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.
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 .
A young orangutan comes over all shy as she hides her face behind a broken bucket .
A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post .
Jostling their quills into the noses of some unlucky cubs, this is the moment two feisty porcupines ALMOST defeat a pride of seven lions .
THIS BIGFOOT 'Jesus bird' may look silly, but he's perfectly designed for walking on water .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
POWERFUL bolts of lightning illuminate the night sky in an incredible autumn storm over the Sardinian coastline .
A lazy tree frog, tired of hopping along a branch, chooses the slowest form of transport when it jumps on top of an unsuspecting snail .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
FULLY equipped with a kitchen and lounge, it's hard to believe this modern holiday let is actually a BUS .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - MILEY MASH-UP: MILEY CYRUS’ naked wrecking ball vid has been lampooned in this side-spitting photo-mashup .