Nature » Crocodile http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature The premiere natural history program on television. Thu, 24 May 2012 20:49:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Supersize Crocs: Introduction http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/supersize-crocs/introduction/1746/ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/supersize-crocs/introduction/1746/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:41:26 +0000 admin http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/2008/09/02/overview-3/ Crocodiles instill fear in most people at any size. But crocodile conservationist, Romulus Whitaker’s fear is that the most colossal of these creatures might no longer exist. Rom suspects that human hunting may have selectively killed off crocs surpassing 20 feet in length. A sad fact considering the sophisticated adaptations and body design of crocodiles have helped them outlast even dinosaurs.

In Supersize Crocs, Rom takes viewers along as he sets off on his own hunt to find the last of the leviathans. Venturing to Ethiopia’s Lake Chamo, the riverbanks of India’s northern border with Nepal, and to the Adelaide River of Australian outback, Rom hits the hotspots of supersize croc habitats as he searches for signs of life among the brackish waters. Rom will share with viewers his insight and fascination with the cryptic world of crocs. Along the way, viewers will learn about ancient croc survival skills as well as how crocs are ideally designed to be the most successful freshwater predator.

Will he find his supersize croc among the three titans of the croc world: the Nile crocodiles, saltwater crocodiles and gharials? Tune in to find out.

To order a copy of Supersize Crocs, please visit the NATURE Shop.

Online content for Supersize Crocs was originally posted February 2007.

]]> http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/supersize-crocs/introduction/1746/feed/ 12 Moment of Impact: Introduction http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/moment-of-impact/introduction/5583/ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/moment-of-impact/introduction/5583/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:40:12 +0000 tanner vea http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/?p=5583 610_moi_intro

The natural world is filled with “moments of impact” – the split seconds when animals come into contact with each other and the world around them. Previously many of these moments were too fast or too hidden for us to see. But now new camera technologies reveal what’s behind these remarkable moments, and cutting edge animations illustrate the “inside story” of animal bioengineering that allows each moment of impact to take place.

Episode 1: Hunters & Herds
They are the scenes of some of the largest concentrations of predators and prey on the planet – the vast tracts of grassland and savannah found on every continent but Antarctica. Yet survival in this kind of open, horizontal world is far from easy, with few places to hide, a scarcity of vegetation, drought, fire and the threat of attack by some of the world’s fastest and most powerful hunters.

From Africa’s Serengeti to California’s grasslands, some of nature’s most dramatic moments are caught, examined and “fractured” into their unique parts … within creatures great and small … to reveal the amazing abilities that give each animal the instinct, intelligence and brute prowess to survive. From elaborate impact sequences that spin around animals caught in a “frozen moment” to animations that go inside their bodies – a unique view of animals’ amazing biomechanics is revealed.

Episode 2: Jungle
Teeming with creatures in every shape and form, the jungle is the most diverse habitat on the planet and home to nearly half of the world’s plant and animal species. Rising hundreds of feet from the dark depths of the tropical forest floor, through layers of twisting branch and canopy full of life – this vertical landscape pushes the limits of animal engineering.

The jungle’s layers are peeled back to dissect more amazing moments of impact. Stealth and ambush reign in the jungle and survival depends on highly tuned senses and ingenious defenses. From ninja ants to flying snakes, cameras dive underwater, sail through trees and penetrate fur, feathers, skin and bone to reveal the science of some amazing animal engineering hidden deep in the jungle.

Moment of Impact premieres over two Sundays, April 4 and April 11, 2010.

]]> http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/moment-of-impact/introduction/5583/feed/ 15 The Reptiles: Alligators and Crocodiles: Introduction http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/the-reptiles-alligators-and-crocodiles/introduction/2816/ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/the-reptiles-alligators-and-crocodiles/introduction/2816/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:34:41 +0000 admin http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/2008/09/24/overview-54/

The Reptiles: Alligators and Crocodiles looks at the ultimate predators at the margins of the water and the land.

Some amuse us, others terrify us. They slither, swim, walk and crawl, leap and lunge, and some spend their entire lives contained within a shell. Their ranks include some of the most skillful predators on Earth. And their long-departed dinosaur ancestors are an unending source of fascination to humanity, both in fiction and scientific endeavor. They are “The Reptiles,” the fascinating subjects of a four-part NATURE miniseries.

With guidance from leading experts on Alligators and Crocodiles, the first episode reveals that the world of these creatures is a lot more complex than we ever imagined. Some of the most surprising sequences reveal that the crocodile is not only the ultimate predator in the natural world but also a highly intelligent animal. The prorgam explores what the future holds for these living dinosaurs.

To order a copy of The Reptiles: Alligators and Crocodiles, please visit the NATURE Shop.

Online content for The Reptiles: Alligators and Crocodiles was originally posted February 2003.

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