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.
GLIDING through the water, these delightful frogs show off their vibrant colours as they practice their FROG crawl .
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .
This is the moment a nimble red fox and a lumbering Alaskan brown bear were locked in a tense stand-off .
An adorable orangutan named Pongo celebrates his first birthday at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, America .
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
A pair of adorable polar bear cubs play-fight with each other in the Alaskan snow .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
A lazy otter finds the ideal spot to soak up the sun and sleep off his lunch .
SHOVELLING food into his mouth, this hungry gorilla enjoys a peaceful moment at dinner time .
PUSHING the diver out of his way, this little sea turtle shows he’s not in the mood for photographs .
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS - 250 DRIVERS ARRESTED FOR STREET RACING IN BIRMINGHAM- In Pic - The start line on the Heartlands Parkway Nechels Birmingham .