Adrian Davies / Slime mould (Physarum cinereum) growing on wet Birch log (Betula sp.), Surrey, England, UK. September.

Adrian Davies / Green fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera var. ochroleuca), Yockeltt's Bank, Kent, England, UK. June.

Tim Laman / View up through the massive root system of a giant Strangler fig (Ficus sp.) tree in lowland rainforest, Malagufuk, West Papua, Indonesia.

Roland Seitre / Three Blue-winged parrots (Neophema chrysostoma) perched on Sunflower seedheads, near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Roger Powell / Spur-winged geese (Plectropterus gambensis) pair with creche of goslings, near Robertston, Cape Province, South Africa. November.

Roger Powell / Cape francolin (Pternistis capensis) female, standing guard on track, surrounded by chicks, West Coast National Park, Langebaan, Cape Province, South Africa. November.

Roger Powell / Cape francolin (Pternistis capensis) walking on grass with chick, Kirtsenbosch Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa. November.

Roger Powell / Four Blue cranes (Anthropoides paradiseus) standing in shaloow water, Malgas, Cape Province, South Africa. November.

TJ Rich / Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) family herd grazing, Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway. September.

TJ Rich / Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) family grazing, Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway. September.

Roland Seitre / Swift parrot (Lathamus discolor) in nest hole alongside newly hatched chicks and an egg, Tasmania, Australia. Captive. Critically endangered.

Bernard Castelein / RF - Nursery web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) on web guarding spiderlings, Brasschaat, Belgium. August. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free)