This 23-minute videotape for grades 5-8, presents the myriad of animal life that exists on the planet. Students can view and perform experiments and investigations that help explain animal traits and habits. All animals need food, water, and shelter to grow, reproduce, and survive. Students learn about the needs of animals and how, over time, if these needs are not met, an animal species is in danger of becoming endangered or extinct. A demonstration in which students observe how fruit flies respond to different environmental conditions is included, while a visit to the Long Beach Aquarium illustrates how this facility meets the needs of the animals that it houses. This program is based on the concepts outlined in the National Science Education Standards for Life Science: (1) structure and function in living systems; (2) reproduction and heredity; (3) regulation and behavior; (4) populations and ecosystems; and (5) diversity and adaptations of organisms. A teacher's guide is also included. (ASK)