Attenbourough Specials December 30, 2006

Last December 30, 2006, Attenborough presented different kinds of animals on how they adapt to survive in their environment.

On top of the list is the Barbarusa animal. They live in relatively small groups, eating bits and pieces of food. The Barbarusas are attracted to clay because it neutralizes their body toxins. The male Barbarusas animals are bizarre animals, containing poison in their bodies. While a test of strength is also infamous for young males. Its greatest asset is said to be its nose, which not only locates the food but is also used to dig the food.

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The wild boars, the cousins of the barbarusas, are next on the list. The wild boars also had their nose as their greatest asset. Their nose efficiently functions together with the brain carrying smells and images of the foods that they had previously eaten.

Talking about the power of the sense of smell, the raccoon dogs are in line. In winter season there is a scarcity of food for most of the animals, giving them the hard time of finding food. For the raccoon dogs they need to collect and gather all the food they could get before winter season comes. They are unable to get food during winter season because they have difficulty in snow since they have small legs and they usually hibernate during these times. Speaking of non-winter season, a female raccoon dog usually gives birth to 15 pups. These pups are guided by their parents for only about 8 short weeks. The female raccoon dog are the ones who find food for their young, living the male raccoon dog to look after while the female is out. The female raccoon dog provides a limited food for it do not have any storage in its stomach like other animal. The food is enough for only a single pup. As the pups grow, the parents give guidance on what the pups need to know about edible foods.

The fox is the next animal on the list. The fox’s favorite prey is the chicken. A fox would usually sneak in a farm looking for the chickens in weak defense. Fox is blamed for killing more than what it needed. But actually, it does not waste what it kills if it is not disturb.

There is also an abundant food for animals living inside the cave. The most popular cave inhibitor is the bat. Bats use echolocation to be able to navigate inside. Their greatest obstacle is the thick atmosphere with ammonia and fungus and living flesh eating beetles thus providing a hostile environment. But there are also still other animals like the skunks and raccoons which feed on baby bats. Since baby bats are still unable to fly, when they fall on the ground, great danger awaits them. Skunks that are able to find baby bats roll the baby bat on the ground first to subdue it. Raccoons are also opportunists; they also feed on baby bats. They are unable to use the sense of smell because of ammonia and there hearing sense because of the squeaks of the bats. But through the combination of touch and luck they rely literally on bumping into bats. This event would only happen for a month since it has a seasonal abundance.

For animals like the grizzly bear, it needs to find food before it goes hibernation in winter season. 6 months before the winter season, the grizzly bear will eat grass roots and fresh meats. For a grizzly bear the salmon is the all-time favorite. The salmon is an important source of food because it is rich in protein and fat. These bears use a lot of energy but the rewards are great. Some bears do not eat the whole fish and eats only the parts which are more nourishing like the brains and the caviar. Even if there is no salmon these bears will use their acute sense of smell in the sand to find clams. 2 months to go and its barely autumn these bears will eat continuously without feeling full. It would gain about 2000