If you had to scrape the snow off your car this morning or slip-slide your way into work over icy pavements spare a thought for these little critters. Brit photographer Simon Phillpotts captured a family of red squirrels darting about in the freshly fallen snow, looking frantically for somewhere to hide their nuts. The adorable squirrels were caught on camera near Hawes, North Yorks., as the country surrenders to the annual traffic and travel chaos caused by widespread snowfall. Simon braved the freezing temperatures to grab these amazing shots of the squirrels as they frolicked in the snow, jumping into drifts and hunting for grub amongst the white stuff. Simon said: "They were just running around, burying nuts - they don't stop, even in winter.
THIS LITTLE squirrel tries to keep himself snug as snow starts to fall around him .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
SNUGGLING up against their teddy bears, these baby sloths could easily be mistaken for one of the cuddly toys .
A carefree bear cub reclines in the water with his feet raised in the air .
ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .
A trio of ants are locked in a tug of war over a fly as they pull the bug by its legs .
NEVER mind being careful not to choke on your food, this mother bird has a bigger challenge on her hands, as her ravenous offspring impatiently launches its head down into her stomach .
THIS DANGER-mad female pensioner could be the oldest Brit to cage dive with CROCODILES .
A toddler has shrugged off death an incredible 10 times thanks to his parents who revive him with the kiss of life every two weeks .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .
Hot on the heels of a little rabbit, this cheetah is on a mission to catch his prey .
SWIMMING in unison, millions of silverside fish dwarf the divers .