Inside India’s Teak Forests
In Inside India’s Teak Forests: Partners in Desperate Times, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how plants and animals adapt to survive the hot, dry season. Langur monkeys and chital deer form an unlikely partnership to help them survive. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: The trees in India’s teak forests shed leaves for a different reason than trees in other broadleaf forests. How are the reasons different?
A: In other broadleaf forests, trees shed leaves at the threat of frost. In India, trees shed leaves to preserve moisture during the hot, dry season.
Q: Describe the relationship between langur monkeys and chital deer.
A: The monkeys knock down moisture-rich flowers from mahua trees for deer to eat. The deer are alert to any predators that might threaten the monkeys.
Q: Why might it not be wise for langur monkeys to travel far from the chital deer?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may mention that the monkeys won’t have an early warning of dangerous predators and could be hunted.
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