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 THERE, I'M DYLAN

DREYER, AND THIS IS "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

ON TODAY'S SHOW, WE'LL

SEARCH THE FLOOR AND

CANOPY OF THE AMAZON

RAINFOREST FOR SOME OF THE

ANIMALS THAT KEEP THE

CIRCLE OF LIFE IN MOTION.

FIRST, WE TRY TO KEEP UP

WITH A RED HOWLER MONKEY

AND LEARN WHY AND HOW IT

LIVES ON THE TOP OF THE

FOREST.

THEN WE MARCH DOWN TO THE

FOREST FLOOR TO SALUTE ONE

OF THE HARDEST-WORKING

CREATURES IN THE WORLD.

AND LATER, DESPITE HOW IT

LOOKS, THERE IS NEVER A

DULL MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF

A SLOTH.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THERE IS NO PLACE

ON EARTH MORE WILD,

EXOTIC, AND ALIVE THAN THE

AMAZON RAINFOREST.

SCIENTISTS SAY THERE COULD

BE UP TO FIVE HUNDRED

DIFFERENT SPECIES IN EVERY

TWO-AND-A-HALF ACRES.

- THINK ABOUT THAT, FIVE - HUNDRED DIFFERENT PLANTS,

ANIMALS, AND INSECTS ALL

WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED YARDS

OF EACH OTHER.

- NOW, WE WON'T GET TO ALL - OF THEM TODAY, BUT WE WILL

TRAVEL THE TERRAIN, CLIMB

THE TREES, AND SOAR ON THE

BREEZE TO DISCOVER THE

AMAZING CREATURES WHO MAKE

THIS RAINFOREST SO

SPECIAL.

THE AMAZON COVERS THREE

MILLION SQUARE MILES OF

SOUTH AMERICA, AND IF IT

WERE ITS OWN COUNTRY, IT

WOULD BE THE SIXTH LARGEST

IN THE WORLD.

IT IS FORMED OVER THE LAST

15 MILLION YEARS SINCE THE

ANDES MOUNTAINS BEGAN TO

RISE, FORCING THE AMAZON

RIVER TO FLOW WEST TO

EAST.

TODAY, 60 PERCENT OF THE

AMAZON LIES IN BRAZIL, AND

THE REMAINING 40 PERCENT

IS SPREAD ACROSS EIGHT

MORE COUNTRIES.

- THIS VAST RAINFOREST - STRADDLES THE EQUATOR,

MAKING IT PERMANENTLY HOT

AND WET, THE IDEAL

- CONDITIONS FOR CREATING - AND MAINTAINING LIFE.

ITS VAST ARRAY OF ANIMALS

IS UNRIVALED ANYWHERE, AND

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS HERE

IS SPECIALIZATION, THE

- BEHAVIOR OF CHOOSING VERY - SPECIFIC RESOURCES TO

AVOID CONFLICT WITH OTHER

ANIMALS.

- FOR THE ANIMALS THAT CAN - REACH IT, THE AMAZON'S

CANOPY IS A GREEN

PARADISE.

ONE HUNDRED AND 50 FEET

ABOVE GROUND, IT IS OPEN

AND BATHED IN SUNSHINE.

THE SUN PUMPS ENERGY INTO

THE AMAZON EVERY DAY,

WHILE COUNTLESS TRILLIONS

OF LEAVES PHOTOSYNTHESIZE

IN 12 HOURS OF LIGHT 365

DAYS A YEAR.

- THEY PUMP OUT 20 PERCENT - OF THE WORLD'S OXYGEN AND

PRODUCE AN IMMEASURABLE

AMOUNT OF FRUITS AND

SEEDS.

THE CANOPY IS THE MOST

PRODUCTIVE PART OF THE

FOREST.

IT'S A LAND OF PLENTY, BUT

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT

THEY APPEAR TO BE.

FROM ABOVE, IT SEEMS TO BE

AN UNBROKEN CARPET OF

GREEN, BUT IN REALITY, THE

BRANCHES OF EACH TREE

RARELY TOUCH EACH OTHER.

AND WITH THE GROUND A

DIZZYING DISTANCE BELOW,

GETTING AROUND CAN BE

TRICKY.

THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE

HUNDRED SPECIES OF MONKEY

IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

ALONE, AND EACH HAS

EVOLVED A DIFFERENT WAY OF

COPING WITH THIS TREETOP

EXISTENCE.

RED HOWLER MONKEYS TAKE IT

STEADY AND CLIMB SLOWLY

THROUGH THE BRANCHES.

- THEY ARE ONE OF THE - HEAVIEST MONKEYS IN THE

FOREST AND LIKE TO BE SURE

WHERE THEY'RE PUTTING

THEIR FEET.

A MUSCULAR TAIL IS A

BUILT-IN SAFETY ROPE.

LIFE IN THE TREES ISN'T

EASY, BUT IT DOES HAVE

ADVANTAGES.

- ALTHOUGH GOOD CLIMBERS, - THIS JAGUAR CAN'T GET TO

THIS PARTICULAR PREY.

- AND THIS RED HOWLER MONKEY - HAS THE GREEN PARADISE OF

THE CANOPY TO THANK.

- COMING UP, WE CLIMB DOWN - THE TREE AND ONTO THE

FOREST FLOOR, WHERE WE'LL

MEET SOME OF THE STRONGEST

INSECTS ON EARTH.

PLUS, HOW IN THE WORLD

COULD A SLOTH HELP A MOTH?

- WE'LL FIND OUT NEXT ON - "EARTH ODYSSEY".

.

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

DYLAN: THE AMAZON IS A

MULTILEVEL WORLD.

ANIMALS LIVING AT OPPOSITE

ENDS OF ONE TREE LEAD SUCH

CONTRASTING LIVES, THEY

MAY AS WELL BE AT

- DIFFERENT ENDS OF THE - EARTH.

THE FOREST FLOOR IS A VERY

DIFFERENT WORLD FROM THE

CANOPY ABOVE.

ONLY TWO PERCENT OF THE

SUNLIGHT THAT SATURATES

THE CANOPY FILTERS DOWN TO

THE GROUND.

IT'S HOT AND MUGGY,

PERFECT FOR SOME OF THE

AMAZON'S MOST DANGEROUS

CREATURES.

IT'S MOVING DAY FOR THIS

COLONY OF ARMY ANTS.

- SCOUTS BEAT A PATH THROUGH - THE UNDERGROWTH, LEAVING A

CHEMICAL SCENT TRAIL FOR

THE REST OF THE SWARM TO

FOLLOW.

WORKERS LINK TOGETHER TO

BUILD LIVING BRIDGES.

SOLDIERS STAND GUARD OVER

THE ANT HIGHWAY.

ARMY ANT COLONIES CAN

CONTAIN AS MANY AS TWO

MILLION INDIVIDUALS, AND A

LINE OF THEM CAN STRETCH

FOR MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED

YARDS.

- THESE ANTS MAKE THEIR NEW - NEST INSIDE A HOLLOWED OUT

TREE.

AS MORE ANTS ARRIVE, THEY

CLING TOGETHER, FORMING A

PROTECTIVE FRAME AROUND

THE ENTRANCE.

BUT THIS NEST IS JUST

TEMPORARY.

- ARMY ANTS CAN'T AFFORD TO - STAY IN ONE PLACE FOR

LONG.

- WITH THE NEW CAMP - ESTABLISHED, THE ANTS'

BEHAVIOR CHANGES.

THE MARCHING COLUMN

DISPERSES, AND WORKERS FAN

- OUT ACROSS THE FOREST - FLOOR.

IT'S TIME TO HUNT.

THE RAIDING ANTS

SYSTEMATICALLY SWEEP

THROUGH A PATCH OF FOREST,

SEARCHING EVERY SURFACE

FOR FOOD.

- THE SWARM CAN CATCH AS - MANY AS A HUNDRED THOUSAND

PREY ITEMS IN A SINGLE

DAY.

- THE ANTS COMMUNICATE WITH - EACH OTHER USING

PHEROMONES, WHICH ARE

CHEMICALS RELEASED INTO

THE AIR THAT SEND INSTANT

MESSAGES, CALLING FOR

REINFORCEMENTS.

THEY CARRY THEIR FOOD BACK

TO THEIR NEST TO SHARE

WITH THEIR COLONY.

WHEN THEY ARE DONE WITH

ONE PATCH OF FOREST, THE

WHOLE COLONY MOVES ON TO A

FRESH HUNTING GROUND.

- ARMY ANTS ARE SOME OF THE - MOST FORMIDABLE CREATURES

IN THE AMAZON, BUT THERE

ARE ANIMALS THAT BEAT THEM

AT THEIR OWN GAME.

AT THE HEAD OF THE HUNTING

PARTY, ANTBIRDS PICK OFF

INSECTS FLUSHED OUT BY THE

ADVANCING SWARM.

- THESE BIRDS SURVIVE BY - LETTING ARMY ANTS DO THE

HARD WORK FOR THEM.

AND THEN THEY GO IN FOR

THE FEAST.

INCREDIBLY, SOME

BUTTERFLIES ONLY EAT

ANTBIRD WASTE.

IT'S JUST ONE OF MANY

EXAMPLES OF HOW THESE

ANIMALS RELY ON EACH

OTHER.

- MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED - SPECIES OF BIRDS AND

BUTTERFLIES RELY ON ARMY

ANTS FOR SURVIVAL.

ALL OF THESE ANIMALS CAN

SURVIVE IN THE AMAZON

BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A STABLE

ENVIRONMENT.

THIS IS VASTLY DIFFERENT

FROM OTHER AREAS ON EARTH,

LIKE THE NORTH AND SOUTH

POLE, WHERE ANIMALS ARE

FACED WITH EXTREME

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN

SEASONS.

WINTER IS DARK AND FROZEN

SOLID, AND IN SUMMER, THE

SUN NEVER SETS, SO 24

HOURS OF DAYLIGHT MELTS

THE FROZEN WORLD.

FEW ANIMALS EVOLVED TO

COPE WITH SUCH EXTREMES.

BUT AS YOU TRAVEL TOWARDS

THE EQUATOR, CONDITIONS

STABILIZE.

THE LENGTH BETWEEN DAYS

AND NIGHTS ARE MORE EQUAL,

- WHILE THE DIFFERENCE - BETWEEN SEASONS IS LESS

EXTREME.

ANIMALS NO LONGER NEED TO

HIBERNATE OR MIGRATE FOR

WINTER, BUT CAN SPEND

THEIR ENERGY EXPLOITING

THEIR ENVIRONMENT.

SO, IN THE AMAZON, RIGHT

ON TOP OF THE EQUATOR,

ALMOST NOTHING CHANGES

FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT,

YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT, AND

CREATURES LIKE ARMY ANTS

CAN CONTINUE TO RULE THE

AMAZON'S FLOOR.

COMING UP, WHO LIVES IN

THIS FOAMY JACUZZI?

AND AFTER THE FROTH, WE

HANG WITH A SLOTH.

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

- MILLIONS OF SPECIES LIVE - IN THE AMAZON RAINFOREST,

- AND MANY OF THEM MUST WORK - TOGETHER TO SURVIVE AND

THRIVE IN THIS FASCINATING

ECOSYSTEM.

- THIS COOPERATION BETWEEN - TWO LIVING THINGS IS

CALLED A SYMBIOTIC

RELATIONSHIP, AND AS

YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE,

SOMETIMES THEY CAN DEVELOP

BETWEEN THE MOST UNLIKELY

OF PARTNERS.

TAKE A LOOK.

WE'RE BACK ON THE FOREST

FLOOR OF THE AMAZON

- RAINFOREST, WHERE - THOUSANDS OF HOMES OF

MILLIONS OF SPECIES CAN BE

FOUND,

LIKE THIS TADPOLE PARADISE.

THESE TINY TADPOLES HAVE

MADE THIS FROTH A HOME.

- THEIR BULLFROG MOTHER AND - FATHER ACTUALLY MADE THE

FOAM FOR THEIR LITTLE

FAMILY, BUT THAT'S THE

LAST HELP THEY'LL RECEIVE

FROM THEIR PARENTS.

FROM HERE FORWARD, THEY'RE

ON THEIR OWN.

THEY BLOW BUBBLES TO

PROLONG THE LIFE OF THEIR

FOAM HOME.

IT'S THE ONLY ARMOR THEY

HAVE.

BUT IT PROVIDES LITTLE

PROTECTION FROM ONE JUNGLE

PEST.

THIS WASP MEASURES JUST A

FEW MILLIMETERS, BUT TO

THE TADPOLES, IT'S AN

AERIAL ASSASSIN.

OLDER TADPOLES CAN WIGGLE

BELOW THE SURFACE TO HIDE.

THESE TWO CREATURES ARE

LOCKED INTO A COMPLEX

RELATIONSHIP.

THE WASPS BALL UP PARTS OF

THE TADPOLES' FOAM NESTS

AND USE IT AS GLUE TO

CONSTRUCT THEIR HIVES.

AS ANIMALS BECOME MORE

SPECIALIZED, OTHERS ADAPT

TO OUTDO THEM.

THE RACE FOR THE MOST

SPECIALIZED PROTECTION

PRODUCES EVER STRANGER

LIFE FORMS.

IF THIS STICK INSECT STAYS

STILL, HE ALL BUT

DISAPPEARS.

HIS CAMOUFLAGE PERFECTLY

MATCHES HIS SURROUNDINGS.

- HE MAY HAVE AVOIDED - DETECTION BY ONE PREDATOR,

BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE

AROUND THE CORNER, BUT

- THESE CREATURES STICK TO - THEIR SPECIALIZED

CAMOUFLAGE, WHICH IS WHY

THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO

SURVIVE IN THE CYCLE OF

THE AMAZON'S FOREST FLOOR.

- COMING UP, THESE - TREE-DWELLING SLOTHS MAKE

THE CANOPY THEIR HOME, BUT

WHAT MAKES THE SLOTH THEIR

HOME?

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

- DYLAN: WE'VE CLIMBED BACK - UP TO THE CANOPY OF THE

AMAZON RAINFOREST, WHERE

WE COME FACE-TO-FACE WITH

ONE OF THE BEST HUNTERS

AROUND.

A HARPY EAGLE CAN SIT

SILENTLY FOR HOURS,

WATCHING FOR THE PERFECT

OPPORTUNITY.

HARPIES ARE EXPERT MONKEY

CATCHERS.

THEY ARE ARMED WITH TALONS

FIVE INCHES LONG, THE SIZE

OF GRIZZLY BEAR CLAWS,

THAT CAN EXERT MORE THAN

ONE HUNDRED POUNDS OF

PRESSURE.

AND THEY'RE SO POWERFUL,

THEY CAN PLUCK PREY

WEIGHING AS MUCH AS THEY

DO, WHICH IS ABOUT 20

- POUNDS, CLEAN OUT OF THE - CANOPY.

LARGE EYES GIVE THEM

EXCELLENT VISION.

- THEY CAN PINPOINT THE - SMALLEST PREY MORE THAN

SIX HUNDRED FEET AWAY.

- DESPITE A WINGSPAN OF MORE - THAN SIX FEET, THE HARPY

EAGLE IS SURPRISINGLY

AGILE.

IT CAN FLY UP TO 50 MILES

PER HOUR AND MANEUVER

THROUGH THE TREES WITH THE

LIGHTNING REACTIONS OF A

FIGHTER PILOT.

IT'S OVER IN SECONDS.

A JUVENILE HARPY EAGLE

HANGS AROUND ITS PARENTS'

NEST, BEGGING FOR FOOD.

IT'S ALREADY GROWN ITS

FEATHERS FOR FLIGHT, BUT

IT IS NOT YET AN

EXPERIENCED HUNTER.

THIS SLOTH HAS CHOSEN A

DANGEROUS PLACE FOR A

SNOOZE.

AN ADULT HARPY WOULD

SNATCH THIS SLEEPY SLOTH

OFF ITS BRANCH IN THE

BLINK OF AN EYE.

IT'S A LUCKY ESCAPE FOR

THE SLOTH, BUT LET'S NOT

CALL IT A QUICK GETAWAY.

SLOTHS ARE CERTAINLY

SLOW-MOVING, BUT THERE'S

NOTHING LAZY ABOUT THEM.

- THEIR PONDEROUS MOVEMENTS - ARE PART OF THEIR UNIQUE

WAY OF COPING WITH JUNGLE

LIFE.

SLOTHS SPEND THEIR WHOLE

LIVES IN JUST A HANDFUL OF

TREES.

CLAWS CLAMP ONTO BRANCHES,

AND THEIR GRIP IS SO

STRONG, THEY RARELY FALL,

EVEN WHEN THEY GO TO

SLEEP.

MODIFIED MUSCLES ALLOW A

SLOTH TO HANG FOR HOURS IN

POSITIONS OTHER MAMMALS

WOULD FIND IMPOSSIBLY

UNCOMFORTABLE.

THE SECRET TO THE SLOTH'S

SURVIVAL IS SLOW

DIGESTION.

THEY EXPEND SO LITTLE

ENERGY, THEY NEED TO EAT

ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT.

- THEY CHEW THEIR WAY - THROUGH LESS THAN SEVEN

OUNCES OF LEAVES EACH DAY.

EVERY MEAL TAKES 30 DAYS

TO DIGEST.

THEY COME TO THE GROUND

JUST ONCE A WEEK.

- THE CLIMB DOWN IS WORTH - THE EFFORT, BECAUSE THE

RESULT SERVES TO FERTILIZE

THEIR PATCH OF TREES.

SLOTHS BLEND IN COMPLETELY

WITH THEIR SURROUNDINGS.

THEIR MOTTLED FUR IS

HIGHLY CAMOUFLAGED AND

EVEN GOES GREEN WITH ALGAE

WHEN IT'S WET.

- THEY CAN'T REGULATE THEIR - OWN BODY TEMPERATURE AS

OTHER MAMMALS DO, BUT

INSTEAD, RELY ON THE

CONSTANT WARMTH OF THE

RAINFOREST TO KEEP UP

THEIR METABOLISM.

- SLOTHS ARE SO MUCH A PART - OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT, THAT

THEY HAVE THEMSELVES BEEN

COLONIZED BY OTHER

ANIMALS.

THESE TINY MOTHS SPEND

THEIR WHOLE LIVES IN A

SLOTH'S SHAGGY COAT.

A HUNDRED OR MORE MOTHS

CAN BE FOUND BURROWING IN

THE FUR OF A SINGLE SLOTH.

AS CATERPILLARS, THE MOTHS

FEED EXCLUSIVELY ON SLOTH

DUNG.

- BY HITCHING A RIDE ON THE - SLOTH, FEMALE MOTHS MAKE

- SURE THEY ARE ALWAYS IN - THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE

RIGHT TIME TO LAY THEIR

EGGS NEXT TO THEIR FOOD

SUPPLY.

BEING SO WHOLLY DEPENDENT

ON ONE HABITAT AND FOOD

SOURCE MAKES ANIMALS VERY

VULNERABLE TO CHANGE, BUT

SUCH SPECIALIZED WAYS OF

LIFE ARE ONE OF THE

REASONS THE AMAZON IS SO

DIVERSE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US

ON THIS JAMPACKED JOURNEY

THROUGH THE AMAZON

RAINFOREST.

WE'VE SEEN EAGLES IN THE

SKY, LISTENED TO HOWLER

MONKEYS IN THE TREES, AND

WATCHED ARMY ANTS MARCH

SINGLE FILE, AND WE'VE

ONLY JUST SCRATCHED THE

SURFACE OF THE MARVELS

WITHIN THIS LUSH,

LIFE-GIVING ECOSYSTEM.

BE SURE TO JOIN US ONCE

AGAIN WHEN WE TRAVEL TO

ANOTHER FASCINATING PART

OF THE WORLD ON OUR NEXT

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]