Animal Battlegrounds

The world’s rivers are one of the most dynamic battlegrounds in nature. The outcome between predator and prey is often shaped by river conditions, including the Alaskan river currents and the Pacific salmon.

Deserts are the hottest of Earth’s battlefields, and under certain conditions, can turn a predator into prey. The trapdoor spider of Africa’s Namib Desert hunts by night but can fall victim to wasps during the scorching day.

Life and death dramas take place in the seas of the world. Off the coast of West Africa, sardines are herded by dolphins and engage with gannets from the air, while schools of jacks use the Great Barrier Reef to trap their prey.

The sky is a vast battlefield where both predator and prey endure the constraints of gravity. The aerial conflicts of falcons and their pigeon prey are examined, along with the hunt for bats by hawks outside of Texas caves.

Wetlands create a landscape in constant flux where combatants can come from two different domains. Flamingos clash with baboons in Africa’s Rift Valley, and the tides of mangrove swamps allow archerfish to hunt.

Grasslands are the classic wildlife battleground providing a vast, open field of combat where grazers can attract a host of hungry carnivores. The savannas of Africa host contests of speed between gazelles and cheetahs.

The frozen seas of the Arctic are the most inhospitable battlegrounds on Earth where seasonal changes shift the character of polar waters, constantly changing the landscape.

Jungles stage a multidimensional battleground between predator and prey. The colobus monkey evades chimpanzees in the treetops, and the green iguana vie with snakes on the ground and red-tailed hawks up above.

The coastlines of the world create a raw energy where two powers collide, land and sea, forming a distinctive and brutal battlefield. Sea lions engage with the colossal killer whale along the coasts of South America.

Islands provide a distinctive theater for predator and prey and their isolation creates species found no where else on Earth. The Galapagos Islands are home to the world’s only marine iguana and its arch enemy, the Galapagos hawk.

Darkness and light are two factors that affect every battlefield, where adaptive senses are key to survival. The zebra’s low-light vision is far superior than its lion predator’s, giving it a nighttime advantage.

The Arctic tundra is the largest and most bleak battlefield on Earth where treeless, barren plains stretch across permanently frozen subsoil. This open landscape makes it ideal for the golden eagle and its aerial attacks.

A crowded city might seem like a foreboding environment for wildlife, but its supply of food is an attraction for hungry animals. The red fox dines on leftovers in English garbage heaps, and geckos hunt for hotel insects.