These stunning artworks below look like the real life animals but a careful examination will reveal what they really are. They are actually paintings made on a somewhat unusual canvas by a talented painter who transforms humans into amazing animals.

From alligators to foxes and even owls, artist Shannon Holt, 39, paints every hair and fleck on to models to turn them into wildlife. The incredible paintings, which take anywhere between six to 12.5 hours to complete, are part of her Florida Wildlife Series.

Shannon, from DeLand in Florida, US, previously worked on different surfaces such as glass, metals and wood.

But the animal advocate decided to experiment with human canvasses and incorporate animals in her work.

Shannon, who showcases her work online, said: ‘I’m always searching for a new way to present what it is I do.

‘The body was the final surface I tried before I decided skin was the key to making my work successful. ‘People always gasp or tell me how clever the image is. ‘I love it because it happened automatically and beautifully with no planning – it’s a perfect creative example of how cool body painting can be. ‘It can transform into two different images with the repositioning of the model’s arms and hands.’

Check out Shannon’s website here