Marty Stouffer's Wild America

Season 4 Episode 3 - Designs for Defense

Wild animals have evolved a wide range of survival tactics. They must eat, and they must keep from being eaten. For predators, speed or stealth is essential, and it helps to have special equipment-sharp fangs or talons-to catch and hold prey. But nature is not all tooth and claw. Many animals have survived by being slow and steady-and by having some unique feature that protects them from enemies. Porcupines may not seem very fast or alert-but they don't need to be. For countless generations they have gone about their business secure in the instinctive knowledge that few creatures will threaten them - and those not for long. Many others have also developed strange-and remarkably successful strategies for dealing with predators. Such methods don't help the animal to gather food - but they do keep it from being fed upon. Let's take a closer look at these "DESIGNS FOR DEFENSE".