“The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. It is well adapted to living in cold environments. It has a deep thick fur which is brown in summer and white in winter. It averages in size at about 85.3 cm (33.6 in) in body length, with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of body heat. – Wikipedia. (Photo by Trond Eriksen)

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)

American sculptor Michael Alfano has been sculpting for over fifteen years. A native of New York, he now lives and works in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. His major influences are Salvador Dali, Jo Davidson, and Jean-Antoine Houdon, as well as Buddhist, Taoist, Sufi and other eastern philosophy and literature. He first studied at the Art Students League of New York, with an emphasis on life-size sculpture from the model. His formal education continued at Boston University and was augmented by internships with several prominent sculptors.

Corporal of Horse Andy Radford prepares to mount his horse in the parade square at Hyde Park Barracks on April 15, 2011 in London, England. Members of the Household Cavalry gave a behind the scenes tour of many of the duties performed as part of their daily routine, including special preparation ahead of the forthcoming Royal Wedding. The Household Cavalry will perform several ceremonial duties during the summer, including the Royal Wedding on April 29, and the Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) in June. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Derrick Campana kneels beside Angel Marie, a three legged mini horse who wears a prosthetic leg made by Campana, at Animal Ortho Care in Sterling, Virginia, U.S., March 27, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

A horse pulls a driving school car as other drivers push their vehicles behind during a demonstration by driving instructors in Belgrade, September 25, 1992. Due to gasoline shortage in the Yugoslav capital, driving instructors are staying away from work. (Photo by AP Photo)

Horses are seen before they are evacuated from a ranch as a wildfire is burning along a hillside in Azusa, Calif., Monday, June 20, 2016. New wildfires erupted Monday near Los Angeles and chased people from their suburban homes as an intense heatwave stretching from the West Coast to New Mexico blistered the region. (Photo by Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo)

A 15-year-old girl denied a horse from her parents has turned to a cow to fulfil her riding dreams. Teenager Regina Mayer, from southern Germany, is able to ride her cow, Luna. She has even trained her bovine pet to soar over a beer-crate hurdle like a regular show jumper. Why, you may well ask, when most cow-owners are surely content to let the creatures chew and lactate and sit down to indicate the imminent arrival of rain? Well, Regina's parents wouldn't let her have a horse.