Whether they live on land, in the sea or in subterranean communities, skin is critical in allowing animals to sense the world around them, be it to find food, navigate harsh environments or avoid danger. Even the toughest of animals, crocodilians, have a surprisingly sensitive side when it comes to their specialized skin sensors they use to detect the tiniest of ripples in the water. Deadly pit vipers use heat sensors to ambush the small rodents they feed on. Professor Ben Garrod puts them to the test with an experiment to see if they will strike a cold or warm ping pong ball. He also uncovers how the less than attractive leaf-nosed bat puts its facial skin to good use as an acoustic lens to echolocate around its dense forest habitat.

Originally released by BBC Worldwide Learning, 2019. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on June 03, 2022.