BBC Life On Earth Disc 3: Theme and Variations (1979)

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In the northern hemisphere, mammals reproduced in a different way. The females retained their young within their bodies. At first, these mammals fed mostly on insects, as many still do - shrews and pangolins, giant anteaters and armadillos. Some - the bats - took to the skies in search of such food. Others returned to the seas from which their distant ancestors had come, and evolved into whales and dolphins.
Peter's DVD rating: 4.5 stars
David Attenborough continues his exploration of mammals by tracing their development from the insectivores to the whales. He later expands this theme in his series Life of Mammals more than 20 years later.
1:10 Tree Shrew catches insects (Malaysia) 3:15 Pyrenean Desman catches worm in stream (Pyrenees) 7:10 Star-nosed Mole (North America)
09:00 Aardvark (Africa) 9:25 Giant Anteater eats Termites (South America) 11:10 Giant Pangolin (Africa)
11:55South America: Pygmy Silky-furred Anteater carries baby on back and eats tree ants 13:05 Collard Anteater 13:50(Brazilian) Mexican Free-tailed Bats hibernate in caves along with Moth (Canada)
19:05(Brazilian) Mexican Free-tailed Bats migrate to Mexico (New Mexico) 21:10 Horseshoe Bat produces ultrasound from nostrils 22:35 Pipistrelle Bat emits ultrasound from mouth
23:30 Lacewing has ears on its wings, closes wings to fall out of the path of the bat 24:25 Tiger Moths can emit jamming signals 28:45 Pallid Bat eats a Scorpion
27:00 False Vampire Bat feeds on birds and other bats in Silk Cotton Tree (Kapok) 27:55 Vampire Bat feeds on blood 28:30 Whispering Bat ? feeds on nectar of Agave (Arizona)
30:40 Fruit Bat has no sonar 34:45 Greater Bulldog Bat ? (Fisherman Bat )catches fish (Central America) 37:20 Humpback Whale mother and calf (Hawaii)
40:40 Humpback Whale breaching (Alaska) 43:15 Killer Whale hunts seal 43:50 Narwhal
44:15 Common Bottlenose Dolphin ? birthing 48:55 Humpback Whale singing   
Tupaia
1:10 Tree Shrew
Galemys pyrenaicus
3:15 Pyrenean Desman
Condylura cristata
7:10 Star-nosed Mole
Orycteropus afer
09:00 Aardvark
Myrmecophaga tridactyla
9:25 Giant Anteater
Isoptera
9:25 Termites
Manis gigantea
11:10 Giant Pangolin
Cyclopes didactylus
11:55 Pygmy Silky-furred Anteater
Tamandua
13:05 Collard Anteater
Tadarida brasiliensis
13:50 Mexican Free-tailed Bats
Heterocera
13:50 Moth
Tadarida brasiliensis
19:05 Mexican Free-tailed Bats
Rhinolophus
21:10 Horseshoe Bat
Pipistrellus
22:35 Pipistrelle Bat
Neuroptera
23:30 Lacewing
Arctiidae
24:25 Tiger Moths
Antrozous pallidus
28:45 Pallid Bat
Scorpionida
28:45 Scorpion
Vampyrum spectrum
27:00 False Vampire Bat
Ceiba pentandra
27:00 Silk Cotton Tree
Desmodus rotundus
27:55 Vampire Bat
Leptonycteris
28:30 Whispering Bat ?
Agave
28:30 Agave
Pteropodidae
30:40 Fruit Bat
Noctilio leporinus
34:45 Greater Bulldog Bat ?
Megaptera novaeangliae
37:20 Humpback Whale mother and calf
Megaptera novaeangliae
40:40 Humpback Whale breaching
Orcinus orca
43:15 Killer Whale
Monodon monoceros
43:50 Narwhal
Tursiops truncatus
44:15 Common Bottlenose Dolphin ? birthing
Megaptera novaeangliae
48:55 Humpback Whale singing
   

Index Jan 15, 2006 CC BY 4.0 Peter Chen 2.0