David Pattyn / Black necked grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) mating on a misty morning, the male is jumping over the female just at the end of copulation, La Dombes lake area, France, April

David Pattyn / Great crested grebes (podiceps cristatus) pair mating on a kind of 'lek' the favourite place for lots of grebes to mate on this lake, La Dombes lake area, France, June

David Pattyn / Great crested grebes (podiceps cristatus) pair mating on a kind of 'lek' the favourite place for lots of grebes to mate on this lake, La Dombes lake area, France, June. Second place in the Species Sto...

John Waters / Orange-tip butterflies (Anthocharis cardamines) mating on flower bud of white bluebell in garden, Somerset, UK, April 2012

John Waters / Orange-tip butterflies (Anthocharis cardamines) mating on flower bud of white bluebell in garden, Somerset, UK, April 2012

Roger Powell / Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) pair copulating, Great Saltee Island, Wexford, Republic of Ireland, June

Roger Powell / Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) pair copulating on rock, Great Saltee Island, Wexford, Republic of Ireland, June

Roger Powell / Great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) male offering a large grub to a female prior to copulation, Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, January

Roger Powell / Great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) male offering a large grub to a female prior to copulation, Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, January

Tui De Roy / Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) pair mating. Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, June.

Tui De Roy / Volcan Alcedo giant tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra vandenburghi) mating pair, Isabela island, Galapagos

Loic Poidevin / Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) pair mating up tree, Quebec, Canada

Loic Poidevin / Tree swallows (Tachyneta bicolor) mating, Pointe Pelee, Ontario, Canada May

Mark Payne-Gill / Fiji Ground Frogs (Platymantis vitianus) mating pair, Fiji

Anup Shah / Lions mating (Panthera leo) Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September

Anup Shah / Lions mating (Panthera leo) Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, September

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) mating underwater, Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) mating at surface, Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) pair mating at surface, Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) mating at surface, Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Andy Rouse / European hares (Lepus europaeus) mating, UK, February

Andy Rouse / European hares (Lepus europaeus) mating, UK, February

MYN / Matt Cole / Seven Spot Ladybirds (Coccinella septempunctata), mating pair. Suburban garden, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, UK, March. meetyourneighbours.net project

Roger Powell / Pair of European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) post copulation on a branch. Alentejo, Portugal, May.

LYNN M. STONE / Male Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) on back of female prior to copulation. Gulf of Mexico beach, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, April.

Michael D. Kern / Red footed tortoise (Geochelone / Chelonoidis carbonaria) mating pair, captive from South America, vulnerable species.

Michael D. Kern / Dwarf Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii merumontanus) mating pair, captive from Africa

Michael D. Kern / Dwarf Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii merumontanus) mating pair, captive from Africa

Andy Rouse / 2020VISION / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) male getting into position to mate. Dyfi Estuary, Wales, UK, April. Taken with a Schedule 1 license from Countryside Council of Wales.

Andy Rouse / 2020VISION / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) male getting into position to mate. Dyfi Estuary, Wales, UK, April. Taken with a Schedule 1 license from Countryside Council of Wales.

Andy Sands / St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci) mating pair on grass stem, West Sussex, England, UK, May

Andy Sands / Green tiger beetle (Cicindela campestris) Mating pair, Cornwall, England, UK, May

Andy Sands / Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) Mating pair on sheep dung, Wales, UK, June

Andy Sands / Digger Wasp (Cerceris rybyensis) Mating pair with third male attempting to displace his rival, West sussex, England, UK, July

LYNN M. STONE / Roseate Spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) male climbing onto female's back to attempt mating by new nest (under construction) in Bald Cypress tree. St. John's County, Florida, USA, March.

LYNN M. STONE / Roseate Spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) male climbing onto female's back to attempt mating by new nest (under construction) in Bald Cypress tree. St. John's County, Florida, USA, March.

Eric Baccega / White storks mating on nest (Ciconia ciconia) Alsace, France, May

Alex Mustard / Common reef / day octopuses (Octopus cyanea) mating. The male, on the right, it passing his sperm to the female, on the left, by placing it under her mantle. His arm is visible on her body next to her...

Alex Mustard / A pair of mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) mating. The male, behind, has grabbed the female and grasps her as he tries to place his sperm sac inside her mantle with his arm. Lembeh Strait, Molucca...

Alex Mustard / A pair of mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) mating/courtship. The smaller male, right, is riding on top of the female as he tries to place his sperm sac inside her mantle with his arm. Lembeh Strai...

Alex Mustard / A pair of mating Atlantic longarm octopus (Octopus defilippi), with the male, on the right, gripping the female, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA

Alex Mustard / A pair of wunderpus octopus (Wunderpus photogenicus) during courtship/mating. The smaller male (right) is reaching round behind the female and trying to pass her his sperm with his hectocotylus (third...

Alex Mustard / A pair of golden cuttlefish (Sepia esculenta) mating. The male (on the right) transfering sperm to the female (left), which is done when he wraps his arms around her face and deposits a sac of his spe...

Andy Rouse / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) pair mating, Dyfi Estuary, Wales, UK, taken with a Schedule 1 license from CCW (Countryside Council for Wales) April

Andy Rouse / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) pair mating, Dyfi Estuary, Wales, UK, taken with a Schedule 1 license from CCW (Countryside Council for Wales) April

Barry Mansell / Brown anole (Anolis sagrei) female and male mating, invasive species, Everglades National Park, South Florida, USA, May

Niall Benvie / Common terns (Sterna hirundo) mating pair on shingle bank, Texel, the Netherlands

Richard Herrmann / Squid (Loligo opalescens) males fighting over females during mating, La Jolla Marine Reserve, San Diego, California

Richard Herrmann / Squid (Loligo opalescens) males fighting over female during mating, La Jolla Marine Reserve, San Diego, California

Ben Lascelles / Mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata aequatorialis) male and female mating, Punta Bejuco, Gulfo de Chiriqui, Panama

Danny Green / Toads (Bufonidae) mating in a woodland pond. Leicestershire, UK, March.

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Common Toad (Bufo bufo) in amplexus in breeding pond. Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK, March.

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Common Toad (Bufo bufo) in amplexus in breeding pond. Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK, March.

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Common Toad (Bufo bufo) in amplexus in breeding pond. Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK, March.

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Common Toad (Bufo bufo) in amplexus in breeding pond. Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK, March.

Thomas Marent / Tarraco Treefrog (Smilisca phaeota) trio in amplexus, Piedras Blancas National Park, Costa Rica

Thomas Marent / Condoto Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus spurrelli) pair in amplexus, Utria National Park, Colombia

Mark Payne-Gill / Silver Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) pair mating on bramble (Rubus fruticosus) leaves. Bookham Commons, Surrey.

Mark Payne-Gill / Welsh variety of Silver Studded Blue Butterflies (Plebejus argus caernensis) mating. Great Ormes Head, North Wales, June.

Roland Seitre / Princess Parrots (Polytelis alexandrae) mating. Neale Junction Nature Reserve, Western Australia, September.

Roland Seitre / Princess Parrots (Polytelis alexandrae) mating. Neale Junction Nature Reserve, Western Australia, September.

Steven David Miller / Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) pair mating, Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia, May

Steven David Miller / Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) pair mating, Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia, May

MYN / Denis Palanque / Crane flies (Tipula sp) mating, grassland, Montcarra, Rhones-Alpes, France, April. meetyourneighbours.net project

Nick Upton / Northern pintail (Anas acuta) pair mating while swimming on flooded pastureland, with female almost entirely submerged, Gloucestershire, UK, March

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) with strings of toad spawn. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) with strings of toad spawn in background. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) with strings of toad spawn in background. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) with strings of toad spawn in background. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond with frogspawn (Rana temporaria). Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond by frogspawn (Rana temporaria). Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Clumped frogspawn of Common Frog (Rana temporaria) , and chained spawn of Common Toad (Bufo bufo) in pond water. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus (mating) in pond. Surrey, England, March.

Erlend Haarberg / Red deer (Cervus elaphus) pair mating, another female nearby feeding, Danube-Drava National Park, Hungary, November

Orsolya Haarberg / Pair of Common european toads (Bufo bufo) mating, Bergslagen, Sweden, April

Erlend Haarberg / Harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) pair mating, Iceland, June

Erlend Haarberg / Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) pair mating on nest, Iceland, May

Erlend Haarberg / Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata) pair mating on nest, Varanger, Finnmark, Norway, June

Flip Nicklin / Magellanic Oystercatcher (Haematopus leucopodus) pair mating, Falkland Islands

Markus Varesvuo / Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) pair mating, Kuusamo, Finland, May

Ben Hall / Goldeneye duck (Bucephala clangula) pair mating on water, Lancashire, UK February

Ben Hall / Goldeneye duck (Bucephala clangula) pair mating on water, Lancashire, UK February

Florian Möllers / Quinling Golden snub nosed monkey (Rhinopitecus roxellana qinlingensis), pair mating on cliff rocks, Zhouzhi Nature Reserve, Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China.

Tony Heald / African lions (Panthera leo) mating, Etosha National Park, Namibia October

Martin Willis / Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae) male mating with a female on vine lek, Malanda, Queensland, Australia

Martin Willis / Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) pair mating, Winton, Queensland, Australia

Andy Sands / Long Water Measurer (Hydrometra stagnorum) male attempting to mate with female. Hertfordshire, England, UK.