WITH a paw in the air and his tongue hanging from his mouth, it is clear to see that this little groundhog is struggling to wake up and leave behind the comfort of his burrow. The groundhog takes a moment to stretch before quickly becoming aware that he's not alone. The adorable scene was captured in the Tonale Pass, a high mountain pass in Trentino Alto Adige, Italy, by freelance photographer Maurizio Lancini. The 39-year-old, of Rodengo Saiano, Brescia, Italy, says:"I spotted the entrance to the burrow so decided to hide nearby and wait for the groundhog to appear.
It’s a role reversal in the Visayan Sea as HUNDREDS of tiny, glistening eggs are carried around inside the mouth of their cardinalfish father .
SNUGGLING up against their teddy bears, these baby sloths could easily be mistaken for one of the cuddly toys .
CONTRASTING settings reveal some of England’s most beautiful landscapes in all their glory .
HUNDREDS of colour coordinated yarns lie abandoned in this once thriving textile mill .
FULL OF STUNNING colours and swirling shapes, the furrows on these fields create a mix of mesmerising patterns .
These uninvited guests ELEPHANTLY make their annual trip through the reception of this welcoming lodge .
TUGGING at his exhausted mum's ears, a beautiful baby orangutan refuses to settle for a nap as he begins a game of peek-a-boo .
Like a scene from a fairytale, THOUSANDS of fireflies create an enchanting glow as they dance in a forest .
IN THE not so MISTY MOUNTAINS of Wiltshire, there lies an abandoned hobbit house .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
Staring death in the face, a little field mouse bravely confronts a hungry cat .