Critter Quest

Engaging host Peter Schriemer takes young viewers on a nature safari in this three-part documentary series that aired on the Smithsonian Channel. In the opening episode, “Creepy Crawlies Are Everywhere!”, viewers meet a variety of bugs and critters, including slugs, spiders, and the grey tree frog, in habitats ranging from backyards to woodland areas (Schriemer explains that insects and animals thrive in different environs and are very climate-dependent). One of the more interesting bugs profiled here is the click beetle, which can jump 12 inches while on its back in order to right itself. Schriemer also demonstrates how to build a humane indoor bug habitat (with soil, twigs, moss, and a few other items). Episode two, “Season of Change,” looks at animals that either forage, hibernate, or migrate in cold weather, including squirrels (which have excellent spatial memory abilities that enable them to recall the locations of stored nuts), raptors (eagles, hawks, owls), and the awesome woolly bear caterpillar, which can survive freezing temperatures while metamorphosing into a moth. The final episode, “The Wild Side of D.C.”, travels to the nation's capitol, where viewers will learn about nature's “generalists,” i.e., animals that can survive in a wide range of habitats. Winner of a Parents' Choice Silver Honor award, the entertaining and informative Critter Quest is recommended. Aud: I, J, P. (T. Keogh)