In Animals With Spines, evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod presents porcupines and how their quills have evolved as a defense mechanism. Learn how these animals, with their distinctive spines and quills, have adapted to survive in the wild as you discover how porcupines’ quills have evolved to detach and protect them from predators. This video is excerpted from Secrets of Skin, a documentary series exploring the natural history of the body’s largest organ.
What animal looks like a tiny walking pincushion, sleeps through much of the day, and can roam more than a mile in a single night? Meet the common hedgehog!
From its prickly defenses to its nighttime adventures, the common hedgehog has plenty of tricks for making its way through the wild. Find out what life is like for a hedgehog after dark, what it eats, where it makes its home, and how it prepares for the cold months ahead. You'll also get a closer look at hoglets, hibernation, and the challenges these small mammals face as their habitats change.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
In The Aquatic Spinosaurus, naturalist Steve Backshall reveals how this dinosaur had a unique advantage, enabling it to thrive both on land and in water. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Deadly Dinosaurs, a documentary series in which host Steve Backshall is on the hunt for the deadliest animals to have walked the Earth — dinosaurs — exploring features of several species and putting their abilities to the test to reveal the raw power of these creatures.
In The Gravity-Defying Design of the Caracal Cat, narrator Suranne Jones looks at the perfect design of the caracal, a wild cat, that allows it to leap upwards, defying gravity and catching birds in flight. Even more amazing is how the cat uses its flexible spine to twist its body two different ways so that it can push off itself and land on its feet no matter what. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Life in the Air, a documentary about animals that take to the sky.
In The Mighty Spinosaurus, naturalist Steve Backshall highlights the adaptations that helped this deadly dinosaur catch unsuspecting prey with ease. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Deadly Dinosaurs, a documentary series in which host Steve Backshall is on the hunt for the deadliest animals to have walked the Earth — dinosaurs — exploring features of several species and putting their abilities to the test to reveal the raw power of these creatures.
In Animals With Spines, evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod presents porcupines and how their quills have evolved as a defense mechanism. Learn how these animals, with their distinctive spines and quills, have adapted to survive in the wild as you discover how porcupines’ quills have evolved to detach and protect them from predators. This video is excerpted from Secrets of Skin, a documentary series exploring the natural history of the body’s largest organ.
What animal looks like a tiny walking pincushion, sleeps through much of the day, and can roam more than a mile in a single night? Meet the common hedgehog!
From its prickly defenses to its nighttime adventures, the common hedgehog has plenty of tricks for making its way through the wild. Find out what life is like for a hedgehog after dark, what it eats, where it makes its home, and how it prepares for the cold months ahead. You'll also get a closer look at hoglets, hibernation, and the challenges these small mammals face as their habitats change.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
In The Aquatic Spinosaurus, naturalist Steve Backshall reveals how this dinosaur had a unique advantage, enabling it to thrive both on land and in water. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Deadly Dinosaurs, a documentary series in which host Steve Backshall is on the hunt for the deadliest animals to have walked the Earth — dinosaurs — exploring features of several species and putting their abilities to the test to reveal the raw power of these creatures.
In The Gravity-Defying Design of the Caracal Cat, narrator Suranne Jones looks at the perfect design of the caracal, a wild cat, that allows it to leap upwards, defying gravity and catching birds in flight. Even more amazing is how the cat uses its flexible spine to twist its body two different ways so that it can push off itself and land on its feet no matter what. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Life in the Air, a documentary about animals that take to the sky.
In The Mighty Spinosaurus, naturalist Steve Backshall highlights the adaptations that helped this deadly dinosaur catch unsuspecting prey with ease. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Deadly Dinosaurs, a documentary series in which host Steve Backshall is on the hunt for the deadliest animals to have walked the Earth — dinosaurs — exploring features of several species and putting their abilities to the test to reveal the raw power of these creatures.