I've been an avid viewer of "Life" (the latest David Attenborough gem from the BBC) for the last few weeks. Screened each Monday at 9pm, it's probably THE television programme that I refuse to miss at the moment. Each week a different section of the nature world, be it insects, mammals, sea life or birds, is focused upon and the amazing ways in which nature has adapted itself in order to survive is brought to life in all its glory.
Not only is it fascinating (I spend most of the hour going "wow") but the camera work is simply beautiful. Each glistening drop of water, every hair and movement is captured in minute detail. I can't rave about it enough.
This week insects were under the spotlight. Now I can't say that I'm the biggest insect fan myself, but when you're shown how ants in Chilean Patagonia build these intricate colonies and have actually developed (well grown) their own unique species of fungus by feeding it with stems of grass that they tirelessly cut with their pincers and carry back to the nest, well you can't help but be impressed! They've even managed to factor in the fact the all of that fungus produces a load of carbon dioxide which if left would suffocate the ants, so the colonies have been built with their own ventilation system! There is a hole in the bottom that lets oxygen in and a hole at the top to let the carbon dioxide escape. Brilliant! I also particularly liked the bit where these large beetles with huge antler-like pincers threw each other off trees (no beetles were harmed in the making...they simply bounced off the floor!).
The picture by the way comes from the Mammals programme. This mouse's nose was really wriggly and it was super speedy!
Watch it for yourself on the BBC iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00nxks3/Life_Insects/. If you can't already tell, I highly recommend it.
