Back to Show
Deep Look
Here’s How That Annoying Fly Dodges Your Swatter
Season 7
Episode 20
A fly has a pair of tiny, dumbbell-shaped limbs called halteres that were once a second pair of wings. They wield them to make razor-sharp turns and land out of reach on your ceiling. But don't despair – there *is* a trick to smacking these infuriating insects.
Support Provided By

3:50
Crow funerals aren't the solemn events that we hold for our dead. What's really going on?

3:04
To reproduce, vibrant tumbleweeds need to turn into rolling brown skeletons.

3:15
This catfish looks confused, but swimming belly-up helps it camouflage and breathe better.

3:11
Once used for questionable treatments, leeches now help doctors to reattach body parts.

3:32
A tick uses a mouth of hooks to cling to you. But there *is* a way to pull it out.

3:13
Most firefly flashes are pure romance. One copycat uses them to lure others to their doom.

3:28
Some very special physics help Pacific mole crabs dig with astonishing speed.

3:49
With flowers hidden inside, the corpse flower plays dead to lure some unusual pollinators.

4:42
The female black widow has a bad reputation, but her male counterpart is a total jerk.

4:14
When it comes to hooking up, male mantises have good reason to fear commitment.

3:50
Pine beetles can fell a mighty ponderosa pine, but the forest fights back. Who will win?

3:43
Bat echolocation is loud, so some bats have hit on a sneakier, scrappier way to hunt.