Life

The planet's animals and plants have developed extraordinary survival strategies. The stalk-eyed fly inflates its head to impress females, and three cheetahs in Kenya band together to hunt large prey.

Amphibians and reptiles are masters of survival because they've devised extraordinary tricks and strategies. A pebble toad escapes a tarantula by bouncing down a rock face, and the Komodo dragon has savage hunting techniques.

Mammals' warm blood, fat and fur allow them to thrive in every habitat except the deep ocean. Millions of fruit bats roost together in Zambia, an elephant steps in to save her granddaughter and male humpback whales battle violently for a mate.

Fish are the most varied and diverse back-boned creatures on the planet. They range from pregnant males to fish that fly and those that have a top speed faster than a cheetah.

Birds have one feature that no other animal possesses: feathers. This allows them to solve life's challenges in radically different ways. They also use color, song and ingenuity to win the hearts of their mates.

There are more kinds of insects than all other types of animals put together. All insects have the same basic design yet what each one can do with six legs and a body makes these small creatures some of the mightiest inhabitants on the planet.

In the battle between predator and prey, nothing short of survival is at stake. However, it's not just about survival in the present. For millions of years, the conflicts between the hunter and the hunted have driven life's evolutionary course.

Millions of species survive in the largest habitat on Earth, the ocean. Some of the most remarkable are the spineless creatures that inhabit the darkest depths.

Plants are dependent on three main elements for survival: sunlight, water and nutrients. They are fiercely competitive and cunningly opportunistic.

Intelligence, adaptability and resourcefulness have enabled primates to thrive in an incredible diversity of habitats.