Animal Survivors

VHS cover

Animal Survivors is the fifth episode of the first season of Amazing Animals. The plot revolves around Henry learning how to survive in extreme environments and finding out how animals do it. It first aired on the Disney Channel on 14th May 1996.

## Episode

### Episode outline

Click here for the full transcript for Animal Survivors.

The narrator meets Henry hiding up a palm tree, to remain hidden from a passing shark and a lion. When Henry says he’s just trying to survive, the narrator says that all animals need to be able to survive in a harsh and dangerous world. Strategies are needed for surviving extreme environments such as waves, deserts, wind, rain and even hot volcanic lakes, which are used by flamingos as protection from terrestrial predators.

#### First cartoon

* Dung Beetle rolls a ball along the ground through sun, rain and snow, which makes the ball too big to push. Gorilla uses the ball as a head for his snowman and then uses the angry Dung Beetle as the snowman’s nose.

Henry climbs up a mountain, getting progressively colder. The narrator says that Henry doesn’t have the natural equipment to survive like cold climate animals do. Rock hyraxes have thick fur and huddle together for warmth. The narrator explains their sticky foot pads to help them climb on rocks, and also tells Henry how they are related to elephants. Other ways of surviving the cold are demonstrated by the lemming, which builds insulated burrows under the snow, and sea otters, which have the densest fur of any mammal.

#### Second cartoon

* A thirsty Rhinoceros is walking through a desert and is tricked by two mirages. He then finds a Lizard manning an ice cream stand and stabs the stand with his horn to get at the ice cream.

Animals also need special talents to survive in deserts. The narrator introduces Henry to the methods used by animals to live here, including the shovel-snouted lizard that shuffles its feet to cool them, the meerkat which uses teamwork to live in the desert and the fogstand beetle which collects the fluid it drinks from dew.

#### Third cartoon

* Bat attacks one of the Lizards, which falls down as if dead. Suddenly a large group of other Lizards run in and give the attacked Lizard an award for playing dead. The baffled Bat pulls out his false teeth and throws them away.

Henry is following his own tracks to lead the way home, but the narrator points out he is actually just walking in circles. Henry says he is now lost and confused, and the narrator shows Henry some animals that use confusion as a survival strategy. Quelea assemble in huge flocks to confuse hunting eagles, while lizards will shed their tails to escape predators such as scorpions. Henry now does the Golden Gecko Awards. The bronze medal goes to the chinchilla and the silver to the shovel-snouted lizard. The Golden Gecko Award is given to the cicada, which live underground as a larva for seventeen years before they all emerge at once to court and breed.

#### Fourth cartoon

* Dung Beetle takes a break from rolling his ball to do tricks and juggle on top of it, but when another Dung Beetle rolls their ball past, he also goes back to rolling his.

The narrator asks Henry is he knows how animals like squirrels survive in winter when food is scarce. Henry doesn’t know, so the narrator tells him that they store food for later. Henry finds and examines some cans of lizard delicacies he has stored, but falls off one and has it roll him away. As well as squirrels, other animals that store food for later that are shown include the acorn woodpecker and a species of wasp that stores paralysed spiders.

#### Fifth cartoon

* Tiger sets up a tent and while hammering in one of the pegs makes water flood up from underground. After scaring away Fish, Tiger swivels the picture around so the water drains away.

Henry is now reminded to do his Special Report, which is supposed to be about hibernation. Henry says that animals sleep through the winter so that they can party non-stop when they are awake. The narrator corrects Henry, saying that animals hibernate in order to survive harsh conditions. Animals like bears hibernate to survive the winter cold, while African bullfrogs enter a type of hibernation to escape droughts. Back with Henry, the narrator shows Henry some animals that are struggling to survive in a modern world shaped by humans, including wolves and green turtles. Back at home, Henry relaxes in his bath and thinks about how lucky he is to not have to worry about everyday survival. Suddenly, the picture of a lion on his wall roars at him and Henry plunges down into the bath. The narrator says goodbye to Henry and the credits roll.

## Animal species filmed for the programme

### Studio footage

* Lion, *Panthera leo*
* Arctic fox, *Vulpes lagopus*
* Snowy owl, *Bubo scandiacus*
* Domestic goat, *Capra hircus*
* Meerkat, *Suricata suricatta*
* Saharan spiny-tailed lizard, *Uromastyx geyri*
* Diadem snake, *Spalerosophis diadema*
* Roe deer, *Capreolus capreolus*
* Domestic dog, *Canis familiaris*
* Long-tailed chinchilla, *Chinchilla lanigera*
* Eastern grey squirrel, *Sciurus carolinensis*
* Grey wolf, *Canis lupus*

### Stock footage

* Lesser flamingo, *Phoeniconaias minor*
* Rock hyrax, *Procavia capensis*
* Collared lemming, *Dicrostonyx groenlandicus*
* Sea otter, *Enhydra lutris*
* Shovel-snouted lizard, *Meroles anchietae*
* Meerkat, *Suricata suricatta*
* Fog-basking beetle, *Onymacris unguicularis*
* African giant millipede, *Archispirostreptus gigas*
* Spoor spider, *Seothyra sp*.
* Desert ant, *Camponotus sp*.
* Red-billed quelea, *Quelea quelea*
* Tawny eagle, *Aquila rapax*
* Marbled hatchetfish, *Carnegiella strigata*
* Giant desert hairy scorpion, *Hadrurus arizonensis*
* Night lizard, Xantusiidae
* Periodical cicada, *Magicicada sp*.
* American red squirrel, *Tamiasciurus hudsonicus*
* Acorn woodpecker, *Melanerpes formicivorus*
* White lady spider, *Leucorchestris arenicola*
* Spider-hunting wasp, *Schistonyx aterrimus*
* American black bear, *Ursus americanus*
* African bullfrog, *Pyxicephalus adspersus*
* Grey wolf, *Canis lupus*
* Eurasian wren, *Troglodytes troglodytes*
* Green sea turtle, *Chelonia mydas*

## Credits

* Writer - Roger Stennett
* Narrator - Tom Clarke-Hill
* Henry - Eric Meyers
* Music - David Poore
* Director - Anne Neale
* Graphic Designer - Kate Beldon
* Assistant Producer - Sean O'Driscoll
* Production Secretary - Cristina Hughes
* Production Team - Dominic Weston, Karen Steele, Susan Hubble and Tessa Nelson
* Camera - Jonathan Noad and Mike Kamei
* Animation - Varga Studio Ltd
	+ Animation Director - Igor Lazin
	+ Animation Co-Ordinator - Krisztina Varga
* 3-D Animation - Ricochet 4 and Henry Lutman
* Titles Post-Production - Sue Land
* Sound Editor - James Pursey
* Dubbing Mixer - Andrew Wilson
* Editors
	+ Offline - Colette Hodges
	+ Online - Sharon Stiles
* Special thanks to:
	+ Doug Zwick
	+ Nancy Kemp
* Producer - Rob Harvey

## Home media releases

The VHS for Animal Survivors released on 16th December 1996. The cover shows Henry wearing a camouflage Brodie helmet, and he is accompanied by a husky, a frilled lizard and a king penguin.

The spine of the VHS has a photograph of a meerkat, while the back cover of the VHS has a photograph of a red deer.

The blurb on the back of the VHS reads:

**Do bears really fall asleep for the whole winter? What creatures survive in the burning hot desert?**

Henry faces the harsh realities of the natural world to discover how some AMAZING ANIMAL SURVIVORS cope, from lemmings in their igloos to amazing jumping fish.

**Cartoon Characters**: \* Eagles • Tyrannosaurus • Rattlesnake • Tiger • Squirrel • Lizards • Elephant • Bat • Fish • Camel • Gorilla • Caveman • Mole • Bear • Stickman • Chicks • Hen • Rooster • Owl • Chameleon • Tortoise • Crocodile • Frog and Toad •
• Parrot • Porcupine • Mouse • Whale • Rhinoceros • Beavers • Snail • Rabbit • Dog • Skunk • Spider • Octopus • Vulture • Woodpecker • Flea • Dung Beetle • Butterfly • Gibbon • Fly • Mosquito • Bee • Beetles • Crab • Pigeon • Carnivorous Plant • Lamb

**Voice Actors**: Eric Meyers • Tom Clarke-Hill
**Season One**: Tropical Birds • Animal Disguises • Nighttime Animals • Animal Appetites • **Animal Survivors** • Animal Senses • Animal Weapons • Animal Builders • Armoured Animals • Mini-Beasts • Animal Babies • Poisonous Animals • Animal Journeys
**Season Two**: Birds of Prey • Desert Animals (Amazing Animals) • Scary Animals • Animal Records • Animal Colors • Animal Mothers • Animal Pets • Seashore Animals • Animal Families • Endangered Animals • An Animal Year • Prehistoric Animals • Monkeys and Apes
**Season Three**: Animal Hunters • Animal Talk • Slimy Animals • Rainforest Animals • Animal Acrobats • Underwater Animals • Animal Neighbors • Giant Animals - Creepy Crawly Animals • Farm Animals (Amazing Animals) • Animal Changes • Extinct Animals • Animal Eggs
**Season Four**: Around the World • Polar Animals • Clever Animals • Underground Animals • Animal Helpers • Woodland Animals (Amazing Animals) • Mountain Animals • Backyard Animals • Tiny Animals • Animal Partners • Scaly Animals • River Animals • Animal Flight