Animals in Action : Tails
(1980)
The first episode in Anglia's long-running children's wildife series, Animals in Action: Tails examines the variety, structure and functions of tails throughout the animal kingdom.
Based in the studio, presenter Keith Shackleton guides viewers through the diversity of tails from the extravagant tail of the peacock to the distinctive long black-and-white tail of Madagascar's ring-tailed lemur. Using slow motion replays, Shackleton reveals the various ways tails contribute to an animal's survival, whether it be the prehensile tail of the woolly monkey being used as a fifth limb or the bushy tail of the African ground squirrel being used to provide built-in shade during the midday heat.
Animals in Action reused footage from the popular primetime nature series Survival to allow a younger audience to explore different aspects of animal behaviour. Presenters sketched the featured species whilst explaining the science behind it.
Survival produced over 180 programmes especially for children in the form of Animals in Action and the Animal Show.
