Animal Battlegrounds Season 1

Mark Seen

Rivers Oct 12, 2006 How river terrain can affect the outcome of battles between predator and prey. Grizzly bears try to catch salmon in Alaska's fast-moving waters, mayfly nymphs and adults dodge trout in Britain, and kingfishers dive for minnows in the waterways of Europe.

Mark Seen

Deserts Oct 12, 2006 Spiders try to dodge poisonous wasps in Africa's Namib desert, while jackals and hyenas target vulnerable seal pups on the coastline.

Mark Seen

Seas Oct 19, 2006 The dangers faced by sealife, including the ambush of vast shoals of sardines in the ocean by schools of dolphin, and fish that fail to find a hiding place when predators use their coral reef as a trap. Also, a 35-tonne marine juggernaut catches thousands of nimble herring every day.

Mark Seen

Air Oct 19, 2006 The hunting instincts of the peregrine falcon, which can spot prey from 10km away. The programme also features bats trying to avoid snakes and flesh-eating beetles in a cave.

Mark Seen

Wetlands Oct 26, 2006 How animals survive in the world's wetlands, including the flamingos that inhabit soda lakes in Africa, and alligators battling for territory in the Florida Everglades.

Mark Seen

Grassland Oct 26, 2006 Conflicts between animals in grassland regions, including cheetahs stalking gazelles, bison battling wolves and anteaters hunting termites.

Mark Seen

Frozen Seas Nov 2, 2006 The Arctic and Antarctic, where constantly changing conditions affect the outcome of battles fought there. Seals rely on melting ice to keep polar bears at bay, but when it refreezes the tables are turned, while guillemot chicks face having to leave their cliff-top nests prematurely.

Mark Seen

Jungles Nov 2, 2006 How the complex architecture of jungles affects the outcome of animal battles. Chimpanzees battle with colobus monkeys in the African jungle tree tops, army ants march through Brazilian rainforests, and iguanas use canopies to make a cunning getaway from predators.

Mark Seen

Coast Nov 9, 2006 How the tide can influence the outcome of battles between predator and prey, including killer whales that beach themselves to catch sea lions in Argentina, and dolphins that use a clever ploy to snare fish in Florida.

Mark Seen

Islands Nov 9, 2006 How islands can affect battles between predator and prey. On the Galapagos, marine iguanas are forced to contend with hungry hawks as they try to lay their eggs, while 130 million red crabs embark on a dangerous journey across Christmas island.

Mark Seen

Light and Dark Nov 16, 2006 How animals use their senses to survive in changing light, featuring a three-way stand-off in a desert, and beetle larvae that create their own illumination to hunt for termites.

Mark Seen

Tundra Nov 16, 2006 Mountain hares in the Scottish Highlands use seasonal changes in vegetation to evade golden eagles, while barnacle geese chicks in Greenland's tundra face a death-defying leap from high cliffs to reach food. Plus insight into the migration of mosquitos, which is one of the longest in the world.

Mark Seen

Cities Nov 23, 2006 How city environments influence the outcome of battles between predator and prey. Foxes compete for food on a rubbish tip in Britain, geckos exploit the bright lights in Thailand to catch moths, and hanuman langurs are at risk from electric cables in India.