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The Animal World Like You Have Never Seen It Before.
Fangs and Claws
Humans invented axes and knives because their own teeth and nails were too weak to tear through the tough hides of animals.Lions and hyenas have powerful claws and teeth to rip flesh and crush the bones of their prey.This program looks at ways different animals have developed their own tools to eat, fight and defend themselves.Rows of razor sharp shark teeth, the fine straining filters of flamingos, and straw-like proboscis of aphids all have parallels in the way we process our food.Animated graphics illustrate the similarities and show how nature's utensils work.
A Walk On The Wild Side
Being able to move around is central to the existence of nearly all animals.Whether it is to escape from a predator, catch food or find mates, locomotion is definitely more than a walk in the park.The methods that animals use to get around are amazingly diverse, from the minute flicking cilia of zooplankton to the 6 foot legs of giraffes.This program examines the mechanisms that animals use to move around on land, through water and in the air.Animated graphics are integrated into natural history footage to help explain the mechanics of locomotion.
Cries In The Wild
Cries In the Wild explores the stunning myriad of sounds to be found throughout the animal kingdom and seeks to explain how different animals produce them.From the haunting notes of a whale traveling deep through the ocean, to the percussive warning of a rattle snake's tail, to the seductive courtship of the male ostrich.Communication is essential in the natural world and often means the difference between life and death.In many cases the way animals produce sounds parallels that of man made instruments.These parallels are explained and illustrated by imaginative wildlife photography of animals creating sounds.Stylized graphics are integrated into the footage to help explain the mechanics of sound production.
Amazing Habitats
"Home is where the heart is" may be true for humans, but does this saying apply to animals too?Could the amazing decorations of flowers and shells attached to a bower-bird's bower be compared to human ornaments?Weaver bird nests are like thatched cottages, but termite mounds are more like Goudi's elaborate cathedral in Barcelona than mud huts.The delicate paper nests of wasps are like traditional Japanese houses, whereas caddis-fly larvae go for a more sturdy approach with pebble-dashing.This program explores some of the most amazing natural constructions, from beaver dams to weaver bird nests.We will meet the builders and discover their architectural skills.
Animals Undercover
As naked apes, humans have borrowed the coverings of other animals to keep themselves warm.Leather shoes, fur coats and feather boas are among the fashion accessories that have protected humans from the elements.Animal skins, scales, feathers and furs, are in fact hi-tech protective coverings that only now, at the end of the 20th Century, do we fully appreciate.How are feathers like zippers, scales like chain mail and how do animals change color to fit in with their surroundings?This program answers these and other questions and uses graphics and macro-photography to show the structure and complexity of animal coverings in amazing detail.
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