From snow-capped mountains to arid deserts, and all the lush forests in between, Discovery Channel has a gorgeous new series premiering in 2013 that zooms in on some of the most exotic nature in the world -- and it's all in our own backyard.

We've got the exclusive first look at the trailer for "North America," the upcoming eight-part series produced for Discovery Channel by Wild Horizons Ltd., with team members from their other critically acclaimed nature series like "Planet Earth" and "Life." The project was five years in the making, and the footage is absolutely breathtaking.

Words like "unforgiving," "brutal" and "deadly" flash on screen over beautiful close-ups, shocking time-lapse shots and extreme weather images -- reminders that the crew braved all those elements for art's sake. But in our land of extremes, there's also some fascinating wildlife, including common horses and rabbits like we've never seen them, and more exotic creatures like jaguars, bison and spinner sharks.

If you've never seen a fox nosedive into a pile of deep, soft snow, leaving only his tail visible, wagging above ground, it's every bit as adorable and memorable as it sounds.
Source

In 2013, we’re staying home.

North America — an epic natural history series five years in the making — will sweep viewers across some of the most diverse landscapes on the planet: lofty snowcapped peaks, fertile forests and dramatic windswept coasts, all right in our own backyard.

North America will also spotlight the unique animals that live in our continent’s astonishing and sometimes brutal habitats, from jaguars to spinner sharks, from wolves that fish to wolverines high in the mountains. To survive here, our native wildlife must be fiercely resilient — sharing that human spirit the continent is known for.