Baobab Trees Bursting Into Bloom
In Baobab Trees: Bursting Into Bloom, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how Madagascar’s strangest tree puts on a spectacular show at night. As its large flowers bloom, mouse lemurs emerge from hibernation. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Describe the blossoming of the baobab flowers.
A: It can take less than a minute; it looks a little like a banana being peeled; the inner parts spread out.
Q: How do the seasons impact living things in Madagascar?
A: Due to having a wet season and a dry season, baobab trees have adapted to have huge trunks to store water, and mouse lemurs hibernate during the dry season.
Q: “With the return of rains, it’s time to get busy.” What do you think the mouse lemurs get busy doing?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may mention searching for food after hibernating.
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In Mouse Lemurs Are Sneaky Nectar Thieves!, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights lemurs enjoying a two-course meal in the branches of the baobab tree. First, the lemurs drink nectar meant for pollinating moths; then the lemurs attack the moths! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Collared Iguana’s Struggle to Lay Eggs, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores Madagascar, where the collared iguana faces a tough challenge when it's time to lay her eggs. She digs a deep hole in the sand to hide them, hoping to keep them safe from predators. However, hognose snakes are experts at finding eggs, even when they're carefully buried. Despite her best efforts, the eggs are eaten, teaching her a valuable lesson for next year’s egg hunt! This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In Protecting Madagascar, narrator Sir David Attenborough presents the incredible biodiversity of Madagascar’s rainforests and the urgent need to protect them. Learn how deforestation and habitat destruction are endangering species like the indri, one of the world’s largest lemurs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Panther Chameleon’s Survival Skills, narrator Sir David Attenborough looks at the amazing panther chameleon and how it has adapted to survive. This chameleon uses its long, fast tongue like a missile to catch insects, and its toes act like pincers to grip branches. Its eyes rotate in all directions, and its skin changes color to blend in with its surroundings, helping it thrive and hunt in the jungles of Madagascar. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.