Battle Of The Alphas

Steer clear of these alphas, whose horns, claws, and other protective gear keep them ready for battle, no matter what the weather dishes out. Examine killer Highland cow horns, plucky mallard bills, razor-edged wolverine claws, and more.

Check out some fancy footwork and killer alpha moves. Catch a male brown hare throwing punches at his beloved, admire a sandhill crane dance battle, watch ibexes butt heads (literally) during mating season, and see why leopards are stealth masters.

Meet alphas who get by with a little help from their friends. Discover the inescapable gang mentality of mating male dolphins, ponder ant colonies’ unique scents, find out why female geladas always get the last word, and see wolves hunt family-style.

Celebrate small but mighty animal warriors armed with sheaves of scary weapons. Admire nutrias’ stink bombs; honey badgers’ savage, needlelike choppers; black-tailed gulls’ razor-sharp beaks; and the killer talons on dive-bombing peregrine falcons.

Avoid the swords, spikes, and deadly hood ornaments on these alpha hunters. Observe elands locking corkscrew horns, storks rattling sabre-shaped beaks, rhinos scaring the competition with massive horns, and striped marlins spearing unsuspecting prey.

Go scavenging with nature’s cleanup crew. See Tasmanian devils get into food fights with rivals; learn how dung beetles roll over the competition; view wild boars’ fierce mating strategies; and watch hyenas’ bone-crushing teeth demolish any meal.

Get a front-row seat to nature’s most spectacular fashion show. Admire the luxuriant blond manes of golden snub-nose monkeys, stunning pink flamingo feathers brought on by an all-crustacean diet, and the meaningful markings of gemsboks and cheetahs.

Learn why bigger is definitely better for these alphas. Go ringside for a gorilla wrestling match, stay away from pushy moose antlers, steer clear of long pelican bills that snap at any enemy within range, and marvel at a megashark’s stereo sniffer.

Power up with alphas who use might to subdue enemies. Marvel when sea lions throw their weight around to win a mate, Cape buffalo deliver knockout punches, Canada geese hit hard with their wings, and lionesses rule the savannah with an iron paw.

Confront alphas with faces only a mother could love. Inspect warthogs’ lumpy armour, giant African bullfrogs’ outsized jumping and biting skills, wild turkeys’ sharp beaks and razorlike spurs, and Nile crocodiles’ crushingly powerful jaws.

Sidle up to lone wolf alphas who’d rather go solo. Take a glacial stroll alongside a Galápagos tortoise; dance with venomous European adders; watch a face-tearing battle between Lacerta lizards; and gasp at leopard seals’ amazing stealth attacks.

Connect with Earth’s most talkative species. Meet capuchin monkeys, who definitely don’t take a vow of silence; endure Eurasian river otters’ chilling screams; face angry fruit bats’ loud complaints; and explore orcas’ human-scale speech systems.