Piotr Naskrecki / Beaked Toad (Rhinella lescueri) pair in amplexus, Suriname

Piotr Naskrecki / Beaked Toad (Rhinella lescueri) pair in amplexus, camouflaged to look like leaf litter, Suriname

Piotr Naskrecki / Beaked Toad (Rhinella lescueri) pair in amplexus, Suriname

David Tipling / Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) mating, Half Moon Island, Antarctica, November

Nick Upton / Black and red soldier beetles (Cantharis rustica) mating on a grass blade, Wiltshire meadow, UK, May.

Nick Upton / Non-biting chironomid midges (Chironomidae) silhouetted as they mate under a leaf, with the female hanging below a male with plumose antennae, Wiltshire garden, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Lesser Bloody-nosed beetles (Timarcha goettigensis) mating, chalk grassland meadow, Wiltshire, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Sexually dimorphic St. Mark's fly / March fly (Bibio marci) pair mating; males have much larger eyes and clear wings, Wiltshire garden, UK, May.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Damselflies mating (Coenagrion scitulum) Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe Area, Salamanc, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum) pair mating profile, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe Area, Salamanc, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum) pair mating on stem, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe Area, Salamanc, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Damselfly (Coenagrion scitulum) pair mating in grassland, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe Area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Paul Hobson / Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) mating pair, male almost submerging female, Sheffield, UK April

Paul Hobson / Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) pair mating on beach, Texel, Holland, January

Paul Hobson / Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) pair mating on beach, Texel, Holland, January

Anup Shah / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) male and female mating in forest clearing, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Anup Shah / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) couple mating whilst young looks on, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Anup Shah / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) juveniles attempting to mate, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Anup Shah / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) two mating whilst another feeds nearby, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Pool Frog (Rana lessonae) pair mating at surface, Danube delta rewilding area, Romania

Denis-Huot / South African / Cape giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) mating. Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Denis-Huot / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana), young males playing and pretending to copulate. Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya.

Denis-Huot / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) mating among herd. Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya.

Denis-Huot / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) male approaching female to mate. Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya.

Denis-Huot / African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) mating. Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / European bee eater (Merops apiaster) pair mating at breeding site, Danube delta rewilding area, Romania June

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / European bee eater (Merops apiaster) pair mating at breeding site, Danube delta rewilding area, Romania June

Andrew Walmsley / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) pair mating. Christchurch, New Zealand, October. Sequence 3 of 3.

Andrew Walmsley / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) pair mating. Christchurch, New Zealand, October. Sequence 2 of 3.

Andrew Walmsley / Pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) pair mating. Christchurch, New Zealand, October. Sequence 1 of 3.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Nine spotted moth (Amata phegea) mating on flower head, North Velebit National Park, Velebit Nature Park, Rewilding Europe area, Velebit mountains, Croatia

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Nine spotted moth (Amata phegea) mating on flower head, North Velebit National Park, Velebit Nature Park, Rewilding Europe area, Velebit mountains, Croatia

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) male jumping on top of the female to mate, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) male jumping on top of the female to mate, La Dombes lake area, France April

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) male dancing on top of the head of the female after mating, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) pair mating at the edge of a lake, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Coot (Fulica atra) pair mating, the female often is almost completely submerged, you can only see small part of her back here, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) pair performs a dance after mating in which they mimick each other's movements, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) one pair mating while another couple is watching and waiting its turn to mate on the same spot, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) pair mating, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) male jumping on top of the head of the female after mating, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) a couple mating on a tree branch, Pantanal, Brazil, August

Konrad Wothe / Feral pigeons (Columba livia domesica) mating on roof, Germany, September

Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese Squirrels (Sciurus lis) mating, Yatsugakake-Mt, Nogano, Japan, February

Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese Squirrels (Sciurus lis) mating, Yatsugakake-Mt, Nogano, Japan, February

Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese Squirrels (Sciurus lis) mating, Yatsugakake-Mt, Nogano, Japan, February

Anup Shah / Western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) young male 'Jeje' aged 13 years mating with female 'Velu' aged 51 years, Bossou Forest, Mont Nimba, Guinea. January 2011.

Anup Shah / African Lions (Panthera leo) pair mating, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Anup Shah / Spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) pair mating, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Chris Mattison / Mating pair of camouflaged grasshoppers (Pamphigidae). Near Springbok, Namaqualand, South Africa, October.

David Pattyn / Black-necked Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) mating on water. La Dombes lake area, France April.

Danny Green / Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta) mating in canopy. Bandhavgarh, India, November.

Norbert Wu / Blue Swimming Crab (Portunus pelagicus) pair mating, South Australia, Australia

Markus Varesvuo / Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) pair mating on beach, Uto Finland May

Markus Varesvuo / Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) pair mating on beach, Uto Finland May

Ingo Arndt / Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) pair in amplexus sleeping with closed eyes, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) pair in amplexus, Costa Rica

Gary K. Smith / Hornet moths (Sesia apiformis) freshly emerged male and female mating at base of Poplar tree trunk, UK, June

XI ZHINONG / Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni) attempting to mount female, Kekexili, Qinghai, China, December

XI ZHINONG / Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) attempting to mount female, Kekexili, Qinghai, China, December

Fabrice Cahez / Black Storks (Ciconia nigra) mating at nest on cliff face. Extramadura, Spain, May.

Fabrice Cahez / Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) mating. Vosges, France, August.

Marie Read / American Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) forced copulation attempt at muddy puddle where they are gathering mud as nesting material. Mono Lake Basin, California, USA, June.

Marie Read / American Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) forced copulation (attempt at muddy puddle where they are gathering mud as nesting material. Mono Lake Basin, California, USA, June.

Marie Read / American Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) forced copulation attempt at muddy puddle where they are gathering mud as nesting material. Mono Lake Basin, California, USA, June.

Colin Varndell / Mating pair of Common Darter Dragonflies (Trithemis kirbyi). Studland Heath, Dorset, UK. September

Christophe Courteau / Silhouette of Yellow Baboons {Papio cynocephallus} mating in tree, Okavango, Botswana.

Christophe Courteau / Nudibranchs mating {Limacia clavigera} France Brittany

Peter Cairns / Elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) copulating on lawn in town of Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Loic Poidevin / Red slugs (Arion rufus) mating, West France

Loic Poidevin / Olive baboon (Papio anubis) couple mating, Tanzania, East Africa

Loic Poidevin / Aldabra giant tortoise (Geochelone gigantea) pair mating, Curieuse Marine National Park, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Loic Poidevin / Aldabra giant tortoise (Geochelone gigantea) pair mating, Curieuse Marine National Park, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Ernie Janes / Five spot Burnet moths (Zygaena trifolii) mating on Broad leaved / Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine), Norfolk, UK July

Ernie Janes / Five spot Burnet moths (Zygaena trifolii) mating on Fragrant orchid, Norfolk, UK, July

Ernie Janes / Five spot Burnet moths (Zygaena trifolii) mating on Fragrant orchid, Norfolk, UK, July

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on top of roof, Spain, April

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on top of roof, Spain, April

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on building roof, Spain, May

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on building roof, Spain, May

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male flying with a lizard in the beak, Spain

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on building roof, Spain, May

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on building roof, Spain, May

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on building roof, Spain, May

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) on the roof of a sheepfold. Male offering female a lizard before mating, Spain

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on roof of building, Spain, May

Eric Medard / Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male and female mating on roof of building, Spain, May

Eric Medard / Little owl (Athene noctua) pair mating at night, France

Hiroya Minakuchi / Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) pair mating, Costa Rica

Christian Ziegler / Misfit Leaf Frog (Agalychnis saltator) mass mating, La Selva Biological Research Station, Costa Rica

Christian Ziegler / Misfit Leaf Frog (Agalychnis saltator) pair mating in foreground, La Selva Biological Research Station, Costa Rica

Robin Chittenden / Large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) pair mating, UK June

Erlend Haarberg / Razorbill (Alca torda) male and female mating, Langanes Peninsula, Iceland, May

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) is chasing away another grebe while trying to keep a mating spot for itself. A lot of mating attempts fail because different grebe-couples disturb each other...

David Pattyn / Black necked grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) mating after sunset, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) male trying to mount on top of the female during their mating ritual, La Dombes lake area, France, April