Nature Production / Bombardier Beetle (Pheropsophus jessoensis) protecting itself by ejecting a boiling, noxious chemical spray, Nagasaki, Japan.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) attacking an Arctic Fox (Vulpes / Alopex lagopus) protecting its nest site, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway. Highly commended, MAMMALS, GDT 2011 competition

Morley Read / Slow motion clip of a Linnaeus' sipo snake (Chironius exoletus) with open mouth, part of threat display, Amazon rainforest, Orellana Province, Ecuador. (non-ex)

Morley Read / Parrot snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) threat display, Amazon rainforest, Orellana Province, Ecuador. (non-ex)

Matthew Maran / Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) cub defending its kill,a large Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) from another cub, North London, UK. August. Highly commended in the Behaviour : Mammals Category of the Wildlife Ph...

Tony Wu / Sardines (Clupeidae) fleeing from predators in the early morning. They were being herded and chased by Trevallies and Blacktip reef sharks in the water, and picked off by brown boobies and terns from...

John Shaw / Common eider duck (Somateria mollissima) female defending her nest from arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen. June.

Georgette Douwma / Boxer Crab (Lybia tessellata) with sea anemones in its claws for defense. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Espen Bergersen / Aerial shot of a female Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and calf surrounded by Killer whales (Orcinus orca), mother hits sideways with her tail fluke to drive Killer whales away, Skjervoy, Tro...

Konrad Wothe / Larvae of Birch sawfly (Craesus septentrionalis) in alarm position, Upper Bavaria, Germany. October.

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...

John Chan / Western gulls (Larus occidentalis) attacking an Elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) with a broken wing, Southern California, USA, April.

Guy Edwardes / Mozambique spitting cobra (Naja mossambica) spitting venom. Kruger, South Africa. Controlled conditions.

Suzi Eszterhas / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) in defensive posture towards safari vehicle, Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Porcupinefish (Diodon nicthemerus) in defensive posture, Port Phillip Bay, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

Remi Masson / Group of Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) shoaling to protect themselves against predators, River Rhone, Rhone-Alpes, France, July.

Konrad Wothe / Slow motion clip of Wood ants (Formica rufa) on anthill, squirting formic acid to repel threat, Bavaria, Germany, April.

David Fleetham / Guineafowl pufferfish (Arothron meleagris) puffed up in defence, Hawaii.

Lucas Bustamante / Tropical shield mantis (Choeradodis rhombicollis) in defensive position, on flower, Chinambi, Carchi, Ecuador.

Five Films / Female Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) defending pup on beach, chasing male away, Horsey, Norfolk, November.

Robert Thompson / Sawfly larvae (Nematus pavidus) defensive posture, Peatlands Park, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. September.

Jordi Chias / European barracuda (Sphyraena sphyraena) and Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) circling baitball of Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) Formigas Islets, Azores. Finalist in the Underwater Categ...

Paul Bertner / Fulgorid Planthopper (Phrictus quinquepartitus) in defensive posture, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica

Silke Arndt / Western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis), threat display, South Dakota, USA, September.

John Cancalosi / Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), defensive rattling, Arizona, USA, April.

Ingo Arndt / Blue Crab (Discoplax hirtipes) with claws raised in defensive / aggressive posture, endemic to Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, Australian Territory

Ingo Arndt / Blue Crab (Discoplax hirtipes) with claws raised in defensive / aggressive posture, endemic to Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, Australian Territory

Ingo Arndt / Common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) flock flying in formation to confuse hunting Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus), Rome, Italy. January 2009

Ingo Arndt / Saturniid moth caterpillar close up of spines {Automeris banus} Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Giant silkworm moth caterpillar close up of spines {Lonomonia cyniva} Carabobo, Venezuela

Ingo Arndt / Saturniid moth caterpillar close up of spines {Syssphinx mexicana} Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Slug caterpillar moth larva {Acharia nesea} Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Slug caterpillar moth larvae mimicry {Limacodidae} Comoe NP, Ivory Coast

Ingo Arndt / Slug caterpillar moth larva mimics bug {Limacodidae} Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Brush footed butterfly caterpillar mimics snake {Archaeoprepona demophoon} Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Looper moth caterpillar mimics twig {Geometridae} Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Slug moth caterpillar mimics seed pod {Perola sp} Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Central America

Ingo Arndt / Cryptic Lobster moth caterpillar mimics ant {Stauropus fagi} Germany

Ingo Arndt / Tussock moth caterpillars mass together for defense. Comoe NP, Ivory Coast {Lymantriidae}. This behaviour tricks predators into thinking the caterpillars are a single, much larger, organism.

Ingo Arndt / Moon moth caterpillar with defence spines {Automeris chaconia} Peru

Ingo Arndt / Saturniid moth caterpillar with warning colouration {Syssphinx mexicana} Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Cecropia moth caterpillar with warning coloration {Hyalophora cecropia} North America

Ingo Arndt / Silkmoth caterpillar with eye spots to mimic snake {Oxytenis beprea} Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Silkmoth caterpillar with eye spots to mimic snake {Oxytenis modestia} Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Central America

Ingo Arndt / Oleander hawkmoth caterpillar showing eye spots for defense {Daphnis nerii}

Ingo Arndt / Ornate box turtle retracted into shell {Terrapene ornata} USA

Thomas Marent / Velvet-purple Coronet (Boissonneaua jardini) hummingbird in defensive posture, Las Tangaras Bird Reserve, Colombia

Eric Sohn Joo Tan/ BIA / Black-winged Lapwing (Vanellus melanopterus) calling during defensive display, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Ingo Arndt / Prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis), threat display, South Dakota, USA September. Sequence 1 of 3

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in broken wing display, Texas

Alex Hyde / Silk moth (Automeris zugana) sequence 2 of 2, with wings open to reveal eyespots, a means of deterring predators, photographed on a white background in mobile field studio, Cordillera de Talamanca mou...

Bence Mate / Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) mobbing Buzzard (Buteo buteo) Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary. January.

Bence Mate / Herring gull (Larus argentatus) mobbing White tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) with fish prey, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary. March.

Bence Mate / Gull mobbing White tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) with fish prey, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary. March.

Bence Mate / Juvenile White tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)in flight, with Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) mobbing it, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary. January.

Mark Taylor / Black-and-white kitten, Loona, age 11 weeks, arching back.

Luis Quinta / Grass snake (Natrix natrix) juvenile playing dead, Alvao, Portugal, April.

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in broken wing display, Massachusetts

Gerrit Vyn / Pacific golden-plover (Pluvialis fulva) male performing distraction display pretending to have broken wing, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA. June.

Edwin Giesbers / Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) baring teeth as a sign of submission, Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Gibraltar,

Staffan Widstrand / Raven (Corvus corax) mobbing Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), Hornoya Island, Varanger Peninsula, Norway, March.

Thomas Marent / Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) male in defensive posture, Lekedi Natural Preserve, Gabon

Thomas Marent / Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) male in defensive posture, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Nigeria

Thomas Marent / Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) male in defensive posture, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Nigeria

Thomas Marent / Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) male in defensive posture, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Nigeria

Alex Mustard / Backlit detail of branching fire coral (Millepora alcicornis) showing the hair like polyps, filled with stinging nematocysts. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Caribbean Sea.

Anup Shah / Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) male juvenile aged about 18 months approaching a kill, wide angle view. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Arctic tern (Sterna paridisea) mobbing, Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway, July.

Solvin Zankl / Black backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) attacking Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) pup, Sperrgebiet National Park, Namibia, December. Sequence 3/6

Donald M. Jones / Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) owlets at burrow with one stretching, Montana

Markus Varesvuo / Common crane (Grus grus) displaying in defense against Red fox {Vulpes vulpes} Pernaja, Finland, May 2005. Magic Moments book plate.

Doug Perrine / Female Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) defending her pup from two males, which are aggressive with each other, Molokai Island, Hawaii, USA.

Doug Perrine / Female Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) fighting with a male trying to mate with her, Molokai Island, Hawaii, USA.

Jabruson Motion / African forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) calf keeping larger juvenile from gaining access to a mineral dig, Zanga-Ndoki National Park, Sangha-Mbaere Prefecture, Central African Republic

Roland Seitre / King Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) morph pattern differs from regular Cheetah, in defensive posture, native to Africa

Richard Du Toit / Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchellii) reacting to parasitic Bot Fly (Oestridae) trying to lay eggs on it, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Bence Mate / Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) mobbing Euasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Pusztaszer, Hungary, June.

Mike Wilkes / Carrion crows (Corvus corone) harassing Buzzard (Buteo buteo) trying to steal its prey, Warwickshire, England, UK, March

Michael Pitts / Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) calling and defending their eggs from Southern Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) hunting for unattended eggs or chicks, Sea Lion island, The Falklands, South Atlantic.

Andy Trowbridge / Female goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) hiding Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) prey from passing crows. Southern Norway, February.

Jabruson / Long-tailed Pangolin (Uromanis tetradactyla) unfurling itself from protective posture, close up of scales, Lokoue Bai. Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Jabruson / Long-tailed Pangolin (Uromanis tetradactyla) unfurling itself from protective posture, Lokoue Bai. Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Denis-Huot,Denis-Huot / White-backed Vulture (Gyps Africanus) feeding, Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Andy Rouse / African Lioness (Panthera leo) portrait, with aggressive expression because of cubs nearby Maasai Mara, Kenya, Africa

Roland Seitre / Kagu (Rhynochetos jubatus) with wings spread in defensive display to protect nest, captive, Parc zoologique et forestier / Zoological and Forest Park, Noumea, South Province, New Caledonia. Endangered...

Sergey Gorshkov / Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus) chasing Snow Goose (Chen caerulesens) off its nest, Wrangel Island, Russia

Sergey Gorshkov / Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca) chick in defensive posture, Wrangel Island, Russia

Colin Varndell,Colin Varndell / White Legged Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger) three coiled, Dorset, UK, September.

Chris Mattison,Chris Mattison / Rubber Boa (Charina bottae) in defensive posture, raising tail to mimic head. California, USA, November.

Daniel Heuclin / Armadillo Lizard (Cordylus cataphractus) biting its own tail while trying to roll into a defensive ball, captive, from South Africa

Bence Mate / Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) mobbed by gulls, Danube Delta, Romania

Denis-Huot,Denis-Huot / Lion (Panthera leo) males feeding on buffalo (Syncerus caffer) with other buffalos watching. Masai Mara, Kenya, Vulnerable species.

Roland Seitre / Harlequin Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates histrionicus) in defensive posture, native to South America

Denis-Huot,Denis-Huot / Lion (Panthera leo) male chasing White backed vultures (Gyps africanus) off its prey, Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya. Vulnerable species.

Denis-Huot / Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) hunting young warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) in turn being chased by warthog mother, Masai Mara, Kenya. Vulnerable species.

Danny Green / Great skua (Stercocarius skua) in flight over Gannet (Morus bassanus) colony, looking for small chicks, whilst Gannets call defensively, Shetland Isles, July. Bookplate from Danny Green's 'The Long Jo...