Dave Bevan / Juvenile Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) raiding a chicken nest in a barn, filmed at night using an infra red camera, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, December.

Dave Bevan / Juvenile Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) entering live trap and escaping, filmed at night using an infra red camera, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, November.

Dave Bevan / Juvenile Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) feeding on grain in a barn, filmed at night using infra red, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, October.

Claudio Contreras / Black Rat (Rattus rattus) young. Introduced species on Maria Magdalena Island, Marias Islands Biosphere Reserve, Gulf of California, Mexico, September.

Klaus Echle / Common brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) in vaulted building. Black Forest, Germany, August.

Stephen Dalton / Brown rat (Rattus norvegious) silhoutted in sewage piping, UK, controlled conditions

Laurent Geslin / Black rat (Rattus rattus) shadows in Karni Mata temple, Deshnoke, near Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

Kim Taylor / Black Rat (Rattus rattus) on coiled rope. Digital composite.

Laurent Geslin / Black rats feeding on grain {Rattus rattus} Deshnoke, Rajasthan, India

Laurent Geslin / Holy Black rats in Hindu temple {Rattus rattus} Deshnoke, Rajasthan, India, 2002

Laurent Geslin / Offering milk to 'holy' Black rats {Rattus rattus} temple Deshnoke, Rajasthan, India

Tui De Roy / Brown or Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) . Rats are invasive on the Galapagos islands. Whilst Black rats were introduced in the 17th and 18th centuries, Brown rats were initially seen in major ports of...

Magnus Lundgren / Rabbitfish / Ratfish / Ghost shark (Chimaera monstrosa) photographed at night, Trondheim Fjord, Norway. Minimum fees apply.

Karine Aigner / Texas rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri) amongst flowers. Texas, USA. March.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sacred Black rats (Rattus rattus) feeding at Karni Mata Temple, known as the 'temple of rats', Rajasthan, India, October 2018.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sacred Black rats (Rattus rattus) feeding at Karni Mata Temple, known as the 'temple of rats', Rajasthan, India, October 2018.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sacred Black rats (Rattus rattus) drinking milk at Karni Mata Temple, known as the 'temple of rats', Rajasthan, India, October 2018.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sacred Black rats (Rattus rattus) feeding at Karni Mata Temple, known as the 'temple of rats', Rajasthan, India, October 2018.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sacred rats, Black rats (Rattus rattus) feeding at Karni Mata Temple, known as the 'temple of rats', Rajasthan, India, October 2018.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sacred Black rats (Rattus rattus) at Karni Mata Temple, known as the 'temple of rats', Rajasthan, India, October 2018.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Black rat (Rattus rattus) - there is an eradication program to remove these pests, and protect seabird colonies, Shaint Isles, Western isles, Scotland, June.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Black rat (Rattus rattus) there is an eradication program to remove these pests, and protect seabird colonies, Shaint Isles, Western isles, Scotland, June.

Jurgen Freund / Wildlife carer Margit Cianelli feeding Black-footed tree-rat / Djintamoonga (Mesembriomys gouldii) Lumholtz Lodge, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia. Model released.

Jurgen Freund / Wildlife carer Margit Cianelli feeding Black-footed tree-rat / Djintamoonga (Mesembriomys gouldii) Lumholtz Lodge, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia. Model released.

Lucas Bustamante / Yellow rat snake (Spilotes pullatus) portrait, Otongachi, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Ecuador.

Dave Bevan / Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) feeding from a bird feeder, filmed at night using an infra red camera, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, September.

Joao Burini / Caninana (Spilotes pullatus) Parque do Zizo Private Reserve, Sao Paulo, Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves UNESCO World Heritage Site, Brazil.

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver with Black coral (Antiphates wallastoni), Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal, Atlantic Ocean

Solvin Zankl / Deepsea Plownose chimaera (Callorhinchus callorynchus) specimen from Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Argentina at a depth of 82m.

Chris Mattison / Yellow ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus quadrivittata) juvenile on white background, occurs in Florida

Pete Oxford / Tropical chicken snake (Spilotes pullatus) Amazon, Ecuador. Captive, occurs in Central and South America.

Clay Bolt / Tourists photographing Yellow Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoleta quadravittata) Little Saint Simon's Island, Georgia, USA, May 203.,

Doug Perrine / Plownose chimaera (Callorhinchus milii) captive, showing eye, head clasper to grasp female when mating and electro-recteptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) Victoria, Australia.

MYN / Karine Aigner / Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsolete lindheimeri) Texas, USA, April. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Karine Aigner / Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsolete lindheimeri) Texas, USA. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Karine Aigner / Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsolete lindheimeri) Texas, USA. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

MYN / Karine Aigner / Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsolete lindheimeri) Texas, USA, April. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

Ann & Steve Toon / Black-tailed tree rat (Thallomys nigricauda), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa, January.

Claudio Contreras / Black rat (Rattus rattus) Introduced species on Maria Magdalena Island, Marias Islands Biosphere Reserve, Gulf of California, Mexico, September.

Claudio Contreras / Black rat (Rattus rattus) Introduced species on Maria Magdalena Island, Marias Islands Biosphere Reserve, Gulf of California, Mexico, September.

Claudio Contreras / Black rat (Rattus rattus), Introduced species on Maria Magdalena Island, Marias Islands Biosphere Reserve, Gulf of California, Mexico, September.

Claudio Contreras / Black rat (Rattus rattus) Introduced species on Maria Magdalena Island, Marias Islands Biosphere Reserve, Gulf of California, Mexico, September.

Claudio Contreras / Black rat (Rattus rattus) Introduced species on Maria Magdalena Island, Marias Islands Biosphere Reserve, Gulf of California, Mexico, September.

Claudio Contreras / Black Rat (Rattus rattus) young feeding. Introduced species on Maria Magdalena Island, Marias Islands Biosphere Reserve, Gulf of California, Mexico, September.

Claudio Contreras / Black rat (Rattus rattus) juvenile grooming. Introduced species on Maria Magdalena Island, Marias Islands Biosphere Reserve, Gulf of California, Mexico, September.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Caninana / Black and yellow rat snake (Spilotes pullatus) in tree, Tableland Atlantic Rainforest of Vale Natural Reserve, municipality of Linhares, Esparito Santo State, Eastern Brazil.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Caninana / Black and yellow rat snake (Spilotes pullatus) on ground, Tableland Atlantic Rainforest of Vale Natural Reserve, municipality of Linhares, Espa­rito Santo State, Eastern Brazil.

John Cancalosi / Tropical / Yellow rat snake (Spilotes pullatus) Costa Rica