These amazing macro photographs get up close and personal with bees, damselflies, geckos, jumping spiders, flowers and droplets of water.

Tired of waking up tired? Your weary query is wasted on these 12 sleepy creatures who appear to be wide open to the prospect of a good night's rest.

Environmental artist Aganetha Dyck has an unlikely collaborator in her sculptures - swarms of bees, which add their honeycomb to her figurines.

Just another manic monkey? A surprising number of animals flash smiles from time to time but these 12 smirking critters can really turn a frown upside down!

The earliest ancestor of all vertebrates (including us) appears to have been Pikaia Gracilens, a tiny, worm-like creature just 2 inches long.

Artist Sean Avery recycles hundreds of waste CDs into stunning animal sculptures including birds, cats and otters that glitter in the sunlight.

Zombies aren't just movie monsters - they're real. These 10 examples of zombies in nature include mind-controlled insects and walking corpse syndrome.

The Perth Zoo gives us a look at the spiny yet cute Kai, one of the few short-beaked echidnas that have been successfully bred in captivity.

Skyrocketing prices of edible nests used to make the Chinese delicacy Bird's Nest Soup have spawned a construction boom of artificial nesting barns.

Spiders with brains that spill into their legs, sea squirts that eat their own neurons and super-smart crows: these 13 animals have fascinating brains.

Western Australia's Hutt Lagoon is pink as a blushing bride and saltier than a sailor on shore leave, thanks to an abundance of beta carotene-producing algae.

2012 is the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac and the dragon is the only one of the 12 animals to be wholly mythical... or is it?

Catch a buzz? These 7 bee-friendly urban beehives are ideal for anyone who wants to invite a little urban wildlife into their nature-challenged neighborhood.

These 10 amazing ant farms combine the best features of aquariums, art, furniture and pets in a low-maintenance, eco-friendly, educational medium.

Stumped on gift ideas? Consider giving a great deed instead, donating to one of these 14 charities in your recipient's name.