Animal Atlas Season 9, Episode 9: River Dwellers

Animal Q&A: The Big Questions of the Animal World

Misconceptions of the Animal Kingdom

A look at some animals who are not what they seem, and in most cases, more than they seem, from the “rabbit antelope of Africa”, to the dogs with harmonious voices and the remarkable egg-laying mammal, the echidna.

Piggly Wiggly Squeak

Time to get dirty with an all-encompassing look at the pig family and other animals whose filthy appearance, oftentimes, disguises their incredible qualities within the Animal Kingdom.

Warning Signs and Animals to Avoid

Looking at some animal’s you might not want to get too close to and animals whose look says “look out!” because they pack a toxic punch that deserve our respect.

Animals on the Outside

Strange Creatures and Surprising Critters

The Domestic Wild

A visit with some animals from the comfort of home where we’ll see the shelters of the outside world, inside- from the city scape, to the barnyard, and even in the underground burrows of the prairie; the animal world is full of amazing shelters.

Common Sense

To Tell The Truth

Winged Creatures

Flying high, darting around, and showing off some wings as the wonderful world of winged creatures takes off for flight school; from the big, feathered fliers to the paper-thin wings of butterflies it’s a high-flying life for these fearless animals.

Living Dinosaurs

The Social Side of Wildlife

A look at some amazing animal societies from our very complex human social system, to communal river otters, to solitary falcons and other social groups that live in distinct familial groups.

Mammals and Us

The Way We Move

Discovering the way that animals get around; whether it’s flying through the air, swimming underwater, hopping over land, or swinging from branch to branch; animals or all sorts travel in every way imaginable.

JAWS!

On search for JAWS, jawed vertebrates that is; a fascinating look at this distinct group that includes cartilaginous fish, bony fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Animal Extremes

A panoramic look at some animal who have a special quality that other animals don’t including the extreme strength of the rhinoceros beetle, the shear size of the African elephant and the enormous mouth of a whale shark.

Mammal Mammas

A very engaging look at tender moms, strict moms, funny moms, and even some of the aunts, sisters, and dads who help raise a family of young mammals in the Animal Kingdom.

What's for Dinner

An exploration into what delights an animal’s appetite which includes a wide array of tastes and dietary needs as you travel around the Animal Kingdom; from fish for the grizzly bear, fruit for chimpanzees, carrion for bald eagles and many more other interesting snacks in between.

Commonalities

A visit with some animals who are closely related and share similar physical adaptations but don’t necessarily look or behave alike one another including the flight birds and bats, the water-walking basilisk lizard and the jacana, as well as the echolocation of dolphins, bats and whales.

Fitting In

A fascinating look at how animals have evolved to fit in with their environment through varying physical adaptations; from the koala’s ability to eat toxic eucalyptus leaves, to polar bears surviving the frigid artic temperatures and hardy armadillos who thrive in the desert heat.

Tangled in the Food Web

A look at who eats what in the tangled food web of the Animal Kingdom with a focus on predators and prey animals who have to get their food out in the wilderness.

Tooth Sleuth

Hungry as a Bear

A journey into the wilderness to visit every type of bear on earth: the polar bear, the giant panda, the sun bear, the spectacled bear, the black bear and the brown bear. What makes them all unique, where they live out in the wild and some surprising discoveries about what foods they eat.

The Cat's Meow

Discovering the true identities of feisty felids: from the domestic kitty to the roaring lion and cats of all shapes and sizes. The particular manner in which they walk, what it takes to roar as loud as a lion and how they use their extraordinary senses in their lives as predators.

Taming the Wild

A look at some of the wildest animals out there and how they’ve been tamed over time: where feathered friends came from, how animals moved from being hunted to being raised for food and how animals such as horses became a mode of transportation.