Season 5

An exploration into how animals move on land (hop, walk, crawl, climb), in the water (swim underwater or travel along the water's surface), and through the air (powered flight, gliding and soaring).

A look at how the Animal Kingdom is divided up: those animals with a backbone, those without; animals who eat meat, those who eat only vegetation, those who eat both; animals with even numbers of toes and those with an odd number of toes; and other fascinating categories that illuminate what an animal looks like and who it’s related to.

A closer look at the biggest animal in the world, the elephant, and the fastest animal in the world, the cheetah. How they live, and why they are so big and fast, respectively, along with other interesting animals who are either, or both, huge and speedy.

A very close look at some remarkable animal babies: horse foals, kangaroo joeys, baby porcupines, wolf cubs, water buffalo calves, hawk chicks, baby owls, and ape infants. How childhood differs in the various species, how the young learn to be like the adults of their species.

A journey into the world of animals that only eat vegetation which includes some of the biggest animals on the planet, such as elephants, hippos, and rhinos; the ruminants, or cud chewers, such as deer, antelopes, sheep and giraffes; not to mention those we wouldn’t think of as non-carnivores, gorillas and giant tortoises.

A panoramic look at birds who are defined by the bodies of water where they live, including the expected ducks and geese, as well as shorebirds and wading birds, the long-legged waders such as flamingos and herons, as well as puffins and penguins. How they live as well as their physical adaptations to a life in or near the water.

An exploration into the amazing array of creatures that live in the damp and fertile rainforests of the world, from colorful birds, to huge snakes and spiders, to various monkeys, to strange-looking mammals and fierce predators.

A journey in to the world of predators and prey animals, with a close look at the varying adaptations and strategies each has for dealing with the other.

A fascinating look at how an animal’s diet determines not only where it lives but what it looks like and how it lives. From skull shape, to number and kinds of teeth, to the length of its neck and the shape and size of its tongue, to its familial relationships -- all these things are closely related to what an animal consumes.

A visit to some of the eight kinds of the bears in the world: the giant panda, the polar bear, the black bear, the brown bear, the spectacled bear and the sun bear. How they differ from each other, what they have in common, and their interesting close relations, from the dog family to the pinnipeds.

An exploration into the world of cats of all description: wild (lions, tigers, mountain lions, leopards, jaguars, etc.) and domestic, both large and small. From feeding habits, to extraordinary senses, to social behavior, to their lives as predators.

An up close and personal look at the extraordinary elephant, both the Asian elephant and the African elephant, including the misconceptions, myths and facts surrounding this mighty pachyderm. A closer look at their trunks, ears, artistic endeavors and their reputation for having incredible memories.

A closer look at two very rare and very beautiful animals from the remote forests of China: the giant panda and the red panda. What a “panda” actually is; how the pandas got their name; what these two have in common; what makes them very different; and the true story behind their shared passion for bamboo.

A wild ride into the world of nomenclature: from how animals are categorized (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) to how they end up with their two-plus word scientific (Latin) name. What names mean; how names reflect more about an animal than anyone might ever guess; how an animal’s name can tell us more about our perception of the world than the truth of the animal itself.

A journey into the world of domesticated animals: where they live, whether with us on our farms, ranches, or in our urban homes; which animals were the first to be domesticated; what is the difference between tame, domesticated and feral; what these animals have historically provided for us and how they have transformed our lives.

A panoramic look at what makes a mammal a mammal (hair, mammary glands, warm-blooded) and why; including some unusual mammals: monotremes (egg-laying mammals); aquatic mammals (dolphins, whales, manatees); and what mammals have in common with other types of animals (fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates).

An exploration into how animals live outdoors: how they survive temperature extremes, what kind of shelters they find and/or make, how they keep warm or stay cool, how fur and feathers can act as insulation, how rocky outcrops become fortresses and burrows become retreats, how fish manage to survive in a forever-wet world.

A closer look at animals who have “something extra”, whether extrordinary senses or padding (ossicones, “warts”) or protuberances or teeth; animals who are defined by their extra something, like elephants and their trunks, rhinos and their horns, as well as animals who are defined by what they lack (apes and tails).

A panoramic comparative look at four lions in the animal kingdom (two cats, one aquatic mammal and one fish): the African lion; the mountain lion; the California sea lion; the lionfish. How were they so named; what they have in common; what’s peculiar only to them.

An engaging exploration of the world of tortoises and turtles, the oldest living reptiles. The secrets of the shell; a closer look at various fascinating species; the keys to their success as a group.

A closer look at three kinds of otters: marine otters, river otters, Asian small-clawed otters: what they have in common, how they differ, how they hunt, swim and live a semi-aquatic life.

A visit to the prairie dog town to meet the prairie dog inhabitants and to examine their highly social way of life. Their history on the North American grasslands; how they got their name; who they’re related to.

A closer look at the fascinating world of the meat-eaters: the hunters, the insectivores, the carrion feeders, carnivores who can’t move, carnivores who don’t have a brain. What carnivores inspire fear; what carnivores are unjustly feared.

An examination of the concept of “fun” in the animal kingdom: Do some animals smile? How do animals show their pleasure? What is anthropomorphism and how does it color how we perceive the animal world?

A comparison of historic aquariums and modern aquariums: the differences, what they have in common. A panoramic look at animals that might be found in a public aquarium, from fish, to sharks, to dolphins and whales to giant arthropods and “monsters” of the deep.

A fascinating look at how zoos come into being, how their histories shape more than just their settings, how to find the secrets of a zoo’s past. Two zoos: one which began as a 19th century traveling circus, another that rose from the fields and farmlands of a 19th century farm. The sentimental stories of Willie B., the lowland gorilla; and two elderly sisters who loved animals.