Zoo keeper Ross Poulter holds a White's Tree Frog in Edinburgh Zoo's new tropical forest zone on September 9, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Brilliant Birds Exhibit which brings together beautiful and rare birds from all over the world is now more colourful and unusual, with the unveiling of the zoo's new tropical forest zone bringing together a collection of vertebrates, invertebrates and amphibians for the very first time. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

A woman looks at photographs of dogs to choose a pet to rent at Puppy The World on January 24, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. Rent-a-dog is becoming increasingly popular amongst people who love dogs but are unable to look after a pet full time due to limited living space or long working hours. Customers pay the dog-rental outlet around 2500 yen (32.5 USD) for an hour, and usually take their rented pet for a walk along the nearby beach. (Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images)

A Shi'ite worshiper bleeds after cutting his scalp in a ritual display of mourning during an Ashura commemoration ceremony outside Kadhimiya shrine on December 6, 2011 in Baghdad, Iraq. Ashura marks the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson the revered Imam Hussein in Karbala, Iraq in 680 AD. Shi'ite festivals were prohibited during the time of Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein's rule. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Julia Wheeler, 31, from Perth, Western Australia, has been a hands reach away from pilot whales, Bull sharks, manta rays and more during her time diving without any breathing equipment. Here real life mermaid Julia is diving with manta rays in Bali and looks incredible swimming among them while holding her breath for four and a half minute. (Photo by Julia Wheeler/Caters News Agency)

A bull hits a reveller during the first running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, July 7, 2018. Each day at 8am hundreds of people race with six bulls, charging along a winding, 848.6-metre (more than half a mile) course through narrow streets to the city's bull ring, where the animals are killed in a bullfight or corrida, during this festival dating back to medieval times and also featuring religious processions, folk dancing, concerts and round-the-clock drinking. (Photo by Vincent West/Reuters)

A panel of 10 high-profile judges from within the surfing industry including seven-time world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore were tasked with selecting the best of the best surfing photos for the 2020 Nikon surf photography awards. The judges were looking for innovation and creativity, uniqueness, dramatic affect and sensory impact. Here: “Free Fall”. (Photo by Ren Mcgann/2020 Nikon Surf Photography Awards)

Nowadays, crossbreeding and gene splicing are creating things that would never have occurred in nature. Thanks to gene splicing, modern man can witness mice that glow in the dark, goats that produce milk which is then used to make bulletproof vests, and even cows that produce milk that is almost identical to human breast milk. One of the latest feats of human genius is the creation of Thompson and Morgan. By combining the genes of tomatoes and potatoes they were able to create a “TomTato”, which is essentially a plant that grows tomatoes and potatoes at the same time. With creations such as this, the world’s hunger problem may be resolved in a few decades.

It's often said that pets and their owners can start to look alike, but these adorable photographs take the old mantra to a new extreme. They are the work of Svetlana Valyiskaya (27), from St Petersburg, who snaps pets in everyday poses in her spare time from her job as a commercial photographer. The vibrant costumes and scenes, which Svetlana designs herself, have made the photos a hit in her native Russia – and it's not hard to see why. She said: “I really love animals, they are loyal, faithful and true and always interesting to work with – plus they never criticise the photographs afterwards”. (Photo by Svetlana Valyiskaya/Mercury)