The Malabar Giant squirrel – double the size of their grey relatives and measuring up to 36 inches (91.5 cm) from head to tail – lives deep in the forests of India. The athletic animals can leap an incredible 20 feet (6 m) between trees. Photographer Kaushik Vijayan, 39, snapped the animals in their native habit to produce these stunning images. Kaushik, from Kerala State, India, said: “Up until that point I had never heard about a squirrel like that or seen one. The sight was an absolute feast for my eyes. The squirrels fascinated me and I got excited to capture this beauty on my camera”. (Photo by Kaushik Vijayan/South West News Service)

This photographer has made it her mission to change people’s perception of pigeons – focusing on some of the most beautiful of the more than 300 species found globally. Rather than focus on the gray, nondescript birds people usually associate with the term “pigeon”, Leila Jeffreys has instead decided to snap the more vibrant varieties. Whether it be the wompoo pigeon, with its deep purple breast and green wings, or the rose-crowned fruit dove, with its pink head, Jeffreys, 46, gives the birds the same attention she would give a human model. (Photo by Leila Jefferies/Caters News Agency)

Barking mad owners have proved they really do look like their pets – by performing impressions of their own dogs. In a series of hilarious “paw”-traits, owners pull their best faces to look like their pooches. Snapped by photographer Ines Opifanti, people stuck their tongues out, yawned and tilted their heads in curiosity at the camera. Opifanti, from Hamburg, Germany, came up with the idea while interacting with her own dogs, two pug/French bulldog crossbreeds. Here: Amina and Zazou the dog. (Photo by Ines Opifanti/Caters News)

Hisakata Hiroyuki, a talented photographer from Japan, has managed to snap a group of mortal tomcats in a variety of high-flying kung fu poses. Using his own rapid-fire reactions, he photographs the lovable cats flying through the air, their legs and paws outstretched, like something out of an action movie. (Photo by Hisakata Hiroyuki/Caters News Agency)

The Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way, can be seen shining above a remote village in Switzerland. The cinematic images convey the beauty of the galaxy gleaming above the picturesque Swiss mountains. Photographer Sandro Casutt took the amazing snaps in different seasons throughout the year, from his home valley of Vals, Switzerland. Here: A view of the sky from the Zervreila Mountain Lagoon in Switzerland. (Photo by Sandro Casutt/Caters News)

A model poses with a crocodile at Chinchorro Banks, Mexico on June 21, 2018. These crocs had a lot to smile about – sporting huge toothy grins as they posed with stunning models in incredible underwater snaps. The brave models held their breath as they came face to face with the magnificent predators during the daring shoot. Photographer Ken Kiefer took a two hour boat ride to reach the carnivorous crocs at Chinchorro Banks, Mexico, along with his wife and model, Kimber and model, Melodie Trevino. (Photo by Ken Kiefer/Caters News Agency)

These photographs are the work of urban explorer Dr Bradley Garrett who made headlines back in 2012 when he posted a series of snaps from the top of The Shard skyscraper while it was still under construction. Garrett, now a researcher at the University of Oxford, took these shots during his time with the London Consolidation Crew (LCC), a loose collection of urban explorers based in the English capital. Photo: Bradley Garrett stands on the edge of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago as lightning strikes in the distance in Chicago, US. (Photo by Bradley L. Garrett/Barcroft Media)

A stay-at-home mom's surreal iPhone snaps of her children have seen her rack up more than a half-million Instagram fans. Ali Jardine, 42, photographs silhouettes of her two kids in fairy-tale environments, from a spiraling night sky to sunsets. The creative mom has gained more than 519,000 followers online since she got her first iPhone in November 2010. And due to her success, Ali, who is from Petaluma, Calif., has been able to monetize her work, helping the likes of HP and Samsung with Instagram campaigns. Here: a girl on a swing in the sky. (Photo by Ali Jardine/Caters News)