Sony Wonder is proud to present See How They Grow, the first series of videos dedicated to mother nature at her most head-over-heels adorable.
Wild animals, pets, farm animals, insects and spiders, forest animals, pond animals, they all show the fascinating process of these creatures growing into young adulthood.
We see rabbits and foxes in the wilderness, puppies and kittens frolicking in their earliest moments, chickens, pigs and calves in the barnyard, spiders and insects in their secret world,
ducks, dragonflies, frogs and salamanders as they celebrate their passage to young adulthood and owls, mice and ants heading towards their independent lives in the forest.
Young children everywhere will love this series of videos about the first hours of these creatures' lives. See How They Grow, now available from Sony Wonder.
Let's see how they grow, let's see how they grow. We'll see birds hatch from their eggs, they can hardly stand on their legs, and spiders use their spanners to help catch their dinners so they'll have more time to play.
Let's see how they grow, let's see how they grow. Puppies just love to chew, and their teeth get stronger when they do. All the piggies in the puddle look to cuddle in the muddle, see the little baby bunnies with their fuzzy little tummies.
There's chickens, ladybugs, even snakes can use a hug. Growing up like me and you, let's see how they grow. Me and you, let's see how they grow. Me and you, let's see how they grow.
Let's see how they grow.
The desert is a place where the sun is so scorching hot that only certain kinds of animals can survive.
Like this cactus plant, and this tarantula. Tarantulas, which are a type of spider, tend to frighten a lot of folks. But I'm not afraid, because that's my mom. She's a red-kneed tarantula.
At the back of her abdomen are a pair of spinnerets, which make silk for webs.
Can you see the two tiny clusters of eyes on top of her head? You have to look carefully, because they're very small.
As a mother-to-be, I think I'd better get out of the sun. The ground is so hot you could positively fry an egg on it. Ouch, itch, ooh, even on my tippy toes my feet are sizzling. Hey, I think I see a nice shady spot over there.
Yes, I'll crawl right under that rock and cool off a bit.
Who's that coming over the hill, Godzilla?
No, I'm just a bearded dragon lizard, and boy am I hungry. Aha! Meal time! Poor unsuspecting devil, let me at him. The element of surprise works every time.
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. Mmm, delicious.
After about six weeks, we baby spiders should begin to hatch out of the egg sack. Mom looks impatient as she waits for us, but we'll be along soon.
There we are. We're even smaller than we look. In fact, we're no bigger than the size of a pinhead. That's me, Daphne. Can you see my sharp fangs? Adult spiders can use them to bite and inject enough poison to kill small animals.
I guess I'll be considered pretty dangerous one day, so keep your distance. But for right now, I'm just a baby. As time goes by, I'll grow and grow and every now and then shed my skin and emerge more colorful than before.
After about three years, I'll be fully grown and the spitting image of my dear old mom.
Is that me? Nope. That's just the skin I shed. Here I am with my new, improved coat. After all, last season's skin just isn't in.
Oh, look at those footprints. I wonder who they belong to. Surely not a spider. Hey, it's a scorpion. And there's another one. They both have poisonous stingers on the ends of their tails, and it looks like they're headed for a collision.
Yep, there they go. Hey, fellas, break it up. What does this look like, a boxing ring? Scorpions aren't very friendly.
That'll teach him to mess with me.
Oh, little twerp. Who does he think he is?
I'm the desert heavyweight champ.
Dream on, pipsqueak. Why can't everyone just get along? I don't know where they find the energy to brawl in this heat. All I want to do is take things nice and easy.
So, which way to the pool?
Let's see how they grow Let's see how they grow
Let's see how they grow
Is the coast clear? Mom's peeking out to make sure. Yes. No.
Maybe. She's a Mongolian gerbil, and she's very hungry. She looks all around for seeds, stalks, flowers, and nuts to eat, which she cracks open with her strong, sharp teeth. The desert's not like a supermarket.
Food here is very hard to find, so Mom spends a lot of time gathering supplies to store in our burrow. That way we can save for a rainy day. Not that there are many of those in the desert.
We gerbils also store water in our bodies as fat, and during periods of drought, gradually use it up. Then we fill her up again the next time it rains.
I better hurry up and finish this yummy snack so I can get home as soon as possible. There's an awful lot of action down there at the old homestead these days. Yes, siree.
Mom's concerned, because yesterday my brother and I were born. She tugged us safely inside this burrow, away from the dangerous animals and scorching sun.
Is everyone okay? You look okay. I think you're okay.
We're only one day old, and totally dependent on Mom for milk, protection, and warmth. She checks in on us a lot to make sure we're okay, and doesn't leave until she's sure we are.
Well, I guess you're okay. You look okay.
Isn't she a doting mother? Gotta love her. See you later, Mom.
We babies can't hear yet, and our eyes are tightly shut so we can't see either. That's me lying on my back. I'm Janie. In about a week, I'll be able to open my eyes and hear sounds. I'll have some fur by then too, then I'll be as cute and fluffy as Mom.
See what I mean? That's me. A marked improvement, don't you think? I really shouldn't be out alone. I know. I'll get my brother to join me. Hey, you bum. It's beautiful outside.
What are you going to do? Waste your life away in a burrow? Come on, and get some fresh air. The sun shines this way.
What a slow poke. There's nothing to be nervous about, silly. Hurry up, or I'm leaving without you. Brothers can be such a pain.
Okay, okay, I'm coming. All she does is nag, nag, nag, nag. Hey, it's nice up here. In fact, it's wonderful. Hey, sis, wait for me.
Uh-oh. Mom doesn't know where we are, and she's going to be worried.
They're gone. I wonder if they wandered off and got lost. Or maybe they've been kidnapped. Oh dear, oh dear. I'd better check the burrow again. Kids, are you home yet?
Hurry, Jack. You know how she worries.
I'm coming, I'm coming. Boy, the women in this family are such worry warts.
Who's that plump little lady running through the trees? No, it's not my mom. It's me. I'm three months older now and looking very grown up. Don't you agree?
But what's that creature creeping over the horizon? It's a big, slithery snake. He looks awfully hungry. Mom, warn me about those. He doesn't see me yet, so I think I'm safe. I better steer clear, though, or he'll have a fluffy dinner.
Oh no, he has me in his sights. Should I freeze? Should I hide? Yikes. Run for your life.
Now where did she go? I'd better be quiet. He's still looking for me.
I'm sure she didn't get very far.
I'll just check right here over this rock. Hey, any troubles down there?
Now's my chance for a big escape. Ah, home sweet home. I think I'll look just one last time to make sure he's gone. Yep, I think I've seen the last of him.
Do do do do do do do do do do
Let's see how they grow.
The desert may be hot and dry, but some animals like that kind of weather.
Like scorpions, whose hard shells shelter them. And snakes, who weave their way through hot sand.
Even this little insect is a desert creature. You've probably never heard of him before. He's a Solifugit.
Well, I never heard of you either.
But no animals have lived in the desert longer than us. We're tortoises, and we've been moving around the Earth slowly but surely since the age of the dinosaurs.
That's my mother. She just laid her eggs in a cool, dark cave. And now she's working her way back into the sunshine.
We're cold-blooded, so we need lots of warmth to stay active. Of course, we're not talking aerobics or anything. Activity is all relative.
There's her eggs. They're white with hard shells, and almost completely round.
Although you can see them here, they're usually buried under the sand, which keeps them safe and sound for six months. Then we hatch.
There's mom and dad, out for their morning stroll.
Male tortoises' tails are longer than the females, and are usually kept tucked under our shells.
I think dad's in a playful mood today.
Bug off, Seymour. You're really getting on my nerves.
Gotcha that time, Zelda. Oh, don't be mad. You know I'm crazy about you. Let's kiss and make up.
All I want is some peace and quiet. He doesn't realize that laying eggs is very tiring for us girls.
Okay, okay. I can take a hint.
Well, six whole months have passed, and we baby tortoises have just hatched and are only three days old.
That's me, Eldon. Cute little fella, huh? I'm only about as big as a postage stamp and still very vulnerable, but I'm itching to explore the outside world.
Well, here I go. Wow, it's great out here. The sunshine feels so dreamy. I hope it dries me off a little, or soon I'll be coated in sand.
As you can see, this is quickly becoming a very sticky situation.
I think I hear my sister Abby calling me.
Hey, Speedy Gonzales. Where are you racing off to? You know I can't keep up.
Oh well, I guess I'll just snack instead. This green thing looks interesting. I wonder what it is. Hmm, I think I'll try a bite.
Yuck! What did I eat that for, Oog? I think it killed me. Look out below!
As you can see, my sister does have a flair for melodrama.
After another six months, I've grown quite a bit, but I'm still pretty puny compared to Mom. I'm looking forward to the time when I'll be fully grown, but that won't be for another eight years. I guess I'll just have to be patient.
Hey, I think I'll go exploring under this bridge.
With each year, we tortoises grow bigger and bigger, until finally, we're fully grown. Luckily our shells grow with us, and it's a good thing her wheat looked pretty silly.
Look, here's that bridge again. Wait a minute, I know I've been under last time.
Oh well, I guess I'll have to take the long way home.
Let's see how they grow!
The desert is home to many different animals, and sometimes what was one animal's home can become the home of another animal, like this tortoise shell.
Of course a tortoise used to live in it, but when he moved out, someone else moved in. The tenant is a red rump tarantula.
They call me red rump for a very good reason. See, my abdomen is covered with red hair.
And here's the greatest desert animal. I may be a little prejudiced because she's my mom, a gecko. She's called a leopard gecko because she's spotted, just like a leopard.
She has mesmerizing eyes, don't you think? Can you believe she cleans them with her tongue? Must be double-jointed or something.
Ah yes, just one of my many rare talents.
Each one of her feet has five toes, and her body is covered with little scales to protect them from the sun.
Uh oh, I think it's that time, if you know what I mean. Point me in the direction of the maternity ward. I have to find a place to lay my eggs.
Hey, that looks like a good place. I think I'll check it out. Looks okay. Anybody home? Olly olly oxen free!
I think the coast is clear. This will make a perfect nursery.
Leopard geckos lay two soft-shelled eggs every six weeks, and this is the last you'll see of them. Now it's just a matter of time before we're born.
Here comes the king snake. He's a nosy fellow, and he keeps checking up on us to see if we've hatched yet.
Now that two months have gone by, we're out and raring to go.
That's my sister Jeannie. Doesn't she look happy to be out of that egg? I can understand why. We were beginning to get claustrophobic in there.
And that's me. My name is Gilbert. As babies, we look more like that snake than our own mother. We have large, bold, black and gold patches, and a black and white striped tail.
Free at last! There's so much to do. So much to see. So many different places to... Yowza! What in the world is that? What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a blue-tongued lizard before? Here's why they named me that.
Something tells me I was better off in my egg. Want to see that again? Oh, come on. I know you're impressed. Everyone's always impressed by me. After all, I didn't even have to eat anything blue to get it that way.
Gee, some critters are just a tough audience.
Geckos get around pretty easily. Know why? We have legs that come out sideways from our bodies. This allows our bellies to be very close to the ground, and our feet have grippers too. All that combined makes me an excellent climber. See, I practically defy gravity.
It takes about a year for me to be fully grown, and when I am, I'll have beautiful leopard spots, just like Mom's.
Well, it's getting late in the desert, and it's time for us animals to call it a night. I see the red rump found a way home. Nighty night.
Now I need to find a cozy spot I can call home. Hey, I think I found something. Yeah, yeah, looks good. In fact, it looks oddly familiar. Could it be? Why, yes, it's the home where I was hatched as a little tyke.
I don't mean to get mushy or anything, but there's no place like home.
Let's see how they grow, let's see how they grow. We'll see birds hatch from their eggs. They can hardly stand on their legs. And spiders use their spanners to help catch their dinner so they'll have more time to play.
Let's see how they grow, let's see how they grow. Puppies just love to chew, and their teeth get stronger when they do. All the piggies in the puddle look to cuddle in the muddle. See the little baby bunnies with their fuzzy little tummies. There's chickens, ladybugs, even snakes can use a hug.
They're growing up like me and you. Let's see how they grow, me and you.