Daredevil Christopher Gillette writhes around with a huge alligator he has saved from death. He works at a Florida sanctuary that rescues the wild beasts if they stroll into neighbourhoods where residents can legally kill them. To raise cash for the centre at Homestead, staff put on shows to feed and wrestle the alligators. Photographer John Chapa, 41, and girlfriend Adriana Canargo, 30, took these shots. Photo: Assistant photographer Adriana Canargo dives with a wild alligator. (Photo by John Chapa/Barcroft Media)

Project Mermaids model. Project Mermaids lets ocean-lovers don tails and live out their siren fantasies. Clients can pay for a shoot that is either on land or underwater, with the images looking to raise awareness about preservation of beaches, seas and oceans. The project – which is shot by photographers Angelina Venturella and Chiara Salomoni – started purely to raise awareness, with celebrities dressing up as sirens as part of the cause. (Photo by Angelina Venturella/Chiara Salomoni/Caters News Agency)

The legendary US photographer’s favourite shots of creatures and how they interact with humans feature in “Animals”, his latest book. Here: A boy rests against a cow, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2013. “Cows have been designated the national animal in Nepal. They roam freely, and are considered sacred by the 80% of Nepalis who are Hindu”. (Photo by Steve McCurry/The Guardian)

These snaps were captured by a pro phone camera photographer. You can see the intricate detail in each shot, from the shining eyes of the insects to the tiny water droplets that splash down on them. Here: Komangs macro photography of insects using his Samsung Galaxy J7 and homemade camera lens in Bali, Indonesia. (Photo by Komang Wirnata/Caters News Agency)

Martin Rietze is a “volcano-chaser”, a particular breed of photographer who takes big risks for big shots. He was able to capture destructive and beautiful forces of nature at work on a trip to Japan in February 2013. His photos show the Sakurajima Volcano, an active volcanic who's record-breaking 1914 eruption sent lava flows across the island. (Photo by Martin Rietze/Guzelian)

The UK VELUX Lovers of Light competition attracted 15,000 entries from amateur, professional and mobile phone photographers. Entrants were asked to create a landscape image which celebrates and captures daylight. The judges have whittled these down to a shortlist of ten finalists. The winner will be announced at the end of march with the snapper of the best shot winning a trip to Norway – which will be made during the summer period when the country experiences 24 hour daylight. Photo: “Carousel in the mist”; Prokoshko, Bosnia. (Photo by Marko Stamatovic/PA Wire)

An aerial view of a livestock enclosure of the Himba people, in October, 2014, in the Namib Desert, Namibia. A photographer has captured a bird's eye view of the stunning Namib Desert from a paraglider. Theo Allofs travels the world taking stunning pictures of untouched landscapes from a unique perspective. Soaring 300 metres above ground, Theo shot the yellow sand dunes, dry red river beds and remote townships in Namibia. (Photo by Theo Allofs/Barcroft Media)

Most probably wouldnt think of snakes, spiders and lizards as beautiful animals – but these photographs could change some minds. The images show the reptiles seemingly playful sides, from a gleeful looking Budgetts frog, a cheeky leopard sticking out its tongue at the camera and a stack of four colourful iguanas. Contrasted against a white background and shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark 2 and macro lens, photographer Mickael Leger really made sure they could be seen in all their glory. Here: Gecko. (Photo by Mickael Leger/Caters News)