FROM ICE bubbles to boiling lava, these photographs highlight the stunning shapes and patterns found in nature. The series of extraordinary images were taken by German software engineer Thorsten Scheuermann after he decided to examine his surroundings. A trip to the city of Kalapana in Hawaii, home to the Kilauea Volcano, provided Thorsten with the setting for his lava picture, while a visit to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon offered him the opportunity to photograph ice bubbles up-close. The 37-year-old, now of Washington, USA, said: 'These are sights that can gain greater significance and have their beauty exposed when excluding everything else around them.'
BURSTING from the water, a beautiful but deadly Sumatran tiger jumps for food in an Indonesian zoo .
THIS alien-like bug would look more at home in outer-space but it can actually be found wriggling around here on Earth .
IN a galaxy not so far away lies a magical display of lights that could be the latest image from NASA .
This starling and prairie dog will not back down an inch as they have a fearsome stand-off over who gets to eat a nut .
With the full moon looming behind him, this polar bear nestles down for the night .
At least three people have been killed and more than 100 injured, some seriously, in two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon .
LUMINOUS green rocks could easily be a beach from Superman's homeland of Krypton .
MAKING himself at home, this little snail perches happily on top of this frog's head .
MEET the underwater British seal who is so friendly he loves to grapple divers like a friendly puppy dog .
COVERING themselves in ash and face paint, these are the holy men who live their lives away from everyday society .
NEVER mind being careful not to choke on your food, this mother bird has a bigger challenge on her hands, as her ravenous offspring impatiently launches its head down into her stomach .
Pic By HotSpot Media - PARROT RIDES ON THE TUBE - THIS pretty boy could be forgiven for forgetting his Oyst-aaarrrgh-card .