ANIMAL ATLAS
Amazing Animal Facts: The Primates
An exploration into the world of the primates: from apes, to monkeys, to prosimians. How they differ, how to tell them apart, what they have in common.

When Is a Monkey a Monkey?
A closer look at monkeys: the old world and the new world; the biggest and the smallest; the baboons, the guenons, the tamarins.

Life as an Ape
A fascinating exploration into the world of the four great apes: the gorilla, the orangutan, the chimpanzee, and the bonobo. What do they have in common, how do they differ, and what makes an ape and ape?

Amazing Animal Facts: The Birds
All that’s fascinating about birds: from feathers, to flight, to beaks and bills. The biggest, the flightless, the raptors, the nut-crackers. The parrots, the owls, and the ostrich.

Night & Day: Nocturnal & Diurnal
An exploration into the world of animals that are not only nocturnal and diurnal, but crepuscular. We look at why animals are awake at one time instead of another, and what special sensory adaptations they have for nocturnal living.

Maturity & Longevity
How long do animals live? Which animals live the longest and the shortest lives? How and why does longevity differ from species to species? What does maturity mean in the animal world?

You Are What You Eat
We look at a select few animals as examples of the saying, “you are what you eat.” We’ll look at the giant panda’s wrist-bone “thumb,” a cow’s perfectly long neck, the hippo’s wide mouth, and the elephant’s trunk.

Amazing Animal Facts: The Reptiles
We delve into the secrets of snakes and lizards, alligators and crocodiles, and turtles and tortoises. How are these animals related and how do they differ?

The Eyes Have It
A closer look at the sense of sight. Why is seeing so critical for birds? How do some animals see in the dark? How do animals without eyes still “see”?

Ancient Animals: The Creatures that Time Forgot
A look at the animals living today who were around at the time of the dinosaurs, and even before. We look at how some animals have changed a great deal while others have hardly changed at all, and why these animals survived when the dinosaurs didn’t.

The School of Fish
An exploration into the world of schooling fish, from those in the ocean to those in lakes and rivers. We investigate how fish survive, the different ways they swim, from burst swimming to cruising, and why many of them swim, or school, together.

Open Wide!
We take a close look at teeth in the animal world and ask, what are the functions of canines, incisors, and molars? We discover that animal teeth will differ depending on what the animal eats. We also look at why sharks grow new teeth and why dolphin’s teeth are all the same.

A Shiver of Sharks, a Zeal of Zebras
A wild ride into animal nomenclature. What makes a herd a herd or a flock a flock? What are a chimpanzee troop, a wolf pack and a prairie dog town?

Fuel for Life
A panoramic look at how all living things are interconnected: green plants need sunlight to create oxygen, while herbivorous animals consume green plants to survive. In turn, carnivorous predators prey on herbivores. We also look at the role that water, sleep, and sunlight play in an animal’s survival. Finally, we discover that how and where an animal lives, and what it eats, influences its appearance and behavior.

Bones? Who Needs ‘Em?!
A closer look at bones, from animals with a backbone (vertebrates), to those with skeletons made of cartilage (sharks), to those animals who don’t need bones at all (invertebrates). We ask what constitutes an exoskeleton, a hydrostatic skeleton, and a turtle’s carapace.

What’s Wild in the Neighborhood?
An exploration into the world of wild animals that live in our human neighborhoods. What makes a habitat livable? We look at how the temperature, plant life, and climate determine where an animal lives.

The Life Arboreal
A panoramic look at animals that live in trees. We ask how they get up there in the first place (climb, fly, leap), what adaptations they have to live as tree-dwellers (claws to prehensile tails), and which animals we can expect to find in trees (birds, monkeys), including those we don’t (kangaroos).

Go Fish!
A look at many of the more than 22,000 species of fish, from freshwater, to the deep ocean, to the colorful coral reef. We look at the origin of fish, how they breathe, why they have scales, and how they swim. Plus, we’ll meet a few animals who, despite their names, are not fish (jellyfish, starfish, shellfish).

“S” Is for Species
A wild ride through animal classification! What determines an animal’s species? Why do the same kinds of animals sometimes look different from each other? What makes a subspecies? All in all, who is related to who, and why.

One and Only One
A close look at some one-of-a-kind animals, from the last surviving members of a dwindling species, to some outright unique animals, like the red panda, who has no close relatives in the animal kingdom. We’ll look even closer, to some unique features of certain

Life As an Amphibian
An exploration into the watery life of amphibians, including colorful frogs, toads, newts, salamanders. An examination of what amphibians have in common with other cold-blooded creatures such as fish and reptiles, and what sets them apart. Finally, a trip from an amphibian’s larval stage through its adult stage, and a look at the important role water plays in the amphibian lifecycle.

Lizard Wizards
A look at what’s great and fascinating about the nearly 5,000 species of lizards alive today, from chameleons to iguanas to basilisks. First, an examination of what makes a lizard a reptile, and what these incredible creatures have in common with other reptiles, especially snakes. Next, a look at what is common to all lizards, such as being cold-blooded and scaly-skinned. Finally, a rundown of some amazing facts about specific lizards, such as the ability to lose a tail and grow a new one, and to have 180 degrees of vision.

Postcard From Africa
A panoramic look at animals from Africa, especially the giants, such as elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, and ostriches. A comparison of animals who aren’t native to Africa, such as bears, with animals who are, such as—surprise—penguins. Next, a visit with the birds of Africa. Then, a rundown of the many wild animals with the word “Africa” in their common name. Finally, an examination of the adaptations these animals have to live on the African continent.

All In The Family
An exploration into the diverse world of animal families, from the large “families” that include matriarchal elephant herds, male-dominated chimpanzee troops, and prairie dog towns, to the smaller families, like solitary mother orangutans and their offspring. We ask how a biological family differs from the common meaning of family, and what constitutes a single biological family.

Got No Teeth!
A look at how teeth are used for communication, such as a chimp’s grin, and how we might misinterpret what looks like a grin. We examine how different teeth are used for different chewing tasks, whether the teeth are canines, incisors, or molars, and how teeth differ in carnivores and omnivores. Finally, we look at how animals without teeth manage to consume their food, and how beaks work for both turtles and birds.

Postcard From South America
A panoramic survey of animals found only in South America, such as the world’s largest rodent, the capybara, the web-toed bush dog, the giant anteater, jaguar, and more. We ask what constitutes the “New World” and the Western hemisphere in terms of wildlife, and what animals inhabit the great tropical rainforests in the Amazon basin.


By Land, By Sea, By Air
An exploration into how animals move on land (hop, walk, crawl, climb), in the water (swim underwater or travel along the water’s surface), and through the air (powered flight, gliding and soaring).

Animals 101
A look at how the Animal Kingdom is divided up: those animals with a backbone, those without; animals who eat meat, those who eat only vegetation, those who eat both; animals with even numbers of toes and those with an odd number of toes; and other fascinating categories that illuminate what an animal looks like and who it’s related to.

The Biggest & The Fastest
A closer look at the biggest animal in the world, the elephant, and the fastest animal in the world, the cheetah.  How they live, and why they are so big and fast, respectively, along with other interesting animals who are either, or both, huge and speedy.

Animal Babies, Too
A very close look at some remarkable animal babies: horse foals, kangaroo joeys, baby porcupines, wolf cubs, water buffalo calves, hawk chicks, baby owls, and ape infants.  How childhood differs in the various species, how the young learn to be like the adults of their species.

The Herbivores
A journey into the world of animals that only eat vegetation which includes some of the biggest animals on the planet, such as elephants, hippos, and rhinos; the ruminants, or cud chewers, such as deer, antelopes, sheep and giraffes; not to mention those we wouldn’t think of as non-carnivores, gorillas and giant tortoises.

Water birds
A panoramic look at birds who are defined by the bodies of water where they live, including the expected ducks and geese, as well as shorebirds and wading birds, the long-legged waders such as flamingos and herons, as well as puffins and penguins.  How they live as well as their physical adaptations to a life in or near the water.

Livin’ Large In The Rainforest
An exploration into the amazing array of creatures that live in the damp and fertile rainforests of the world, from colorful birds, to huge snakes and spiders, to various monkeys, to strange-looking mammals and fierce predators.

The Hunters & The Hunted
A journey in to the world of predators and prey animals, with a close look at the varying adaptations and strategies each has for dealing with the other.

Chow Down!
A fascinating look at how an animal’s diet determines not only where it lives but what it looks like and how it lives.  From skull shape, to number and kinds of teeth, to the length of its neck and the shape and size of its tongue, to its familial relationships -- all these things are closely related to what an animal consumes.

The Wonderful World Of Bears
A visit to some of the eight kinds of the bears in the world: the giant panda, the polar bear, the black bear, the brown bear, the spectacled bear and the sun bear.  How they differ from each other, what they have in common, and their interesting close relations, from the dog family to the pinnipeds.

Big Cats, Wild Cats, Kitty Cats
An exploration into the world of cats of all description:  wild (lions, tigers, mountain lions, leopards, jaguars, etc.) and domestic, both large and small.  From feeding habits, to extraordinary senses, to social behavior, to their lives as predators.

Elephants Recall All
An up close and personal look at the extraordinary elephant, both the Asian elephant and the African elephant, including the misconceptions, myths and facts surrounding this mighty pachyderm.  A closer look at their trunks, ears, artistic endeavors and their reputation for having incredible memories.

Two Pandas: Just Bamboo, Thank You!
A closer look at two very rare and very beautiful animals from the remote forests of China: the giant panda and the red panda.  What a “panda” actually is; how the pandas got their name; what these two have in common; what makes them very different; and the true story behind their shared passion for bamboo.

By Any Other Name
A wild ride into the world of nomenclature: from how animals are categorized (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) to how they end up with their two-plus word scientific (Latin) name.  What names mean; how names reflect more about an animal than anyone might ever guess; how an animal’s name can tell us more about our perception of the world than the truth of the animal itself.

Farm Livin’
A journey into the world of domesticated animals: where they live, whether with us on our farms, ranches, or in our urban homes; which animals were the first to be domesticated; what is the difference between tame, domesticated and feral; what these animals have historically provided for us and how they have transformed our lives.

Mammals: Milk & Hair
A panoramic look at what makes a mammal a mammal (hair, mammary glands, warm-blooded) and why; including some unusual mammals: monotremes (egg-laying mammals); aquatic mammals (dolphins, whales, manatees); and what mammals have in common with other types of animals (fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates).

The Wild Life: Living Outdoors
An exploration into how animals live outdoors: how they survive temperature extremes, what kind of shelters they find and/or make, how they keep warm or stay cool, how fur and feathers can act as insulation, how rocky outcrops become fortresses and burrows become retreats, how fish manage to survive in a forever-wet world.

Something Extra
A closer look at animals who have “something extra”, whether extrordinary senses or padding (ossicones, “warts”) or protuberances or teeth; animals who are defined by their extra something, like elephants and their trunks, rhinos and their horns, as well as animals who are defined by what they lack (apes and tails).

4 Lions
A panoramic comparative look at four lions in the animal kingdom (two cats, one aquatic mammal and one fish): the African lion; the mountain lion; the California sea lion; the lionfish.  How were they so named; what they have in common; what’s peculiar only to them.

Life in a Shell
An engaging exploration of the world of tortoises and turtles, the oldest living reptiles.  The secrets of the shell; a closer look at various fascinating species; the keys to their success as a group.

The Good Life:  Meet the Otters!
A closer look at three kinds of otters: marine otters, river otters, Asian small-clawed otters: what they have in common, how they differ, how they hunt, swim and live a semi-aquatic life.

Our Town:  Life as a Prairie Dog
A visit to the prairie dog town to meet the prairie dog inhabitants and to examine their highly social way of life.  Their history on the North American grasslands; how they got their name; who they’re related to.

Uh Oh, Carnivore!
A closer look at the fascinating world of the meat-eaters: the hunters, the insectivores, the carrion feeders, carnivores who can’t move, carnivores who don’t have a brain.   What carnivores inspire fear; what carnivores are unjustly feared.

Are We Having Fun Yet?
An examination of the concept of “fun” in the animal kingdom: Do some animals smile?  How do animals show their pleasure?  What is anthropomorphism and how does it color how we perceive the animal world?

Who’s At The Aquarium?
A comparison of historic aquariums and modern aquariums: the differences, what they have in common.  A panoramic look at animals that might be found in a public aquarium, from fish, to sharks, to dolphins and whales to giant arthropods and “monsters” of the deep.

How The Zoo Became The Zoo
A fascinating look at how zoos come into being, how their histories shape more than just their settings, how to find the secrets of a zoo’s past.  Two zoos: one which began as a 19th century traveling circus, another that rose from the fields and farmlands of a 19th century farm.  The sentimental stories of Willie B., the lowland gorilla; and two elderly sisters who loved animals.