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.
A photographer has captured stunning photographs of the Milky Way above picturesque landscapes in the UK and Italy .
SURROUNDED by tens of thousands of fish, this outnumbered diver is dwarfed by a mass of sea life .
THIS is the fascinating abandoned house, complete with mystery portraits and homely items, that has been dubbed - crooked cottage .
In the calm waters of Greenland, gigantic icebergs dwarf everything around them .
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .
CAUSING a splash, this determined kingfisher goes hunting for dinner .
MASKED intruders look sinister but really they are a gang of urban exploring pranksters .
A DARING duo take their chances and scale this spectacular 82ft frozen waterfall before it collapses .
A mining town in Australia’s outback appears to be completely deserted, but its residents have escaped the scorching heat by living in underground caves .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - MILEY MASH-UP: MILEY CYRUS’ naked wrecking ball vid has been lampooned in this side-spitting photo-mashup .
JUDGE BLASTED FOR LETTING PAEDO WALK FREE A PERVERT who sexually assaulted two young girls on an allotment, telling them he was brushing spiders off them, has walked free from court – because jailing him was ‘unfair’ on his family .
PERCHED on a branch, these two frogs hold hands as they look into the camera .