Sandra Bartocha / Scots Pine trees (Pinus sylvestris) in evening sunlight. January. Specially commended, Creative Visions category, Wildlife Photographer of the Year WPY 2012 competition.

David Pattyn / Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) two fighting, probably over territory, The Netherlands, August

Juan Carlos Munoz / Great Egret (Ardea alba) in full breeding plumage. Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, February.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view over subtropical mangrove wetlands of the Everglades National Park. Florida, USA, February 2012.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view over subtropical mangrove wetlands of the Everglades National Park. Florida, USA, February 2012.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view over subtropical mangrove wetlands of the Everglades National Park. Florida, USA, February 2012.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view over subtropical mangrove wetlands of the Everglades National Park. Florida, USA, February 2012.

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

Roger Powell / Stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) approaching nest of two eggs, Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, 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

Yukihiro Fukuda / Two male Japanese giant salamanders (Andrias japonicus) fertilizing the eggs of a female, Japan, September

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...

Anup Shah / Common or Plains zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) lying dead on the savanna grassland, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, March

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) swimming just below surface, Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Charlie Summers / Stars draw traces above Naabi Hill acacia trees, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Sandra Bartocha / Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) flowers impression in field, Neubrandenburg, Mecklenburg Western Pommerania, Germany

Sandra Bartocha / European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) woodland in the mist, Serrahn, Muritz National Park, Germany, World Natural Heritage Site, November

Sandra Bartocha / European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) woodland in the mist, Serrahn, Muritz National Park, Germany, World Natural Heritage Site, November

Sandra Bartocha / European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest, Naturpark Feldberger Seenlandschaft / Feldberger lake district nature park, Germany, November

Sandra Bartocha / Sea shells in sand, North sea, Germany, September

Sandra Bartocha / Dark clouds above the North Sea, Norderney, Germany, September

Sandra Bartocha / Vehicle tracks through a field of green barley, Jennyhof, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, May

Sandra Bartocha / Cowslip (Primula veris) flowers, Brandenburger Vorstadt, Potsdam, Germany, April

Sandra Bartocha / Ghost wood - European Beech (Fagus sylvatica), woodland Nienhagen, Germany, April

Sandra Bartocha / Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, March

LYNN M. STONE / Tabby kitten amongst garden flowers Sarasota, Florida, USA

Sandra Bartocha / Downy / European white birch (Betula pubescens) tree trunks in the mist, Waldstadt, Potsdam, Germany, November

Sandra Bartocha / Forest view of trunks of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Downy European white birch (Betula pubescens) and European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees, Muritz National Park, Germany, November

Sandra Bartocha / Forest view of trunks of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Downy European white birch (Betula pubescens) and European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees, Muritz National Park, Germany, November

Sandra Bartocha / Cowslip (Primula veris) and Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis) in flower with light effects, Brandenburger Vorstadt, Potsdam, Germany, April

Sandra Bartocha / Mixed woodland in spring, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, April

Solvin Zankl / Snowflake magnified under microscope, Lilehammer, Norway

Roberto Rinaldi / Weedy seadragon (Phylloperyx taeniolatus) head portrait, Australia

Alex Mustard / A shoal of cod (Gadus morhua) in kelp forest. These cod were gathered off the north coast of Iceland to spawn, photographed during a two week break in fishing season, to allow the fish to spawn. Thors...

Eric Medard / Bechstein's Bat (Myotis bechsteinii) in flight at night, mouth open to emit echolocating calls. France, Europe, September.

Michael D. Kern / Rhinoceros iguana (Cyclura cornuta) captive, from Hispaniola, Caribbean, Vulnerable species

Michael D. Kern / Mossy leaf-tailed gecko, (Uroplatus sikorae) captive from Madgascar

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

LYNN M. STONE / Great Egrets (Ardea alba) preening their breeding plumage, at nest. Osceola County, Florida, USA, March.

Alex Mustard / Caribbean reef squid (Sepioteuthis sepioidea) North Wall, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, West Indies, Caribbean Sea

Alex Mustard / The eye of a Pacific giant octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini). Browning Pass, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Alex Mustard / Common Sydney octopus (Octopus tetricus) detail of eyes. Sydney Harbour. New South Wales, Australia

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). dominant male silverback 'Makumba' aged 32 years, Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic, December 2011

Anup Shah / Forest elephant herd (Loxodonta cyclotis) drinking and wallowing in a river, Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic

Andy Rouse / African lioness (Panthera leo) resting with head on another at sunrise, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

David Noton / Poppies flowering in a field, near Norcia, Umbria, Italy. May 2005.

David Noton / The village of Eus perched on a hilltop with sunlight with the Pic de Canigou beyond, the Pyrenees, Languedoc-Rousillon, France. June 2006.

David Noton / The Canal du Midi near Castelnaudary, Languedoc-Rousillon, France. September 2011.

David Noton / Les Aiguilles de Bavella, Corsica, France. June 2011.

David Noton / Rain clouds hanging over the Col de Bavella, Bavella Mountains, Corsica, France. June 2011.

David Noton / Chocolate Hills, Bohol, The Visayas, Philippines. February 2011.

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.

Roy Mangersnes / Bushfire and dust devils in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana, November

Roy Mangersnes / Man gathering crop of Coca (Erythroxylum coca) leaves using a net, the leaves are harvested six times a year, Bolivia, November. No release available.

Juergen Freund / Crate of Spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) babies just arrived by plane from Brisbane after months of care, ready to be returned to the Tolga Bat Hospital for release back to the wild, A...

Juergen Freund / Spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) babies swaddled in cloth ready to sleep, Tolga Bat Hospital, Atherton, North Queensland, Australia. January 2008.

Hiroya Minakuchi / Stag Beetle (Odontolabis cypri), Malaysia

Christophe Courteau / Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) Hirwa group led by the silverback dominant male Munyinya, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, elevation 2610 m

Jack Dykinga / Sand storm cutting across the Mesquite Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, California, USA 2010

Jack Dykinga / Life returning after seasonal rains to burnt forest, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest devastation of the 'Wallow Fire', Arizona, USA August 2011

Jack Dykinga / Charred remains of Aspen-fir forest near Hannagan's Meadow, at sunset with fireweeds growing in profusion amidst felled trees, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Arizona, USA September 2011

Jack Dykinga / Eroded Aztec sandstone, dating back to the Jurassic, 160 million years ago, colourful banding with fins and dikes produced by erosion, Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Jack Dykinga / Colorado River Delta, with watercourse sculpted patterns eroded into the salt / silt flats near the Sea of Cortez, La Reserva del Golfo, Baja, Mexico

Jack Dykinga / Cibecue Creek waterfall pouring through canyon narrows, White Mountain Apache Reservation, Arizona, USA

Jack Dykinga / Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Park with severe storm clouds at sunset amid vast grassland, South Dakota, USA

Jack Dykinga / Cypress dome swamp with water surface covered with water-spangles and duckweed, Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, Florida Everglades, USA

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

Ernie Janes / Apricot tree (Prunus ameniaca) Moorpark variety in blossom trained against a wall in walled garden, UK, March.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Detail of geological rock formations in the sandstone cliffs of Jaizkibel Beach, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain, May 2012

Jean E. Roche / Aerial view of rows of cultivated Roses, horitculture, Bellegarde, Camargue, Southern France, June 2009

Jean E. Roche / Arial view of coloured salt pans, colour is determined by the concentration of various elements, Salins de Giraud, Camargue, Southern France

Jean E. Roche / Aerial view of old basins used for concentrating magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) in the salt pans at Salin de Giraud, Camargue, Southern France

Jean E. Roche / Aerial view of vineyards and fruit trees edged with Italian poplar trees, introduced to the Camargue during the 19th century and planted for protection against the wind, near Arles, Camargue, Southern...

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view saltmarshes of Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park, Huelva, Andalucia, Spain, March 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial image showing light reflected off the deep blue of the sea around the Bahamas archipelago, Caribbean, February 2012

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of patterns created by agricultural work on land, Los Monegros, Zaragoza Province, Aragon, Spain, July 2011

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial image showing sandbanks in the Bahamas archipelago, Caribbean, February 2012

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of salt pans coloured red by cyanobacteria, Lake Natron, Rift Valley, Tanzania, August 2009

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of patterns created by agricultural work on land, Los Monegros, Zaragoza Province, Aragon, Spain, July 2011

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, February 2012

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, February 2012

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of the 'Long Wall', sand dunes along the Atlantic coast of the Namib desert, Swakopmund, Namibia, August 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of flock of Flamingos flying over the salt lake, Lake Natron, Rift Valley, Tanzania, August 2009

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view dry river bed in the Namib desert, Sossusvlei, Sesriem, Namibia, August 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of sun reflected on the Odiel marshes, Huelva, Andalucia, Spain, March 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Aerial view of flock of Flamingos flying over the salt lake, Lake Natron, Rift Valley, Tanzania, August 2009

Carol Walker / Lusitano horse, dun stallion pawing the ground, Portugal, May 2011

Carol Walker / White horses of the Camargue, herd running through water, Camargue, Southern France

Carol Walker / Wild horse / Mustang, foal, portrait, Pryor mountains, Montana, USA

Juan Carlos Munoz / Fossil of extinct perch fish (Priscacara sp) from the Eocene period, Wyoming, USA

Konstantin Mikhailov / Lake Ann surrounded by Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii) Silver firs (Abies alba) and other conifers in the area of Rainy Pass of North Cascades National Park, North Cascades National Park, Cascade...

Konstantin Mikhailov / Western red cedar tree (Thuja plicata) trunks with moss and fungi, inland temperate rainforest of Olympic National Park, Washington, USA, Western North America, January.

Konstantin Mikhailov / The upper forest belt in Altai Mountains after first snowfall, Katunsky Range with Siberian larch trees (Larus sibirica rufous) and Siberian pine trees (Pinus sibirica) Mt.Belukha Nature park, South-...

Konrad Wothe / Prehistoric Rock Art, Awis Valley, Akakus mountains, Libya, Sahara, North Africa, November 2007

Konrad Wothe / Stone engravings of Giraffes in Wadi Mathendous, Wadi Barjuj, Stony Desert, Libya, Sahara, North Africa, November 2007