Segments in this Video

Ostrich (08:34)

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In Namibia, one male dominates each flock. He defends his leadership when challenged by another. A young male attracts females with a booming sound made in his throat. Females inspect him and challenge his endurance.

Zebra Harem (05:34)

Zebras in the Serengeti travel in large herds to protect themselves from hyenas. A big herd means more mares to protect from outside stallions. The leader successfully fights off other males.

Termite Queen (07:04)

A queen has an army of obedient subjects and a king that mates with her frequently. She lays eggs 24 hours per day for 25 years. Workers create perfect conditions for egg development, and she uses chemical signals to direct her colony.

Gray Kangaroos (05:06)

On the meadows of Southern Australia, males fight for access to females; the biggest usually wins. Females can conceive at any time; she determines when mating is allowed.

Nursery Web Spider (06:18)

A male stalks prey. Once he catches it, he wraps it in silk and starts looking for a female to present it as a gift. A potential mate accepts the prey and eats it before the male transfers his sperm.

Ruff (05:01)

In northern Finland, groups of males gather to display neck feathers and impress potential mates. When a flock of females arrives, some males find a mate while others fight.

Topi (08:03)

Large herds on the open savannas of Kenya attract predators. A male leaves his post to find a mate and he must battle his own species. He demonstrates his physical fitness to attract females.

Ostrich Chicks (01:41)

Ostrich eggs have hatched. Their parents must continue to feed and protect them.

Credits: Grasslands: In Plain Sight (00:34)

Credits: Grasslands: In Plain Sight

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Grasslands: In Plain Sight

Part of the Series : The Mating Game
DVD (Chaptered) Price: $169.95
DVD + 3-Year Streaming Price: $254.93
3-Year Streaming Price: $169.95

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Description

The grasslands of our planet are some of the most challenging habitats for playing the mating game. They are an open stage where potential partners and jealous rivals can witness your every move and every failure. To win here, a player must give everything. Strategies used by animals here are as plentiful as they are unique - there are show-offs, fighters, scoundrels and cheats, and all are competing for their chance to mate. Where grass is in plentiful supply, so too is the competition, and for those who gather in huge numbers to breed, the added threat of hungry predators looms large. Out here in the open, experience is key. This is a lesson that a young male ostrich on the dry desert grasslands of Namibia is about to learn as he takes his first steps into the mating game. Meanwhile, a mature zebra stallion on the Serengeti must defend his mares from roaming bachelors amongst a herd 30,000 strong. Others rely on sneakier tactics, and ingenuity is common. Birds like the ruff choose a cross-dressing strategy to deceive rivals and sneak up on willing females, whilst the nursery web spider tricks his way to his intended’s heart with offers of worthless gifts disguised as prized treasures. However, success is not always guaranteed, and even after giving it everything, defeat can all too easily overcome a player. Despite having muscles to rival any body builder, a male kangaroo can easily lose his chance to mate to less impressive, sneakier competition. Then there are the ultimate winners, and none are more prolific than the termite queen who, over her 50-year lifetime, will create half a billion offspring. For all who choose to play the mating game out here in the grasslands, there is one ever-present overriding challenge that can affect every outcome: their strategies are on show for all to see.

Length: 51 minutes

Item#: BVL280376

ISBN: 979-8-88678-112-0

Copyright date: ©2021

Closed Captioned

Performance Rights

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Not available to Home Video and Publisher customers.


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