Original subtitles

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NARRATOR: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL, YOU KNOW YOU RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT IS EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: HI, EVERYBODY, I'M DYLAN DREYER AND THIS IS "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

TODAY, WE JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD TO EXPLORE THE EXTREMES OF

THE WILD.

FROM THE EXCEPTIONALLY SMALL TO EXCEEDINGLY HARSH TEMPERATURES.

WE'LL DISCOVER THE PLANET'S MOST FASCINATING PLACES AND ANIMALS.

LIKE THIS TINY CARNIVORE THAT HAS A BIGGER BITE THAN YOU MAY

THINK.

AND THE FREEZING FORESTS THAT'S HOME TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST

RESILIENT WILDLIFE.

THEN, WE FIND OUT WHY THE GRAZING PRIMATE ARE AMAZING

MAMMALS.

ALL OF THIS AND MORE TODAY ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT THE HOTTEST PLACE ON EARTH IS

THE LUT DESERT IN IRAN, WHERE TEMPERATURES OFTEN REACH NEARLY

160 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, PARTS OF ANTARCTICA

CAN DROP TO MINUS 133 DEGREES.

THESE POLAR OPPOSITES MAY BE EXTREME, BUT THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

FINDS A WAY TO ADAPT AND THRIVE IN ALL SORTS OF CONDITIONS.

LIKE THIS SNEAKY SPECIES IN FINLAND THAT HAS A TRICK FOR

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT.

TAKE A LOOK.

HERE IN FINLAND, ONE ANIMAL USES A SPECIALIZED TRAIT TO COPE WITH

EXTREME CHANGES BETWEEN THE SEASONS.

THE WEASEL.

THE WORLD'S SMALLEST CARNIVORE.

AT AROUND SIX INCHES LONG, IT HAS A CUTE, HARMLESS APPEARANCE.

BUT LOOKS CAN BE DECEPTIVE.

THESE ARE RUTHLESS, BLOODTHIRSTY KILLERS.

AND EVOLUTION HAS GIVEN THEM A WEAPON.

WEASELS CHANGE THEIR COLOR ACCORDING TO THE SEASONS.

IN THE SUMMER, WEASELS HAVE A BROWN COAT.

AND IN WARMER REGIONS WHERE SNOW IS SCARCE, THEY STAY THIS COLOR.

BUT IN SNOW-COVERED REGIONS, THIS CAN CHANGE TO WHITE.

THIS ABILITY TO CHANGE COLOR TO SUIT THEIR SNOWY ENVIRONMENT

MAKES THEM HARD TO SPOT.

AND ONE CAN SMELL HIS FAVORITE MEAL.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: VOLES.

THESE SMALL RODENTS LIVE IN UNDERGROUND BURROWS.

THEY USUALLY TRAVEL IN A NETWORK OF TUNNELS BENEATH THE SNOW, BUT

SOMETIMES, THEY HAVE TO VENTURE OUT.

UNFORTUNATELY, NATURE HASN'T GIVEN VOLES THE SAME ABILITY TO

CHANGE COLOR, LEAVING THEM AT A DISTINCT DISADVANTAGE.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE WEASEL SPOTS THE OPPORTUNITY AND GIVES CHASE.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IT CLOSES THE GAP QUICKLY, BUT THE VOLE MAKES IT

BACK TO ITS BURROW.

IT MAY THINK IT'S SAFE, BUT THE WEASEL'S SMALL ENOUGH TO FOLLOW

IT INTO ITS TUNNEL.

THIS HUNGRY WEASEL IS GOING TO HAVE A BUSY WINTER.

COMING UP, WE'LL HEAD TO AFRICA, WHERE A TROOP OF BABBOONS IS THE

LAST OF THEIR SPECIES TO USE THIS METHOD OF EATING.

PLUS, THIS MASSIVE MAMMAL IS NO STRANGER TO SLEEPING, SO WHAT'S

THE FIRST THING THEY DO AFTER A LONG WINTER'S REST?

BUT FIRST, HOW DO THESE FLAMINGOS SURVIVE ONE OF THE

EARTH'S MOST DANGEROUS LAKES?

FIND OUT NEXT ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: LAKE NATRON, IN TANZANIA, IS AFRICA'S MOST

INHOSPITABLE LAKE.

HIGH LEVELS OF EVAPORATION HAVE INCREASED THE SALINITY SO MUCH

THAT IT CAN BURN THE SKIN AND EYES OF ANYTHING THAT TOUCHES

IT.

FEW ANIMALS DARE DRINK FROM THESE BRINY SHORES AND MOST STAY

AWAY.

BUT A FEW TINY ORGANISMS THRIVE ON THE SALT.

AND IT'S THESE RED ALGAE THAT HAVE BECOME THE STAPLE FOOD OF

ONE OF THE ONLY BIRDS CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING THESE CAUSTIC

WATERS.

EVERY YEAR, TWO AND A HALF MILLION LESSER FLAMINGOS COME

HERE TO BREED AND TO RAISE THEIR YOUNG.

BUT HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO EXIST IN SUCH AN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT?

THEIR THICK, LEATHERY SKIN CAN WITHSTAND THE BURNING, CAUSTIC

WATER.

THEY ALSO FEED UPSIDE DOWN, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO AVOID

SUBMERGING THEIR HEADS.

GLANDS IN THEIR HEADS REMOVE THE SALT WHEN FEEDING, DRAINING IT

OUT OF THEIR NOSES.

NATURE HAS KINDLY GIVEN THEM NO SENSE OF SMELL OR TASTE.

ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF ALL LESSER FLAMINGOS ARE BORN IN

LAKE NATRON.

THE YOUNG FLAMINGOS START OUT WITH GREY FEATHERS.

ONLY TURNING PINK AFTER SEVERAL YEARS, ONCE THEY'VE CONSUMED

ENOUGH OF THE ALGAE TO DYE THEIR FEATHERS.

THE EXTREME SALINITY OF THE LAKE'S WATER KEEPS OUT

PREDATORS.

AND IT'S THIS INACCESSIBILITY THAT MAKES IT A SAFE PLACE TO

BREED AND THE PERFECT PLACE TO RAISE THEIR YOUNG.

IT'S NOT JUST ANIMALS THAT HAVE ADAPTED TO SURVIVE IN EXTREME

ENVIRONMENTS.

PLANTS, TOO, MUST CHANGE AND ADAPT IN ORDER TO EEK OUT AN

EXISTENCE IN THE PLANET'S TOUGHEST CONDITIONS.

THE TAIGA, OR SNOW FOREST, STRETCHES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA,

THEN THROUGH NORTHERN EUROPE, AND RUSSIA.

THIS BAND OF CONIFEROUS FORESTS MAKES UP ONE THIRD OF THE

WORLD'S TREES.

ALTHOUGH SUMMERS HERE CAN BE WARM, THE WINTERS ARE BITTERLY

COLD.

TEMPERATURES DROPPING BELOW MINUS 40 DEGREES.

AND LITTLE OTHER PLANT LIFE CAN SURVIVE IN THIS SNOWY

WILDERNESS.

BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST TREES IN THE WORLD.

ADAPTED TO WITHSTAND THESE EXTREME CONDITIONS.

THEY HAVE SHALLOW ROOTS, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO GROW IN THIN

SOIL.

IN THE WINTER, MOST PLANTS CEASE TO PHOTOSYNTHESIZE.

BUT THESE TREES ARE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE WHAT SMALL SUNLIGHT

THERE IS, BY HOLDING ONTO THEIR NEEDLES ALL YEAR-ROUND.

THEIR DARK COLOR INCREASING THE ABSORPTION OF LIGHT.

THEIR THIN, DAGGER-LIKE SHAPE LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF WATER LOST

THROUGH EVAPORATION, WHICH IS IMPORTANT IN WINTER, WHEN ROOTS

IN THE FROZEN SOIL STRUGGLE TO TAKE IN WATER.

THE NARROW, CONICAL SHAPE HELPS PROTECT THE TREE DURING WINTER

BLIZZARDS, THE DOWNWARD, DROOPING BRANCHES SHEDDING SNOW

BEFORE THEY OVERLOAD.

COMING UP, ONE OF THE EARTH'S LARGEST LAND MAMMALS IS FINALLY

AWAKE AND FEROCIOUSLY HUNGRY.

PLUS, THESE BABOONS ARE HUNGRY, TOO, BUT THEY HAVE ANOTHER

METHOD THAT IS NOT SEEN IN ANY OTHER SPECIES OF BABOON.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: ENDOTHERMIC ANIMALS, LIKE POLAR BEARS, ARE ABLE TO

CONTROL THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE IN VARIOUS CLIMATES.

THIS IS DONE BY EATING, STAYING ACTIVE, OR FOR SOME, LIVING IN

THE EXTREMELY COLD REGIONS OF THE WORLD, SLEEPING.

THE SPECIES OF BEAR YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET HAS MASTERED THE ART OF

NAPPING.

TAKE A LOOK.

ONE OF THE TAIGA'S BIGGEST ANIMAL RESIDENTS HAS ALSO

DEVELOPED ITS OWN WAY TO SURVIVE THE EXTREMES OF WINTER.

AFTER FOUR LONG MONTHS, TEMPERATURES HAVE FINALLY RISEN

ABOVE FREEZING.

AND THIS IS THE FIRST BROWN BEAR TO EMERGE.

WEIGHING ALMOST 1,100 POUNDS, BROWN BEARS ARE OMNIVORES AND

WILL EAT ANYTHING.

BUT THERE WAS LITTLE TO CHOOSE FROM HERE IN WINTER.

SO, IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, HE HAS CONSERVED HIS ENERGY SLEEPING

RIGHT THROUGH THE COLDEST PART OF THE YEAR.

FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS, BROWN BEARS DIG DENS OR HIDE

THEMSELVES AWAY IN CAVES TO HIBERNATE.

THEY REDUCE THEIR HEARTRATE FROM 50 TO 10 BEATS PER MINUTE.

SLASHING THEIR METABOLIC RATE.

THE BROWN BEAR CAN SURVIVE FOR 100 DAYS WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER.

BUT NOW, SPRING HAS FINALLY SPRUNG.

THE HUNGRY BEAR HAS WOKEN UP.

THE SNOW AND ICE HAVE BEGUN TO MELT AND THE BEAR CAN START TO

LOOK FOR FOOD ONCE AGAIN.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: HE'S SO HUNGRY THAT HE'LL GO FOR ANYTHING THAT'S

AVAILABLE.

BEARS HAVE ONE OF THE BEST SENSES OF SMELL OF ANY MAMMAL.

2,000 TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN HUMANS.

USING SMELL ALONE, HE TRACKS DOWN A CARCASS MORE THAN 18

MILES AWAY FROM HIS DEN.

A VICTIM OF THE COLD WINTER PROVIDES MUCH-NEEDED SUSTENANCE.

BUT HE NEEDS TO BE QUICK.

A FIND LIKE THIS IS SURE TO ATTRACT ATTENTION.

THERE ARE AROUND 2,500 BEARS ROAMING NORTHERN EUROPE'S

FORESTS.

AND MOST WILL BE HUNGRY.

AT FIRST, HE'S TOO BUSY TO NOTICE HE'S GOT COMPANY.

LUCKILY, BEARS HAVE GREAT HEARING.

THE THAWING ICE GIVES THE INTRUDER'S GAME AWAY.

THE INTRUDER IS MUCH BIGGER, SO HE MAKES A SWIFT EXIT.

LUCKILY, THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF FOOD LEFTOVER.

HE JUST HAS TO WAIT HIS TURN.

COMING UP, HOW DO THESE BABOONS THRIVE IN THIS EXTREMELY

UNFORGIVING ENVIRONMENT?

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: LIVING IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS OFTEN MEANS FOOD IS

SCARCE, SO ANIMALS HOPING TO SURVIVE SOMETIMES ADAPT THEIR

DIET TO WHATEVER'S AVAILABLE.

THE MAJESTIC SIMIAN MOUNTAINS IN ETHIOPIA.

IT'S A LANDSCAPE FULL OF RAVINES, TOWERING PRECIPICES AND

PEAKS MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF MILES HIGH.

FEW SPECIES INHABIT THIS WILD AND FORGOTTEN LAND.

BUT THESE SOARING MOUNTAINS ARE THE PERFECT HOME FOR ONE OF

AFRICA'S MOST UNUSUAL GRAZING MAMMALS.

THE GELADA BABOONS.

THE LAST SURVIVING GRAZING PRIMATES IN THE WORLD.

LIVING AT THIS HIGH ALTITUDE MEANS THESE BABOONS HAVE HAD TO

ADAPT TO STAY ALIVE.

MOST MONKEYS FEED ON FRUIT AND SEEDS, BUT THESE PRIMATES HAVE

LEARNED TO EAT SOMETHING ELSE: GRASS.

THEIR POWERFUL FINGERS ARE PERFECTLY DESIGNED FOR PULLING

THE GRASS OUT OF THE GROUND.

WHILE THEIR LARGE MOLAR TEETH ARE ADEPT AT CHEWING, EXTRACTING

THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS FROM EACH BLADE.

UP TO 600 MONKEYS ROAM THESE GRASSY PLATEAUS AND WHOLE

MEADOWS ARE QUICKLY TRIMMED DOWN.

GELADAS HAVE AN ALPHA MALE AS THEIR LEADER OF THE GROUP.

BUT IN PRACTICE, IT'S A MATRIARCHAL SOCIETY.

THE FEMALES DECIDE WHEN AND WHERE TO FEED, AS WELL AS

CHOOSING WHEN IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THE LEADER.

GELADAS HAVE A DISTINCT PINK HOURGLASS SHAPE ON THE FRONT OF

THEIR CHESTS.

WHEN A FEMALE COMES INTO SEASON, IT BLISTERS AND BECOMES BRIGHTER

IN COLOR, TO SHOW WHEN THEY ARE FERTILE.

THIS CAUSES GREAT EXCITEMENT AMONGST THE TROOP'S MALES.

BUT ALSO, OTHER MALES FROM RIVAL COLONIES.

A GROUP OF BACHELORS ARRIVES LOOKING FOR ACCESS TO THE

FEMALES.

THE ALPHA MALE WILL HAVE TO FIGHT TO PROTECT HIS HAREM.

HE PULLS BACK HIS ELASTICATED LIP, REVEALING FEARSOME CANINE

TEETH, SHOWING HE'S NOT TO BE MESSED WITH.

BUT ONE RIVAL IS UNPHASED BY THE THREAT.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE ALPHA MALE PUTS UP A FIGHT, BUT THE BACHELOR IS

STRONG.

SENSING WEAKNESS, THE REST OF THE BACHELOR TROOP JOINS IN.

FORCING OUT THE ALPHA.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE CHALLENGER HAS TRIUMPHED.

HE APPROACHES THE FEMALE.

BUT BEATING THE ALPHA MALE IS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE.

HE STILL HAS TO WIN OVER THE FEMALES.

THEY'RE CLEARLY NOT CONVINCED HE'S A WORTHY LEADER.

STILL LOYAL TO THEIR ALPHA, THEY DEMAND HIS RETURN.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE FEMALES HAVE PROVEN THEY HOLD ALL THE POWER AND THE

BACHELOR GROUP MAKES A HASTY RETREAT.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: HUMBLED BY THEIR LOYALTY, THE ALPHA MALE RETURNS

TO WATCH OVER HIS TROOP ONCE AGAIN.

BY LIVING AT THESE HIGH ALTITUDES, THE GELADAS EVADE

PREDATORS AND FACE LITTLE COMPETITION FOR FOOD.

BUT FOR THE YOUNG MONKEYS, THE CLIFFS AT THE EDGE OF THE COLONY

PRESENT ANOTHER CONSTANT DANGER.

FEW ANIMALS CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THESE CONDITIONS.

BUT THIS EXTRAORDINARY PRIMATE IS ONE EXCEPTION.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON OUR JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD, TO

FIND THE ANIMALS THAT MAKE THEIR HOMES IN THE EXTREMES OF THE

EARTH.

FROM SNEAKY WEASELS TO MEDDLESOME MONKEYS, THESE DARING

CREATURES CONTINUE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN THE MOST DANGEROUS

OF ENVIRONMENTS.

WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN ON THE NEXT "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]