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.
SURROUNDED by a snowstorm, these young polar bears battle the elements - as well as each other .
A terrified moose, trapped in a frozen lake, bobs her head above the icey water and awaits her rescue .
A ROAD KILL munching Scot has chewed on everything from a dead squirrel to an unlucky crow – all in the name of art .
Lying angelically with a range of expressions etched on their tiny faces, little bundles of joy are innocently captured in their first few days in these adorable photographs .
BALANCING 30 metres above ground, these slackliners take the expression of living dangerously one step further, by tightrope walking NAKED .
YOU’VE heard of the northern lights now feast your eyes on the natural wonder of the SOUTHERN lights .
ARM extended and head flung back, this little chipmunk performs a loose-limbed yoga move .
RAISING his flipper, this two day old seal pup gives a wave to the camera .
A northern potoo shows it is a master of disguise as it perches on a tree stump and blends into the bark .
NOT YOUR everyday selfie, this plucky diver poses with some of the scariest predators in the ocean .
The claws come out at meal time as a group of white tailed eagles brawl over road-kill .