CLIFFHANGERS
Montana’s Glacier National Park, with its breathtaking scenic vistas and sheer
cliffs, is the cloud-scraping home of the Rocky Mountain Goat. Here Marty
Stouffer examines the whole life story of this unique snow-white animal. We
watch breathlessly as we see how the growing young kids learn to challenge
gravity in a vertical world of harsh seasons, rugged crags and sudden
avalanches.
WHITE ON WHITE
On the Arctic tundra, predator and prey alike are aided by fur or feathers the
color of snow. Some, like the Gyrfalcon and Snowy Owl, stay white year round;
others, like Ptarmigan and Snowshoe Hare, turn white for winter. Forcing its
inhabitants to migrate, adapt, or perish, the world’s harshest, yet most
sensitive, environment is the setting for a continual life-and-death drama.
FAMILY OF FOXES
In French, the Fox is called “Reynard”, meaning “unconquerable through his
cleverness”. Is this charming canid as crafty as the fables portray? Does it
deserve its reputation as henhouse bandit? We’ll find out as we meet these
cunning hunters: the Arctic Fox, the Swift and Kit Foxes of our Southwest, the
wide-ranging Gray Fox and the well-renowned Red Fox.
PECULIAR PLANTS
Seeds that actually walk along the ground, mushrooms that glow in the dark, and
vines that strangle their host to death... These are just some of the extreme
tactics that plants have adapted to ensure survival. Time-lapse photography
reveals the Plant Kingdom’s most ingenious and dramatic reproductive techniques,
proving Plants to be as wild and indispensable as any wildlife.
A MULTITUDE OF MOLLUSKS
Mollusks are among the oldest living organisms, their fossils dating back 600
million years. And to this day, wherever there’s water — fresh or salty — you’ll
find at least one of these fascinating Invertebrates. The second largest group
in the Animal Kingdom, they come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and
surroundings, from high-mountain Snail to deep-ocean Squid.
MARMOT MOUNTAIN
Amid the scenic springtime beauty of the wild Rockies, we meet a colony of
Yellow-bellied Marmots waking from winter hibernation. As summer progresses,
these social “Rock-chucks”, close kin to the Woodchuck, teach their fuzzy young
about communal life. One major lesson is diving for safety when a sentry
whistles that their primary predator, the Golden Eagle, hovers overhead.
OLD MAN MUSKRAT
North America’s most widespread Mammal is a tenacious, aquatic Rodent — always
swimming, digging, or eating in a rich wetland home. It flourishes despite the
pressures of civilization and the ever-present trappers who desire its thick,
glossy pelt. Watching a Muskrat bite a Moose on the nose and fight with
neighbors, we see why it’s been likened to a grouchy old man.
CHIPMUNKS OF YOSEMITE
Yosemite, one of our most spectacular National Parks, is home to six species of
Chipmunks. Each is found at a different altitude, from dry foothills to
13,000-foot peaks. The life stories of several of these frisky, appealing
creatures, and their relationship to humans, are seen amid the grandeur of
Bridal Veil Falls, Half Dome and the world’s oldest and largest Giant Sequoias.
BOBCAT
Our most common wild feline is a perfectly designed predator — quick and clever
enough to capture a tiny Meadow Mouse, yet formidable enough to bring down a
full-grown Deer. Prey can become play, for this solitary hunter sometimes
pesters its captured quarry to death. Easily confused with its cousin, the Lynx,
the Bobcat flourishes in close proximity to humans.
EVERGREEN
Our most enduring trees are the Evergreens — the oldest, tallest, and largest of
all living things! Long ago, people thought they were magical and brought their
luck indoors to begin the Christmas tree tradition. Haven for a myriad of Birds
and Mammals, which seek shelter among their boughs, these are truly trees for
all seasons, symbols of the American wilderness.
