All language subtitles for Weird.But.True.S01E10_English

CHARLIE: Hey guys!
Today we're hanging
out in Florida!

KIRBY: In the Everglades!

CHARLIE: Playing the role of
Wildlife sheriffs, snatching
up invasive species crooks

that are destroying
the environment.

KIRBY: Like this guy.

CHARLIE: The worst of the
bunch, the Burmese Python.

This is Weird but True!

KIRBY: Hey guys!
Sheriff Kirby here!

CHARLIE: We all
clear here sheriff?
KIRBY: All clear!

CHARLIE: That's a 9-42
boys, we're all clear.

KIRBY: You guys know
my brother Charlie.

CHARLIE: That's sheriff
Charlie to you, just doing my
job cleaning up the streets in

this here town.

KIRBY: Or at least
our house anyway.

CHARLIE: We've spent the
morning basically arresting
crooks in the house not

playing by the rules
and wreaking havoc.

We arrested our sister Casey
for finishing up the cereal
before we had breakfast.

We've got a 2-35 on our hands.

We arrested our dog
Winnie for peeing inside.

Move along folks.
Nothing to see here.

We even arrested the
milk for being expired.

Are you aware you
expired on the 11th,
and today is the 12th?

KIRBY: So we cleaned
up everything inside
our house pretty well.

CHARLIE: But from what
I understand there's some
actual real plant and animal

criminals hanging
out right outside.

KIRBY: And we have
a duty to learn about those
crooks in our own backyard.

CHARLIE: So that's
what we're doing today,
unraveling the world of.

-Invasive Species!

CHARLIE: Alright guys,
let's cover the basics.

We got native species,
non-native species,
and invasive species.

Native species, like our
little snake friend here, are
species that have been in an

ecosystem for a
bazillion years.

However, if we move our little
snake guy to a different
ecosystem he's called a

non-native species, and
he might fit right in!

Or he might not.

Sometimes non-native species
entering ecosystems, go
rogue, multiply like crazy,

and end up causing
a lot of damage.

That's when our little
snake man is officially
called an invasive species,

because they start to
invade and take over.

KIRBY: So what sort of damage
are we talking about here?

CHARLIE: Well, you're just
in time because I have a few
criminals awaiting judgment,

all charged with the
same crime, but accused
for different reasons.

All rise for the
honorable judge Kirby.

KIRBY: Thank you everyone,
you may be seated.

CHARLIE: This is case number
2-45, Beavers vs the South
American group of islands,

Tierra del Fuego.

KIRBY: So we have South
America accusing beavers of
invasiveness on account of

habitat destruction,
is that correct?

CHARLIE: That is
correct your honor.

According to my client about
20 beavers from Canada were
introduced to Tierra Del Fuego

in 1946.

Since then, the 20
beavers have increased
to 100,000 beavers.

With a major
appetite for trees.

Their lavish diet
has destroyed acres
of natural habitat,

leaving previously lush
forestland looking like
it's been bulldozed.

KIRBY: This is one
of the worst cases of habitat
destruction I have ever seen.

I find the defendant,
guilty of invasiveness.

CHARLIE: Case number
6-3-6 Brown Tree Snakes vs
the Native Birds of Guam.

KIRBY: We have native birds
accusing brown tree snakes
of invasiveness on account of

destroying native wildlife.

CHARLIE: Correct your honor.

Brown Tree Snakes from the
South Pacific were introduced
to Guam during World War II.

There, they found a
bunch of birds who didn't
know how to avoid them.

A.K.A., an all you
can eat snake buffet.

So naturally since
then, the snakes have
snatched them right up.

Nearly every native bird in
Guam is now extinct in the
wild because they were eaten

by brown tree snakes.

KIRBY: This is
terrible destruction
of native wildlife.

I find the defendant
guilty of invasiveness.

CHARLIE: Case number
8-4-7 Feral pigs vs Spinach
Eaters of the United States.

KIRBY: We have spinach
eaters accusing feral pigs
of invasiveness on account of

spreading human disease.

Is that correct?

CHARLIE: That's
correct, your honor.

A long time ago pigs
were brought over from
Eurasia to North America,

where they promptly
escaped and went feral.

In 2006, like in any other
year, people across the U.S.

were happily eating
baby spinach.

That spinach had a
bunch of E. coli in it.

There were 205 confirmed
illnesses and three deaths
during this E. coli outbreak.

The Center For Disease Control
and California Food Emergency
Response tracked the outbreak

to, among other things,
the feces of feral pigs that
lived next to a spinach field.

KIRBY: The pig
spreads human disease?

I find the defendant
guilty of invasiveness.

CHARLIE: So invasive plants
and animals can cause damage

in a whole bunch
of different ways.

KIRBY: They can cause complete
habitat destruction like the
beavers in Tierra del Fuego.

CHARLIE: They can devastate
native species like the
brown tree snakes in Guam.

KIRBY: And they can even cause
the spread of disease like
the feral pigs in the US!

CHARLIE: But here's
my question, how does
a beaver from Canada

get to Tierra del Fuego?

KIRBY: Or how do
snakes get to Guam?

CHARLIE: How do these invasive
species travel around?

KIRBY: I think we have a bit
more investigating to do.

Weird but True timeout, a seed
can float across the ocean and
sprout on another continent!

So these plants and animals
cause insane amounts of damage
on habitats, other species,

human health, and even
our bank accounts.

CHARLIE: In total, invasive
species cost the US about
$120 billion annually!

Billion!

KIRBY: With a B!
That's a 12 with ten
zeroes at the end.

A ton of cash.
But here's the
big question. Why?

Why do invasive species
wreck environments and
native species don't?

CHARLIE: It's really simple.

There's nothing to
keep them in check.

There are different things
that help maintain the natural
balance of an ecosystem.

Like predators and prey.

Add more prey to an ecosystem,
you'll get more predators.

If there isn't enough
prey to go around some
predators will die off.

But what happens if
we bring a new species
into the environment,

without a predator or
a limited food source?

The natural balance
is disturbed!

That species will
multiply like crazy!

Eventually taking over because
nothing is stopping them!

KIRBY: So what's the solution?
Stop spreading them around!

CHARLIE: Well, it's a little
more difficult than that.

Because we live in a world
where things are so connected.

KIRBY: Yeah, basically
there are endless amounts
of ways we can move around

invasive species.

And intentionally or
unintentionally, people
do it all the time.

CHARLIE: Here's a case where
it was a total accident.

The invasive
tropical fire ant.

These guys lived exclusively
in Mexico until the 16th
century when they hitched a

ride across the globe on
some Spanish trade ships.

KIRBY: Our trade ships from
Mexico, they're too wobbly!

What are we gonna do?

CHARLIE: Hmm, oh!

We'll a bunch of dirt.
We'll put it in the boats.

Heavier on the bottom.
It'll wobble but
it won't fall down.

KIRBY: Genius!

CHARLIE: What could go wrong?

Little did the Spanish
know that in that dirt
was a bunch of fire ants.

And when the ships
needed room for goods
in a foreign country,

they ditched some
of that soil.

So fast forward to today.

This just in, from Guam to
Australia, fire ants are
taking over all tropical

ecosystems of
the entire world.

KIRBY: So invasive species
can be accidentally brought
into new areas as hitchhikers.

CHARLIE: But other times,
it's no accident at all.

KIRBY: For example,
Kudzu, a vine sold
in the US to farmers.

What's that?

CHARLIE: Kudzu!
Straight from China!

KIRBY: I'll take 100!
I'll plant you everywhere!

CHARLIE: What could
possibly go wrong?

Breaking news, Kudzu has
escaped the control of local
farmers and is now taking over

the American south.

KIRBY: Kudzu, that time we
knew we brought it into the
US, but we didn't mean for

it to get out into the wild!

CHARLIE: Other
times, we knowingly
placed invasive species

right into the environment.

KIRBY: Like pet
Burmese pythons in the
Florida Everglades.

CHARLIE: Do we have to mom?

KIRBY: You know we can't have
pets in the new apartment.

CHARLIE: Goodbye,
Mister Slithers.

I'll always remember you!

KIRBY: Look he's already
eating a feral pig.

What could possibly go wrong?

CHARLIE: This just in, Mister
Slithers found a Misses
Slithers and now Burmese

Pythons wreak havoc on native
species in the Everglades.

KIRBY: So sometimes
it's an accident,
sometimes they escape,

and sometimes we just straight
up release them into the wild.

CHARLIE: So next time you
think about releasing your pet
python into the Everglades.

KIRBY: Or buying an
invasive plant from China.

CHARLIE: Or stabilizing
your trade ships
with soil from Mexico.

KIRBY: Think again.

Just take a walk
until the urge passes.

CHARLIE: You know what, Kirb?
I'm think we're ready to go!
Go out and learn in the field.

Hit the streets.

KIRBY: Well luckily,
I've been in contact
with one of the best.

Mike Rochford.

He's an invasive species
coordinator down in Florida.

Let's change real quick
and then we'll head out!

CHARLIE: Sounds good to me!

We'll see you guys in a bit.

Then it's off to the
Everglades to catch some
invasives with Mike!

We'll see you soon.

KIRBY: Weird but True, more
than two million animals
fly in airplanes every year!

CHARLIE: Hey guys!
KIRBY: Welcome back!

CHARLIE: Kirby and I are just
packing up a few things and
then it's off to Florida to

check out some
invasive species.

KIRBY: You ready to go?
CHARLIE: Ready to go!
Let's roll!

We're heading to the Florida
Everglades, the largest
subtropical wetland ecosystem

in North America.

It's often described as
a swamp or a forested wetland,
but the Everglades is actually

a very slow-moving river.

We're here to check
out invasive species.

KIRBY: We've been here
for like ten minutes
and they're everywhere.

CHARLIE: Here are three of the
worst invasive plant species
that we've already found in

the Everglades.

The trouble trinity forming
the triangle of treachery.

The first.

KIRBY: Brazilian pepper.
CHARLIE: Invasive originally
from Brazil and Paraguay.

Now covering 700,000
acres in Florida alone.

Wanted for, shading
out all other plants.

And it can cause skin
reactions like fellow
criminal poison ivy.

The second.

Australian Pine.

This invasive is from
Australia and Southeast Asia.

Wanted for, devastating
native beach communities.

They're resistant to salt
spray, so these trees can
grow right up to the water.

Endangered American crocodiles
and sea turtles can get
tangled in their super shallow

root systems and have trouble
building their nests, so it's
hurting their population.

And these trees can also
cause beach erosion.

The final.

KIRBY: Melaleuca.
CHARLIE: Native to
Australia and New Guinea,

invasive throughout
400,000 acres, mostly
in southern Florida.

Melaleuca was sold as a
timber, and an ornamental tree
before people realized the

damage it could do.

Wanted for crowding out other
native trees and plant life.

The super power of
melaleuca, it's seeds remain
viable for up to ten years,

and a single tree stores
up to 20 million seeds.

Possession of Melaleuca,
Australian Pine, or Brazilian
Pepper with the intent to sell

or plant is illegal in
the state of Florida
without a permit.

KIRBY: So invasive
plants, they're taking
over the Everglades!

CHARLIE: I think it's
time to find some animals.

KIRBY: We should go
find someone to talk to.

CHARLIE: That's a good idea.

Let's go, guys!

Guys, check it
out, that's Mike!

KIRBY: He's a
Wildlife Biologist.

CHARLIE: And the invasive
Species Coordinator at
the University of Florida.

KIRBY: Mike Rochford, watch
dog over native wildlife
and not afraid to hunt down

invasive creatures.

His favorite Weird but True
fact is, Burmese Pythons stalk
prey using chemical receptors

in their tongues and heat
sensors along their jaws!

CHARLIE: Guys, Mike. Mike,
guys, and your enormous snake.

So what do you do as an
invasive species coordinator?

MIKE: Well we have a whole
team of biologists and we go
and study what is the best way

to remove all of these
invasive species from the
ecosystem so they don't harm

our native wildlife.

CHARLIE: What kind of things
are you removing from the
wildlife here in Florida?

MIKE: We try to remove a lot
of burmese pythons, argentine
black and white tegus, caiman,

and any number of other
reptile and amphibian species.

CHARLIE: Is the Everglades
and this area of Florida
particularly bad when it comes

to invasive species?

MIKE: Yeah.
CHARLIE: More so than other
areas around the country?

MIKE: This is a real hot spot.

We've got a really good
climate, we have a lot of
ports where animals are

brought in and we have a lot
of dealers who work with these
animals so it's kind of the

perfect storm of conditions
for invasive species.

CHARLIE: They either escaped
or people release them and
that's just enough for them to

kind of take over around here?

MIKE: Yeah. It only
takes a few snakes and then
they can start reproducing.

And they can have clutches
close to 100 eggs.

CHARLIE: Holy cow!

So what are we looking
at right here? This guy.

MIKE: So this is a burmese
python, it was caught as a
hatchling in the Everglades

and we've raised
him since then.

So that's why he's
pretty friendly.

CHARLIE: I hear a hissing.
KIRBY: Yeah.
CHARLIE: Is that okay?

MIKE: He's just breathing.
KIRBY: He's just breathing.

CHARLIE: That's
okay, that's okay.

KIRBY: So how many of these
guys do you catch each year?

MIKE: Our team probably
catches about 25 a year.

In total there's probably
about 200 or so that
are brought in each year.

KIRBY: So why are the
Burmese pythons so bad?

MIKE: Well, they're habitat
generalists so they live in
every type of habitat in the

Everglades and they eat
basically every kind of mammal
that's out there as well as

small alligators.

CHARLIE: This guy
can eat an alligator?

MIKE: Yeah, up to six feet.

KIRBY: That's huge.
MIKE: Yeah.

KIRBY: Once you catch
them, what do you do?

MIKE: We'll bring them back to
our research center and we'll
look to see what they've been

eating and how many eggs they
make and that'll tell us more
about them and the impacts

they're having.

I think that these are now
well-established to the point
that getting them out of

Florida completely, that's
probably not possible.

CHARLIE: Holy cow!
So is that, they're kind of
here to stay at this point.

MIKE: Yeah.

CHARLIE: Weird but True,
Burmese pythons can get up to
23 feet in length and weigh up

to 200 pounds.

That's more than me!

Managing invasive species
is a pretty tricky job, so
government and environmental

organizations sometimes
come up with weird ways to
try and get rid of them.

On many islands, like Hawaii,
someone had the bright idea of
introducing mongooses to eat

invasive rats.

Sounds like a good idea.

Except rats are generally
nocturnal, and mongooses
are awake during the day.

So, it didn't work out.

On Guam, to deal with the
brown tree snakes, they
parachuted a bunch of dead

mice injected with
toxins from planes.

The bait gets caught in the
trees where the snakes live.

Researchers say this
has shown some success
in killing the snakes.

Back to the Everglades.

MIKE: This is an
Argentine black and white
tegu from South America.

These guys were
kept in the pet trade and
escaped from a facility

and then just started breeding.

They'll eat small mammals and
reptiles and they'll clean out
turtle and alligator nests.

Alligators are actually
really beneficial.

They create habitat for a
lot of different animals
in the Everglades.

And we don't fully
understand how much they're
gonna impact the alligators,

but so far it
doesn't look good.

CHARLIE: So do you have high
hopes for the management of
these tegus or is it kind of

like Burmese pythons, where
there's not really much
a chance to control them?

MIKE: It's a pretty big
problem and we might have
a chance if we act really

quickly.

CHARLIE: There is
a shred of hope?
MIKE: It's a definite maybe.

CHARLIE: Weird but True, tegus
have highly acidic stomachs
that allows them to break down

egg shells and animal bones.

That's pretty weird.

Is it true?

Alright, so how do you
capture these guys?

MIKE: We just throw a
chicken egg into a raccoon
trap and these guys will

come and eat the egg.

CHARLIE: Simple formula.

Just a chicken egg
in a raccoon trap and
you're good to go.

MIKE: Yep.
CHARLIE: That sounds
really cool.

MIKE: You guys want
to go check it out?

KIRBY: Absolutely.
CHARLIE: Alright.

Guys, we're gonna go check out
some traps, but when we get
back we're going to see if we

caught any Tegus!

You're not going to
want to miss this.

It's time to help
save the Everglades!

KIRBY: Weird but True,
mosquitoes play a vital link
in the Everglades food chain!

CHARLIE: Hey guys,
welcome back.

Right now we're on a mission
to help save the Florida
Everglades by dealing with

some invasive species.

Our target right
now: the Argentine,
black and white tegu.

According to Mike about four
or five years ago they first
started spotting tegus around

here.

Now they remove 400
every single year.

So they're all over the place.

We're gonna check some traps
that Mike and his team set
up to see if we captured any.

Sounds awesome, let's go!

No tegus, not yet.

KIRBY: Noooooo.
CHARLIE: Nothing in this one.
Where are all the Tegus?

KIRBY: We'll find 'em.
CHARLIE: No Tegus. Oh man.

KIRBY: What do we got?
CHARLIE: Oh! This thing's huge!

KIRBY: He's a big guy!
MIKE: Yeah.
CHARLIE: Holy cow!

MIKE: This is an
adult Tegu, so this is
what we're after here.

CHARLIE: He's massive.
KIRBY: He's got a little,
little pack on him.

MIKE: Yeah, this is a radio
transmitter, and this allows
us to follow it through the

ecosystem, to learn about how
they move through the habitat.

CHARLIE: The beads, is
that just to make him
feel a little fancy,

or what do we got
going on here?

MIKE: We've got cameras
hidden in the bushes out here,
and when a tegu walks by,

it'll take a picture of it,
and then we can identify it
just from those colored beads.

CHARLIE: So you guys
release 'em back?

MIKE: Yeah, this one will have
to go back out, because it's
one of our research animals.

CHARLIE: It seems kind
of counter-intuitive, though,
because they're destroying the

environment, so why are you
throwing them back in there?

MIKE: The reason is, there's
a greater good to it.

We can learn how to better
place our traps to more
effectively capture them.

CHARLIE: So it's time to
toss this guy back out there?

MIKE: That's right.

CHARLIE: All
right, let's do it.

Get out of here Tegu!
Go, go, go, go, go!

Ahhhhh!

KIRBY: Whoa!
Look at him run!

CHARLIE: Awww, yeah!
MIKE: Yeah.
KIRBY: We got two!

CHARLIE: Check it out!
MIKE: That's awesome.

CHARLIE: Oh look at
these little guys.

MIKE: Yeah.
KIRBY: Two Tegus!

CHARLIE: There's a big
one and a little one.

So Mike and his team trap
these tegus so that they
can remove them from the

environment.

They also take them back
to their lab where they
learn more about them.

Mike says the tegus in the
study don't get neutered, but
they remove their eggs when

they find them.

We need to transfer them so
we can leave this trap behind.

Yeah!

KIRBY: Ya!
MIKE: Good job.
Here's your prize.

CHARLIE: Alright, guys, we
gotta secure these tegus in
the truck and then wait until

night time.

When Mike says we're gonna
go search for some caimans,

apparently they're
like little crocodiles.

Caiman is another invasive
species that impacts the
Native American Alligator and

was most likely introduced
through the exotic pet trade.

So I'm heading out with
Mike into the night.

With room for only one of
us, Kirby sits this one out.

We're going down this
canal right here.

Mike's shining his headlight
at the bank to see if
we can see any glowing eyes.

That's the light reflecting
off the eyes of the caimans.

If he sees anything we're
beelining right to that spot
and he's gonna use his pole to

snatch them right out and
bring them into the boat.

That's the plan.

You wanna sneak up on
'em, so it's important
that we keep quite.

It's not easy to spot caimans
with an untrained eye, but
Mike knows exactly what he's

looking for.

MIKE: I got it!
CHARLIE: He got it
with his bare hands.

You didn't even
use a snatcher.

MIKE: This is a young caiman,
probably a year or two old,
calling for its mom right now.

Got a little bit of a
stubby tail here, probably
from some other caiman

taking it off a little bit.

This is great, exactly what
we're looking for, an invasive
species from South America,

here competing with our native
alligators and crocodiles.

CHARLIE: Weird but True, guys,
the gender of caimans depends
on the temperature when

they're in the egg.

If it's cold, they turn
into females and if it's
warm, they turn into males.

One down but the invasive
hunt never ends, it's time
to search for more caimans.

So we set back out into the
total darkness of the swamp
and just when we thought our

luck had run out.

Mike spots something
in the water.

Oh man!

This guy's huge!

MIKE: So this is a
slightly larger one,
probably a sub adult,

it's probably a few years old.

CHARLIE: So when you see
'em in the water, how do you
know it's a caiman and not an

alligator or crocodile?

MIKE: So a caiman's got a bony
ridge between its eyes, and
that's why it's often referred

to as a spectacled caiman,
because it kind of looks
like it has glasses on.

And it's also got little
horns above the eyes.

They just poke up a little
bit more than what a crocodile
or an alligator would.

Once you're able to close
their jaws, they don't
have very strong muscles

to open them back up.

So you can just close 'em with
your hands gently and then get
the tape around it and then

you're good to
go, you're safe.

CHARLIE: How about that
guys, another caiman captured
out of the Everglades.

Thanks so much, Mike!

MIKE: Yeah good times.

CHARLIE: Alright good
luck with all your research.
MIKE: Thank you.

CHARLIE: Alright guys, I'm
gonna find Kirby and then
we're going to head back to

HQ, sounds good?

Awesome!

KIRBY: Weird but True
timeout, Everglades
sawgrass has serrated,

razor-edged blades of grass
that can cut through clothing!

Hey, guys!
We just got back from Florida!

CHARLIE: Where we caught a
bunch of invasive species
with our man, Mike.

KIRBY: We caught
so many tegus!

CHARLIE: I was holding
a burmese python
in my bare hands!

KIRBY: It was a bit too close
for comfort, but I think it's
the best kind of training we

could have possibly hoped for.

What else did we learn today?

There were so many
Weird but True things!

Burmese pythons can
eat alligators up
to six feet long!

CHARLIE: Parachuting dead
mice filled with toxin is one
method tried to help control

invasive brown tree
snake populations.

KIRBY: Caimans are often
called spectacled caiman
because the bony bridge

between their eyes looks
like they're wearing glasses!

Invasive species cost the US
about $120 billion annually.

CHARLIE: Billion!
KIRBY: With a B!

CHARLIE: Here's a tip to
help you spot invasive
species where you live.

If you take a peek outside
your front door and a certain
plant or animal is all over

the place.

Like it's everywhere!

Look it up, it's probably
an invasive species.

This stuff is all
over our backyard.

It's called buckthorn.

KIRBY: It's listed by the
US Forest Service as one of
the most invasive plants in

Illinois.

CHARLIE: Talked to some
experts and they said.

KIRBY: It's gotta go.

CHARLIE: Thanks for
stopping by guys!

Come by again when we discover
more things that are weird.

KIRBY: But true!
CHARLIE: We'll see you soon!

Captioned by
Cotter Captioning Services.