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.
THIS LITTLE squirrel tries to keep himself snug as snow starts to fall around him .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - WAVE-ING GOODBYE TO RUSH HOUR: WHILE most workers endure commuting chaos by road or rail everyday, one entrepreneur has come up with a novel way to get to the office - by KAYAK .
A cheeky gorilla sticks her tongue out and plays up for the camera at Bronx Zoo .
Fetching a tiny carrot and a head-shaped snowball, a red squirrel builds the perfect snowman .
THIS is the shocking moment a clumsy radio newsreader plunged into a freezing canal while texting her boyfriend instead of looking where she was going .
TENNIS was a game made for three according to the first Victorian rule book .
A chipmunk, with his cheeks full to bursting, has no intention of leaving with an empty stomach .
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
From the rolling hills of the Brecon Beacons to the still waters in the Lake District, these photographs capture autumnal landscapes across Great Britain perfectly .
The claws come out at meal time as a group of white tailed eagles brawl over road-kill .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
PUSHING the diver out of his way, this little sea turtle shows he’s not in the mood for photographs .