Nigel Cattlin / Large rose sawfly (Arge pagana) larvae feeding on ornamental rose leaves in summer, Berkshire, September

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

Klein & Hubert / Tabby and white semi-longhaired kitten in defensive posture, arching back and fluffing up tail as two Border collie puppies approach, France.

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

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

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

David Pattyn / Southern tamandua / Lesser anteataer (Tamandua tetradactyla) standing up in a defensive posture, Southern Pantanal, Brazil

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / White clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) underwater on riverbed, showing defensive posture, River Leith, Cumbria, England, UK, September 2012. Did you know? White clawed crayfish can live fo...

Terry Whittaker / 2020VISION / Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus) in defensive posture; male in garden where it emerged naturally. Kent, UK, June. Controlled situation.

Rob Jordan / 2020VISION / Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in a defensive posture after being caught by The Tweed Foundation monitoring the species population and spread on the River Till, Northumberland, England, UK...

Rob Jordan / 2020VISION / Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in a defensive posture after being caught by The Tweed Foundation monitoring the species population and spread on the River Till, Northumberland, England, UK...

Daniel Heuclin / Western Diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) coiled and with tail raised and rattling, found in South Western USA, captive

B&S Draker / Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), adult in defense posture. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, March.

Mark Bowler / Sequence of a Three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) unrolling from defensive ball posture to walking. Captive.

Mark Bowler / Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) rolled up in defensive posture. Captive. Endemic to Brazil.

Fabio Liverani / Freshwater Crab (Potamon fluviatile) brandishing claws in defensive posture. Foreste Casentinesi National Park, Italy, July.

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

Rolf Nussbaumer / Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri) with mouth open in defense posture, Fennessey Ranch, Refugio, Coastal Bend, Texas Coast, USA

Mark Taylor / Maine Coon female cat, Serafin, in fierce defensive posture

Mark Taylor / Maine Coon female cat, Serafin, in fierce defensive posture

Kim Taylor / Female Barn owl (Tyto alba) defensive posture, captive, Surrey, England

Michael D. Kern / Mojave Sidewinder rattlesnake with tongue flickering and rattle raised {Crotalus cerastes cerastes} captive from California, USA

Nick Garbutt / Wagler's / Temple pitviper (Tropidolaemus wagleri) on leaf, in defensive / strike posture, Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo

Pete Cairns / European cuckoo male in threat posture {Cuculus canorus} South Uist, Scotland

Phil Savoie / Tortoise in defensive posture - head drawn back into shell, species unknown. Sequence 1/2

Jabruson / King baboon spider in defensive posture, Tsavo NP, Kenya

Thomas Marent / Banded Anole (Anolis insignis) displaying dewlap in cloud forest, Costa Rica

Thomas Marent / African Savannah Mantid (Polyspilota aeruginosa) in defensive posture, Mantadia National Park, Madagascar

Steve Gettle / Central American Rattlesnake (Crotalus simus) in defensive posture, Costa Rica

Steve Gettle / Central American Rattlesnake (Crotalus simus) in defensive posture, Costa Rica

Paul Bertner / Peacock Katydid (Pterochroza ocellata) in defensive posture, Tambopata-Candamo Nature Reserve, Peru

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Oriental Flying Gurnard (Dactyloptena orientalis) with pectoral fins extended in defense posture, Anilao, Philippines

Ingo Arndt / Royal Flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) in defensive posture, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Royal Flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) in defensive posture, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica

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

Piotr Naskrecki / Katydid (Clonia wahlbergi) in defensive posture, Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Chien Lee / Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec (Echinops telfairi) in defensive posture, Mangily, Madagascar

Murray Cooper / Swallow-tailed Nightjar (Uropsalis segmentata) female in defensive posture on nest, South America

Donald M. Jones / Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) in defensive display, Yaak, Montana

Tui De Roy / Saddleback Galapagos Tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis) in defensive posture, Espanola Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Agustin Esmoris / Scorpion (Brachistosternus pentheri) in defensive posture, Provincial Reserve Luro Park, Argentina

Agustin Esmoris / Scorpion (Brachistosternus ferrugineus) in defensive posture, Argentina

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

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

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