The endangered kea is the world’s only alpine parrot, and one of the most intelligent birds. They show no fear of humans and are thieves and pranksters. The parrot is seen in the Whakaari conservation area, near Glen Orchy in the Otago region of New Zealand, a place where historic huts and mining relics are surrounded by stunning mountains covered in tussock. (Photo by Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian)

Italian Moto2 rider Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Italtrans Racing Team, crashes during the race of the Motorcycling Grand Prix of Andalusia at the Jerez-Angel Nieto circuit in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, 26 July 2020. (Photo by Roman Rios/EPA/EFE)

An Exmoor wild goat silhouetted in the sky over the Bristol Channel at the valley of the Rocks, North Devon, as the UK's heat wave continues on July 19, 2018. (Photo by Paul Silver/South West News Service)

The tail of a stranded whale is pictured on the beach of De Haan, Belgium on October 25, 2018. (Photo by Francois Lenoi/Reuters)

A man selling bags of water is seen at a taxi parking bay lined with campaign posters in the district of Lingwala in Kinshasa on December 18, 2018. Democratic Republic of Congo goes to the polls on December 23, 2018 in elections which could see the country emerge from 17 years of conflict-ridden rule under controversial President Joseph Kabila. (Photo by John Wessels/AFP Photo)

With its huge eyes, comical name and diminutive size, Mark R. Smith’s image of a baby Hawaiian bobtail squid can’t help but raise a smile. A curiously endearing creature, the cephalopod is just 1.5cm across, its mantle cavity bearing more than a passing resemblance to a rather natty shower cap. But it is also a beautiful example of symbiosis – nature’s version of “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” – for on the underside of the squid is a light organ which houses bioluminescent bacteria. The squid offers the bacteria protection and food, while the bacteria emit a glow – a handy trait that the squid uses to offset its silhouette, helping it to evade predators in the depths below. Mark R. Smith’s entry combines several images of a Hawaiian bobtail squid with different focus lengths to create a final picture with greater depth of field than normal. (Photo by Mark R. Smith/Wellcome Images/Macroscopic Solutions)

An Iraqi military vehicle passes displaced Iraqi boys returning to their homes in West Mosul's Oreibi neighbourhood after government forces retook control of the area from the Islamic State (IS) group during the ongoing offensive against the jihadists on May 21, 2017. (Photo by Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP Photo)

A group of hikers atop Mount St. Helens on July 21, 2016. Mount St. Helens or Louwala-Clough is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 96 miles south of Seattle, Washington, and 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Raxit Kagalwala)