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".

TODAY, WE HEAD TO MADAGASCAR TO

EXPLORE THE UNIQUE AND QUIRKY

ANIMALS THAT CALL THIS WILD

ISLAND HOME.

WE'LL BE WELCOMED TO THE ISLAND

BY THE LARGEST LIVING LEMUR,

- WHO'S A FAR CRY FROM BEING A - GOOD HOST.

AND LATER, THE WORLD'S GREATEST

ESCAPE ARTIST LIVES RIGHT HERE

IN MADAGASCAR, AND THEY MIGHT BE

HIDING RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES.

PLUS, WHAT MAKES THIS ISLAND THE

PERFECT PLACE FOR PICKY

PREDATORS?

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: NATURE CAN ACTIVATE ALL

FIVE OF YOUR SENSES, AND THE

ISLAND OF MADAGASCAR IS THE

PERFECT EXAMPLE.

YOU CAN SEE ITS FLORAL BEAUTY

THAT RELEASES THE FOREST'S SCENT

OF FRESH, NATURAL LIFE.

- AND YOU CAN REACH OUT AND TOUCH - THE TREES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE

FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, GIVING

YOU A TASTE OF THE HISTORY OF

THE LAND.

BUT IN THOSE TREES LIVES

SOMETHING THAT AGGRESSIVELY

- TRIGGERS THAT FIFTH SENSE, - BECAUSE YOU CAN HEAR THE

SCREECHING HOWL FROM MILES AWAY.

MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO, HUNDREDS

OF CAST AWAY CREATURES

CRASH-LANDED ON MADAGASCAR'S

RUGGED SHORES.

ISOLATED FROM THE MAINLAND,

EVOLUTION WENT INTO OVERDRIVE.

BIZARRE LIFE FORMS THRIVED

THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND'S VARIED

LANDS...

...FUELING SUPERNATURAL LEGENDS

AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO EVENTUALLY

SET FOOT ON MADAGASCAR'S MAGICAL

AND MYSTICAL SANDS.

IN THE RAINFOREST REGION OF

ANDASIBE, EACH MORNING BEGINS

WITH A HAUNTING SOUND.

[HOWLING]

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

THE INDRI'S TERRITORIAL CALL

CAN BE HEARD MORE THAN

HALF-A-MILE AWAY.

[INDRIS HOWLING]

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

AT MORE THAN TWO FEET TALL,

IT'S THE LARGEST LIVING LEMUR.

[INDRIS HOWLING]

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

EARLY BIOLOGISTS ASSOCIATED

THIS CRY WITH THAT OF ROMAN

MYTHOLOGY LEMURS, OR SPIRITS OF

THE DEAD.

- THIS GAVE RISE TO THE NAMING OF - ALL MADAGASCAR'S UNIQUE

PRIMATES.

INDRIS ARE THE ONLY LEMURS WHICH

THROUGH EVOLUTION HAVE LOST

VIRTUALLY ALL OF THEIR TAIL.

HOWEVER, THE ASSOCIATION WITH

THEIR APE COUSINS ENDS HERE.

LEMURS ARE A MUCH MORE PRIMITIVE

PRIMATE THAT ALSO SURVIVED

OUTSIDE OF MADAGASCAR.

- BUT WHEN MONKEYS EVENTUALLY TOOK - HOLD ON THE MAINLAND, THE LEMURS

WERE WIPED OUT.

MADAGASCAR'S LARGEST PRIMATE

POSES NO THREAT TO THE INDRI, AS

THE MALAGASY PEOPLE BELIEVE THIS

LEMUR TO BE HALF HUMAN.

[INDRIS HOWLING]

- THE STORY GOES THAT TWO - BROTHERS LIVING IN THE

RAINFOREST DECIDED TO GO THEIR

SEPARATE WAYS.

ONE CHOSE TO FARM OUT IN THE

OPEN...

...WHILE THE OTHER REMAINED

UNDER THE COVER OF THE CANOPY.

IT IS SAID THIS JUNGLE-DWELLING

BROTHER EVOLVED INTO AN INDRI,

- WHILE THE OTHER BECAME THE FIRST - HUMAN.

UPSET HE WAS ABANDONED, TO THIS

DAY, THE INDRI STILL CRIES HIS

LEGENDARY MELANCHOLIC SONG.

[INDRI HOWLING]

ONE ISLAND PREDATOR SHOWS

LITTLE RESPECT FOR ANY HUNTING

TABOO.

COMING UP, WE DISCOVER MORE

SPECIES OF ONE OF MADAGASCAR'S

MOST POPULAR MAMMALS.

AND LATER, WE'LL GET A

360-DEGREE LOOK AT THE FEATURES

THAT MAKE CHAMELEONS SOME OF THE

WORLD'S BEST ESCAPE ARTISTS.

PLUS, WE'LL FIND OUT WHY

MADAGASCAR IS THE PERFECT

HUNTING GROUND FOR THESE HUNGRY

PREDATORS.

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: HALF DOG, HALF CAT IN - APPEARANCE, AT TWO-AND-A-HALF

FEET LONG, THE FOSSA IS THE

LARGEST LAND CARNIVORE IN

MADAGASCAR.

SEMI-RETRACTABLE CLAWS AND

REVERSIBLE ANKLE JOINTS ENABLE

IT TO CLIMB UP AND DOWN TREES

HEAD-FIRST.

USEFUL QUALITIES WHEN 50 PERCENT

OF YOUR DIET CONSISTS OF LEMURS.

MOTHERS WITH YOUNG ARE

PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE...

- ...ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS AMBUSH - PREDATOR STALKS IN ALMOST

COMPLETE SILENCE.

- ONE OF THE INDRIS SPOTS THE - PREDATOR AND IMMEDIATELY SOUNDS

THE ALARM.

[INDRIS HOWLING]

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

THE FOSSA KNOWS HE'S NO MATCH

TO THE LEMUR'S SPEED AND LEAPING

PROWESS.

ALONG WITH ITS UNIQUE MAMMALS,

MADAGASCAR IS ALSO HOME TO A

HOST OF OTHER BIZARRE CREATURES.

THE GIRAFFE WEEVIL'S LONG,

ARTICULATED NECK ISN'T AN

ADAPTATION FOR FINDING FOOD.

- IT'S PRIMARILY USED FOR - AGGRESSIVE COMBAT THE WAY MALES

SECURE A FEMALE MATE.

AT ALMOST THREE INCHES LONG, THE

WORLD'S LARGE COCKROACH IS ALSO

UNIQUE TO THE ISLAND.

IT'S THE ONLY INSECT CAPABLE OF

FORCING GAS THROUGH THE

BREATHING PORES IN ITS ABDOMEN.

THIS HAS GIVEN RISE TO ITS

COMMON NAME, THE HISSING

COCKROACH.

OF THE 500 OR SO SPECIES OF

SPIDER LIVING IN MADAGASCAR,

- ALMOST 400 ARE FOUND NOWHERE - ELSE.

ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL UTILIZES

A UNIQUE METHOD TO REMAIN SAFE

FROM PREDATORS AND SHELTER FROM

THE ELEMENTS.

THIS COLONY OF HUNTSMAN SPIDERS

LIVE IN EMPTY SEASHELLS DANGLING

IN THE BRANCHES ALONG

MADAGASCAR'S SOUTHERN COAST.

USING A SERIES OF SILK THREADS,

THE SHELLS ARE HOISTED OFF THE

GROUND HIGH INTO THE AIR.

- SOME OF THE STRUCTURES WEIGH - MORE THAN 20 TIMES THAT OF THE

SPIDER'S OWN WEIGHT.

WHILE MANY MADAGASCAN CREATURES

LEAVE A COVERT LIFE BY HIDING,

- OTHERS HAVE MASTERED THE ART OF - CAMOUFLAGE.

COMING UP, THE KINGS AND QUEENS

OF CAMOUFLAGE FOR THE ENTIRE

ANIMAL KINGDOM.

PLUS, WE DISCOVER MORE SPECIES

OF ONE OF MADAGASCAR'S MOST

POPULAR MAMMALS.

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: WITH ALL THE TREES, - PLANTS, AND WATER THAT MAKE UP

THE FORESTS OF MADAGASCAR, IT'S

EASY TO SEE WHY THERE'S AN

ABUNDANCE OF LIFE, BUT OFTEN

IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO ACTUALLY

SEE THE LIFE, LIKE THIS SPECIES

OF GECKO AND ITS UNFORGETTABLE

AND COMPLETELY UNNOTICEABLE

LIFE-SAVING CAMOUFLAGE.

THIS MOSSY LEAF-TAILED GECKO CAN

ALTER ITS COLOR TO MATCH ANY

TREE.

THE OUTER EDGES OF ITS BODY ARE

FRINGED WITH FRAYED SKIN.

IT SEAMLESSLY BLENDS INTO THE

BACKGROUND.

GROWING ALMOST EIGHT INCHES

LONG, IT SPENDS MOST OF THE DAY

RESTING VERTICALLY, HEAD DOWN ON

TREE TRUNKS.

- ONLY AT NIGHT WILL IT BREAK - COVER TO HUNT.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING A

LOW PROFILE, ONE GROUP OF

REPTILES WINS HANDS DOWN.

MADAGASCAR IS HOME TO AROUND

HALF THE WORLD'S 150 OR SO

SPECIES OF CHAMELEON.

- FAMED FOR THEIR ABILITY TO - CHANGE COLOR TO MATCH ANY

- BACKGROUND, THIS GIFT ISN'T JUST - ABOUT CAMOUFLAGE.

- SEVERAL SPECIES ALTER THEIR - PIGMENT AS A WAY OF

COMMUNICATING WITH POTENTIAL

MATES OR TO WARN OFF RIVALS.

CHAMELEONS CAN ROTATE AND FOCUS

BOTH THEIR EYES INDEPENDENTLY.

THIS NOT ONLY OFFERS A

360-DEGREE VIEW, IT ALSO ALLOWS

THEM TO TUNE IN TO TWO SEPARATE

OBJECTS AT THE SAME TIME.

THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS SPOTTED A

POTENTIAL MEAL.

IT CREEPS TO WITHIN STRIKING

RANGE, DELIBERATELY ROCKING ITS

BODY BETWEEN EACH STEP,

MIMICKING A BLOWING LEAF.

WITH BOTH EYES NOW FOCUSING

DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE TARGET, IT

UNLEASHES ITS WEAPON.

ACCELERATING FIVE TIMES FASTER

THAN A FIGHTER JET...

...A CHAMELEON'S TONGUE SHOOTS

OUT AT AN ASTONISHING SPEED OF

MORE THAN 22 MILES PER HOUR.

THIS LETHAL APPENDAGE CAN BE

ALMOST TWICE THE LENGTH OF THE

CHAMELEON'S BODY.

POWERFUL JAWS AND SHARP,

SAW-LIKE TEETH ENSURE THE VICTIM

IS KILLED ALMOST INSTANTLY.

COMING UP, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT,

SO SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS WHAT THE

- FAVORITE FOOD OF THIS SPECIES OF - LEMUR IS.

FIND OUT NEXT.

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: ONE OF THE ISLAND'S - CUTEST RESIDENTS IS ALSO OFFERED

THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PROTECTION

BY VILLAGERS.

IT'S THOUGHT TO HOUSE THE

SPIRITS OF THEIR ANCESTORS.

BAMBOO LEMURS GET THEIR NAME

FROM THEIR ALMOST EXCLUSIVE

DIET.

WEIGHING IN AT AROUND TWO

POUNDS, THE HIGH LEVELS OF

CYANIDE CONTAINED IN LEAVES THEY

CONSUME WOULD KILL OTHER

SIMILAR-SIZED ANIMALS ALMOST

INSTANTLY.

HOW THEY MANAGE TO AVOID BEING

POISONED REMAINS A MYSTERY.

SELECTING A FOOD SOURCE THAT

OTHERS AVOID IS ALL PART OF THE

BAMBOO LEMUR'S LONG-TERM

SURVIVAL STRATEGY.

- UNLIKE THE TWO CONTINENTS IT WAS - ONCE CONNECTED TO, SURPRISINGLY,

MADAGASCAR HAS NO DANGEROUSLY

VENOMOUS SNAKES.

WITH ITS ELLIPTICAL PUPILS AND

ARROW-SHAPED HEAD, THIS CAT-EYED

SNAKE MAY LOOK LIKE IT COULD

DELIVER A DEADLY STRIKE, BUT ITS

BITE IS TOTALLY HARMLESS TO

HUMANS.

ITS VENOM IS SO MILD, IT CAN

JUST ABOUT SUBDUE ITS FROG AND

LIZARD PREY.

- DESPITE POSING NO THREAT TO - PEOPLE, MANY SNAKES ARE KILLED

ON SIGHT.

- ONLY A HANDFUL OF THE ISLAND'S - 80 OR SO SPECIES ARE SPARED

THROUGH ISOLATED LOCAL TABOOS.

IN MANY REGIONS, ONE MADAGASCAN

MAMMAL IS ALSO OFFERED NO

REPRIEVE, YET THIS LEGENDARY

CREATURE HAS MANAGED TO DEFY ALL

ODDS OF SURVIVAL.

- REMAINING HIDDEN THROUGHOUT THE - DAY, IT FILLS THE HEARTS OF

LOCAL PEOPLE WITH DREAD.

THE AYE-AYE IS POSSIBLY THE MOST

BIZARRE CREATURE ON THE PLANET.

GROWING UP TO 20 INCHES LONG,

THIS UNIQUE LEMUR IS ALSO THE

LARGEST NOCTURNAL PRIMATE IN THE

WORLD.

BAT-LIKE EARS TUNE IN TO THE

SLIGHTEST SOUND BEFORE ITS

INCREDIBLY ACUTE SENSE OF SMELL

CONFIRMS A MEAL IS IN THE

MAKING.

- BUT TO PINPOINT ITS VICTIM, THE - AYE-AYE LETS LOOSE ITS SECRET

WEAPON.

THIS EXTRA-LONG BONY MIDDLE

FINGER IS LESS THAN HALF THE

WIDTH OF ITS OTHER DIGITS.

- TAPPING FOR HOLLOWS WITHIN THE - BRANCH REVEALS THE HIDING PLACE

OF WOOD-BORING LARVA, AN AYE-AYE

DELICACY.

- THE FINGER IS LINED WITH - SENSITIVE NERVE ENDINGS THAT

SENSE THE SLIGHTEST OF

VIBRATIONS INSIDE THE TREE.

- ONCE LOCATED, SHARP - FORWARD-FACING INCISORS TEAR

AWAY THE OUTER BARK.

THEN IT'S TIME FOR THE FINGER TO

REALLY GO TO WORK.

A BALL-AND-SOCKET JOINT ALLOWS

THE LIMB TO BEND AND ROTATE

BEFORE HOOKING OUT THE

PROTEIN-RICH PRIZE.

THIS SOLITARY LIVING LEMUR CAN

COVER UP TO TWO-AND-A-HALF MILES

A NIGHT IN SEARCH OF FOOD.

- THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT IN THE - 1930'S, THIS ELUSIVE LEMUR WAS

REDISCOVERED APPROXIMATELY 20

YEARS LATER.

ALTHOUGH SUPERSTITION AND LEGEND

LIVES ON, RECENT RESEARCH HAS

SHOWN THE AYE-AYE TO BE MUCH

MORE WIDESPREAD THAN PREVIOUSLY

THOUGHT.

MADAGASCAR IS A LAND STEEPED IN

MYSTERY AND LEGEND.

UNIQUE CREATURES HAVE EVOLVED

AND THRIVED, SCULPTING THE

BELIEFS OF PEOPLE THEY LIVE

ALONGSIDE.

- ALTHOUGH NOT ALL RESIDENTS ARE - TAKEN TO HEART, THIS ISLAND OF

BIZARRE AND MAGICAL BEINGS

REMAINS AN EVOLUTIONARY WORK OF

ART.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON OUR

ADVENTURE TO MADAGASCAR, WHERE

THE UNIQUE, UNUSUAL, AND THE

UNBELIEVABLE FLOURISH.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON

ANOTHER "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]