Show Guide: 'The Secret Lives Of Animals'

Synopsis: The Secret Lives Of Animals utilizes cutting-edge technology to showcase new and remarkable animal behaviors. For the first time, The Secret Lives Of Animals captures the sounds and vibrations of a unique jumping spider courtship dance, a killifish in Trinidad breathing through its tail when out of the water, and a wood mouse marking its territory with signposts. And witness a rarely seen relationship between a frog and tarantula, a land lizard that can breathe underwater, and a monkey that uses a bizarre nose-poking ritual as a test of friendship.

Each episode focuses on specific behaviors that are pivotal in the life cycles of various animals—from birth and leaving home to raising a family, and from finding food to growing old—highlighting their striking intelligence and adaptability. (Courtesy Apple TV+, 2024)

The Cast:

Production Credits:
The Secret Lives Of Animals is produced for Apple TV+ by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, with Matt Brandon (Planet Earth III) serving as showrunner and Roger Webb (Mammals, Big Cats 24/7) as executive producer. The series marks the third collaboration between the BBC Studios Natural History Unit and Apple TV+, following the hit, Emmy Award-nominated series Prehistoric Planet And The Year Earth Changed.

The Episodes:
Season One Episode Guide (Apple TV+)
1-01 Leaving Home
A seal sets out on his own too soon and faces an epic battle with the ocean. A lizard and a fish defy gravity to find their next destinations.

1-02 Raising A Family
To feed her babies, a chimp crafts a termite fishing rod. Meerkats back each other up when danger comes calling.

1-03 Protecting Yourself
Vanishing in plain sight, a frog leaves a snake bewildered. An octopus adopts new armor. A spider constructs a dazzling decoy.

1-04 Home Making
A cockatoo finds a unique way to tell his mate he’s found their new spot. A sun bear assembles his own treetop mattress.

1-05 Finding Food
Dolphins master the art of fishing on land. A mantis shape-shifts to catch her prey. Crows rely on cars to crack nuts.

1-06 The Art Of Deception
To fend off predators, owlets and caterpillars mimic snakes. A spider orchestrates a great escape.

1-07 Making Friends
Monkeys take an unusual approach to bonding: sticking their fingers up each other’s noses. Ants build bridges with their bodies to transport food.   

1-08 Finding A Partner
A feathered courtship dance takes place on a lake in California and a mating competition commences for whales in the Pacific.

1-09 Mastering Your Talent
In the outback, a kangaroo goes to fight school. A long-tailed macaque scores a seafood lunch. A baby orangutan climbs to dizzying heights.

1-10 Growing Old
An elder baboon shows his softer side. A desert elephant leads a remarkable search for water. A tired tortoise embarks on an epic migration.