Fox Dives Head First in to Snow | 4K UHD | Planet Earth II | BBC Earth

Summary

In a harsh winter, 60 million tons of snow cover the bison's territory, forcing them to expend massive energy to stay warm and search for scarce food beneath the snow. With temperatures plummeting to -40°C, survival hinges on their ability to reach the ground. Bison use brute strength, moving tons of snow daily with their powerful necks, while foxes employ precision and cunning to exploit the bison's efforts, seeking more nutritious prey. This tale of survival on the prairies highlights the contrast between brawn and brain, illustrating the diverse strategies animals use to endure the winter.

Takeaways

• ❄️ 60 million tons of snow cover the bison's territory.
• 😫 Pushing through deep snow is exhausting work for the bison.
• 🌨️ The bison are slowly starving and keeping warm requires huge amounts of energy.
• 🧥 Their thick coats can insulate them down to -30°C, but it's currently -40°C.
• 🥶 The bison's food is buried beneath a meter of snow, posing a survival challenge.
• 🦊 The fox shares the same problem, with its food also deep beneath the snow.
• 💪 Bison use brute strength to shovel through five tons of snow a day.
• 🦊 The lightweight fox needs precision to reach its food.
• 🌱 Bison reach their goal of a mouthful of withered grass.
• 🦊 The fox takes advantage of the bison's digging to find food.
• 👂 The fox listens carefully to pinpoint its moving target under the snow.
• 🧠 The fox's prey is small but 100 times more nutritious than dried grass.
• 🧩 On these prairies, sometimes brain beats brawn for survival.

Q & A

What challenges do the bison face in the winter?

The bison face the challenge of pushing through deep snow, which is exhausting and causes them to slowly starve. Keeping warm in the harsh temperatures also saps huge amounts of energy.

How do the bison's thick coats help them survive the cold?

The bison's thick coats can insulate them down to -30°C, providing essential protection against the cold.

What is the temperature mentioned in the script and how does it affect the bison?

The temperature mentioned is minus 40°C. At this extreme cold, the only food source that can keep the bison alive is buried beneath a meter of snow, making survival very challenging.

What problem do the bison share with a surprising neighbor?

The bison share the problem of accessing food buried beneath the snow with a surprising neighbor, the fox.

How do the bison manage to reach their food source under the snow?

The bison use their massive neck muscles to shovel through five tons of snow a day to reach their food source, which is withered grass.

How does the fox benefit from the bison's digging?

The fox benefits from the bison's digging by spotting an opportunity to access food where the bison have dug.

What strategy does the fox use to hunt for food under the snow?

The fox uses precision and listens carefully to pinpoint its target beneath the snow. This strategy is crucial for the fox to catch small prey, which is 100 times more nutritious than dried grass.

What is the fox's prey mentioned in the script and why is it important?

The fox's prey is small animals moving under the snow, which are very nutritious and essential for the fox's survival through the winter.

How does the survival strategy of the bison differ from that of the fox?

The bison rely on brute strength to shovel through snow to reach their food, while the fox relies on precision and careful listening to hunt small prey under the snow.

What is the key message about survival in harsh winter conditions as depicted in the script?

The key message is that survival in harsh winter conditions requires different strategies; for the bison, it's brute strength, and for the fox, it's precision and listening skills. Both animals must adapt to access food and survive.