With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet. These mesmorising pictures, however, capture the beautiful variety of fungi here on Earth. The incredible images were taken by Australian photographer Stephen Axford, 62, after he became familiar with the importance of fungi in everyday life, and decided to document it twelve years ago..
With the full moon looming behind him, this polar bear nestles down for the night .
A chipmunk, with his cheeks full to bursting, has no intention of leaving with an empty stomach .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .
PERCHED on a branch, these two frogs hold hands as they look into the camera .
Throwing a right hook as he launches onto his opponent with his gnarling teeth at the ready, this is the OTTER-LY ruthless showdown between two otters .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .
TOMORROW (Saturday) marks the 28th anniversary of the nuclear disaster that left the city of Chernobyl devastated .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
SLEEPING within touching distance of wild African animals might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing break .