Hostile Planet

Deserts are getting even hotter, drier and bigger, yet a host of remarkable animals still survive in the harshest of conditions, including cunning hyenas, pint-sized meerkats and sand-dwelling spiders.

Jungles comprise the most diverse habitats on Earth in which only the most resilient species triumph. The fiercest jungle species include jaguars, caimans, gibbons, orangutans, spectral tarsiers, hummingbirds, and parasites.

In the grasslands, animals endure freezes, fires, floods, and droughts. Bull elephants clash in mating battles. Cheetahs and gazelles engage in a predator-and-prey dance in the Kenyan savanna. Bison battle a blizzard while being pursued by wolves.

Dive beneath the surface of Earth’s dynamic oceans to uncover the extreme conditions to which animals must constantly adapt.

Only the toughest animal species can endure the extreme weather, scarce food and limited oxygen available on the Earth’s highest mountains.