A lone bat, a woodland snake, a flock of demoiselle cranes and a crystal formed half-a-billion years ago have all been captured by the winners of the 2014 Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
The four images have been released ahead of the hugely successful annual exhibition that marks the best images captured from every corner of the natural world.
The sneak preview offers a breathtaking glimpse into the quality of the 100 images that will go on show at the Natural History Museum in London before going on tour across the globe.
Photograher Lukasz Bozycki spent a week sleeping in sub-zero temperatures in a forest in a bid to capture his shot of a lone Daubenton’s bat, which he got in a remote World War II German bunker in north Poland.
He has now been named as a finalist in the mammals category for his image Winter Hang-Out.
Mr Bozycki said: “The bats were in complete torpor, taking just one breath every 90 minutes. Most of them were tucked away, inaccessible. But this one was just hanging down from the ceiling.”
Also in the exhibition will Jasper Doest’s shot The Elegant Crowd, which captures the ordered beauty of the demoiselle cranes in Rajasthan, India.
Mr Doest, who is a finalist in the black and white category, said: “We could see the cranes coming from every direction, in rows of Vs.
“One by one, they landed in the dunes.
“Once the first had entered an enclosure, others would follow. Soon, there was a sea of cranes, all turning their heads in synchrony – it was an amazing sight.”
Marc Montes has been named as a finalist in the 11-14 category after his shot Snake-eyes.
He caught the image while trekking through the forest in the Val d’Aran in northern Spain.
Meanwhile, Bernardo Cesare’s striking image Kaleidoscope has earned him a place amongst the 100 best photographs entered into the competition.
It was shot in India while examininggranulite rock from a working quarry.
The image shows a crystal formation from a geological event that took place half-a-billion years ago.
The exhibition will open at the Natural History Museum on October 24.