Across this vast African continent live 19 species of elephant shrews or sengis, including us, the round-eared elephant shrews. We are quite small, about the size of rodents. Each species has their own territory, and we can be found in various regions except for Western Africa and the Sahara Desert. Our name comes from our elongated noses which are like an elephant’s trunk, and our small, round bo

Today we will discover some fascinating examples of how animals are able to heal themselves through self-medication, or zoopharmacognosy, by using their intuitive abilities to detect the healing properties of plants. Parasite removal is the most common use of natural therapeutic medicines by animals. In a couple of well documented cases, sick chimpanzees swallowed the juice of the Vernonia

In today’s program, we will share with you some amazing animals who have strong relationships with one another, and who display a deep loving connection within their family. Our species, the Eurasian wolf, is the subspecies of the grey wolf. We wolves may look tough, but our hearts are warm and soft. We are extremely loyal, and family is a priority for us. You know, living together in a pack helps

Japanese dwarf flying squirrels inhabit the sub-alpine and boreal evergreen forests of Japan. We are a member of the Sciuridae family, which includes small and medium sized rodents. We prefer to stay in the trees, hanging off branches and eating much healthier vegan foods such as leaves, seeds, buds, cones, sprouts, berries and nuts. There are two types of Japanese flying squirrels: Pteromy

Our family, the Himalayan red panda, can be found in parts of Nepal, Bhutan, northern India, northern Myanmar, Tibet, and the western Yunnan Province of China. I have a beautiful red color to my fur and my species only grows to the size of a very large domestic cat. We were named pandas almost 50 years before our better known, giant black and white panda cousins were. Did you know that we a

Some of us animals are blessed with a unique ability to camouflage ourselves so that we blend into our surroundings. We can do this in different ways depending on our features. For us snow leopards, we use our fur to achieve this, and we are so good at it that we have been given the nickname “ghost of the mountain.” The Eastern Screech Owls are gifted with the ability to blend almost seamlessly wi

Our striped skunk family is native to North America, ranging from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. We always nest less than 3 kilometers from water. Although we can’t see very well because we are nocturnal and our eyes lack nictating membranes, our ability to smell and hear are exceptional. We normally live alone and although we like to only come out at night, we sometimes stay out looking f

Much research shows that male birds with brighter plumage colors have a better chance of pairing, as females recognize bright plumage colors as an indicator of good health and strength. In order to tell subtle color differences between individual males, females produce more opsins or specialized light sensitive proteins in their retinas over time. This causes the male’s plumage to become more and

"We belong to the family of passerine birds, who are renowned for the striking colors the males display on their plumage. Many people consider us one of the most beautiful birds in North America. Therefore, we have a nickname 'nonpareil' in French, which means “without equal.” In Mexico we are commonly known as siete colores, meaning 'seven colors.' ""Carotenoids, melanin and porphyrins are

Welcome to “Four Seasons, Part 2 of 4: Lively Serenades on Summer Nights.” Our band of frogs take charge of the opening act. Our song serves as the Overture for the nocturnal symphony. When we start singing, we breathe in and then close our nostrils and mouths; the airflow in our lungs triggers our vocal sacs which expand and amplify our notes. Our neighbors seem to think that we are equipped with

In part 1 Ms. Tieche shared with us that her purpose in making “The Invisible Mammal” was to increase awareness of the threats we are facing and to show how important bats are to humans and ecosystems. In today’s program, we’ll uncover more of the devastating diseases that bats have been suffering from and what humans can do to help save us. "When they get white-nose syndrome, this is a fungus tha

Ms. Kristin Tieche is from San Francisco, California, United States of America and has been involved in the filmmaking industry for many years, receiving much acclaim for her award-winning environmental and social commentary films. Her documentaries cover a wide variety of themes, from identity crisis in “Forms of Identification,” to urbanism, sustainability, and biking in “Velo Visionaries,” to w

The Earth's magnetic field runs in curves all around the globe from the south magnetic pole to the north magnetic pole. Animals equipped with internal compasses are able to navigate by analyzing its direction, intensity or inclination to determine their location or direction. Dogs are famous for their incredible sense of smell, which scientists estimate is between 10,000 and 100,000 times m

As you learn about our species, you will be amazed by the job we do. We work just like a beauty salon in the human world. I forgot to tell you that I have a big family, including four unique cousins: the Black Spot, the Hawaiian, the bicolor, and the red lip. All my cousins live mostly in the tropical Pacific Ocean. My kind, the bluestreak, is the most well-known cleaner wrasse of them all. We lov

The Amazon rainforest is truly a paradise for us monkeys! My kind, the emperor tamarin, also known by scientists as saguinus imperator, is a small-sized monkey species found mainly in the southwestern Amazon Basin located in Peru, with our population also spreading east to the northern part of Bolivia and into the state of Amazonas in Brazil. Emperor tamarins are characterized by a monotone

I’m a tuatara, a unique native inhabitant from the island home of Aotearoa, also known as New Zealand. I am vegan. You may be wondering what my species’ name means. In Māori, which is spoken by the indigenous people of New Zealand who are called the Māori, it means “peaks on the back.” In the Māori tradition, it is believed we descended from an atua, or god, named Punga. He is the son of Tangaroa,

Benevolent viewers, my name is Engeleis, and I am a vegan honey bee. World Bee Day is celebrated each year on May 20. The caring nation of Slovenia, ever concerned with our well-being and preservation, launched The World Bee Day initiative in 2014. It is estimated that we bees influence one out of every three bites of food humans consume, so we are vital for human food security. Common frui

A mother’s love is absolute and pure. Whenever her babies are in need, a mother always tries her best to help them without even considering her own safety.One day in the summer of 2019, Animal Aid Unlimited, an Udaipur, India-based non-profit that helps street animals, received an urgent call. A stray dog was howling and crying frantically for help because her puppies were buried in the deb

When wanting to nurture and attract wildlife to your garden, balcony or patio, it’s important to remember that animals can sense the energetic feeling of the home and that many animals will be attracted to more harmonious, uplifting and kind vibrations that they feel being emitted. “That is what causes the happiness or the sorrow of our life – the energies; the negative energy or the positi

In today’s show, we’ll explore things that can be done to make backyard pools safer for the wildlife that may come to visit and also for the animals already living there. To help prevent animals from falling into the pool in the first place, it’s a great idea to keep any surrounding trees neatly trimmed back so that they don’t hang over the water itself. It’s also a good idea to have a fence aroun