Dietmar Nill / Close-up of two European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) feeding on windfall pears, Mossingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, October.

Mark Payne-Gill / Red admiral butterfly feeding on ripe pears {Vanessa atalanta} England, UK, Europe

Nigel Cattlin / Doyenne du Comice pear (Pyrus communis) fruit with deformity and internal hard growth caused by Pear stony pit virus, cross section. Berkshire, England, UK. October.

Nigel Cattlin / Doyenne du Comice pear (Pyrus communis) fruit with deformity and internal hard growth caused by Pear stony pit virus, cross section. Berkshire, England, UK. October.

Nigel Cattlin / Doyenne du Comice pear (Pyrus communis) fruit with deformity caused by Pear stony pit virus. Berkshire, England, UK.

Nigel Cattlin / Doyenne du Comice pear (Pyrus communis) fruit with deformity caused by Pear stony pit virus. Berkshire, England, UK.

Nigel Cattlin / Corky brown damage to Pear (Pyrus communis) fruit possibly caused by early Eriophyid (Eriophyidae) blister mite infestation. Berkshire, England, UK. September.

Matthew Maran / Conference pears for sale in super market.

Dietmar Nill / Two European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) feeding on windfall pears, Mossingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, October.

Dietmar Nill / Close-up of two European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) feeding on windfall pears, Mossingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, October.

Dietmar Nill / Close-up of two European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) feeding on windfall pears, Mossingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, October.

Cyril Ruoso / Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia lindheimeri) thorns, South Texas, USA, April.

Will Watson / Perry pear and cider apple orchard, Herefordshire, England, UK, September.

Constantinos Petrinos / The Temple of Hephaestus surrounded by Cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens), Olive trees (Olea europaea) and Prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica ). Attica region, Athens, Greece, January 2011.

Constantinos Petrinos / The Temple of Hephaestus surrounded by Cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens), Olive trees (Olea europaea) and Prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica ). Attica region, Athens, Greece, January 2011.

Kirkendall-Spring / Comice pear (Pyrus communis) on white background, Washington, USA.

David Woodfall / Honeybees (Apis mellifera) on perry mash (squashed pears as part of the process of making perry, or pear cider) attracted by the sugar content, Awre, Severn estuary, Gloucestershire, UK, September.

David Woodfall / Honeybees (Apis mellifera) on perry mash (squashed pears as part of the process of making perry, or pear cider) attracted by the sugar content, Awre, Severn estuary, Gloucestershire, UK, September.

Kerstin Hinze / Fat dormouse (Glis glis) in a house, feeding on apples and pears in the storeroom, captive

Kerstin Hinze / Fat dormouse (Glis glis) in a house, feeding on apples and pears in the storeroom with pumpkins, captive

Kerstin Hinze / Fat dormice (Glis glis) in a house, feeding on apples and pears in the storeroom, captive

Kerstin Hinze / Fat dormice (Glis glis) in a house, feeding on apples and pears in the storeroom, captive

Paul Harcourt Davies / Almond-leaved Pear (Pyrus amygdaliformis) flowers, Uccellini Hills, Tuscany, Italy, April

Paul Harcourt Davies / Almond-leaved Pear (Pyrus amygdaliformis) blossom, Uccellini Hills, Tuscany, Italy, April

Pat Tuson / Bottles of organic juice alongside local apples and pears on sale at Marylebone Farmers Market, London, England, UK, March 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Préau / Two pears hanging from a branch in an allotment, Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, France, September 2010

Paul Harris / 2020VISION / Young child with harvest of Pears , Apples and Raspberries , Old Sleningford Community Farm, North Yorkshire, England, UK, August 2011. Model released.

Jouan & Rius / Pears (Pyrus communis) ripening on tree, France, September

Nick Turner / Pick your own fruit information signs for organc apples and pears along road next to bus stop, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, November 2008,

Nick Turner / Pick your own fruit information signs for organc apples and pears, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, November 2008.

Nick Turner / Pick your own fruit information signs for organc apples and pears, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, November 2008.

Gary K. Smith / Cultivated 'Williams' variety of pears (Pyrus communis) fan trained, UK, September

Stephen Dalton / Yellow necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) amongst apples and pears, UK

Suzi Eszterhas / Avocado pears and other fruit prepared to feed rescued Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Uganda, Africa. Captive, June 2009.

Suzi Eszterhas / Avocado pears and other fruit prepared to feed rescued Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Uganda, Africa. Captive, June 2009.

Jan Vermeer / Still life with wildflowers, pears and grapes, Europe

Gary K. Smith / Cordon Pear (Pyrus communis) variety 'Cattilac' ripening fruit growing in walled garden, England, UK, August

Gary K. Smith / Pear (Pyrus communis) variety 'Vicar of Winkfield' ripening fruit growing in walled garden, England, UK, August

Gary K. Smith / Cordon Pear (Pyrus communis) variety 'Conference' ripening fruit growing in walled garden, England, UK, August

Gary K. Smith / Cordon Pear (Pyrus communis) variety 'berre clairgeau' in walled garden, England, UK, August

Gary K. Smith / Smoothie maker with fresh fruit, UK

David Noton / A woman picking Pears in a Dorset garden, England, UK.

Mark Payne-Gill / Red admiral butterfly feeding on ripe pears {Vanessa atalanta} England, UK, Europe

Nick Turner / Row of fruiting Pear trees in orchard {Pyrus communis} Gloucestershire, UK

Bjorn Forsberg / Cultivated pears Alexander lukas variety {Pyrus communis} Sweden

Angelo Giampiccolo / Pears growing on a tree on the Canale Monterano, Rome, Italy.

Guy Edwardes / Prickly pears (Opuntia sp.) in valley at sunrise, Baranco del Cabrito, La Gomera, Canary Islands.

Guy Edwardes / Pickly pears (Opuntia sp.) in valley at sunrise, Baranco del Cabrito, La Gomera, Canary Islands.

Milan Radisics / Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) vixen looking in through window of traditional cottage house, Vertes Mountains, Hungary.

Will Watson / Perry pear (Pyrus communis) tree in old orchard, Herefordshire Plateau, England, UK. July.

Nigel Cattlin / Maturing avocado fruit (Persea americana) hanging from long peduncles on the tree, Transvaal, South Africa, February

Nigel Cattlin / Lines of mature avocado trees in the foreground with South African Low Veldt landscape fading into the distance behind, Transvaal, South Africa, February

Nigel Cattlin / Adult codling moth (Cydia pomonella) a major pest of fruit such as apples and pears on the surface of an apple, South Africa, February

Nigel Cattlin / Adult codling moth (Cydia pomonella) a major pest of fruit such as apples and pears on the surface of an apple, South Africa, February

Nigel Cattlin / Doyenne du Comice pears among leaves on orchard tree. Oxfordshire, England, UK. September.

Nigel Cattlin / Brown rot (Monilinia laxa or M.fructigena) fungal disease on conference pear fruit on the tree, Berkshire, September

Nigel Cattlin / Brown rot (Monilinia laxa or M.fructigena) fungal disease on conference pear fruit on the tree, Berkshire, September

Nigel Cattlin / Pear leaf blister mite (Eriophyes pyri) damage blisters on a pear leaf backlit, England, UK.

Tui De Roy / Espanola saddelback tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis) walking through Tree prickly pears (Opuntia echios) Espanola Island, Galapagos.