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Associated Article: Back From the Brink
-Smithsonian Magazine The Longleaf Pine forests of the southeastern United States are home to a species of woodpecker whose unusual choice of nesting trees, co-operative family life, and novel method of predator control, set it apart in the bird world. Over nearly two centuries, loggers eliminated 95% of these pine forests and pushed the woodpecker to the top of the endangered species' lists. In this program we visit the Sandhills region of North Carolina and see how fire, chainsaws, and a small group of dedicated humans have brought the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker back from the brink of extinction. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |
| Among Australia's many strange and wonderful creatures, one particularly striking creature stands out - a refugee from prehistoric times - the Cassowary! Over the millennia, the flight-less Cassowary adapted to the tropical forests of northern Queensland upon which it depends for its survival. Today it is a threatened species because its habitat is disappearing; however, a new understanding about how the forest depends on the Cassowary has led to new initiatives to save both the forest and this remarkable bird. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |
| The torrid plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania endure 5 months of drought each year. During this time, many creatures move away to find food, but not the Fennec! This tiny, insect-eating fox stays on the grasslands year round feeding on termites and raising its cubs. Because most of the grazers are gone, the fennec is more vulnerable to attack by hyenas. A key to its survival has been to raise many cubs in the hope that a few will survive to adulthood. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. Salamanders are the world’s largest
amphibians and this program provides detailed information about the
physiological characteristics they share with other amphibians; it also
provides a very rare opportunity of observing them under water in their
pristine habitat. The quality of the program is very good with superb
underwater photography and clear narration; it is highly recommended for any
library with biology/life sciences collections." -EMRO Review Hidden in the depths of fast-flowing streams in Northern Japan lurk long Asian "dragons" with an ancient pedigree. The Japanese Giant Salamander is a prehistoric beast that has survived unchanged for 30 million years, yet it strongly resembles the first amphibians to walk on land over 300 million years ago. This program takes us to the pristine streams of northern Japan and into hi-tech labs to see how this remarkable creature lives and how it has evolved. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |
| Look carefully in the trees along the banks of the Orinoco River in Venezuela and you may be fortunate enough to spot a strange colorful bird, about the size of a chicken, with large wings and tail fan, blue skin, and a rakish crest of feathers. Further observation reveals this odd bird cannot fly well and its chicks have claws on their wings. This pastiche of contradictions is the Hoatzin, a bird that appears to have descended from a prehistoric creature that it strongly resembles; however, this program reveals the true lineage of this interesting bird and why it nests only over water. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. This program offers a journey
through a tropical rainforest to show opossums' natural habitat; it includes
detailed descriptions of the life history and reproductive behavior of the
opossum, focusing on a mother opossum who is nursing her infants. Viewers
are offered the rare opportunity to follow the development of young opossums
from the stage of the newborn embryos up to a stage when they are able to
leave their mother and live on their own. Also covered are other aspects of
their biology including physical characteristics, feeding, predators and
defense mechanisms. Video quality and sound are very good, while narration
is very clear and smooth. This is a valuable addition to any library with
biology/life sciences collections." -EMRO Review Marsupial mammals first appeared on Earth during the reign of the great dinosaurs and managed to outlive them! They survive today, seemingly against the odds, in the era of placental mammals. This program visits the forest of northern Argentina to see how the White-Eared Opossum has pulled off one of Nature's great survivor acts. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |
| Look closely on the rocky shorelines of southern Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia and you will likely find a small, rather comical looking fish that has chosen to flee the sea. This curious "fish-out-of-water," called the Pinafore Blenny, stays within jumping distance of the water's edge to both feed and nest. This program examines the habitat, behavior and reproduction of a little fish that seems to be trying its best to adapt to life in air. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |
| Deep in the forests of Costa Rica there is a small monkey that survives because it has learned how to find food in drought or downpour all year 'round. The white-throated Capuchin, the little monkey used by the old-time organ grinders, has developed the ability to use simple tools to find nuts, tell if fruit is ripe by just sniffing it, feed on a thorn tree without injury, and even to apply an insect repellant when necessary. Here we visit the Capuchins in their rain forest homes and see that they are every bit as astute as the wise old monks from whom they get their name. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |