About this season
Each week, Race of Life shows you the animals that have adapted and evolved to survive in their environments and keep predators at bay. In the animal kingdom, each day is a battle for survival, and rushing to stay one step ahead of predators is a tiring job…as the sun rises the race begins all over again.
Episodes (14)
1. Survival Of The Fittest
Aired 25 March 2016 • 22 min
There are many fine examples of evolutionary history in the natural world. Whales evolved from land-dwelling creatures to today's marine mammals.
2. The Big Cats
Aired 1 April 2016 • 22 min
The leopard is perhaps the best-equipped big cat, with a population spread far and wide, but lions have almost no predators.
3. The Great Desert Race
Aired 1 April 2016 • 22 min
Desert animals have evolved to handle heat and lack of water. This includes scorpions, which have existed since life first crawled from the sea.
4. Herbivores
Aired 1 April 2016 • 22 min
The African Savannah sees thousands of battles each day. How do elephants survive on a diet that even the strictest vegetarian would avoid?
5. Natural Warriors
Aired 8 April 2016 • 22 min
Males and females of some species fight viciously. Though they are usually not trying to kill each other, the fighting can result in death.
6. Run Like The Wind
Aired 8 April 2016 • 22 min
With predators always looking for a meal, their prey must constantly avoid being eaten. Defensive adaptations add to their chances of survival.
7. The Early Bird
Aired 8 April 2016 • 22 min
Attack and escape scenarios involving avian predators and their prey, including horizontal speeding and diving to avoid capture.
8. Reptiles
Aired 15 April 2016 • 22 min
Crocodiles are descended from animals that roamed Earth 250 million years ago, while snakes rely on the sun to control their temperature.
9. Defenses
Aired 15 April 2016 • 22 min
From insects that look like leaves and snakes that play dead to flying fish and poisonous toads, animals defend themselves in fascinating ways.
10. Underwater Predators
Aired 15 April 2016 • 22 min
Almost all animals living in the sea have bodies designed for hunting or protection, and predators have adapted extreme measures to survive.
11. Underwater Defences
Aired 22 April 2016 • 22 min
Protecting themselves underwater is a matter of invention and reinvention, so aquatic animals deploy an array of strategies just to stay alive.
12. Underwater Prey's Defenses
Aired 22 April 2016 • 22 min
Protecting themselves underwater is a matter of invention and reinvention, so aquatic animals deploy an array of strategies just to stay alive.
13. The Race Underfoot
Aired 22 April 2016 • 22 min
There are many reasons why insects survive, from strong, flexible shells to wings that give them the option of flying away from danger.
14. After Dark
Aired 29 April 2016 • 22 min
Nocturnal animals use the dark to escape predators, avoid the heat of the day, and take turns sharing food and resources.