(Image: Andrey Gudkov)
It looks a little like the tango. This photo of a sudden fight between male Komodo dragons has been shortlisted for this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Andrey Gudkov captured the rare moment during a second visit to Komodo National Park on Rinca Island in Indonesia. The lizards, which can grow to 2.5 metres long and are the largest in the world, often battle over females during mating season in August, but Gudkov failed to witness an attack. Returning last December, however, he stumbled upon two males hissing at each other. The encounter rapidly escalated into a full-blown fight that Gudkov managed to photograph before one dragon was knocked over backwards and they quickly parted ways.
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(Image: Fabien Michenet)
Another shortlisted image captures a juvenile octopus just 2 centimetres wide, internal organs visible through its transparent body. Underwater photographer Fabien Michenet spotted a few of the animals while diving at night in deep water off the coast of Tahiti. The orange spots on its tentacles are colour-changing cells used for camouflage.
(Image: Francisco Mingorance)
Storks are integrated into a modern art sculpture in another shortlisted photo. Francisco Mingorance photographed the birds and their huge nests at the Vostell Malpartida Museum near Cáceres in western Spain. White storks often choose to make their homes in artificial structures, and they return to this installation every year.
The above photos, along with a total of 100 shortlisted and winning images, will be on display at the Natural History Museum in London from 16 October. Previous winners include ghostly elephants, and baby crocodiles riding on their mother’s head.
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