How Animals Defend Themselves (1948)

[Music] among the animals of this world the drive to survive and reproduce their kind pitting even the very shape and form of the animal nowhere is it more plainly seen than in many different ways in which animals are equipped to defend themselves or escape from their enemies it is seen in this Canada goose who uses her strong wings and heartbeat to defend her nest against an invader once an animal has detected an enemy by sight sound or smell it is generally equipped in one of several ways to defend itself let's look at some of these the chief means of defense for some animals is their ability to escape members of the deer family escaped by their fleetness of foot or by fighting off their enemies with sharp horns and hooves but speed and alertness is their chief protection against enemies just as it is for many other animals the octopus who spends his life in the ocean has a very special means of escaping from his enemies when he is threatened with danger he squirts a cloud of black ink into the water to form a sort of smokescreen and withdraws to safety behind his protecting cloud of ink the puffer or Blowfish is another animal with an unusual method of escaping from his enemies when he's attacked he blows himself up like a balloon using a small valve in his throat to hold the water which he takes in so that he becomes much too large a bite for any fish who starts to eat him and when danger is passed he merely deflates himself and then swims away safely some animals are protected by a thick hide or show this is true of the alligator who has a hard tough hide he also has sharp teeth with which to tear his food or fight his enemies and when two alligators attack each other it is the stronger one with the sharper teeth and the tougher hide who swims away leaving death behind him another animal with a hard protective covering is the armadillo his body is covered with hard armored plates which protect him from his enemies when frightened or attacked he can roll himself into a tight ball with his hardtail around him the box turtle is equipped to protect himself in much the same manner and when he's attacked by a family of hungry little baby mink his hard kill comes in handy even when they succeed in turning mr. turtle over on his back there's still the hard sell underneath to protect him from danger when we look at the box turtle closely we can see how his head and feet extend out of the shell but when danger is near he pulls everything inside and closes the shell tightly to make a hard protective box for himself the porcupine is a shy harmless animal but you certainly wouldn't call him spineless the porcupines body is protected by long spine eats like a sharp needle even the fierce wildcat has learned to leave him strictly alone the porcupine gets out of the way just to be on the safe side and the Wildcats certainly has learned to stay away from a living pincushion full of sharp needles some animals are protected by their shape will by the color and nature of their covering the polar bear is easily seen in the water but on the ice and snow his white coat blends with a background and is much more difficult to see from a distance in much the same way the flounder a soft water fish blends with the bottom of the ocean where he lives his curious flattened body and spotted coat helps to hide him from his enemies many animals have spotted coats to help hide them from their enemies this baby deer is easy to see out in the open but here his spotted coat blends with the scattered sunlight as it comes through the foliage of the trees this insect the preying mantis is protected by the green coloring of his body which blends with the foliage and also by the very shape of his body which looks like a crooked twig not only does this protect him from enemies but it also makes it easier for him to sneak up on his dinner some animals are equipped to kill or paralyze their enemies by means of poison the Scorpion illustrates this method of defense or like many other animals the Scorpion as a stinging operator is sting located in his long pointed tail contains a poison which can paralyze or kill many of his enemies seizing his enemy with his sharp claws he searches for a spot in which to insert his poison Steve one very positive means of the pet similar means of defense is also found in other animals some snakes like the rattlesnake have poison Fang located in their mouth this is the rattlesnakes means of defense he strikes at his enemies trying to penetrate the skin and inject his poison into the wound at the end of the rattlesnake tail there are rattles which sound a warning to all who approach a warning to stay away from the deadly poison fangs which can be used in an instant notice it is no wonder that the Wildcat soon gives up the fight and runs away all animals have some means of defense and almost everyone has more than one meter the deer has keen eyes and nose to Warner's of enemies sharp hooks and answers with which to fight if necessary and the ability to run away swiftly the alligator is protected by its tough hide but it also has strong sharp teeth with which to fight if necessary the praying mantis is protected by both the shape of its body and the colouring of its coat but it also has sharp claws with which to attack other insects the rattlesnake depends equally upon its deadly poison fangs which both man and animals have learned to avoid it's possible but the rattlesnake is also protected by its scaly hide and its warning rattle so it is with all animals in some way or other they are equipped to defend themselves and thereby to survive and reproduce there Kyle [Music]