The Nature of Sex

A Time and A Place (1x2)

: 22, 1993

There is nothing more romantic than a moonlit night. So goes many a love song. But for animals from bat rays to wriggling, seagoing palolo worms, the moon is more than a romantic backdrop -- it's a key signal that the time has come to mate. Such sexual signals are the focus of this episode. From the changing phases of the moon to subtle chemical surges, the program outlines the many cues that trigger sexual activity. Indeed, without these landmarks, many animals would send their newborns into the world at the wrong place and wrong time, with little chance of survival.