled and with tail raised and rattling, found in South Western USA, captive

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

Alex Hyde / Jungle nymph (Heteropteryx sp) photographed on a white background. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Bud wing mantis (Parasphendale affinis) juvenile, on a white background, originating from Africa. 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...

Alex Hyde / Malaysian orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) photographed on a white background, originating from Malaysia. Captive.

Daniel Heuclin / Male Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) France, November 2011

Petra Wegner / Briard / Berger de Brie, head portrait with plaited hair between eyes.

Petra Wegner / Mixed breed, white, long haired Cockerpoo / Cockapoo dog, standing on back legs, looking up. Poodle Cocker spaniel cross

Petra Wegner / Chihuahuas, longhaired, two puppies, 9 weeks, sitting in a straw basket

Petra Wegner / Australian Shepherd, red-tri, close up of paw touching womans hand. Model released

Petra Wegner / Ogar Polski / Polish Hound, short haired male, head portrait.

Petra Wegner / Mixed breed, white, long haired Cockerpoo / Cockapoo dog, head portrait. Poodle Cocker spaniel cross,

Petra Wegner / Chihuahua, longhaired puppy, 9 weeks, standing portrait.

Petra Wegner / Ogar Polski / Polish Hound, short haired bitch, head profile.

Petra Wegner / Chihuahua, longhaired puppy, 9 weeks, sitting portrait.

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

Solvin Zankl / Wild Common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) Vienna Drosophila RNAi Center, Institute for Molecular Pathology, Austria [focus stacking]

Alex Hyde / African moon moth (Argema mimosae) digital composite sequence, showing wings expanding after emerging from cocoon, photographed against a white background, orginating from Africa. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys dessicata) hanging upside down from twig, photographed against a white background, orginating from South East Asia. Captive.

John Abbott / Rainbow scarab beetle (Phanaeus difformis) male, Texas, USA

John Abbott / Chilean rose / flame / fire / red-haired tarantula (Grammostola rosea) female, from South America

Piotr Naskrecki / Cicada (Cicadidae), Barbilla National Park, Costa Rica

Piotr Naskrecki / Fulgorid Planthopper (Fulgoridae) spreading wings to show aposematic coloration, Costa Rica

Piotr Naskrecki / Mayfly subimago, La Selva Biological Research Station, Heredia, Costa Rica

Piotr Naskrecki / Mantid (Hemiempusa capensis), Western Cape, South Africa

Petra Wegner / Chihuahua, longhaired, with trophy sitting on red cushion.

Petra Wegner / Mixed Breed puppy, 12 weeks / Pug crossbred, sitting on small sofa with reindeer toy.

Petra Wegner / Small Munsterlander puppy, 7 weeks, against white background.

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.

Ernie Janes / Five newly hatched chicks in a row

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.

MYN / Niall Benvie / Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare) on white background, Scotland, UK, June meetyourneighbours.net project

Ernie Janes / Silhouette of gardening tools, UK

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

Ross Hoddinott / Marbled White Butterfly (Melanargia galathea) resting on grass stem, Devon, UK July. Winner of Seasons category of the BWPA 2011 competition

David Maitland / Long-headed Poppy (Papaver dubium) flowers and seedheads against sky, growing on wasteland next to car-park, Calne, Wiltshire, UK, June. SPECIALLY COMMENDED, In Praise of Plants category, WILDLIFE PH...

John Cancalosi / Pyrite (FeS2, iron sulfide), known as 'Fool's Gold'. Formerly used in the production of sulfuric acid. Sample from Concepcion de Oro, Zacatecas State, Mexico.

John Cancalosi / Staurolite (iron aluminum silicate hydroxide), always crystallized often with two indivuals intergrown at right angles forming a cross. Sometimes used as amulets or ornaments. A fairly common metamorh...

John Cancalosi / Quartz (SiO2, silicon dioxide), the most common mineral on earth, used in making glass and other industrial uses.

Pete Oxford / Sipo Snake (Chironius exoletus) head against a white background. Captive. Endemic to Mindo Cloud Forest, Ecuador.

Mark Bowler / Three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) walking in profile. Captive. Endemic to Brazil. 6 of 6.

Mark Bowler / Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) rolled up in defensive posture. Captive. Endemic to Brazil.

Steve Nicholls / Skeleton of a Python (Python sp)

Jane Burton / Sable Border Collie puppy, 9 weeks, looking over his shoulder.

Jane Burton / Border Collie having a good shake.

Jane Burton / Cute Border Collie puppy lying.

Jane Burton / Sable Border Collie puppy, 9 weeks, sitting.

Jane Burton / Two Sable Border Collie puppies.

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

Mark Taylor / Playful Border Collie puppies, 6 weeks.

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

Mark Taylor / Border Collie puppy.

Mark Taylor / Border Collie puppy portrait.

Jane Burton / West Highland White Terrier sitting.

Mark Taylor / West Highland White Terrier sitting.

Mark Taylor / West Highland White Terrier leaping.

Jane Burton / Black Labrador and two puppies.

Jane Burton / Black Labrador retriever puppy sitting, 8 weeks.

Jane Burton / Yellow Labrador retriever puppy lying with paws crossed, 8 weeks.

Jane Burton / Chocolate Labrador Retriever puppy, sitting and looking up.

Mark Taylor / Yellow Labrador Retriever puppy, 7 weeks.

Mark Taylor / Chocolate Labrador puppy, 3 months, lying.

Simon Colmer / Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis) on white background Sussex, UK

Simon Colmer / Spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus) twig, buds and seedcase in winter, UK

Simon Colmer / Blue bottle fly (Calliphora vicina) lying upside down, dead, on white background, Sussex, UK

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

Jane Burton / Two Rough coated Jack Russell Terrier puppies playing with boot lace

Jane Burton / Rough coated Jack Russell Terrier puppy, tan and white, with a boot

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

Mark Taylor / Rough coated Jack Russell Terrier, tan and white, lying down, panting

Jane Burton / Smooth coated Jack Russell Terrier, white, looking up, standing on back legs

Mark Taylor / Yorkshire Terrier, with Netherland-cross rabbit.

Mark Taylor / Young windmill-eared rabbit and matching guinea-pig.

Mark Taylor / Two ginger kittens rolling playfully on their sides.