Red pandas are actually more closely related to raccoons than to giant pandas. In order to digest large quantities of bamboo, they spend most of their days in a simple routine: eat, sleep and repeat.

In the freezing Japanese winter, this tiny long-tailed tit is feasting on an icicle formed from tree sap. These calorie-packed treats from nature are its sweetest comfort during the bitter cold.

In the treacherous depths of the Coral Triangle, this sea bunny, smaller than a thumb, appears completely defenceless, yet survives with ease. Its secret weapon lies in consuming highly toxic blue sponges and turning their toxins to its own advantage.

This mother Tibetan fox, even lighter than a house cat, faces tough challenges on the Tibetan Plateau, where the weather is unpredictable. With remarkable patience and alertness, she waits to hunt for her hungry cubs.

The long-eared jerboas look like a magical combination of various animals. These very features, however, enable them to use their extraordinary senses to track down prey with precision in the dark Gobi Desert.

Most prey of the Bengal tigers are colourblind. To these animals, orange and green appear almost identical. Bengal tigers’ bold orange and black stripes provide a perfect natural camouflage in the grass for them to stalk their prey.

Inhabiting mangrove swamps, mudskippers spend most of their lives out of the water. They can breathe on land through their skin and even climb trees to find food or escape from predators, perfectly demonstrating their outstanding adaptability in this extreme habitat.

Production & Copyright: BBC Earth