1
00:00:06,214 --> 00:00:08,049
(THEME MUSIC BEGINS)

2
00:00:08,258 --> 00:00:12,929
BENEDICT:
<i>Enter a world just beyond your perception.</i>

3
00:00:19,019 --> 00:00:22,063
<i>A world of extraordinary animals,</i>

4
00:00:23,148 --> 00:00:26,526
<i>with hidden powers, and super senses.</i>

5
00:00:27,569 --> 00:00:29,571
<i>If you think you know nature...</i>

6
00:00:32,490 --> 00:00:33,908
<i>think again.</i>

7
00:00:37,537 --> 00:00:39,622
(THEME MUSIC ENDS)

8
00:00:42,751 --> 00:00:45,045
BENEDICT:
<i>It's the punch you don't see coming...</i>

9
00:00:49,090 --> 00:00:50,467
<i>that hits the hardest.</i>

10
00:00:51,009 --> 00:00:54,304
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

11
00:00:59,809 --> 00:01:00,935
(MUSIC ENDS)

12
00:01:03,229 --> 00:01:07,776
BENEDICT: <i>Coral reefs are swimming</i>
<i>with so many predators.</i>

13
00:01:12,822 --> 00:01:17,702
<i>Sometimes, it pays</i>
<i>to hide in plain sight.</i>

14
00:01:21,164 --> 00:01:23,750
<i>Blending into the background</i>
<i>comes naturally</i>

15
00:01:25,293 --> 00:01:26,836
<i>to a stonefish.</i>

16
00:01:28,296 --> 00:01:29,422
<i>Good looks...</i>

17
00:01:32,175 --> 00:01:33,301
<i>not so much.</i>

18
00:01:35,637 --> 00:01:36,805
<i>No matter,</i>

19
00:01:38,515 --> 00:01:40,850
<i>when things get ugly</i>
<i>on a coral reef,</i>

20
00:01:42,519 --> 00:01:45,605
<i>skill beats beauty every time,</i>

21
00:01:49,526 --> 00:01:51,569
<i>and the deceptive stonefish</i>

22
00:01:53,530 --> 00:01:55,406
<i>has many hidden talents.</i>

23
00:01:59,661 --> 00:02:02,247
<i>Thirteen spines on its dorsal fin,</i>

24
00:02:03,540 --> 00:02:06,876
<i>loaded with the most deadly venom</i>
<i>of any fish,</i>

25
00:02:08,878 --> 00:02:10,755
<i>protect it from attack.</i>

26
00:02:14,384 --> 00:02:15,510
<i>But still,</i>

27
00:02:17,804 --> 00:02:19,389
<i>it chooses to hide.</i>

28
00:02:22,976 --> 00:02:27,730
<i>Burying itself into the sand,</i>
<i>in a disappearing act so effective,</i>

29
00:02:29,774 --> 00:02:30,817
<i>it's scary.</i>

30
00:02:37,157 --> 00:02:40,201
<i>The stonefish is almost impossible</i>
<i>to spot,</i>

31
00:02:44,414 --> 00:02:46,916
<i>and to avoid.</i>

32
00:02:53,548 --> 00:02:57,177
<i>One of the fastest moves</i>
<i>in the animal kingdom,</i>

33
00:02:57,677 --> 00:03:00,638
<i>it creates an inescapable suction field,</i>

34
00:03:06,060 --> 00:03:07,061
<i>gone</i>

35
00:03:07,604 --> 00:03:10,231
<i>in 16 milliseconds.</i>

36
00:03:18,239 --> 00:03:20,575
<i>Whether predator or prey,</i>

37
00:03:21,826 --> 00:03:23,453
<i>when life hangs in the balance,</i>

38
00:03:24,579 --> 00:03:28,333
<i>only the most potent superpowers</i>
<i>will save the day.</i>

39
00:03:30,293 --> 00:03:32,378
(ETHEREAL MUSIC PLAYING)

40
00:03:34,297 --> 00:03:35,381
(MUSIC ENDS)

41
00:03:42,013 --> 00:03:45,934
BENEDICT: <i>The hothouse conditions</i>
<i>of the Costa Rican rainforest,</i>

42
00:03:46,935 --> 00:03:49,979
<i>fuel an intense evolutionary arms race</i>

43
00:03:51,105 --> 00:03:52,398
<i>between hunter</i>

44
00:03:53,399 --> 00:03:54,651
<i>and hunted.</i>

45
00:03:56,444 --> 00:03:58,947
<i>As prey get better at escaping,</i>

46
00:04:01,032 --> 00:04:04,244
<i>predators get ever more deadly.</i>

47
00:04:09,374 --> 00:04:13,336
<i>Motmots have a taste for reptiles.</i>

48
00:04:17,090 --> 00:04:18,675
<i>These visual hunters</i>

49
00:04:19,467 --> 00:04:22,845
<i>scan for prey</i>
<i>with acute vision,</i>

50
00:04:23,805 --> 00:04:26,140
<i>highly attuned to movement.</i>

51
00:04:30,895 --> 00:04:35,275
<i>So this anole lizard</i>
<i>better tread carefully.</i>

52
00:04:39,237 --> 00:04:40,613
<i>Whenever she freezes,</i>

53
00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,534
<i>the motmot can't see her,</i>

54
00:04:46,536 --> 00:04:49,414
<i>but she can see him.</i>

55
00:04:51,416 --> 00:04:53,751
<i>Her sight has special properties, too.</i>

56
00:04:55,169 --> 00:04:59,632
<i>Side-oriented eyes</i>
<i>give almost a 360 degree surveillance,</i>

57
00:05:03,678 --> 00:05:06,347
<i>and they're sensitive</i>
<i>to the ultraviolet spectrum,</i>

58
00:05:08,433 --> 00:05:10,893
<i>intensifying the contrast and color</i>

59
00:05:12,061 --> 00:05:13,604
<i>of the motmot's plumage.</i>

60
00:05:17,025 --> 00:05:18,860
<i>But she can't stand still forever.</i>

61
00:05:20,570 --> 00:05:22,363
<i>She needs to eat, too.</i>

62
00:05:26,409 --> 00:05:28,786
<i>So when the motmot looks away,</i>

63
00:05:30,580 --> 00:05:32,582
<i>the lizard moves</i>

64
00:05:34,625 --> 00:05:35,835
<i>just a little.</i>

65
00:05:40,089 --> 00:05:41,591
<i>Nothing to see here.</i>

66
00:05:51,392 --> 00:05:53,686
<i>It's like they're playing red light,</i>
<i>green light,</i>

67
00:05:56,356 --> 00:05:58,024
<i>only this is no game.</i>

68
00:06:08,368 --> 00:06:09,869
<i>One wrong step...</i>

69
00:06:11,162 --> 00:06:13,831
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

70
00:06:14,874 --> 00:06:15,917
<i>...could be fatal.</i>

71
00:06:21,881 --> 00:06:27,303
<i>As the motmot closes in,</i>
<i>the lizard moves just out of range.</i>

72
00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,640
(MUSIC CONTINUES)

73
00:06:38,898 --> 00:06:41,859
BENEDICT:
<i>But now, there's nowhere left to run.</i>

74
00:06:45,071 --> 00:06:46,114
(MUSIC ENDS)

75
00:07:11,722 --> 00:07:14,767
<i>The motmot is a sit-and-wait predator.</i>

76
00:07:21,482 --> 00:07:25,403
<i>Surely, there's only so long</i>
<i>that a lizard can stay underwater.</i>

77
00:07:33,870 --> 00:07:37,415
<i>But this is clearly no ordinary lizard.</i>

78
00:07:43,963 --> 00:07:47,300
<i>She has an unbelievable escape strategy</i>

79
00:07:48,176 --> 00:07:49,719
<i>so recently discovered,</i>

80
00:07:50,261 --> 00:07:53,264
<i>that it's never been filmed before now.</i>

81
00:07:55,141 --> 00:07:56,517
<i>When submerged,</i>

82
00:07:58,978 --> 00:08:02,315
<i>tiny bubbles</i>
<i>trapped between water-repellent scales</i>

83
00:08:03,065 --> 00:08:04,025
<i>join up</i>

84
00:08:05,276 --> 00:08:07,695
<i>and rise towards her head.</i>

85
00:08:13,284 --> 00:08:15,620
<i>A secret scuba system,</i>

86
00:08:24,670 --> 00:08:26,506
<i>allowing her to breathe</i>

87
00:08:28,216 --> 00:08:29,300
<i>underwater.</i>

88
00:08:33,471 --> 00:08:36,390
<i>This ingenious lizard can stay submerged</i>

89
00:08:36,891 --> 00:08:38,851
<i>for over 18 minutes.</i>

90
00:08:50,404 --> 00:08:53,115
<i>Long enough for even</i>
<i>the most patient motmot</i>

91
00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:55,743
<i>to concede defeat.</i>

92
00:09:05,336 --> 00:09:07,004
<i>And for the little lizard</i>

93
00:09:08,464 --> 00:09:11,175
<i>to emerge victorious.</i>

94
00:09:16,514 --> 00:09:18,558
<i>Most hunts aren't successful.</i>

95
00:09:21,143 --> 00:09:25,147
<i>Even the most superpowered predators</i>
<i>struggle to make a catch.</i>

96
00:09:28,734 --> 00:09:33,447
<i>Hyper carnivores have a diet</i>
<i>of 70% meat.</i>

97
00:09:35,366 --> 00:09:39,245
<i>This one is the largest to walk the Earth.</i>

98
00:09:39,912 --> 00:09:41,080
(POLAR BEAR GROWLS)

99
00:09:41,497 --> 00:09:45,585
BENEDICT: <i>And one of the very few animals</i>
<i>known to actively hunt humans.</i>

100
00:09:49,005 --> 00:09:50,923
(GROWLS)

101
00:09:54,552 --> 00:09:57,430
BENEDICT:
<i>But a polar bear's preferred prey...</i>

102
00:09:59,849 --> 00:10:01,100
<i>is seal.</i>

103
00:10:05,021 --> 00:10:07,273
<i>To survive a life below zero,</i>

104
00:10:08,024 --> 00:10:10,484
<i>she must eat more than 50 a year.</i>

105
00:10:12,612 --> 00:10:14,155
<i>But catching them is tough,</i>

106
00:10:15,906 --> 00:10:18,492
<i>even for such a specialized seal stalker.</i>

107
00:10:23,289 --> 00:10:28,044
<i>Orienting tail to the wind,</i>
<i>a seal uses its sense of smell</i>

108
00:10:28,169 --> 00:10:30,755
<i>to detect predators approaching</i>
<i>from behind</i>

109
00:10:31,047 --> 00:10:34,800
<i>while keeping a lookout for any attack</i>
<i>from the front.</i>

110
00:10:40,097 --> 00:10:42,224
<i>UV intensifying eyesight</i>

111
00:10:43,851 --> 00:10:46,812
<i>helps see through</i>
<i>the bear's snow white disguise,</i>

112
00:10:53,986 --> 00:10:58,574
<i>and a smart seal always keeps</i>
<i>an emergency exit close by.</i>

113
00:11:10,086 --> 00:11:14,882
<i>Out here, it takes more</i>
<i>than brute strength to make a kill.</i>

114
00:11:18,010 --> 00:11:21,055
<i>With fewer than two seals</i>
<i>every square mile,</i>

115
00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:23,808
<i>tracking them down</i>

116
00:11:25,935 --> 00:11:26,977
<i>is a challenge.</i>

117
00:11:31,190 --> 00:11:34,151
<i>And now there's less sea ice</i>
<i>due to climate change.</i>

118
00:11:37,071 --> 00:11:40,449
<i>Her search for food is even harder.</i>

119
00:11:45,621 --> 00:11:50,459
<i>Thankfully, she has</i>
<i>an extraordinary super-sense on her side.</i>

120
00:11:54,380 --> 00:11:56,298
<i>Her sense of smell,</i>

121
00:11:57,633 --> 00:12:00,678
<i>the most powerful nose</i>
<i>in the animal kingdom.</i>

122
00:12:04,348 --> 00:12:07,727
<i>She can even sniff out</i>
<i>a seal under the ice.</i>

123
00:12:14,233 --> 00:12:18,612
<i>From over a mile away,</i>
<i>she picks up a scent carried on the wind.</i>

124
00:12:35,963 --> 00:12:37,882
<i>Locked onto her target,</i>

125
00:12:42,470 --> 00:12:44,472
<i>approaching from downwind,</i>

126
00:12:46,390 --> 00:12:47,850
<i>she closes in.</i>

127
00:13:09,413 --> 00:13:12,416
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

128
00:13:15,211 --> 00:13:16,754
-(MUSIC ENDS)
-(POLAR BEAR GROWLS)

129
00:13:19,465 --> 00:13:23,135
BENEDICT: <i>Securing enough food just</i>
<i>to stay alive is hard enough.</i>

130
00:13:24,011 --> 00:13:27,223
(CUBS YELP)

131
00:13:28,057 --> 00:13:32,353
BENEDICT: <i>Providing for a growing family,</i>
<i>even harder.</i>

132
00:13:34,939 --> 00:13:38,150
<i>Only a third of cubs</i>
<i>reach their second year.</i>

133
00:13:42,029 --> 00:13:44,573
<i>Raising the next generation of hunters</i>

134
00:13:45,407 --> 00:13:47,368
<i>can be a relentless pursuit,</i>

135
00:13:49,161 --> 00:13:52,456
<i>especially in extreme environments.</i>

136
00:13:59,755 --> 00:14:02,132
<i>The eat-or-be-eaten world</i>

137
00:14:04,844 --> 00:14:06,595
<i>of the Arizona desert.</i>

138
00:14:08,764 --> 00:14:10,224
(ROADRUNNER SQUAWKS)

139
00:14:10,933 --> 00:14:12,351
BENEDICT: <i>This roadrunner dad</i>

140
00:14:13,269 --> 00:14:17,857
<i>is run ragged,</i>
<i>providing food for three ravenous chicks.</i>

141
00:14:18,315 --> 00:14:19,650
(CHIRPING)

142
00:14:19,859 --> 00:14:22,945
BENEDICT: <i>One meal delivered,</i>
<i>and he's on to the next.</i>

143
00:14:24,613 --> 00:14:27,408
<i>Racing around at 25 miles an hour,</i>

144
00:14:29,034 --> 00:14:32,037
<i>hunting pretty much anything</i>
<i>he can get his beak on.</i>

145
00:14:38,961 --> 00:14:40,880
<i>But each time Dad leaves,</i>

146
00:14:41,130 --> 00:14:44,091
<i>-the nest is exposed.</i>
-(CHICKS CHIRPING)

147
00:14:45,092 --> 00:14:48,178
BENEDICT: <i>Seventy percent of chicks</i>
<i>get taken by predators.</i>

148
00:14:48,470 --> 00:14:50,180
(RATTLES)

149
00:14:52,892 --> 00:14:58,522
<i>A hognose snake detects scent molecules</i>
<i>on each tip of its forked tongue...</i>

150
00:15:04,445 --> 00:15:09,742
<i>sensing in stereo to determine</i>
<i>the exact direction of its prey.</i>

151
00:15:10,910 --> 00:15:13,329
(CHIRPING)

152
00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:20,377
(SQUAWKING)

153
00:15:24,173 --> 00:15:28,552
BENEDICT: <i>Another meal secured,</i>
<i>Dad heads home...</i>

154
00:15:30,512 --> 00:15:32,181
(BRAKES SCREECHING)

155
00:15:32,431 --> 00:15:33,724
<i>...just in time.</i>

156
00:15:40,439 --> 00:15:42,066
<i>With lightning reactions,</i>

157
00:15:44,234 --> 00:15:46,278
<i>and a sharp two-inch beak...</i>

158
00:15:46,612 --> 00:15:48,113
(HISSES)

159
00:15:48,530 --> 00:15:52,576
<i>...roadrunners are known</i>
<i>as "snake killers" for good reason.</i>

160
00:15:55,913 --> 00:15:57,623
<i>Dad just turned danger</i>

161
00:15:58,874 --> 00:16:00,209
<i>into dinner.</i>

162
00:16:03,420 --> 00:16:07,549
<i>But now, this snake</i>
<i>doesn't smell so appetizing.</i>

163
00:16:09,343 --> 00:16:10,970
<i>Roadrunners aren't picky eaters,</i>

164
00:16:11,762 --> 00:16:13,889
<i>but when it comes to rotten flesh,</i>

165
00:16:15,224 --> 00:16:16,225
<i>it's a pass.</i>

166
00:16:22,398 --> 00:16:24,149
<i>At least his chicks are safe.</i>

167
00:16:25,567 --> 00:16:28,445
(FLIES BUZZING)

168
00:16:30,114 --> 00:16:31,407
BENEDICT: <i>Or are they?</i>

169
00:16:36,620 --> 00:16:38,247
<i>A zombie resurrection,</i>

170
00:16:39,748 --> 00:16:42,751
<i>or just playing dead to save his skin?</i>

171
00:16:47,715 --> 00:16:52,511
<i>The hognose snake can even emit a smell</i>
<i>like decomposing carrion,</i>

172
00:16:54,847 --> 00:16:56,640
<i>faking his own death,</i>

173
00:16:57,975 --> 00:17:01,186
<i>so he can live to die another day.</i>

174
00:17:08,610 --> 00:17:11,238
<i>Some defense strategies</i>
<i>are so extraordinary,</i>

175
00:17:12,448 --> 00:17:13,490
<i>they're phenomenal.</i>

176
00:17:15,743 --> 00:17:19,204
(SCREECHING)

177
00:17:19,913 --> 00:17:22,124
BENEDICT: <i>A murmuration of starlings,</i>

178
00:17:23,125 --> 00:17:26,879
<i>moving as one mesmerizing super organism.</i>

179
00:17:30,716 --> 00:17:33,802
(SCREECHING)

180
00:17:35,095 --> 00:17:39,892
BENEDICT: <i>Exactly how and why they make</i>
<i>these mind-blowing patterns in the sky</i>

181
00:17:40,392 --> 00:17:41,643
<i>has remained a mystery.</i>

182
00:17:46,148 --> 00:17:50,360
<i>But recent discoveries reveal</i>
<i>that the motivation behind such beauty,</i>

183
00:17:51,361 --> 00:17:52,654
<i>is destruction.</i>

184
00:17:59,453 --> 00:18:03,457
<i>Local peregrine falcons know</i>
<i>that during the European winter,</i>

185
00:18:03,582 --> 00:18:05,501
<i>starlings flock in their millions.</i>

186
00:18:07,711 --> 00:18:11,590
<i>And in the open countryside,</i>
<i>they're vulnerable to attack.</i>

187
00:18:14,009 --> 00:18:15,177
<i>So, at dusk,</i>

188
00:18:16,053 --> 00:18:18,430
<i>they gather</i>
<i>for safety in numbers.</i>

189
00:18:22,017 --> 00:18:24,812
<i>Flocking like this, helps them hide</i>
<i>in the crowd,</i>

190
00:18:26,021 --> 00:18:27,731
<i>but it makes a tempting target.</i>

191
00:18:27,815 --> 00:18:28,816
(SCREECHES)

192
00:18:31,819 --> 00:18:33,821
BENEDICT:<i> Flying low to avoid detection,</i>

193
00:18:35,614 --> 00:18:37,741
<i>the Peregrine makes its approach.</i>

194
00:18:43,705 --> 00:18:45,082
<i>Then it climbs</i>

195
00:18:47,584 --> 00:18:49,378
<i>high above the flock,</i>

196
00:18:57,469 --> 00:18:58,387
<i>turns</i>

197
00:18:59,221 --> 00:19:00,639
<i>and dives.</i>

198
00:19:03,934 --> 00:19:09,064
<i>With near aerodynamic perfection,</i>
<i>it plummets at 250 miles an hour...</i>

199
00:19:09,398 --> 00:19:11,650
(SCREECHING)

200
00:19:11,942 --> 00:19:15,237
<i>...making it the fastest animal</i>
<i>on the planet.</i>

201
00:19:21,451 --> 00:19:24,163
<i>Starlings barely reach 50 miles an hour,</i>

202
00:19:25,414 --> 00:19:28,625
<i>but they have a more subtle secret weapon.</i>

203
00:19:30,836 --> 00:19:33,463
<i>A single magical number,</i>

204
00:19:35,841 --> 00:19:39,511
<i>each bird tracks</i>
<i>its six closest neighbors.</i>

205
00:19:40,179 --> 00:19:42,890
<i>Precision matching distance and speed.</i>

206
00:19:44,933 --> 00:19:48,020
<i>As this rule of six multiplies</i>
<i>across the flock,</i>

207
00:19:50,689 --> 00:19:53,358
<i>it creates a dazzling display.</i>

208
00:19:55,611 --> 00:19:58,864
<i>Each twist and turn ripples</i>
<i>through the formation</i>

209
00:19:58,989 --> 00:20:01,158
<i>at 65 feet per second.</i>

210
00:20:01,366 --> 00:20:03,869
(SCREECHING)

211
00:20:05,412 --> 00:20:09,583
BENEDICT:
<i>Confusing to the eye, hard to predict,</i>

212
00:20:11,919 --> 00:20:14,630
<i>almost impossible to penetrate.</i>

213
00:20:18,342 --> 00:20:20,844
<i>The falcon struggles</i>
<i>to pick off an individual.</i>

214
00:20:23,222 --> 00:20:27,726
<i>In horizontal flight,</i>
<i>its speed advantage is vastly diminished.</i>

215
00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:34,358
<i>Starlings process visual cues</i>
<i>much quicker than humans</i>

216
00:20:36,151 --> 00:20:38,278
<i>and counter a peregrine's agility</i>

217
00:20:39,279 --> 00:20:40,948
<i>with their own aerobatics.</i>

218
00:20:47,537 --> 00:20:49,665
<i>And thanks to incredible synchronicity,</i>

219
00:20:51,291 --> 00:20:53,752
<i>even the planet's fastest predator</i>

220
00:20:55,170 --> 00:20:56,463
<i>is outmaneuvered.</i>

221
00:21:07,766 --> 00:21:11,144
<i>Eighty percent of the time,</i>
<i>the peregrine is unsuccessful.</i>

222
00:21:17,526 --> 00:21:24,074
<i>All it can do is watch this spectacular</i>
<i>show of strength in numbers.</i>

223
00:21:26,660 --> 00:21:27,995
(SCREECHES)

224
00:21:35,085 --> 00:21:38,547
(BIRDS CHIRPING)

225
00:21:38,964 --> 00:21:41,967
BENEDICT:<i> Ingenious examples</i>
<i>of how to avoid attack</i>

226
00:21:42,551 --> 00:21:44,928
<i>can be found hiding everywhere,</i>

227
00:21:46,013 --> 00:21:48,682
<i>even in an English country garden.</i>

228
00:21:51,268 --> 00:21:52,811
<i>Look a little closer,</i>

229
00:21:54,062 --> 00:21:56,606
<i>because plants have predators, too.</i>

230
00:22:02,738 --> 00:22:07,284
<i>A death's-head Hawkmoth's favorite food</i>
<i>is nectar,</i>

231
00:22:09,411 --> 00:22:11,079
<i>but her offspring emerge</i>

232
00:22:12,039 --> 00:22:14,958
<i>as voracious tomato plant killers.</i>

233
00:22:23,383 --> 00:22:25,135
<i>In just three weeks,</i>

234
00:22:28,055 --> 00:22:30,140
<i>these very hungry caterpillars</i>

235
00:22:31,725 --> 00:22:34,853
<i>grow 16 times bigger.</i>

236
00:22:44,154 --> 00:22:45,447
<i>Now, finger length,</i>

237
00:22:46,573 --> 00:22:49,117
<i>and armed with scissor-like mandibles,</i>

238
00:22:52,245 --> 00:22:56,083
<i>one caterpillar can devour</i>
<i>an entire plant.</i>

239
00:23:07,052 --> 00:23:11,056
<i>An army of them will decimate</i>
<i>the whole crop.</i>

240
00:23:20,482 --> 00:23:23,860
<i>But tomato plants</i>
<i>have an invisible defense.</i>

241
00:23:26,905 --> 00:23:30,075
<i>Injured leaves release</i>
<i>an airborne distress call.</i>

242
00:23:34,913 --> 00:23:37,791
<i>Volatile chemicals</i>
<i>that warn neighboring plants</i>

243
00:23:38,625 --> 00:23:40,710
<i>to prepare for war.</i>

244
00:23:44,673 --> 00:23:50,929
<i>This call to arms rallies nearby leaves</i>
<i>to produce powerful toxins,</i>

245
00:23:55,434 --> 00:23:57,936
<i>rendering them inedible.</i>

246
00:24:04,693 --> 00:24:09,156
<i>And because these caterpillars</i>
<i>only feed on plants in the tomato family,</i>

247
00:24:09,781 --> 00:24:11,450
<i>they begin to starve.</i>

248
00:24:14,286 --> 00:24:19,332
<i>A recent discovery reveals this tale</i>
<i>has a sinister twist.</i>

249
00:24:22,711 --> 00:24:24,212
<i>With nothing left to eat...</i>

250
00:24:29,634 --> 00:24:30,844
<i>they eat</i>

251
00:24:32,262 --> 00:24:33,763
<i>each other.</i>

252
00:24:37,809 --> 00:24:39,561
<i>Cannibal caterpillars,</i>

253
00:24:41,897 --> 00:24:44,399
<i>a gruesome method of pest control.</i>

254
00:24:46,443 --> 00:24:49,446
<i>When the killer tomatoes strike back.</i>

255
00:24:52,324 --> 00:24:55,494
<i>In nature, who's most deadly...</i>

256
00:24:57,037 --> 00:24:59,498
<i>is all a matter of perspective.</i>

257
00:25:05,212 --> 00:25:06,963
<i>Beneath a European Meadow</i>

258
00:25:08,548 --> 00:25:10,133
<i>an Etruscan shrew</i>

259
00:25:11,051 --> 00:25:12,010
<i>just waking,</i>

260
00:25:13,887 --> 00:25:15,639
<i>but it's no slow start.</i>

261
00:25:16,681 --> 00:25:19,935
<i>Her pulse rockets</i>
<i>to over a thousand beats per minute.</i>

262
00:25:21,353 --> 00:25:25,732
<i>Time to get up, get out, and get hunting.</i>

263
00:25:31,696 --> 00:25:33,907
<i>With the fastest metabolism</i>
<i>of any mammal,</i>

264
00:25:34,866 --> 00:25:40,622
<i>this frenzied killer must consume</i>
<i>six times her body weight a day,</i>

265
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,416
<i>or she'll starve.</i>

266
00:25:45,460 --> 00:25:47,671
<i>It’s finding prey that's the trick.</i>

267
00:25:49,381 --> 00:25:52,467
<i>Those big ears actually</i>
<i>don't hear so well,</i>

268
00:25:53,468 --> 00:25:55,345
<i>and with pin-sized eyes,</i>

269
00:25:57,305 --> 00:25:59,099
<i>she's almost hunting blind.</i>

270
00:26:03,144 --> 00:26:06,856
<i>Thankfully, another sense</i>
<i>is superpowered.</i>

271
00:26:09,776 --> 00:26:14,281
<i>Shrews feel their world with whiskers.</i>

272
00:26:15,949 --> 00:26:17,659
<i>A quarter of the length of her body,</i>

273
00:26:17,993 --> 00:26:20,662
<i>she uses them to scan her surroundings.</i>

274
00:26:23,665 --> 00:26:25,959
<i>Her sense of touch is so acute,</i>

275
00:26:27,043 --> 00:26:30,380
<i>the slightest vibration</i>
<i>triggers instant attack.</i>

276
00:26:33,967 --> 00:26:35,927
<i>25 milliseconds,</i>

277
00:26:36,761 --> 00:26:40,307
<i>12 times faster</i>
<i>than the blink of an eye.</i>

278
00:26:44,144 --> 00:26:47,063
<i>And a little larva is just for starters,</i>

279
00:26:48,356 --> 00:26:50,692
<i>as her killing spree begins.</i>

280
00:27:06,708 --> 00:27:09,044
<i>Only the size of an almond,</i>

281
00:27:09,836 --> 00:27:12,297
<i>she's the smallest mammal on Earth.</i>

282
00:27:14,257 --> 00:27:16,134
<i>But not much is out of her reach.</i>

283
00:27:21,681 --> 00:27:26,311
<i>Even a locust twice her size is fair game.</i>

284
00:27:49,709 --> 00:27:51,086
<i>Feeding frenzy over,</i>

285
00:27:51,878 --> 00:27:53,380
<i>it's time to retire</i>

286
00:27:54,589 --> 00:27:55,715
<i>and recharge.</i>

287
00:27:59,844 --> 00:28:02,138
<i>Just a quick seven-minute power nap</i>

288
00:28:04,474 --> 00:28:07,852
<i>and this voracious little terror</i>
<i>is at large again.</i>

289
00:28:09,521 --> 00:28:12,357
(UP-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

290
00:28:16,069 --> 00:28:17,153
(MUSIC FADES)

291
00:28:17,529 --> 00:28:19,739
BENEDICT:
<i>Above the same European meadows,</i>

292
00:28:20,448 --> 00:28:23,326
<i>another tiny predator is also on the hunt.</i>

293
00:28:27,747 --> 00:28:31,876
<i>A mouse-eared bat</i>
<i>has such sensitive hearing,</i>

294
00:28:32,252 --> 00:28:35,880
<i>it can eavesdrop on insects</i>
<i>from 130 feet away</i>

295
00:28:36,756 --> 00:28:41,594
<i>to determine the direction, size,</i>
<i>and shape of a target.</i>

296
00:28:46,683 --> 00:28:48,393
<i>When the bat is patrolling,</i>

297
00:28:49,394 --> 00:28:52,355
<i>any insect that moves or makes a sound...</i>

298
00:28:52,522 --> 00:28:53,481
(WINGS FLAP)

299
00:28:58,361 --> 00:28:59,904
<i>...is flirting with death.</i>

300
00:29:07,704 --> 00:29:11,791
<i>But a conehead bush cricket</i>
<i>has other things on his tiny mind.</i>

301
00:29:15,628 --> 00:29:19,382
<i>On Summer evenings,</i>
<i>the meadow is full of males,</i>

302
00:29:20,216 --> 00:29:24,763
<i>all singing as loud as they can</i>
<i>to attract a mate.</i>

303
00:29:25,221 --> 00:29:28,767
(CHIRPS)

304
00:29:29,809 --> 00:29:33,938
BENEDICT: <i>And this male is determined</i>
<i>to be heard above the competition.</i>

305
00:29:35,774 --> 00:29:40,028
<i>Bush crickets hear pretty well, too,</i>
<i>with ears on their legs.</i>

306
00:29:42,113 --> 00:29:44,532
<i>So he knows the bat is above,</i>

307
00:29:45,825 --> 00:29:48,036
<i>but still, he won't be silenced,</i>

308
00:29:49,329 --> 00:29:53,458
<i>he blasts out his song as loud</i>
<i>as a power drill.</i>

309
00:29:55,460 --> 00:29:57,003
<i>When the bat closes in,</i>

310
00:29:59,047 --> 00:30:02,425
<i>rather than shut up, he cranks it up.</i>

311
00:30:02,675 --> 00:30:06,137
(CHIRPS LOUDLY)

312
00:30:06,429 --> 00:30:09,265
BENEDICT: <i>It sounds like the desire</i>
<i>to mate could be the death</i>

313
00:30:09,390 --> 00:30:10,725
<i>of this little bush cricket.</i>

314
00:30:13,353 --> 00:30:17,440
<i>But an astonishing new discovery</i>
<i>reveals his powers of attraction</i>

315
00:30:18,107 --> 00:30:20,109
<i>also have the power to repel.</i>

316
00:30:21,986 --> 00:30:23,488
<i>He sings so loudly,</i>

317
00:30:24,113 --> 00:30:26,950
<i>it's painful to the bat's sensitive ears.</i>

318
00:30:29,536 --> 00:30:33,957
<i>The bush cricket turns</i>
<i>the bat's superpower into a weakness,</i>

319
00:30:34,874 --> 00:30:38,086
<i>creating a 3-foot, no-fly zone</i>
<i>all around him.</i>

320
00:30:38,378 --> 00:30:42,423
(CHIRPING CONTINUES).

321
00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:47,595
BENEDICT: <i>And as he's not the only one</i>
<i>singing for a mate,</i>

322
00:30:48,346 --> 00:30:52,559
<i>the whole meadow is protected</i>
<i>by a deafening blanket of sound.</i>

323
00:31:00,817 --> 00:31:02,694
<i>Turns out what drives bats away,</i>

324
00:31:03,570 --> 00:31:06,239
<i>drives female coneheads wild.</i>

325
00:31:07,490 --> 00:31:09,993
<i>The noisier, the better.</i>

326
00:31:13,121 --> 00:31:14,747
<i>Often the best defense</i>

327
00:31:16,958 --> 00:31:18,501
<i>is the best offense.</i>

328
00:31:21,963 --> 00:31:27,176
<i>In the Caribbean, it helps one animal</i>
<i>snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.</i>

329
00:31:34,517 --> 00:31:35,560
<i>Nightfall,</i>

330
00:31:36,060 --> 00:31:39,564
<i>a dangerous time</i>
<i>to be a small fish on a big reef.</i>

331
00:31:41,858 --> 00:31:47,030
<i>Only one inch long, this cardinal fish</i>
<i>needs to avoid becoming next</i>

332
00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:48,907
<i>on the lion fish menu.</i>

333
00:32:02,962 --> 00:32:05,214
<i>But he must to catch dinner, too.</i>

334
00:32:13,848 --> 00:32:18,770
<i>Huge light-sensitive eyes</i>
<i>help pinpoint small prey in the dark.</i>

335
00:32:24,567 --> 00:32:28,863
<i>Ostracods, crustaceans the size</i>
<i>of a grain of sand</i>

336
00:32:29,489 --> 00:32:31,574
<i>should make a manageable meal.</i>

337
00:32:41,334 --> 00:32:43,753
<i>But he's bitten off more</i>
<i>than he can chew.</i>

338
00:32:47,382 --> 00:32:52,971
<i>Ostracods store a volatile cocktail</i>
<i>of chemicals inside their bodies.</i>

339
00:32:54,597 --> 00:32:55,515
<i>If attacked... t</i>

340
00:32:56,349 --> 00:33:00,728
<i>the compounds mix,</i>
<i>igniting an explosion of bioluminescence</i>

341
00:33:00,812 --> 00:33:02,480
<i>brighter than a flashlight</i>

342
00:33:05,108 --> 00:33:07,318
<i>and leaving such a bad taste...</i>

343
00:33:10,530 --> 00:33:13,908
<i>that the cardinalfish</i>
<i>spits it out unharmed.</i>

344
00:33:17,829 --> 00:33:20,373
<i>Ostracods store enough</i>
<i>of these chemicals</i>

345
00:33:20,498 --> 00:33:22,709
<i>to detonate ten times in a row.</i>

346
00:33:28,881 --> 00:33:34,012
<i>And this crustacean's escape plan</i>
<i>is even more brilliant.</i>

347
00:33:39,642 --> 00:33:41,769
<i>The flash is so bright,</i>

348
00:33:42,645 --> 00:33:44,230
<i>it not only blinds...</i>

349
00:33:47,108 --> 00:33:48,943
<i>it also betrays.</i>

350
00:33:52,780 --> 00:33:57,285
<i>Leaving the poor cardinalfish</i>
<i>temporarily unable to see,</i>

351
00:33:58,453 --> 00:34:00,496
<i>but easily seen.</i>

352
00:34:05,418 --> 00:34:06,461
<i>In the ocean,</i>

353
00:34:07,628 --> 00:34:10,006
<i>there's always a bigger fish.</i>

354
00:34:16,596 --> 00:34:18,473
<i>The ultimate hunter,</i>

355
00:34:21,601 --> 00:34:24,312
<i>the most widespread predator of all...</i>

356
00:34:24,687 --> 00:34:26,731
(ORCAS SQUEAKING)

357
00:34:26,939 --> 00:34:29,901
<i>...in every corner of every ocean,</i>

358
00:34:31,152 --> 00:34:33,571
<i>orca adapt their hunting technique</i>

359
00:34:33,654 --> 00:34:35,281
<i>in extraordinary ways.</i>

360
00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:39,577
<i>In arctic fjords,</i>
<i>they stun the fish with their fins</i>

361
00:34:40,078 --> 00:34:42,246
<i>and pick them off their school.</i>

362
00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:46,667
<i>In the open ocean,</i>
<i>they use combined force</i>

363
00:34:46,834 --> 00:34:51,756
<i>to chase down blue whales,</i>
<i>the largest animal that's ever lived.</i>

364
00:35:02,308 --> 00:35:05,186
<i>But the most impressive orca hunters</i>
<i>of all</i>

365
00:35:06,145 --> 00:35:07,522
<i>are found here.</i>

366
00:35:10,108 --> 00:35:14,195
<i>Patagonia's Peninsula Valdez</i>
<i>is patrolled by a pod</i>

367
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:17,990
<i>with a hunting technique so difficult,</i>
<i>so dangerous,</i>

368
00:35:18,699 --> 00:35:21,536
<i>it takes years to learn how it's done.</i>

369
00:35:23,287 --> 00:35:27,125
<i>It's the matriarchs job to pass</i>
<i>her secrets down the generations.</i>

370
00:35:29,127 --> 00:35:33,214
<i>The rest of the family learn from</i>
<i>the four decades of hunting experience</i>

371
00:35:33,464 --> 00:35:35,299
<i>of this seasoned pro.</i>

372
00:35:35,550 --> 00:35:37,635
(SQUEAKING)

373
00:35:45,268 --> 00:35:49,438
BENEDICT:<i> Every spring, sea lions come</i>
<i>to breed on these Patagonian beaches.</i>

374
00:35:49,647 --> 00:35:52,859
-(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
-(SEA LIONS GRUNTING)

375
00:35:56,028 --> 00:35:59,323
BENEDICT: <i>And young pups learn to swim</i>
<i>in the shallows,</i>

376
00:35:59,824 --> 00:36:02,410
<i>out of reach of the hunters.</i>

377
00:36:05,079 --> 00:36:06,372
<i>Almost.</i>

378
00:36:07,832 --> 00:36:09,000
(SQUEAKING)

379
00:36:09,834 --> 00:36:15,173
BENEDICT: <i>The matriarch is teaching</i>
<i>her family how to target them.</i>

380
00:36:16,090 --> 00:36:20,011
<i>Following the same route almost everyday,</i>
<i>she guides her pod</i>

381
00:36:20,136 --> 00:36:21,971
<i>on a coastline charting course.</i>

382
00:36:24,932 --> 00:36:28,436
<i>With remarkable brain power</i>
<i>and communication skills,</i>

383
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,565
<i>she motions to her family</i>
<i>pointing out landmarks.</i>

384
00:36:37,778 --> 00:36:43,034
<i>It helps youngster build a mental map</i>
<i>of the best hunting beaches.</i>

385
00:36:54,045 --> 00:36:58,799
<i>Along the way, she also teaches them</i>
<i>how to push beyond their comfort zone.</i>

386
00:37:03,179 --> 00:37:06,224
<i>Before an orca can begin</i>
<i>catching its prey,</i>

387
00:37:07,058 --> 00:37:09,310
<i>they must first learn</i>
<i>how to operate</i>

388
00:37:09,852 --> 00:37:11,395
<i>in shallow water.</i>

389
00:37:15,149 --> 00:37:18,361
<i>But the risk of stranding is very real.</i>

390
00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:23,449
<i>A six-ton orca will quickly crush itself</i>
<i>under its own weight,</i>

391
00:37:24,450 --> 00:37:26,535
<i>but if they struggle to refloat</i>
<i>themselves,</i>

392
00:37:27,495 --> 00:37:31,290
<i>the matriarch is by their side</i>
<i>to help them back to sea.</i>

393
00:37:42,134 --> 00:37:43,344
<i>Even so,</i>

394
00:37:43,970 --> 00:37:45,763
<i>an orca is only ready</i>
<i>to attempt hunting</i>

395
00:37:45,888 --> 00:37:49,433
<i>for real after six long years.</i>

396
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:51,394
(SQUEAKS)

397
00:37:54,105 --> 00:37:56,023
BENEDICT: <i>The master at work.</i>

398
00:37:59,151 --> 00:38:03,614
<i>Approaching the hunting beach,</i>
<i>the matriarch stops vocalizing.</i>

399
00:38:07,743 --> 00:38:08,995
<i>She listens...</i>

400
00:38:15,626 --> 00:38:17,670
<i>She knows exactly when</i>

401
00:38:18,587 --> 00:38:20,131
<i>and where to strike.</i>

402
00:38:22,133 --> 00:38:23,342
<i>High tide,</i>

403
00:38:25,052 --> 00:38:26,595
<i>a steep beach</i>

404
00:38:28,514 --> 00:38:31,851
<i>and round pebbles</i>
<i>to help her roll back to sea</i>

405
00:38:33,269 --> 00:38:36,480
<i>with plenty of unsuspecting prey.</i>

406
00:38:43,029 --> 00:38:45,781
<i>She waits till the pups</i>
<i>are in prime position.</i>

407
00:38:48,367 --> 00:38:49,994
<i>Right in the surf,</i>

408
00:38:52,663 --> 00:38:55,124
<i>too shallow to swim to safety...</i>

409
00:38:56,834 --> 00:39:00,254
<i>too turbulent to see her coming.</i>

410
00:39:00,588 --> 00:39:03,466
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

411
00:39:11,307 --> 00:39:12,808
(MUSIC FADES)

412
00:39:13,392 --> 00:39:16,103
(WATER SPLASHES)

413
00:39:23,110 --> 00:39:25,196
(GRUNTS)

414
00:39:36,374 --> 00:39:38,959
BENEDICT: <i>These masterclasses</i>
<i>in predatory perfection</i>

415
00:39:39,502 --> 00:39:42,380
<i>are vital to passing on her skills.</i>

416
00:39:45,216 --> 00:39:48,761
<i>So when they're ready to hunt for real,</i>
<i>the next generation</i>

417
00:39:48,886 --> 00:39:54,183
<i>is fully prepared</i>
<i>for the battle between predator and prey.</i>

418
00:39:58,354 --> 00:40:00,564
-(CHIRPS)
-BENEDICT:<i> Life is a mission.</i>

419
00:40:03,401 --> 00:40:06,362
<i>The main objective: survival.</i>

420
00:40:10,032 --> 00:40:12,326
<i>Animals have evolved secret weapons...</i>

421
00:40:15,663 --> 00:40:17,498
<i>and hidden skills</i>

422
00:40:19,208 --> 00:40:20,668
<i>to outsmart their enemies.</i>

423
00:40:22,336 --> 00:40:25,047
<i>So in those life or death moments,</i>

424
00:40:26,924 --> 00:40:31,762
<i>it takes the most extraordinary</i>
<i>super powers to prevail.</i>

425
00:40:36,267 --> 00:40:38,185
<i>If you think you know nature,</i>

426
00:40:40,646 --> 00:40:41,730
<i>think again.</i>

427
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(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

428
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(THEME MUSIC ENDS)