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.
RAISING his flipper, this two day old seal pup gives a wave to the camera .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
Ever wished you could live in a house just like Barbie's? Canadian sculptor Heather Benning has created the life-size dollhouse of her dreams out a derelict building .
INSIDE Britain's last Naval hospital where scurvy was cured looks like an NHS time capsule .
THE THOUGHT OF BECOMING shipwrecked on a remote destination would fill most holidaymakers with dread .
BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .
SAT ON top of a Brazilian turtle’s head, this little ladybird looks content as he studies his environment from a new height .
Exploding out of the water, a great white shark performs a backflip during a hunt for seals .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
Some will get up close and personal with Mother Nature’s deadliest animals to get the perfect shot, posing the question, what lengths will a photographer go to for that all important picture? But in this case, the question should be what depths .
A German photographer travelled around Africa where he met and photographed members of tribes in a series of intimate portraits .
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .