Bright-eyed tree frog wins ecology photo prize

A light in the Shadows by Roberto Garcia Roa was the overall winner

A striking portrait of a Helena's tree frog peering through the night has won the British Ecological Society's annual photography competition.

Conservation photographer and evolutionary biologist Roberto García Roa took the picture in the Tambopata reserve in the Peruvian Amazon.

"Like two beacons in the dark, the striking eyes... seem to glow in the darkness of the night," he said.

Illegal gold mining has taken a huge environmental toll on the reserve.

"It is paradoxical to see the eyes of this frog as small golden pearls," said Mr García Roa. "Because in reality, the true treasure lies in ensuring the protection of this area and its inhabitants."

The annual photography competition focuses on showcasing the beauty of ecology.

Here is a selection of the winning pictures:

Runner Up: Leopard Surprise!

A mother leopard captures a Steenbok to feed her cub in Kenya. Leopards don't often hunt during the day

People and Nature category winner: New Plastic Home

A terrestrial hermit crab makes a faded plastic bottle cap its new home in Indonesia

Up Close and Personal category, student prize: Morning Dew

A Damon Blue butterfly - a common late summer species in mountainous regions of Europe - is covered by dew drops at dawn in Cogne, Italy

Individuals and Populations category, highly commended: Proud Stag

A red deer stag wears a leafy crown during the autumn rut in Richmond Park, England

People and Nature category, student prize: Tourists in the Wild

A turtle swims through Hanauma bay in Hawaii with a group of tourists watching from behind

The Art of Ecology category, student prize: Diwali in the Forest

Fireflies dance near near Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India