The ears of the long-eared hedgehog — longer than half the length of its head — are much larger than those of other hedgehogs. It lives in deserts and steps, using its astute hearing (and smell) to track down food, and its ample ears to radiate heat, staying cool in its sweltering home.

The coppersmith barbet — a small bird about 16 cm (~6 in) long — often falls victim to bullying by other birds. Blue-throated barbets have been observed evicting coppersmiths from nesting holes, while red-vented bulbuls steal berries from male coppersmiths that are trying to feed their mates.

The black drongo keeps its neighbourhood clear of predators by fearlessly assailing them — as a result, other birds like orioles, doves, babblers, and bulbuls like to nest near the drongo. But the drongo is also a trickster, mimicking the calls of raptors to scare birds into abandoning their food.

The ribs of Anderson's crocodile newt are untethered to any muscular attachments at their ends and jut into the skin along its back, giving it an armoured appearance. When threatened, it adopts an anti-predator posture — using its sharp rib tips to pierce the rows of bumps on its sides.

With a wingspan of almost 1 metre (3.3 ft), the spectral bat is the largest bat in the Americas and the largest carnivorous bat in the world. It's believed to find avian prey by smell and is attracted to distress calls from small bats caught in mist nets. It's also known as the "False Vampire", because it was previously thought to feed on blood.

Steller's sea-eagle is a rare raptor from the rocky coasts and rivers of northeastern Siberia — flying southwards to Hokkaido, Japan, in winter. It's the world's heaviest eagle and a particularly aggressive species, known to frequently steal fish caught by other eagles.

Marine hatchetfish are creatures of the deep. They have rows of light-producing organs along their bellies which shine a pale blue — matching the light from above and making the hatchetfish invisible to predators below. This fish's name comes from its body shape, which resembles the head of a hatchet.

Lidth's jay is only found on a few of the Ryukyu Islands in southwestern Japan. Its existence has been threatened by the introduction of mongooses and an increased crow presence on these islands. As of a 2016 survey, fewer than 3,900 mature jays are estimated to remain.

The Japanese pygmy seahorse is the size of a grain of rice — about 1.6 cm long (0.6 in) — among the smallest seahorses in the world. It wasn't formally named until 2018, whereupon it received the specific title of "japapigu" or "Japan pig", because locals think it resembles a baby pig.

To make his presence known, a male copper pheasant will drum loudly with his wings — creating a thunderous "phrrrrp" sound — and show off his tail feathers, which can grow to be 125 cm (4.1 ft) long. The males also fight for a female's favour; jumping and kicking each other to decide a victor.

For over 1,300 years, the Japanese cormorant has been part of a traditional fishing method known as ukai. A dozen cormorants swim alongside a wooden boat, each held by a leash around the neck. The cormorants catch and swallow fish into their throat pouches and, afterwards, the fishermen make them "cough it up".

A male blood pheasant has splatters of "bloody" feathers across his face, breast, and tail. This species lives in the Himalayan Mountains, feeding mostly on mosses and moving with the snowline between elevations of 3,200–4,700 metres (10,500–15,400 ft). It's adapted to resist both hypoxia and high UV radiation.

The pumpkin toadlet is one of the smallest frogs in the world — only some 18 mm (0.7 in) long. Because of its minuscule size, the organs in its ears that are responsible for balance cease to work mid-jump. As such, it cartwheels rigidly through the air before making a clumsy, floppy landing.

Skeleton shrimp are skeletally thin and often have ghostly transparent bodies. They grasp algae with their spindly rear legs, while their front legs form large "claws" used for grooming, defence, and capturing prey. Luckily, they only grow to a couple of centimetres (~1 inch) long.

The Japanese weasel's agility and lithe body allow it to pursue its prey anywhere; down tunnels, up trees, or into water. During winter, it spends its time pursuing rodents through snowy tunnels and, after catching and eating its target, it lays down to enjoy the warmth of its prey's burrow.

The torrent duck is highly adapted for hunting within the fast-flowing rivers of the Andes — it kicks with powerful webbed feet, its long claws cling to slippery rocks, and its sleek body allows it to scale waterfalls. Even chicks, soon after hatching, plunge into the dangerous currents.

The riverine rabbit is among the rarest rabbit species in the world. Considered 'critically endangered', only around 250 individuals survive in a few areas of the Karoo Desert in South Africa — where they typically live along seasonal rivers.

The Mexican mole lizard digs intricate tunnels that run below the surface of the soil. To regulate its body temperature, the mole lizard moves to tunnels at different depths — it spends cooler mornings near the surface and as the day heats up, it moves deeper and deeper below ground.

Often described as ghostly, the elusive Japanese serow lives in the wooded mountains of central and southern Japan. Typically solitary, it stands on rocky outcrops, staring down at the landscape for extended periods — likely watching for predators or rivals. It can be active both day and night.

The willie wagtail is aggressively territorial. It's known to harass much larger birds (including eagles), venomous snakes, and humans that wander too close to its nest. Before an assault, it flares its white "eyebrows", making it look especially enraged.