Morley Read / Tropical flat snake (Siphlophis compressus) climbing on a flowering bromeliad (Aechmea) in the Amazon rainforest, Orellana Province, Ecuador.

Morley Read / Leaf frog (Agalychnis hulli) blinking its eyes, Amazon rainforest, Orellana Province, Ecuador.

Morley Read / Map treefrog (Boana geographica) blinking, Amazon rainforest, Orellana Province, Ecuador.

Morley Read / Close-up portrait of a South American common toad (Rhinella margaritifera) amongst leaf litter, Orellana Province, Ecuadorian Amazon.

Morley Read / Opossum (Marmosa) on the branch of a rainforest shrub at night, Pastaza Province, Ecuadorian Amazon.

Chase Dekker / African Lion (Panthera leo) male, Masai Mara, Kenya

Ann & Steve Toon / RF - Lion (Panthera leo) head portrait at night, Zimanga private game reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Jami Tarris / Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) bull, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway

Jami Tarris / Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) huntress, Altai Mountains, Bayan Ulgii, Mongolia

Fiona Rogers / Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) twenty year old male, named Titan, Gombe National Park, Tanzania

Fiona Rogers / Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) twenty-five year old female, named Tanga, Gombe National Park, Tanzania

Fiona Rogers / Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) four year old infant male, named Gizmo, Gombe National Park, Tanzania

Fiona Rogers / Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) eighteen year old male, named Sampson, Gombe National Park, Tanzania

Fiona Rogers / Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) four year old infant male, named Gizmo, Gombe National Park, Tanzania

Heike Odermatt / Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), Hinlopen Strait, Svalbard, Norway

Phil Savoie / Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) captive, endemic to Scotland. September

Nick Garbutt / American bison (Bison bison) female covered in hoar frost near hot spring, portrait. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, USA. February.

Will Burrard-Lucas / White rhino (Ceratotherium simum), portrait. Solio Game Reserve, Solio Ranch, Kenya. Taken with remote camera buggy / BeetleCam.

Alex Mustard / Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) resting on sea floor and two juvenile Golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus). Marsa El Shouna, Marsa Alam, Egypt.

Guy Edwardes / Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus), portrait. Lake Kerkini, Sintik, Greece. January.

Claudio Contreras / California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), portrait. California condor recovery program, Sierra de San Pedro Martir National Park, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.

Andy Rouse / Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) male, sub-adult aged three years, face portrait. Ranthambhore National Park, India.

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Veined Octopus (Octopus marginatus) hiding in glass jar, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Variegated Jawfish (Opistognathus solorensis) male brooding eggs in mouth, Anilao, Philippines

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Variegated Jawfish (Opistognathus solorensis) male brooding eggs in mouth, Anilao, Philippines

Tony Heald / African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) portrait. Chobe National Park Botswana. Digitally enhanced sepia image.

Staffan Widstrand / African bush elephant, (Loxodonta africana) two head to head playing, Zimanga Private Nature Reserve, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Heather Angel / Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) portrait, in falling snow. Captive bred, in enclosure, Panda Breeding Centre, Wolong, Sichuan Province, China. February 2008.

Jordi Chias / Crocodile icefish or White-blooded fish (Channichthyidae), Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.

Jordi Chias / Rock cod (Notothenia) Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.

Jordi Chias / Black rockcod (Notothenia coriiceps), Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.

Jordi Chias / Crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga), Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.

Jordi Chias / Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.

Ingo Arndt / Close-up of a Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) feeding, Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile, December.

Alex Mustard / Orange painted frogfish (Antennarius pictus) fishing. Here the frogfish is illuminated by a snooted strobe and the background sand lit with a red LED torch. Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Lembeh S...

Alex Mustard / Whitemargin stargazer (Uranoscopus sulphureus) sets an ambush in the sand at night. Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea.

Staffan Widstrand / Indian peafowl or blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus) Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India

Robert Valentic / Rough-scaled death adder (Acanthophis rugosus) waving tip of tail as a lure to entice prey within striking range. Mount Isa, Queensland Australia.

Tony Wu / Fringed blenny (Chirolophis japonicus) guarding its eggs. Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Alex Mustard / RF - Portrait of Coral hermit crab (Paguritta harmsi) living in a hard coral colony. North Male Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Alex Mustard / Portrait of a Giant frogfish (Antennarius commersoni) on a large Yellow elephant ear sponge (Ianthella basta). Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea.

Alex Mustard / Portrait of a tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) on a coral reef. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Portrait of a male short snouted seahorse (Hippocampus hippocampus) in sea oak seaweed (Halidrys siliquosa). Devon, England, United Kingdom. British Isles. English Channel. North East Atlantic Ocean.

Lucas Bustamante / Tropical shield mantis (Choeradodis sp.) Sumaco National Park, Napo, Ecuador

Lucas Bustamante / Green-crowned woodnymph (Thalaurania fannyi) Mashpi, Pichincha, Ecuador

Lucas Bustamante / Sierra Negra giant tortoise (Chelonoidis guntheri) Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands.

Franco Banfi / Sperm whale, (Physeter macrocephalus) Dominica, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean.

Ernie Janes / Celebes crested macaque (Macaca nigra) infant, captive.

Ernie Janes / Black howler (Alouatta caraya) male and female, captive, occurs in Brazil and Paraguay. With digitally added leaf pattern.

Ernie Janes / Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) portrait, captive, occurs in North America.

Ernie Janes / Cougar (Puma concolor) portrait, captive, occurs in the Americas. With digitally added leaves.

Suzi Eszterhas / Leopard (Panthera pardus) five-week-old cub, Jao Reserve, Botswana

Suzi Eszterhas / Leopard (Panthera pardus) five-week-old cub, Jao Reserve, Botswana

David Woodfall / Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) portrait of head of stag and antlers. Alladale Estate, Scotland, UK, October.

David Woodfall / Wild cat (Felis sylvestris) portrait, part of captive breeding project at Alladale Estate, Scotland, UK, October.

John Shaw / Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) Cuiaba River, Pantanal, Brazil, August.

Shane Gross / Portrait of a Thorny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix) near Malapascua, Philippines.

Shane Gross / Thorny or spiny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix) portrait made off Anilao, Philippines.

Andy Rouse / European Hare (Lepus europaeus) in grassland. UK. May.

Espen Bergersen / Killer whale / orca (Orcinus orca). Spyhopping very close, showing eye. Kvanangen, Troms, Norway. November

Andy Rouse / African Lion, (Panthera leo), female hunting, Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa,

Andy Rouse / Galapagos sea lion, (Zalophus wollebaeki), pup on shore, Galapagos.

Andy Rouse / Red fox, (Vulpes vulpes), in bluebells, UK

Georgette Douwma / Thornback cowfish (Lactoria fornasini). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Doc White / Sea Otter, (Enhydra lutris), young male, Elkhorn Slough, California, USA. January

Nick Hawkins / European green crab (Carcinus maenas), an invasive species in North America, Kejimkujik Seaside National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada. July.

Nick Hawkins / Head of a North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) showing callosities, patches of roughened skin that are unique to each whale. Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Canada. IUCN Status: Endangered. August

Nick Hawkins / Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) opening mouth close up off Bonaventure Island, Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Quebec, Canada. September.

Nick Hawkins / Long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) off Nova Scotia, Canada. October.

Mary McDonald / Adult Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) holding baby, Hirwa group, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Yashpal Rathore / Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) dominant male (T29) and resident female (T27) cooling off in a watering hole Kanha National Park, Central India. Camera trap image.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Mountain hare (Lepus timidus), sub-adult in summer coat on moorland, Scotland, UK, August.

Oscar Dewhurst / Great bittern (Botaurus stellaris) head and neck, looking up through reeds. Suffolk, UK. November.

Oscar Dewhurst / Great bittern (Botaurus stellaris) portrait. Suffolk, UK. November.

Oscar Dewhurst / Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) sitting on grass bank. London, UK. October

Oscar Dewhurst / Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) watching prey through long grass. London, UK. November

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Otter (Lutra lutra) portrait on shore with boats in background. Argyll, Scotland, UK, August.

Terry Whittaker / Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), on coast, portrait. Netherlands. November.

Loic Poidevin / Stoat (Mustela erminea) Creux du Van, Jura Suisse , Switzerland, September.

Steven David Miller / Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) juvenile with beak open to catch a leaf, Cleland Wildlife Park, South Australia, March. Captive.

Steven David Miller / Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) juvenile, Cleland Wildlife Park, South Australia, March. Captive.

Steven David Miller / Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) female perched in a tree, The Wildlife Habitat Zoo, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia. August. Captive.

Ross Hoddinott / Common blue damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum), close up portrait, Broxwater, Cornwall, UK. July.

Marie Read / Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca) female perched, Amherst Island, Ontario, Canada, January.

Marie Read / Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) in breeding plumage, head and shoulders showing plumes on crown and neck, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, New York, USA, May.

Ernie Janes / Black howler (Alouatta caraya) captive, occurs in South America.

Ernie Janes / RF - Herring gull (Larus argentatus) with blue sky, England, UK, Digital composite. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Willi Rolfes/ BIA / European Wolf (Canis lupus), Lower Saxony, Germany

Willi Rolfes/ BIA / European Wolf (Canis lupus), Lower Saxony, Germany

Willi Rolfes/ BIA / European Wolf (Canis lupus), Lower Saxony, Germany

Willi Rolfes/ BIA / European Wolf (Canis lupus), Lower Saxony, Germany

Willi Rolfes/ BIA / European Wolf (Canis lupus), Lower Saxony, Germany

Marion Vollborn/ BIA / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus), Svalbard, Norway

Marion Vollborn/ BIA / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus), Svalbard, Norway

Robert Valentic / Eastern tiger snake (Notechis scutatus) female, Yarra River corridor in suburban Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in mid-summer. She is in a defensive pre-strike position with hood expanded, accompanie...

Jiri Lochman / Burrowing Bettong / Boodie (Bettongia lesueur) looking around at night. Dorre Island, Shark Bay, Western Australia.