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 WELCOME

TO "EARTH ODYSSEY".

ON TODAY'S EPISODE, WE

EXPLORE THE UNBELIEVABLE

CREATURES WHO CALL

MALAYSIA HOME.

WE'LL DISCOVER WHERE THE

GIANTS GO TO SOCIALIZE

WITH THEIR BEST AND

BIGGEST FRIENDS.

PLUS, A FISH THAT WALKS?

- WE'LL RACE OVER TO THE - COASTLINE TO FIND SOME

CREATURES YOU MIGHT NOT

FIND ANYWHERE ELSE.

AND LATER, WE DON'T "BAT"

AN EYE AS WE DISCOVER

WHAT'S HANGING IN THE

CAVES OF MALAYSIA.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THERE ARE FEW - COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD

THAT CAN BOAST SUCH A

VARIETY OF WILDLIFE AND

LANDSCAPES AS MALAYSIA.

VOLCANOES, MOUNTAINS, AND

BEACHES ALL COMPRISE THE

BEAUTY THAT MAKES THIS

SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRY SO

DIVERSE, BUT ITS RIVERS

ARE MALAYSIA'S TRUE UNSUNG

HEROES.

WITH ALMOST TWO HUNDRED

DIFFERENT RIVER BASINS,

THE WILDLIFE HERE THRIVES

OFF THE STREAMS THAT CARRY

NUTRIENTS ACROSS THE

TERRAIN, AND THIS ATTRACTS

SOME OF THE MOST

FASCINATING ANIMALS FROM

- THE FORESTS TO TAKE - ADVANTAGE OF THE RICH FOOD

AND WATER AS WELL AS TO

SOCIALIZE WITH THEIR

FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

TAKE A LOOK.

WELCOME TO THE DIVERSE AND

BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY OF

MALAYSIA, WHERE YOU NEVER

KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND.

- MALAYSIA'S JUNGLES CAN - SEEM LIKE AN IMPENETRABLE

WALL OF GREEN, BUT RUNNING

THROUGH IT ALL IS WATER...

...A 150 RIVER SYSTEMS

SPREAD INTO A NETWORK OF

CREEKS AND STREAMS SLICING

UP THE FOREST.

THE RIVER DRAWS GIANTS OUT

OF THE FOREST.

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETING]

A GRASSY RIVERBANK IS THE

PERFECT PLACE FOR A HERD

TO GATHER.

[TRUMPETING CONTINUES]

THESE ELEPHANTS ARE RARE

TO FIND IN THESE PARTS.

THEY'RE PYGMY ELEPHANTS

FOUND ONLY IN BORNEO.

- THE SMALLEST ELEPHANTS IN - THE WORLD, THEY STAND

ALMOST THREE FEET SHORTER

THAN THEIR LARGER ASIAN COUSINS,

AN ADAPTATION TO LIVING IN

DENSE FOREST.

THIS RIVERSIDE SHINDIG IS

A SOCIAL EVENT.

- RELATIVES WHO MAY NOT HAVE - SEEN EACH OTHER FOR MONTHS

GET A CHANCE TO CATCH UP

AND REAFFIRM BONDS.

ELEPHANTS FORM STRONG

EMOTIONAL TIES.

- THEIR RELATIONSHIPS - BETWEEN FRIENDS AND FAMILY

CAN BE AS COMPLEX AS OUR

OWN.

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETING]

[ELEPHANT GRUMBLING]

BUT LIKE ALL ELEPHANTS,

THEY LOVE MUD.

- ELEPHANTS ARE GOOD - SWIMMERS, THEIR BULK

MAKING THEM BUOYANT IN THE

WATER.

AND TAKING TWO TONS OF

WEIGHT OFF YOUR FEET IS

THE ULTIMATE WAY TO RELAX.

GETTING OUT IS A LOT

TRICKIER THAN GETTING IN.

EVEN THE SMALLEST OF THESE

LITTLE LEVIATHANS CAN GET

STUCK IN THE MUD.

BATH TIME OVER, THE WHOLE

HERD SLIPS INTO THE GREEN

- BLOOM AND VANISHES FROM - SIGHT.

- COMING UP ON "EARTH - ODYSSEY", TRY TO BE BRAVE,

BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER KNOW

WHAT YOU'LL FIND IN THESE

CAVES.

AND LATER, WE SKIP ON OVER

TO THE MUD TO FIND SOME

CREEPY CRAWLERS LIVING

BENEATH THE SURFACE.

.

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

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO - MALAYSIA, WHERE RIVERS

THAT CUT THROUGH THE

FORESTS ARE MEET-UPS FOR

THE LOCAL ANIMALS.

- AT A FAR SMALLER STREAM, - ANOTHER SOCIAL

GATHERING...

...MANY THOUSANDS OF TIMES

SMALLER THAN THE ELEPHANT,

BUT GIANTS AMONG THEIR OWN

KIND.

RAJAH BROOKE'S BIRDWINGS

ARE SOME OF LARGEST

BUTTERFLIES IN THE WORLD,

THE SIZE OF A HUMAN HAND.

- THESE ARE ALL NEWLY - EMERGED MALES TRYING OUT

THEIR NEW WINGS FOR SIZE.

THE WATER HERE IS FULL OF

SODIUM AND POTASSIUM,

- MINERALS THAT BUTTERFLIES - NEED TO HELP DEVELOP THEIR

FLIGHT MUSCLES.

- RELATIVELY SPEAKING, THEY - DRINK MORE THAN AN

ELEPHANT.

EACH BUTTERFLY CAN SUCK IN

SEVERAL HUNDRED TIMES ITS

OWN BODYWEIGHT IN WATER.

ADULTS LIVE FOR JUST A FEW

WEEKS, BUT PRIMING THEIR

HUGE WINGS IS TIME WELL

SPENT.

- THEY'RE SOME OF THE - STRONGEST FLIERS IN THE

BUTTERFLY WORLD.

- AND ONCE THEIR WINGS ARE - FIT FOR FLIGHT, EACH

BUTTERFLY WILL SPEND MUCH

OF THE REST OF ITS LIFE IN

THE AIR.

- MALAYSIA'S TRICKLING - WATERWAYS SHAPE THE

LANDSCAPE, CARVING UP ITS

FORESTS AND EVEN SCULPTING

ROCK.

OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

STREAMS AND RIVERS HAVE

- GRADUALLY EATEN INTO - MALAYSIA'S SOFT LIMESTONE

BEDROCK.

FORMED MANY MILLIONS OF

YEARS AGO FROM THE

COMPACTED BODIES OF DEAD

SEA CREATURES, THIS

LIMESTONE IS SOLUBLE IN

FRESH WATER.

DISSOLVING GRAIN-BY-GRAIN,

HOLES HAVE BECOME CRATERS

- AND CAVES EXCAVATED INTO - CAVERNS.

MALAYSIA IS HOME TO SOME

OF THE LARGEST CAVE

SYSTEMS ON THE PLANET.

SOME ARE SO VAST, YOU

COULD PARK 40 JUMBO JETS

INSIDE.

- THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST - INHOSPITABLE ENVIRONMENTS

ON EARTH, BUT EVEN HERE,

MALAYSIA'S EXTRAORDINARY

BIODIVERSITY HAS FOUND A

TOEHOLD...

...A BAT ROOST THREE

MILLION STRONG.

- A CAVE PROVIDES A SAFE - HAVEN FROM PREDATORS AND A

- DRY PLACE TO SLEEP DURING - THE DAY.

BUT WHERE THERE ARE BATS,

THERE IS BAT GUANO,

LOTS OF IT, A GIGANTIC PILE

MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED

FEET HIGH.

AND SEETHING ACROSS ITS

SURFACE, COCKROACHES IN

THE MILLIONS.

THE GUANO ALONE IS ENOUGH

TO FEED THEM, BUT A BAT

THAT LOST ITS FOOTING IS

THE ULTIMATE PRIZE.

AS THE BATS LEAVE THE CAVE

TO FEED AT NIGHT, ANOTHER

SPECIES RETURNS TO

ROOST...

...CAVE SWIFTLETS, ONE OF

THE ONLY BIRDS ABLE TO USE

ECHOLOCATION TO NAVIGATE.

- CLINGING TO THE CAVE - WALLS, THEY METICULOUSLY

BUILD NESTS USING STRANDS

OF THEIR OWN SALIVA.

- EACH TINY NEST CAN TAKE - MORE THAN A MONTH TO

CONSTRUCT, AND IT'S SOME

OF THE MOST VALUABLE REAL

ESTATE IN THE WORLD.

FOR CENTURIES, THESE NESTS

HAVE BEEN PRIZED AS THE

MAIN INGREDIENT OF A

CURIOUS LOCAL DELICACY,

BIRD'S NEST SOUP.

- FEARLESS LOCALS CLIMB MORE - THAN TWO HUNDRED FEET ON

MAKESHIFT LADDERS TO

COLLECT THE NESTS.

WITH NO SAFETY HARNESSES

OR SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT,

- IT'S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS - WORK.

BUT THE REWARDS OUTWEIGH

THE RISKS, AND THESE NESTS

FUEL A HUNGRY GLOBAL

MARKET.

- COMING UP ON "EARTH - ODYSSEY", DISCOVER ONE OF

THE ODDEST CREATURES ON

EARTH WHO CAN SWIM IN THE

WATER AND THEN SKIP UP ON

LAND.

THAT'S NEXT.

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

MALAYSIA IS FULL OF

AMAZING HABITATS THAT

ALLOW ALL DIFFERENT TYPES

OF FASCINATING CREATURES

TO LIVE IN SUCH CLOSE

PROXIMITY, BUT THERE'S ONE

ECOSYSTEM THAT BRINGS OUT

THE WEIRDEST OF THE WEIRD.

THE MALAYSIAN MANGROVES

ARE HOME TO CREATURES THAT

CAN SWIM, CRAWL, AND

SOMETIMES EVEN DO BOTH AT

THE SAME TIME.

- LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE - DIVERSE WILDLIFE THAT LIVE

IN THE MANGROVES OF

MALAYSIA.

OF ALL OF MALAYSIA'S

BIZARRE HABITATS, THE

STRANGEST ARE FOUND ON THE

COAST.

MALAYSIA HAS LOTS OF

COASTLINE ALMOST THREE

THOUSAND MILES LONG.

- SOME OF IT IS FRINGE WITH - MANGROVES, ONE OF THE

ODDEST ENVIRONMENTS ON

EARTH.

- MANGROVES ARE HALFWAY - POINTS BETWEEN LAND AND

SEA...

- ...EXTREME TIDAL ZONES - WHERE THE WORLD CHANGES

FROM A SALTWATER SEASCAPE

TO AN EXPOSED MUDFLAT

EVERY SIX HOURS.

- TO WITHSTAND THE CONSTANT - PUSH AND PULL OF AN EBBING

AND FLOWING TIDE, TREES IN

THE MANGROVE FOREST

DEVELOP A SCAFFOLD OF

ROOTS THAT BRACE AGAINST

THE MOVING WATER.

AS THE TIDE GOES OUT, A

TOPSY-TURVY WORLD IS

REVEALED.

ROOTS GROW UPWARDS, POKING

OUT OF THE WATER-LOGGED

SOIL INSTEAD OF STRETCHING

DOWN INTO IT, THE TREES'

ONLY CHANCE TO ABSORB

OXYGEN.

AND FISH THINK NOTHING OF

WALKING ON LAND.

A MUDSKIPPER IS PERFECTLY

AT HOME OUT OF WATER.

- IT BREATHES THROUGH ITS - SKIN AND CARRIES A BUBBLE

OF AIR IN ITS GILL

CHAMBERS LIKE A SCUBA

DIVER'S TANK.

THE RECEDING TIDE TRIGGERS

A FRENZY OF ACTIVITY.

- MUDSKIPPERS EAT - MICROSCOPIC ORGANISMS THAT

THEY FILTER OUT OF THE

MUD.

THEY CAN ONLY FEED WHEN

THE MUD IS EXPOSED.

AT HIGH TIDE, THEY RETREAT

INTO BURROWS TO STAY OUT

OF THE WAY OF PREDATORY

FISH.

- AND WITH JUST A FEW HOURS - BEFORE THE SEA FLOODS BACK

AGAIN, IT'S EVERY

MUDSKIPPER FOR HIMSELF.

- DISAGREEMENTS OVER GRAZING - RIGHTS CAN LEAD TO

DISPUTES WITH NEIGHBORS.

MUDSKIPPERS SEEM TO HAVE

PULLED OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE.

WALKING IS SURELY THE

ULTIMATE ACHIEVEMENT FOR A

FISH, BUT THERE ARE SOME

DEFINITE DISADVANTAGES TO

LIFE ON LAND.

THEY'RE PERHAPS THE ONLY

FISH IN THE WORLD TO BE

BUGGED BY MOSQUITOES.

- COMING UP WHEN "EARTH - ODYSSEY" RETURNS, WE

EXPLORE WHY THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

MUDSKIPPERS AND THIS TINY

CRAB IS ALWAYS IN TUNE.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO THE - COASTLINE OF MALAYSIA,

WHERE A TINY CRUSTACEAN

SEEMINGLY RULES.

PICKING THEIR WAY THROUGH

THE MUDSKIPPER MELEE,

FIDDLER CRABS ALSO MAKE

USE OF LOW TIDE TO FEED.

MALES USE THEIR OVERSIZED

CLAWS TO ATTRACT FEMALES

AND FIGHT OFF RIVALS, BUT

THEY'RE A BIT OF A

HINDERANCE WHEN IT COMES

TO EATING.

THEY HAVE ONLY ONE HAND

FREE TO COLLECT FOOD.

SMALL-CLAWED FEMALES CAN

FEED TWICE AS FAST.

- SIFTING THROUGH SEDIMENT, - SHE SWALLOWS ANYTHING

EDIBLE AND SPITS OUT THE

DREGS.

CRABS AND MUDSKIPPERS

COMPETE FOR FOOD, BUT ARE

NO REAL THREAT TO EACH

OTHER; HOWEVER, THERE ARE

- ANIMALS HERE THAT WOULD - HAPPILY MAKE A MEAL OF

EITHER.

- AN OTTER'S WEBBED FEET AND - SHARP CLAWS ARE THE

PERFECT WEAPONS FOR

SNARING SLIPPERY FISH.

AND FLAT BACK TEETH ARE

IDEAL FOR BREAKING CRAB

SHELLS.

BUT BOTH POTENTIAL VICTIMS

HAVE EVOLVED EYES ON THE

TOPS OF THEIR HEADS,

GIVING THEM A PANORAMIC

VIEW OF THE WORLD.

- THEY SCOOT TO SAFETY AT - THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF

DANGER.

AS NIGHT FALLS, THESE

BIZARRE MANGROVE WOODLANDS

GET EVEN STRANGER.

THEY'RE TRANSFORMED INTO A

FLICKERING FAIRY LAND.

EACH OF THESE TINY LIGHTS

IS A MESSAGE, A CODED LOVE

LETTER BEAMED INTO THE

ETHER.

FIREFLIES, GATHERING

TOGETHER IN THE THOUSANDS.

MALES TWINKLE IN

SYNCHRONY, A UNITED EFFORT

TO ATTRACT FEMALES.

FIREFLIES ARE ACTUALLY

TINY BEETLES, EACH

INDIVIDUAL JUST A FEW

MILLIMETERS LONG.

PICKING A PRIME SPOT FOR A

PERFORMANCE IS SERIOUS

BUSINESS.

LIGHT IS PRODUCED IN THEIR

ABDOMENS, THE RESULT OF A

REACTION BETWEEN OXYGEN

AND A CHEMICAL CALLED

LUCIFERIN.

- THIS BIOLUMINESCENCE IS - ALMOST ONE HUNDRED PERCENT

EFFICIENT.

THE LIGHT PRODUCED IS

COLD, SO THE BEETLES LOSE

NO ENERGY AS HEAT.

- BY CONCENTRATING THEIR - EFFORTS, THE BEETLES

ENSURE FEMALES ARE ALL

DRAWN TO THE SAME PLACE,

GIVING THE MALES MORE

OPPORTUNITIES TO MATE.

- ONE FLASHING LIGHT IN THE - DARKNESS WOULD BE EASY TO

MISS, BUT A TREE FULL OF

THEM IS A SIGNAL A FEMALE

FIREFLY FINDS HARD TO

RESIST.

IN FACT, THESE LIVING TREE

DECORATIONS ARE SO

VISIBLE, THAT

TRADITIONALLY, LOCAL

FISHERMAN HAVE USED THEM

AS BEACONS TO LIGHT THEIR

WAY HOME.

MALAYSIA'S BIODIVERSITY IS

ONLY CREDITED TO ITS RICH

AND FRUITFUL LANDSCAPE.

FROM GIANT BATS TO FISH

THAT COULD WALK, THE

FASCINATION WITH MALAYSIA

WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH

THE CREATURES WHO CALL

THIS PLACE HOME.

- THANKS FOR JOINING US ON - OUR AWESOME ADVENTURE TO

MALAYSIA.

FROM ELEPHANTS TO

MUDSKIPPERS, THIS COUNTRY

BOASTS SOME OF THE BIGGEST

AND STRANGEST CREATURES IN

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME

FOR ANOTHER AMAZING

JOURNEY ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]