Planet Earth: Mammals

The dark, a world of opportunity for mammals. More than two-thirds prefer the cover of the night, with some now returning to the safety of the shadows in order to avoid us.

For millions of years, mammals have evolved to master every environment on Earth, but the planet is changing rapidly, all thanks to one mammal in particular - humans. As mankind reshapes the face of the world, mammals must change with it.

Water presents air-breathing mammals with some of the greatest challenges of any environment on Earth. Those that have evolved to live in water have become some of the most specialized of all.

Having honed their survival strategies over millennia, mammals have evolved to be masters of the cold. Discover a frozen world, from icy seas to snow-capped mountains and meet the unique mammals that call them home.

By pushing themselves and their bodies to the absolute limit, mammals have found remarkable ways to survive in the hottest places on earth. From baking deserts, harsh dry spiny forests, and raging bush fires, mammals have found a way to beat the heat.

Sir David Attenborough reveals why forests are the ultimate test of survival for mammals and how they have overcome the challenges of life in this multidimensional, complex and continually changing environment.

Go behind the scenes to discover the making of Mammals.