Survive the Wild

For many species the possession of territory is the ultimate goal With good territory comes plentiful food access to shelter attraction to mates and safety to raise offspring all tremendous strategic advantages in the wildnbspFor a territorial species their territory is their kingdom Those who want it will stop at nothing to get it and those who have it will fight fiercely to defend it

To provide an edge to survive in their habitats some animals have developed techniques that allow them to share information Communication represents one of the most versatile and widely used strategies in the animal world In both social and solitary species it is the transfer of information that lies at the heart of so many behaviors in the wild For those that harness the power of communication

From microscopic singlecelled organisms to the largest animals on the planet one goal is shared by all living things to reproduce For many creatures finding a suitable mate to pass on strong genes and rear young that will survive to adulthood is a challenge met with a variety of strategies In this episode we will observe the creative tactics animals employ to find the best mates and win them over

The ability to fight and win is essential to any animal living in the wild The strategies of that fight are known as agonism and they can be used to establish hierarchy secure resources win territory and seduce mates In the wild there are no guarantees but those that master agonism have the best chance of seeing another day

For carnivores food does not grow on trees If they are to survive they must employ all the strategies at their disposal to overcome a food source that is equally determined to stay alive They must find it if it hides chase it if it flees track it if it is elusive and defeat it if it fights The predators physical powers will only finish the job The real work comes down to strategy

Animals can employ a number of different defenses to withstand an attack Some seek safety in herds some hide in plain sight some meet aggression with even more aggression and some build fortresses Whatever the strategy it is clear that animals will do whatever it takes to survive the wild