Original subtitles

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[Narrator] Australia,

a land of curious, cuddly creatures we all love.

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And others, not so much.

Sure, this place has its fair share of bugs

that bite, sting,

and generally...

ruin your day.

But, truth is, most here aren't like that.

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Take this Botany Bay weevil,

just chillin' in a tree on a ranch.

She's totally harmless.

Actually, she's a bit of a scaredy bug.

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Ah, a cute koala.

But not from her perspective.

[sniffing]

First hint of danger

and she's like...

"Nnnn-nope."

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Um...

Is she alright?

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It's okay.

She's only playing dead

till the coast is clear.

A little overdramatic, but better safe than sorry.

I'm telling ya, that guy is freaky!

In the east Australian bush,

most little creatures are just trying to survive.

And that's not so easy out here.

Once you see the incredible ways

they endure in this brutal land,

you'll realize they're not little monsters,

but really tiny heroes down under.

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[distant hooting]

Late spring on the ranch,

and down on the ground

something is stirring.

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Oh, too cute!

A spiderling.

The size of a grain of sand.

So small, you can barely see him.

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He's no ordinary arachnid.

[ding]

He's a peacock spider.

And if you think this little guy is adorable now,

just wait till you see what he might grow into.

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There are over 100 species of these spiders.

Each has a unique way of attracting a mate.

Outrageous outfits,

fancy footwork,

and sweet little booty shakes.

But before a female swipes right,

a male's got to perfect his moves.

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One day, our little spider will have to find his special way

to impress a lady.

But first, he's got some growing to do.

Time to go grab some food.

[boing]

Four side eyes give almost 360 motion detection.

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Then, with vision sharper than a cat's,

four larger front eyes lock on.

Only problem is...

[boing]

...they're bigger than his stomach.

It's not easy being so small...

[boing]

...in a big bugs' world.

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Even Scaredy Bug's intimidating.

He needs to find a safe place to grow.

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Maybe try up there.

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Oh, look, a friendly caterpillar.

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Ooh, what is that?

It's an assassin bug,

venomous enough to take down a mouse.

I'm outta here!

The assassin bug injects enzymes to liquefy his victims.

Sucks them up like a protein shake,

then discards the rest.

What a litterbug!

[birds chattering]

Some bugs here have a bad rep, for good reason.

Meet one of Australia's most notorious insects.

Cross a jack jumper ant, and it'll hurt!

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[crunch]

[Rancher] Ah, strewth!

[birds chattering]

[Narrator] But she's not a bad bug really.

[horse whinnies]

She was only out looking for food for the family.

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This ain't much,

but one bug's trash is another bug's treasure.

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Three feet underground,

her little siblings, these larvae, are hungry.

Jack jumper colonies usually have hundreds of ants,

but there's only 30 in hers.

It's been so hot and dry, there's not enough food.

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Summers here can reach 120 degrees.

Heat waves in Australia kill more people

than any other natural hazard.

And if the ant larvae get too hot,

they'll die, too.

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Up against the sun's full force,

she seems powerless.

But this little GI Jane has some serious survival skills.

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Collecting rocks is heavy work.

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But their light color reflects heat.

She's building a sunproof roof to keep the family home cool.

[Narrator] Weeks pass.

Summer temperatures soar.

Bugs need shade.

In the rancher's shed,

our little peacock spider has found shelter.

[horse whinnies]

He's over two months old now

but still hasn't grown into his true colors.

If he's gonna get bigger,

he needs to eat more.

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But his way of hunting is hard to master.

[boing]

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Some of his neighbors, like this huge huntsman,

or this deadly Australian black widow,

just lay around, waiting for prey to come to them.

But our little guy has to hustle for every bite.

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First, he's got to plan his attack.

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Sneak into position.

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Then take aim.

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[boing]

Oh. Okay, so the landing needs work.

But even a spider this tiny

packs potent venom.

Paralyzed!

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And lunchtime, thank you very much.

Keep this up, and maybe soon he'll have his chance to dance.

[door slams shut]

The jack jumper family is still struggling in the heat.

But our ant is out, braving the sun, searching for food.

Unlike most ants,

she doesn't need a scent trail to find her way.

This girl scout is more of an explorer.

Like us, she relies on color vision and good memory

and can recognize landmarks for up to six months.

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So determined to find food,

nothing's gonna stop...

Oh!

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Anyways.

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They call her jack jumper for a reason.

This intrepid ant can forage 50 feet from the nest.

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But traveling far from home is risky

when it's this dry.

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Incoming clouds may seem like a good thing,

but it's so hot... [thunder]

any rain evaporates before it even reaches the ground.

[rumbling]

It only takes one strike...

[thunder]

...and this place goes up in flames.

Now our weevil really should be scared.

No use playing dead.

It's time to fly.

Head for higher ground.

Extend flaps.

Raise landing gear.

And...

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Let's try that again.

Come on, Scaredy Bug.

This could be your last chance.

You can do this!

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Flying isn't an option for our ant.

She needs to get out of here as fast as possible.

But all her landmarks have disappeared.

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Which way is home?

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Back at her nest,

three feet underground...

...it's much cooler.

Her family is safe.

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But outside, flames are 800 degrees.

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Extreme bushfires can wipe out entire bug populations;

sometimes even species.

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But if our ant makes it home, she can survive.

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That's familiar.

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At last, the white rocks of home!

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Up above, the fire is spreading.

The shed has kept the little spider safe,

but if the flames reach the trees,

he'll be cooked alive.

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As the climate changes, fires in Australia

are getting more frequent,

more intense.

Good thing that here, help is on hand.

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Just in time.

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The fire may be over,

but the struggle for survival continues.

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She's lucky to be alive.

But her family is starving.

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Some of her sisters didn't make it.

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Now, more than ever, it's up to her to find food.

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Best she can do.

It won't go far.

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Other survivors are desperately hunting for food, too.

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A carnivorous bombardier beetle

heading straight towards the jack jumper nest.

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If he breaks in, he'll devour the larvae.

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Our ant clocks the danger...

...and moves in.

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The beetle is surrounded and outnumbered.

But threaten this guy,

and he's likely to blow up.

[explosions]

When two chemicals mix in his abdomen,

it's an explosive reaction...

...erupting from his butt.

How about a bit of boiling caustic fluid...

in your face?!

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He even adjusts his aim to repel attack from any angle.

But, sisters by her side,

our ant won't give up.

[fireworks]

Out of ammo, the bombardier is forced to retreat.

Still holding on, but still hungry,

her colony needs better luck, and soon.

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Careful what you wish for.

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Heavy rain means biblical floods in bug land.

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But they won't let it sink 'em.

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Water-repellent bodies keep them afloat.

And when you're this small,

you can ride out the storm in style.

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With raised sides, her nest is built to survive floods

as well as fire.

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Finally, the storm has passed.

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But seriously, when's the summer gonna end?

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[Narrator] Heat, fire and flood can be brutal for bugs,

but eventually better days will come.

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After rain, the bush flushes green with fresh, new growth.

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Also...

[mouth full] ...it's delicious!

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And the land isn't the only thing

that's transformed around here.

Our little spider is all grown up.

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Five months old and super stylin' in blue.

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Totally brings out his eyes!

Ready to bust a groove.

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But if he's ever gonna pass on

his adorable little blue genes,

he needs to go find an audience.

There are one or two obstacles in his way,

but now his legs are longer,

he can jump 40 times his body length.

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Light on his feet.

Let's hope he has the moves to match.

Whoa. Hold up.

Who is that little cutie?

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Now, she is just his type.

But will she dig his dance?

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Don't worry, just do you.

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His very first performance.

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It's eye-catching, for sure.

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Those super black spots really make that blue pop.

He's holding her gaze, rockin' her tiny world.

And that stick is the perfect stage.

Except...

Whoa!

[Rancher] Oh.

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[Narrator] Hey, man, don't harsh the vibe!

If he loses focus, she'll lose interest.

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At least most of us know when to let nature take its course.

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His whole life has been leading to this.

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He transfers sperm from special bulbs near his mouth.

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It takes up to an hour.

Okay, this is getting weird. [squeak]

Can we move on?

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Against extreme odds,

our little spider has come of age

and secured his legacy.

But his story is not over yet.

Stay on his game, and he could live another few months,

dancing his way into many more hearts.

[birds chirping]

[birds chirping]

Up in the trees...

Scaredy Bug! You made it!

Good to see she's doing her bit for the weevil population.

Alright, a little privacy, please.

The jack jumpers survived the summer, too.

And now there's more life in this land.

Finally, they can all get their grub on.

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But more bugs also means...

more problems.

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The assassin bug is back.

And our heroine is home alone, guarding the nest.

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He's twice her size.

But nothing gets past her without a fight.

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Looks like this could be her last stand.

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Turns out, her tough exoskeleton

is not only fireproof and waterproof...

...it's assassin-proof.

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That's right. Bug off!

And don't come back!

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With grit and determination,

this tiny survivor helped her family triumph

in the toughest of times.

And with many more baby sisters on the way,

soon she'll be stronger than ever.

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Once you take a closer look at a real bug's life,

you see them from a whole new perspective.

Tiny heroes trying to survive

in a big, brutal world.

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Even so, some bugs will always be

a little harder to love...

[rancher shouts]

...than others.

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