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..
SLEEPING within touching distance of wild African animals might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing break .
SPARKLING bright inside their box, it’s hard to believe these diamonds are made from the cremated remains of the deceased .
BURSTING from the water, a beautiful but deadly Sumatran tiger jumps for food in an Indonesian zoo .
Staring death in the face, a little field mouse bravely confronts a hungry cat .
A young otter wades through a lake with his eyes set on an older rival’s fish .
INSIDE Britain's last Naval hospital where scurvy was cured looks like an NHS time capsule .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
A diving guide leaves a shark completely docile and balanced in the palm of his hand .
STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin .
What lies beneath this building site? Britain's great hope of winning the pre-WW2 arms race against Nazi Germany .
