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Home Making

Episode 6 of 12

David Attenborough looks at how animals build their homes, revealing how they manage to keep out the elements and unwanted visitors.

The animals building trade has craftsmen and cowboys too. Eager to cut corners on building costs, cliff swallows renovate and reuse last year's nests, unneighbourly shags steal materials from next door, and hermit crabs aggressively play the housing market. Expertly engineered, the most desirable dwellings boast air-conditioning, solar heating and defensive moats. But whether building a simple sandy burrow or a massive termite city, the aim of every animal architect is to keep the elements, and unwanted visitors, out.

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sat 27 Sep 2014 09:15
BBC Two

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Finding the Way

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Living Together

See all episodes from The Trials of Life

Clips

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Credits

Presenter David Attenborough
Writer David Attenborough
Producer Michael Gunton

Broadcasts

  • Wed 7 Nov 1990 20:00
    BBC One
  • Sun 11 Nov 1990 19:15
    BBC Two except East, South East & Yorkshire
  • Sun 5 Nov 1995 18:10
    BBC Two except East, South East & Yorkshire
  • Fri 28 Dec 2001 09:30
    BBC Two except East, South East & Yorkshire
  • Fri 15 Mar 2013 16:25
    BBC Two Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland & England only
  • Sat 27 Sep 2014 09:15
    BBC Two Wales, Scotland, England, Northern Ireland & HD only

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