Name: Sophisticated Mountain Hares and Playful Otters! | The Science Of Cute | BBC Earth
Uploaded: 2020-03-09T17:24:53.000Z
Duration: 10 min 11 s
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My name is Edwin Tala, wildlife photographer and filmmaker.

I'm really cold, and this is another episode off the signs of cute.

This time we're looking at species found in the north of the UK There isn't much higher up.

Snow buntings name reflects the kind of weather that often adorns this landscape and red grouse.

However, by diverting your attention from these feathered mountaineers, he might spot your first gray hair on a sunny winter day.

Heads seem misplaced amongst the brown, earthy tones.

This weather is abnormal for winter there at this time of year.

Snow and ice of the expected hilltop ones, which suited to saturated hair's a lot better in white coats, only temporary worn by the heads for the winter period.

Come summer, brown codes will be allowed rage for any fashionable hair that wants to blend in mountain hares.

Um, mainly nocturnal spending most of the day resting.

They also spend a hefty proportion of their time grooming.

Perhaps personal hygiene is important amongst her culture.

Or perhaps there's just not much else to do.

Has a known for their tremendous ears, mountain hares actually have slightly smaller is than the more common puzzle.

The brown hair shorter is make it easier for the head to keep warm, as their heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood to its extremities.

Although less common in the UK, mountain hares are the native species.

Brown hairs were introduced by the Romans around 2000 years ago.

Remains of mountain hares have been dating back over 100,000 years.

Adopting a spherical ball of fluff pose helps the head stay warm by minimizing the surface area of the body.

Exposed to the bitter cold, wedging themselves in amongst the heather shields them from the worst of gale force winds and keeps them out of view of predators.

Eagles, stoats and foxes are predators that the hairs need to try and avoid.

But a major killer of these up land dwellers, it's actually humans.

Mountain hares have been accused of transmitting grouse, killing ticks and consequently persecuted on grass.

Moreland of the charismatic mammals can be found closer to sea level every 60 seconds in Scotland.

Its coastline is a place of rain, mystic wonder and more rain.

If you look out to the cool waters of a lock, a quick flick off, something slick might catch your eye.

Maybe if you wait for it to come ashore, though, it may well turn out to be on water.

No, what is a part of the mustard family?

Like badges and weasels, your agent waters are most often found in lakes, rivers and canals, But these particular otters have developed a taste for Gaelic seafood.

Young daughters, they're called pops on, distinguishable by the fuzzier coat.

Pups will stay with them other for over a year.

Under there they are terrific, Lee Sweet.

The problem with being an aquatic fluff noodle is in fact, fluff.

Young daughters have a hard time learning to dive due to the buoyancy created by air trapped in their fluffy coats.

Excuses aside, at around 16 weeks old, after pups are forced to learn to hunt for themselves by their mother fish and crustaceans like crabs, crayfish and for the more discerning auto lobsters.

They have been known to eat eggs, birds and even small mammals, too.

Being mustered, its waters are incredibly playful creatures, especially the youngsters.

The rough and tumble ballet of biting has no preferred stage on autos will play anywhere on land or in the water.

As for most animals, that play activity strengthens physical abilities, turns important survival skills and is really, really good fun mucking about in the murky depths all day, leaving auto rather filthy.

So they always appreciate a good cleaning session.

A really good cleaning session, often using rocks to scratch those hard to reach places.

After a good scratch, they returned to the water to hunt.

Otters can close their ears and noses whilst they dive on the combination of short legs and a long tail.

There, Isa placed high on their heads to let them see above the surface while they swim.

Unfortunately, one of the main threats to these waters is habitat destruction and the increased prevalence off roads and traffic.

So if you're driving around the Scottish shoreline, please do take care.

I'm looking for mountain heads now in the UK, most of the population of Scotland.

But there is one population that still lives and that population lives in, which is where I am now.

But these these mountain has a lot more a lot better suited for for this environment.

Visibility is a great today is gonna be good to be a bit of a mission that's had to which is good, because it means that has it here.

The issue is at this time of year, the heads have turned white, and when the whole environment looks what looks like this, it means they're really difficult to spot.

You can hear me trying to speak, but go well.

The book from yesterday's lifted Because of that, the sun's coming in and it's melting away some of this frost from yesterday, which means the White Mountain has to be a lot easier to spot now.

The visibility may be a lot better, but it's still bitterly cold, especially with with the wind up here.

But these little mountain has they have to deal with this all day every day for their whole lives.

So I've got a lot of respect with little heads.

So I just managed to get really close to a mounted.

That's why I was filming assessment by my lens and tried to set up.

But then just a little bit further up here, quite found.

Okay, what matters is the balloon from someone's party or wedding.

It just goes to show that even if what you're doing doesn't directly seem hump for the environment can have effects a lot more further afield.

Words from in that hair nice and close up on that hair.

Could could see that a tasty looking plant or something and have a nibble.

Remember the end of the half, sir, I don't know the turn of everything.

I think it's good to raise awareness when you see it for the sun's going down now.

 And I need to get off these peaks before it gets completely dark. 