<p>A female leopard basks in the afternoon sun in Mombo, Botswana.</p>

A female leopard basks in the afternoon sun in Mombo, Botswana.

Photograph by P. Warner, National Geographic Your Shot

24 Endearing Photos of Animals Sleeping

From a chameleon perched delicately on a leaf to a baby monkey tucked in its mother’s embrace, see these animals enjoying their slumber.

Though some animals have elevated the powernap to an artform (think giraffes, dolphins, and bullfrogs), most creatures spend hours at a time oblivious to their surroundings. And since it’s a scary world out there, that means sleep spots are a reflection of where an animal feels safest.

For some, safety is a place to go—a drowsy leopard drapes itself over a high tree branch, while an arctic fox curls up in a secret den when it’s time to catch some z’s.

Others find safety in company. Sperm whales stick close to the pod to sleep, a dozen related females all ‘standing’ underwater to steal a few minutes of repose in the ever-perilous ocean. Ring-tailed lemurs and lion

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