STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin. Using his mouth to peel away each paper-like layer of skin, the 30cm reptile appears to be grinning as he prepares for the hot weather. The bright-eyed gecko, named Cuillin, spent four hours shedding his skin and ate each piece as he freed himself one limb at a time. Watching her pet gecko in amazement, Angi Wallace, 47, of Newcastle upon Tyne photographed Cuillin as he broke free from his onesie-like layer.
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .
AIRPORT staff have been put on alert after diet pills that come in grenade shaped containers sparked security alerts .
From a platter of finger licking chicken wings to a bowl of Chinese noodle soup, these foodie snaps are enough to make your savoury saliva glands drool .
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 .
A panic stricken kitten that got her head stuck in a car tyre has been freed by quick thinking RSPCA staff .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles .
SAILING over crystal clear waters, the Bajau people of Malaysia live their lives almost entirely at SEA .
EXPERTLY camouflaged, this clever panther chameleon knows how to catch its prey by surprise .