A raven sneaks into a fishing shack. The raven's ingenuity is apparent in how it cleverly uses items in his surroundings to get what it wants, such as finding a way to open the blinds to compensate for its bad eyesight, and using tools to pry open a drawer filled with food.

The narrator describes how the physical features of the kangaroo rat allow it to survive for a short amount of time in the intense dryness and heat in Arizona. Afterwards, the kangaroo rat seeks shelter underground to protect itself from the harsh environmental conditions.

A barn owl chases its prey, a mouse, around a ranch. The narrator describes the ecological advantages of the barn owl in hunting its prey and how it has adapted to its surroundings in order to be a dangerous predator. However, the mouse also makes use of its size and ability to fit in small areas, eventually managing to escape the owl.

A burrowing owl lives at a golf course, and begins to raid a greenkeeper's hut. Rather than searching directly for food, the owl searches for trash, which it places outside its burrow. It does this in order to attract flies to eat, rather than risking its life searching for food out in the open. The owl also uses trash outside its home to remind to others that the burrow is occupied.

The kangaroo rat encounters a scorpion and has no means to escape. Suddenly, a scorpion mouse, which preys on scorpions, arrives and fights with the scorpion. The narrator explains how the scorpion mouse is advantaged by its evolved biological resistance to the scorpion's venom. Eventually, the scorpion retreats.