Antarctica, a land of survivors, endures the most hostile conditions on Earth. Ninety-eight percent of the mainland is covered with ice, on which virtually nothing can live. Even the sea freezes over, but the Weddell seal manages to survive here.

Asia is the largest and most extreme continent on the planet, stretching from the Arctic Circle to the tropical forests on the equator. The animals here face the hottest deserts, tallest jungles, and highest mountains found anywhere on Earth.

From the bone-dry deserts of the Atacama, where penguins weave their way through a minefield of snapping sea lions, to the lush cloud forests of the Andes, South America is full of the unusual and ingenious.

A breathtaking view of Australia and all of the unique animals that live there, including the most dangerous bird in the world, kangaroos, wombats and predators.

High above the city of Gibraltar, Barbary macaques, Europe's only non-human primates, live lives full of kidnappings and high drama; in the cemeteries of Vienna Grave Robbing European hamsters do battle with each other for food.

More than any other continent, North America is defined by extreme weather and seasonal change. For animals that live here, this poses great challenges, but for those with a pioneering spirit, it can also offer great rewards.