A SMILEY GECKO SHEDS ITS SKIN AS HEATWAVE HITS BRITAIN

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.

Other great stories
CHILD SHEPHERDS OF THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS

CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .

SPECTACULAR BODY ART

FROM COLOURFUL autumn leaves to living trees at first glance you might miss these people blended with nature .

STOLEN £2K BULLDOG REUNITED WITH FAMILY VIA TWITTER

STOLEN £2K BULLDOG REUNITED WITH FAMILY VIA TWITTER - A £2,000 bulldog puppy snatched from her home by burglars has been reunited with her family thanks to Twitter .

SECRET POOL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT

HIDDEN in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a secret oasis awaits intrepid travellers .

WINKING SQUIRREL

BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .

LAZY LEOPARD

Sprawled out on top of a log, this sleeping leopard takes a relaxing break from his daily routine .

PRAYING MANTIS MAKES AN UNLIKELY FRIEND

A brave praying mantis makes an unusual friend in an Oriental garden lizard .

HYPNOTIST JAILED FOR SEX ABUSE

A hypnotherapist filmed himself sexually abusing a 19-year-old patient while she was in a trance-like state .

SCOTTISH COUPLE MARRY INSIDE BEAUTIFUL ICELANDIC CAVE

BEAUTIFULLY lit by the dim glow of lanterns, a cave in Iceland is transformed into the perfect wedding venue .

CHEEKY CHIPMUNK WITHDRAWS HIS GENEROUS OFFER

A cheeky chipmunk offers some of his spare food, before deciding against the idea and shoving the extra peanut into his already crammed mouth .

FLY FISHING

A fish almost escapes the beak of a bird as they both soar through the air .

FROZEN WATERFALLS

COURAGEOUS CLIMBERS scale frozen waterfalls in Canada, as the ice threatens to collapse beneath them .