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".

COMING UP, WE'LL EXPLORE

THE UNBELIEVABLE WETLAND

THAT COVERS MOST OF

VENEZUELA, LOS LLANOS.

THEN FROM CROCS TO

CAPYBARAS, WE'LL DISCOVER

WHAT MAKES LOS LLANOS SUCH

A HOT AND HAPPENING

WETLAND.

- PLUS, WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT - THRIVES THE MOST FROM THIS

RICH AND FERTILE

ECOSYSTEM.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: SOUTH AMERICA HAS - AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF

DIVERSITY IN ITS PHYSICAL

FEATURES.

- FROM ANCIENT MOUNTAINS TO - ENORMOUS RIVERS, THESE

REGIONS ARE A CRADLE OF

LIFE FOR BOTH HUMANS AND

ANIMALS, AND ONE FEATURE

THAT'S NO EXCEPTION IS THE

GREAT GRASSLAND PLAIN OF

LOS LLANOS.

- STRETCHING OVER VENEZUELA - AND COLOMBIA, THIS

NORTHWEST REGION OF SOUTH

AMERICA HAS THE WATER AND

SUSTAINABLE CLIMATE THAT'S

PERFECT FOR ANIMALS WITH

SCALES, FUR, AND FEATHERS.

TAKE A LOOK.

WELCOME TO LOS LLANOS.

- THIS WETLAND IS ABOUT THE - SIZE OF ITALY AND COVERS A

THIRD OF VENEZUELA.

- THE DESCENDANTS OF THE - SPANISH INVADERS KNOWN AS

LLANEROS STILL LIVE

HERE...

- ...MAINTAINING HUGE HERDS - OF CATTLE IN THE SEASONAL

SWAMP.

- DESPITE HUNGRY CATTLE, LOS - LLANOS IS ONE OF SOUTH

AMERICA'S WILDLIFE

HOTSPOTS...

- ...HOME TO MORE THAN A - HUNDRED SPECIES OF MAMMALS

AND AROUND SEVEN HUNDRED

SPECIES OF BIRD, AND IT'S

THE REALM OF THE LARGEST

RODENT ON EARTH, THE

CAPYBARA...

...A LARGE, AMPHIBIOUS

GRAZER, THE SOUTH AMERICAN

EQUIVALENT OF THE

HIPPOPOTAMUS.

WITH BROAD FEET AND ITS

EYES AND NOSE ON TOP OF

ITS HEAD, IT'S PERFECTLY

ADAPTED TO LIFE IN A

SWAMP.

- BUT WHERE THERE ARE - RODENTS, EVEN GIANT ONES,

THERE ARE ANIMALS TO EAT

THEM.

GREEN ANACONDAS,

CROCODILES, AND CAYMAN

ABOUND.

AND THESE PREDATORS RARELY

GO HUNGRY.

DURING THE SIX-MONTH RAINY

SEASON, LOS LLANOS IS

BOMBARDED BY DOWNPOURS.

- THE WATER LEVEL RISES BY - UP TO THREE FEET.

HUGE TRACTS OF LAND

DISAPPEAR.

- BUT THE GROWING FLOODS - OPEN NEW OPPORTUNITIES

FROM THE SWAMP'S LEGION OF

AQUATIC CREATURES.

NORMALLY SHY TERRAPINS

EMERGE FROM DRY SEASON

REFUGES AND DISPERSE

ACROSS THE WETLANDS.

THE RAINS AFFECT EVERY

ASPECT OF LOS LLANOS'

ANIMALS' LIVES.

FOR MANY, THEY SIGNAL THE

TIME TO BREED.

- LEAFY NESTS CAREFULLY - CONSTRUCTED THREE MONTHS

AGO ARE ROTTING AWAY,

LEAVING LEATHERY EGGS

EXPOSED AT THE SURFACE.

THE NEST BUILDER KEEPS A

CLOSE EYE, BUT THE MOTHER

- CAYMAN WON'T GET INVOLVED - UNLESS SHE MUST.

AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF

STRUGGLE, THE EGG'S

INHABITANT TEARS FREE.

WITHIN MINUTES, MORE AND

MORE SIBLINGS EMERGE.

THERE COULD BE 60 EGGS IN

THIS ONE BATCH.

NEWBORN CAYMAN HAVE MANY

PREDATORS.

- THEIR SURVIVAL INSTINCT - TELLS THEM TO HEAD

STRAIGHT FOR WATER.

EVEN HERE, THE TINY

REPTILES AREN'T SAFE.

DANGER LURKS BENEATH THE

SURFACE, TOO...

...PIRANHAS.

- UNTIL THEY OUTGROW THEIR - PREDATORS, THESE CAYMAN

WILL ALWAYS BE IN DANGER.

SOME DON'T MAKE IT THIS

FAR.

CRESTED CARACARAS NORMALLY

SCAVENGE CARRION.

BUT AN UNGUARDED NEST IS

TOO TEMPTING TO RESIST.

THE EAGER CARACARAS IS IN

FOR A SURPRISE.

- WITH ITS FIRST BREATH, THE - HATCHLING CAYMAN FIGHTS

BACK.

BUT IT'S NO MATCH FOR A

BIRD 30 TIMES ITS SIZE.

- PREDATORS WILL KILL - THOUSANDS OF YOUNG CAYMAN

IN THE COMING WEEKS, BUT

THOUSANDS MORE WILL

SURVIVE THE ONSLAUGHT.

- COMING UP ON "EARTH - ODYSSEY", PREDATOR AND

- PREY GO HEAD-TO-HEAD, BUT - WHO STICKS THEIR NECK OUT

THE MOST FOR THEIR FAMILY?

PLUS, WE'LL FIND OUT WHY

THE TERM "WETLAND" MIGHT

BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT FOR

ONE OF EARTH'S MOST

FERTILE REGIONS.

[BREAK]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

- DYLAN: IN CAPYBARA - SOCIETY, THE STRONGEST

MALE GETS THE MOST MATES.

IN LOS LLANOS, THERE ARE

SO MANY CAPYBARAS, THAT

THERE'S ALWAYS A CONTENDER

FOR THE CROWN.

EACH TIPS THE SCALES AT

AROUND 150 POUNDS.

THIS IS THE HEAVYWEIGHT

CONTEST OF THE RODENT

WORLD.

AS THE FEMALES COME INTO

SEASON, THEY EMIT A

DISTINCTIVE PERFUME AND

GENTLY WHISTLE THROUGH

THEIR NOSES.

THE COMBINATION OF SOUND

AND SCENT IS IRRESISTIBLE,

BUT THE FEMALE IS NO

PUSHOVER.

- SHE STILL WANTS PROOF THAT - HER SUITOR IS THE

STRONGEST.

THE ROMANCING RODENTS

SERENADE FOR HOURS.

ONLY THE ADVANCES OF

ANOTHER MALE PUT ROMEO OFF

HIS STRIDE.

AFTER FOLLOWING HER FOR

HOURS, HE FINALLY WEARS

DOWN THE FEMALE'S

RESISTANCE.

SHE ROLLS OVER TO SHOW HIM

HER ACCEPTANCE.

BUT AFTER ALL THAT, HE'S

TOO EXHAUSTED TO TAKE UP

THE OFFER.

- CAPYBARAS BREED - YEAR-ROUND, AND WHILE SOME

- ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE - COMPLICATIONS OF

COURTSHIP, OTHERS ARE

ALREADY GIVING BIRTH.

- WITHOUT COVER, THE - DELIVERY DOESN'T GO

UNNOTICED.

- BLACK VULTURES ARE - NORMALLY SCAVENGERS, BUT

THE HELPLESS NEWBORNS ARE

JUST TOO TEMPTING,

ESPECIALLY AS THEIR

INEXPERIENCED MOTHER SEEMS

UNSURE OF HER DUTIES.

- CAPYBARAS SOON LEARN THAT - THERE'S DANGER AROUND

EVERY CORNER, BUT THE

FAMILY CAN'T SPEND ITS

LIFE ON THE RUN, SO THE

MOTHER MUST WEIGH UP EVERY

RISK.

- FOR AN ORINOCO CROCODILE, - AN ADULT CAPYBARA WOULD

MAKE A DECENT MEAL, A

YOUNGSTER, A TASTY SNACK.

JUST A FEW DAYS OLD, THESE

YOUNG ONES HAVE NEVER SEEN

ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE,

BUT THE MASSIVE CROC SEEMS

MORE INTERESTED IN

CATCHING RAYS THAN

RODENTS.

- HE NEEDS TO HEAT UP BEFORE - HE EVEN THINKS ABOUT

HUNTING, AND BESIDES, HE'S

MORE FOND OF FISH THAN

FUR.

- AS WELL AS BEING ONE OF - THE LARGEST CROCODILES IN

THE WORLD, THE ORINOCO IS

ALSO ONE OF THE RAREST.

IN THE MID-20TH CENTURY,

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WERE

KILLED FOR THEIR SKINS.

TODAY, THERE COULD BE AS

FEW AS 250 LEFT IN THE

WILD.

ALL LIVE IN THE ORINOCO

RIVER SYSTEM.

MOST ARE FOUND HERE IN LOS

LLANOS.

- THE ORINOCO CROCODILE IS - HEAVILY OUTNUMBERED BY ITS

SMALLER RELATIVE, THE

SPECTACLED CAYMAN.

THANKS TO BONIER SCALES,

THE CAYMAN IS FAR LESS

ATTRACTIVE TO HUNTERS.

ITS KNOBBLY SKIN MAKES

POOR LEATHER, AND IT'S FAR

LESS CHOOSY ABOUT ITS

FOOD.

FOR A CAYMAN, A CAPYBARA

BABY BOOM IS GOOD NEWS.

WITH SO MANY PREDATORS

RANGED AGAINST THEM, THE

CAPYBARAS DEVELOP A SIEGE

MENTALITY.

- FAMILIES STICK CLOSE UNDER - THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THE

DOMINANT MALE.

- WHILE THE YOUNG PLAY, THE - FEMALES CHATTER TO

REASSURE EACH OTHER.

THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO

BE NERVOUS.

- THIS IS THE PERFECT PLACE - FOR PREDATORS TO REACH

MONSTER PROPORTIONS,

TROPICAL TEMPERATURES,

PERMANENT WATER, AND A

CONSTANT SUPPLY OF FOOD.

COMING UP ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY", WHAT LIVES WAY

ABOVE SEA LEVEL IN THIS

WETLAND?

- THAT'S NEXT ON "EARTH - ODYSSEY".

[BREAK]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

AS WE'VE SEEN, VENEZUELA

IS HOME TO SOME OF THE

- MOST EXTREME ECOSYSTEMS - YOU'LL FIND IN SOUTH

AMERICA.

WE'VE ALREADY EXPLORED THE

LOW WET PLAINS OF LOS

LLANOS, BUT WHAT'S SITTING

UP HIGH?

IT'S THE NORTHERN PART OF

THE ANDES MOUNTAINS.

CREATING A STEADY CONTRAST

RARELY SEEN ELSEWHERE ON

THE PLANET, THIS REGION IS

HOME TO A DAZZLING ARRAY

OF WILDLIFE, SOME BIG,

SOME SMALL, BUT ALL HAVE

ADAPTED TO THE EXTREME

CLIMATE AND LANDSCAPE.

TAKE A LOOK.

LOS LLANOS RECEIVES AROUND

THREE FEET OF RAIN A YEAR,

- BUT MOST OF ITS WATER - FLOWS IN FROM THE

SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS.

- IT STARTS AS MOIST AIR - BLOWN IN ON TRADEWINDS

FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

- AS IT APPROACHES - VENEZUELA'S SOUTHERN

BORDER, IT'S FORCED UP

AGAINST THE FLATTOP

MOUNTAINS OF THE GUYANA

SHIELD, COOLING AND

CONDENSING INTO RAIN

CLOUDS.

- THESE SPECTACULAR - MONUMENTS ARE THE REMAINS

OF A MIGHTY SANDSTONE

PLATEAU.

MORE THAN 1.8 BILLION

YEARS OLD, THEY'RE AMONGST

THE MOST ANCIENT MOUNTAINS

IN SOUTH AMERICA.

- THERE ARE MORE THAN A - HUNDRED OF THESE

FOREBODING PEAKS.

FEWER THAN HALF HAVE BEEN

EXPLORED.

LOCALS CALL THEM TEPUIS,

THE "HOUSES OF THE GODS".

THE HIGHEST AT JUST OVER

NINE THOUSAND FEET IS

MOUNT RORAIMA.

IT INSPIRED SIR ARTHUR

CONAN DOYLE TO WRITE "THE

LOST WORLD", IN WHICH HE

IMAGINED ITS MYSTERIOUS

CROWN TO BE A REFUGE FOR

DINOSAURS CUT OFF FROM THE

WORLD BELOW.

THE SCULPTED ROCKS OF ITS

SUMMIT ARE INHABITED NOT

BY DINOSAURS, BUT BY A

RELIC FROM EVEN FURTHER

- BACK IN THE MISTS OF - TIME...

...A TINY TOAD NO BIGGER

THAN A THUMBNAIL.

ITS RELATIVES LIVE IN WEST

AFRICA, SEPARATED WHEN THE

CONTINENTS DRIFTED APART

MORE THAN A HUNDRED

MILLION YEARS AGO.

- THIS IS A TESTING - ENVIRONMENT FOR ANY

ANIMAL, BUT THE TEPUI TOAD

HAS HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO

ADAPT.

- ITS SPARKLING SKIN OFFERS - CAMOUFLAGE AGAINST THE

LICHEN-ENCRUSTED ROCK.

ITS BLACKNESS MEANS IT

WARMS UP QUICKLY DURING

RARE BURSTS OF SUNSHINE.

- WHEN TOO HOT, THE TOAD - SIMPLY IMMERSES ITSELF IN

STANDING WATER.

ITS OPPOSABLE TOES HELP IT

TO NEGOTIATE SLIPPERY

ROCKS, BUT THERE'S LITTLE

FOR A TOAD TO EAT HERE,

JUST A FEW INSECTS CARRIED

UP ON THE WIND.

- AND RORAIMA'S HEARTY - LITTLE SURVIVOR FACES

TOUGH COMPETITION FROM AN

UNUSUAL DIRECTION...

...PLANTS.

- OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS, - MOST OF RORAIMA'S

NUTRIENTS HAVE LEACHED

AWAY.

ON NAKED ROCKS, EVEN

PLANTS CAN BARELY SCRAPE A

LIVING, BUT A FEW HAVE

FOUND A WAY TO FLOURISH.

THEY'VE BECOME CARNIVORES.

THE SMELL OF ROTTING FLESH

ATTRACTS A FLY TO THE CAP

OF A PITCHER PLANT.

CONFUSED BY THE ABSENCE OF

MEAT, IT EXPLORES FURTHER

AND ENDS UP IN THE

PITCHER'S TRAP.

DOWNWARD POINTING HAIRS

PREVENT ESCAPE.

- BACTERIA LIVING IN THE - WELL AT THE BOTTOM WILL

BREAK DOWN THE HAPLESS

INSECT, PROVIDING THE

PITCHER PLANT WITH ALL THE

MINERALS IT NEEDS.

FACED WITH THE SAME

PROBLEM, SUNDEWS HAVE

DEVELOPED A DIFFERENT

SOLUTION.

- THEY SECRETE A GLISTENING - NECTAR THAT'S'

IRRESISTIBLE TO WAYWARD

INSECTS.

IT'S ALSO EXTREMELY

STICKY.

- THE HUNGRY MOSQUITO IS - CAUGHT, AND WITHIN

MINUTES, IT'S WELL AND

TRULY STUCK.

- WITHIN DAYS, THE - MOSQUITO'S VITAL FLUIDS

WILL BE ABSORBED.

THE SUNDEW WILL HAVE ITS

FIX OF NUTRIENTS, ENOUGH

TO KEEP IT GOING FOR

MONTHS.

- ON A STARVATION DIET, THE - TEPUI TOAD TAKES LIFE

SLOWLY.

IT NEITHER HOPS NOR SWIMS.

THERE'S NO POINT WASTING

ENERGY RUSHING AROUND.

- A THIRD OF RORAIMA'S - INHABITANTS ARE UNIQUE TO

THIS ISLAND IN THE CLOUDS.

- THEIR EVOLUTION HAS BEEN - DRIVEN BY ITS EXTREME

CONDITIONS.

THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR

IS RAIN.

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

NOT TO LOOK DOWN ONE OF

SOUTH AMERICA'S BIGGEST

AND BOLDEST WATERFALLS.

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: IT RAINS NEARLY - EVERY DAY, MAKING MOUNT

RORAIMA ONE OF THE WETTEST

PLACES ON EARTH.

UP TO 12 FEET FALLS EVERY

YEAR, FOUR TIMES THE

AMOUNT THAT FALLS ON THE

PLAINS BELOW.

TORRENTS OF WATER RIP AWAY

SOIL AND CARVE INTO THE

ROCKS.

BARELY ANY IS ABSORBED, SO

NEARLY ALL POURS OFF THE

SIDES.

RORAIMA IS KNOWN AS THE

MOTHER OF ALL WATERS, BUT

- EACH OF THE HUNDRED OR SO - TEPUIS EXPERIENCE THIS

SAME SPECTACULAR WEATHER.

- NOWHERE IS THE RESULT MORE - MAGNIFICENT THAN ON THE

AUYAN TEPUI...

...DEVIL MOUNTAIN...

...HOME TO THE HIGHEST

WATERFALL IN THE WORLD...

...THE ANGEL FALLS...

- ...WITH MORE THAN THREE - THOUSAND FEET FROM TOP TO

BOTTOM.

THE FALLS ARE NAMED AFTER

AN AMERICAN PILOT, DRAWN

HERE, TOO, BY HIS DESIRE

FOR GOLD.

LIKE THE EXPLORERS, JIMMY

ANGEL FAILED TO FIND IT,

CRASHING HIS PLANE ON THE

AUYAN TEPUI'S SUMMIT IN

THE PROCESS.

- WATER GENERATED BY THE - TEPUIS ENTERS A NETWORK OF

RIVERS WHICH RUSH THROUGH

THE JUNGLES BELOW AND

EVENTUALLY ONTO THE

PLAINS.

AS THEY HEAD TOWARDS THE

ORINOCO, THEY CARVE YET

MORE WATERFALLS.

- MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED - TRIBUTARIES FLOW INTO THE

ORINOCO, BUT THERE CAN

ONLY BE ONE SOURCE.

- BELIEVING THAT IT HARBORED - GOLD, NUMEROUS EXPLORERS

- TRIED AND FAILED TO FIND - IT.

IT WASN'T UNTIL 1951 THAT

A VENEZUELAN ARMY

EXPEDITION TRACED IT TO

THE BORDER WITH BRAZIL IN

THE PERU MOUNTAINS.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US - ON OUR ADVENTURE TO

VENEZUELA, WHERE A DIVERSE

LANDSCAPE CREATES THE

PERFECT ECOSYSTEM THAT

ALLOWS AN INCREDIBLE ARRAY

OF ANIMALS TO THRIVE.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT

TIME ON ANOTHER "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]