Original subtitles

.

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 HEAD TO RUSSIA TO

EXPLORE THE EXOTIC AND FIERCE

WILDLIFE THAT LIVES IN THIS VAST

EDEN.

WE'LL HEAD TO THE FORESTS WHERE

THERE'S NO QUESTION WHICH

SPECIES RULES THIS REGION.

AND LATER, THIS SHREW VENTURES

ANYWHERE TO FIND ITS NEXT MEAL.

PLUS, WINTER IS COMING AND

TENSIONS IN THIS GROUP ARE HIGH.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BORDERING 16 COUNTRIES

AND TOUCHING 12 SEAS, RUSSIA IS

A MAMMOTH OF A LAND MASS.

ALTHOUGH ALMOST TWO THIRDS ARE

IN ASIA, THIS COUNTRY IS HOME TO

AN UNBELIEVABLY WIDE ARRAY OF

LANDSCAPES, PLANTS, AND

ESPECIALLY WILDLIFE.

INSIDE THIS GIGANTIC COUNTRY

LIVE GIANT ANIMALS.

SOME ARE PREY BUT MOST ARE

PREDATORS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: STRETCHING MORE THAN

6,000 MILES FROM EAST TO WEST,

THIS IS THE BIGGEST COUNTRY ON

OUR PLANET.

BUT IT'S ALSO A LAND OF MYSTERY.

WITH SOME OF THE MOST EXTREME

HABITATS ANYWHERE ON EARTH.

IN THIS REMOTE AND ISOLATED

WILDERNESS, SOME OF NATURE'S

MOST INCREDIBLE ANIMALS HAVE

ADAPTED IN AMAZING WAYS.

BUT THIS WILD REFUGE IS A

FRAGILE PARADISE.

HERE SOME OF THE PLANET'S RAREST

AND MOST ICONIC CREATURES MUST

BATTLE FOR TERRITORY.

AND FOR THEIR VERY SURVIVAL.

WELCOME TO THE WILD EDEN OF

RUSSIA.

IN RUSSIA'S SOUTHEASTERN CORNER

LIES A REGION NOTORIOUS FOR THE

STAGGERING DISPLAY OF PLANT LIFE

IT PRODUCES IN ONE OF THE MOST

BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE TEMPERATE

FORESTS IN THE WORLD.

FOR JUST TWO WEEKS EACH YEAR,

ITS LEAVES PRODUCE A RIOT OF

GOLD AND GREEN.

ALSO KNOWN AS THE AMUR, THIS 380

MILLION ACRE WATERSHED IS NAMED

AFTER THE RIVER THAT FORMS

RUSSIA'S NATURAL BORDER WITH

CHINA.

ONCE THE LEAVES DROP, THE REGION

MAY APPEAR LIFELESS, BUT THESE

FORESTS HARBOR ALMOST 3,000

SPECIES OF PLANTS.

AND IT ALSO CONTAINS THE LAST

REFUGE FOR THE MOST CRITICALLY

ENDANGERED BIG CATS ON EARTH.

- THIS FOREST IS KNOWN AS THE LAND - OF THE LEOPARD.

THE LEOPARDS THAT LIVE HERE WERE

ONCE FOUND ALL ACROSS ASIA, BUT

LESS THAN 40 ARE NOW THOUGHT TO

REMAIN IN THE WILD.

SO, EVEN GLIMPSES OF THESE

PREDATORS ARE EXTREMELY RARE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THEIR CAMOUFLAGE IS - PERFECT FOR THE AMUR'S AUTUMN

TERRAIN.

- AND THEIR MAIN WEAPON FOR - HUNTING THE LARGE DEER THAT ROAM

THESE FORESTS.

BUT THEY ARE ALWAYS ON THE

LOOKOUT FOR ANY OPPORTUNITY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WITH LESS THAN 15

PERCENT OF HUNTS SUCCESSFUL,

THEY MUST ALSO PLAN AHEAD.

THIS MALE STASHES THE REMAINS OF

PREVIOUS KILLS IN TREES OR IN

HIS DEN.

ENABLING HIM TO FEED AT HIS

LEISURE.

BUT HE IS ALSO HIDING HIS KILL

FROM ANOTHER PREDATOR.

COMING UP, THE BIGGEST CAT IN

THE WORLD ALWAYS WEARS HIS HEART

ON HIS SLEEVE.

AND LATER, WINTER IS COMING ON

THE ARCTIC COAST AND ONE GROUP

HAS BEEN PREPARING FOR MONTHS.

[BREAK]

- NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO RUSSIA - WHERE EVERYTHING IN THE FOREST

IS ON HIGH ALERT WHEN THIS BIG

CAT IS AROUND.

THE AMUR TIGER.

DUE TO HABITAT LOSS AND HUNTING,

ONLY 500 NOW REMAIN IN THE WILD.

VIRTUALLY ALL OF THEM LIVE HERE

IN THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST.

AT ALMOST 650 POUNDS, THEY ARE

THE LARGEST BIG CATS ON EARTH.

LIKE ALL TIGERS, THIS MALE IS

HIGHLY TERRITORIAL.

BUT THEY WILL COME TOGETHER WHEN

IT'S TIME TO MATE.

HE TURNS HIS NOSE TO THE WIND.

- AND HE APPEARS TO HAVE PICKED UP - A SCENT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: NEARBY, ON THE OTHER - SIDE OF THE VALLEY, THIS FEMALE

IS IN HER DEN.

- BUT SHE HAS BEEN OUT MARKING HER - TERRITORY WITH CODED MESSAGES,

INTENDED FOR ANY MALES IN THE

AREA.

HORMONES IN HER URINE AND TREE

RUBBINGS ADVERTISE HER READINESS

TO MATE.

WITH SO FEW OF THESE ANIMALS

LEFT ON THE PLANET, IT'S VITAL

THESE MESSAGES AREN'T

INTERRUPTED.

TO DECODE THE FEMALE SCENT, THE

MALE DRAWS IT INTO A SPECIAL

ORGAN THAT TELLS HIM IF SHE WILL

ACCEPT HIS ADVANCES.

IT'S THE FEMALE THAT MAKES THE

FIRST MOVE BY PUTTING OUT THE

MESSAGE.

- BUT IF THE MALE RESPONDS, A - COURTING PROCESS WILL STILL BE

NECESSARY.

THE SUN IS NOW SETTING AND THE

AMUR FOREST WILL SOON BE ALIVE

WITH HUNGRY PREDATORS LOOKING

FOR A MEAL.

HAVING WAITED FOR THE SAFETY OF

DARKNESS, A TINY SHREW EMERGES

FROM ITS BURROW.

- WEIGHING JUST HALF AN OUNCE, THE - SHREW IS AN EASY TARGET FOR ANY

PREDATOR.

BUT THIS SHREW HAS TWO SECRET

WEAPONS THAT SET HIM APART FROM

OTHER RODENTS.

THIS IS A EURASIAN WATER SHREW,

FOUND IN STREAMS AND PONDS

ACROSS RUSSIA.

HE USES HIS POWERFUL SWIMMING

SKILLS TO PATROL HIS TERRITORY

EACH NIGHT IN SEARCH OF FOOD.

AND DESPITE HIS CUTE AND CUDDLY

APPEARANCE, THIS SHREW IS

- ACTUALLY A PREDATOR LOOKING FOR - PREY.

AND WHEN HE FINDS IT, HE WILL

CALL ON HIS SECOND WEAPON.

THIS WATER SHREW HAS TWO VENOM

GLANDS UNDER HIS JAW, GIVING HIM

HIGHLY TOXIC SALIVA.

MAKING HIM ONE OF THE ONLY

VENOMOUS MAMMALS ON EARTH.

- BY COMBINING THESE TWO - SUPERPOWERS, THE SHREW CATCHES

MOST OF HIS PREY UNDERWATER.

HIS POWERFUL HIND PAWS HELP HIM

DIVE DOWN, IN SEARCH OF

INVERTEBRATES, SMALL FISH, AND

EVEN AMPHIBIANS.

- THE TINY BUBBLES OF AIR TRAPPED - IN HIS FUR MAKE HIM HIGHLY

BUOYANT, WHICH MAKES IT

DIFFICULT TO REMAIN UNDERWATER.

SO THIS SHREW MUST MAKE MULTIPLE

DIVES.

AND WILL TAKE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO

FEED, NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

THREE FEET BELOW THE SURFACE AN

ALDERFLY LARVA IS ON THE MOVE,

JUST OUT OF SIGHT OF THE SHREW.

BUT NOT FOR LONG.

UNLIKE A FISH, THE LARVA IS

SLOW.

MAKING IT AN EASY TARGET FOR THE

AGILE SHREW.

ITS VENOM DISABLES ITS PREY,

ALLOWING IT TO CARRY IT TO THE

SURFACE AND FINISH HIS MEAL ON

DRY LAND.

COMING UP, WINTER IS CLOSING IN

ON THE ARCTIC COAST AND TENSIONS

ARE RISING FOR ONE COLONY.

PLUS, WHAT LITTLE CREATURE IS

HIDING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF

WINTER?

[BREAK]

- NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IN THE LAND OF GIANTS,

ONE OF RUSSIA'S BIGGEST BABIES

LIVES JUST OFF THE COAST.

- AND I DON'T MEAN THAT AS AN - INSULT BECAUSE NEWBORN ATLANTIC

WALRUSES CAN WEIGH UP TO 180

POUNDS.

WITH SHORT FLIPPERS AND BIG

BELLIES, IT'S HARD FOR THESE

HUSKY-TUSKIES TO GET AROUND.

- BUT AS THEY GROW INTO THEIR - BODIES, THESE ATLANTIC WALRUSES

LEARN HOW TO ROLL WITH IT.

WELCOME BACK TO RUSSIA, WHERE

WINTER IS HERE.

COLONIES OF ATLANTIC WALRUS HAVE

SPENT THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAULED

OUT ON RUSSIA'S MOST NORTHERLY

ISLANDS TO REAR THEIR YOUNG.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THEY SPEND A THIRD OF - THEIR ENTIRE LIVES HUDDLED IN

BLUBBER BALLS LIKE THESE FOR

WARMTH.

THE REST OF THEIR TIME, THE

WALRUS SPEND IN THE WATER,

HUNTING FOR CLAMS.

- BUT WHEN YOU WEIGH UP TO ONE AND - A HALF TONS, GETTING THERE TAKES

A BIT OF IMPROVISATION.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

THE WALRUS COLONY IS GOVERNED BY

THE LARGEST MALE.

HE SPORTS THE BIGGEST TUSKS AND

HIS POWERFUL ROAR CAN BE HEARD

FOR ALMOST A MILE.

ALLOWING HIM TO COMMAND THE BEST

POSITIONS, UNCHALLENGED.

- BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP THE LOWER - RANKING WALRUS CONSTANTLY

CALLING EACH OTHER INTO BATTLE.

[WALRUS ROARS]

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THESE TWO ARE ONLY PLAY

FIGHTING.

- WITH MORE THAN A TON BEHIND EACH - IMPACT, THEIR TUSKS COULD

INFLICT A DEADLY INJURY TO

ALMOST ANY OTHER ANIMAL.

BUT THANKS TO TEN INCHES OF

BLUBBER, THESE IMPACTS DON'T

DRAW ANY BLOOD.

WITHIN JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS,

WINTER SWEEPS DOWN ACROSS

RUSSIA.

CONDITIONS CHANGE RAPIDLY.

NOWHERE MORE SO THAN IN ONE OF

ITS COLDEST AND MOST ISOLATED

HABITATS: THE YAMAL PENINSULA.

A PAIR OF MUSK OX MAKING THEIR

WAY ACROSS THE YAMAL'S EXPOSED

TERRAIN.

- BUT A CLOSER LOOK ALSO REVEALS A - CALF.

IN THIS UNFORGIVING TERRAIN,

MUSK OX CALVES ARE EXTREMELY

TOUGH.

CAPABLE OF KEEPING UP WITH THE

ADULTS JUST A FEW HOURS AFTER

BEING BORN.

THIS MUSK OX AND FAMILY SPENT

THE SUMMER GRAZING ALONE, BUT

THE ADULTS ARE NOW LEADING THEIR

CALF TOWARD A BIGGER HERD.

- AND IT TURNS OUT, THEY AREN'T - THE ONLY ONES WITH A NEW ARRIVAL

THIS YEAR.

GATHERING IN GROUPS OF UP TO 60

FOR THE WINTER, MUSK OX WORK

TOGETHER TO DEFEND THE HERD'S

YOUNG FROM WOLVES AND EVEN POLAR

BEARS.

BUT IT'S THE WEATHER HERE THAT

IS OFTEN THE BIGGEST THREAT.

- WHEN THE SUN SETS IN LATE - NOVEMBER, THE MUSK OX WON'T SEE

IT AGAIN FOR TWO MONTHS.

- YAMAL'S TEMPERATURES WILL - GRADUALLY BEGIN TO DROP TO AN

AVERAGE OF MINUS FOUR DEGREES.

- BUT WITH NO TREES OUT HERE ON - THE TUNDRA, THE WIND CAN MAKE IT

FEEL LIKE MINUS 50.

LUCKILY, THIS MUSK OX THICK COAT

HAS TWO SEPARATE LAYERS OF FUR,

ENABLING IT TO WITHSTAND THIS

REGION'S HARSH CLIMATE.

BENEATH THE SNOW, THERE IS

PLENTY OF VEGETATION TO GO

AROUND.

BUT EVEN WITH ALMOST 50,000

SQUARE MILES TO CHOOSE FROM, IT

SEEMS THE GRASS IS ALWAYS

GREENER.

AND SCUFFLES OVER GRAZING RIGHTS

ARE COMMON.

BUILT FOR BATTLE, EACH MUSK OX'S

SKULL IS MORE THAN SEVEN INCHES

THICK.

IN MATING SEASON, THESE CLASHES

ESCALATE INTO SOME OF NATURE'S

MOST EPIC DUELS.

BUT AMAZINGLY, THESE SEEMINGLY

VIOLENT IMPACTS HAVE ALMOST NO

EFFECT.

- AND DESPITE THESE CONSTANT - SQUABBLES, CHOOSING TO LIVE AS A

HERD THROUGH THE RUSSIAN WINTER,

THE MUSK OXEN STAND A BETTER

CHANCE OF SURVIVAL.

COMING UP, WHAT IS HIDING IN THE

ICE WITH SPRING JUST AROUND THE

CORNER?

WE'LL FIND OUT NEXT.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO RUSSIA

WHERE WINTER HAS TAKEN OVER THE

COUNTRY.

ALMOST EVERY INCH IS FROZEN.

WHILE RUSSIA'S ARCTIC SPECIES

HAVE ADAPTED TO THESE EXTREMES,

EVERYWHERE ELSE, ANIMALS MUST

FIND WAYS TO BATTLE THE

ELEMENTS.

SOME MIGRATE.

OTHERS BURROW DOWN TO SIT OUT

THE MONTHS AHEAD.

- BUT WHATEVER METHODS THEY USE TO - SURVIVE IN THIS VAST FROZEN

WILDERNESS, ALL MUST AWAIT THE

RETURN OF THE SUN.

AND IN RUSSIA, SPRING ARRIVES

FIRST HERE ON ITS SOUTHWESTERN

FRINGES.

IN THE DESERTS NEAR THE CASPIAN

SEA.

BUT IT'S NOT UNTIL APRIL THAT

TEMPERATURES ARE WARM ENOUGH FOR

ONE OF ITS MOST STRIKING

RESIDENTS TO EMERGE FROM ITS

WINTER HIDING PLACE.

AT FIRST GLANCE, THIS IS A

RATHER ORDINARY LOOKING LIZARD.

BUT THIS SECRET TOAD-HEADED

AGAMA HAS A FEW HIDDEN TRICKS TO

HELP IT THRIVE IN THIS ARID

LANDSCAPE.

AND DAYTIME TEMPERATURES

REGULARLY EXCEED 80 DEGREES, SO

THE AGAMA ADOPTS A TIPTOE STANCE

TO LIMIT ITS CONTACT WITH THE

HOT SAND.

HE NEEDS THE SUN TO REGULATE HIS

BODY TEMPERATURE, BUT SOMETIMES

THE DESERT HEAT CAN BE TOO MUCH

FOR THE AGAMA.

TO ESCAPE THE SUN'S RAYS, HE

BURIES HIMSELF BY SHIMMYING INTO

THE SAND, ALMOST DISAPPEARING IN

SECONDS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BUT THIS ISN'T ONLY TO - KEEP COOL, IT ALSO PROVIDES

EXCELLENT CAMOUFLAGE FROM

PREDATORS AND PREY.

AFTER FOUR MONTHS UNDERGROUND IN

HIS BURROW, THE AGAMA IS HUNGRY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WITH HIS BELLY FULL,

SOMETHING ELSE TURNS HIS HEAD, A

FEMALE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: APRIL IS THE BEGINNING - OF THE AGAMA MATING SEASON, WITH

SPRING IN THE AIR, THINGS COULD

SOON BE HEATING UP.

BUT HE ISN'T THE ONLY MALE IN

THE AREA.

- HE'LL NEED TO TAKE ON THIS - CHALLENGER IF HE WANTS TO EARN

THE RIGHT TO BREED.

FIGHTS OVER FEMALES CAN BE

BLOODY.

BUT THEY HAVE LESS VIOLENT WAYS

TO SCARE OFF THE COMPETITION.

PULLING OUT HIS MOST IMPRESSIVE

HIDDEN WEAPON.

THE CHALLENGER UNVEILS HIS

BRIGHTLY COLORED SKIN FLAPS.

- UNDETERRED, THE OTHER MALE - FLICKS HIS TAIL AT THE

CHALLENGER TO SIGNAL HIS INTENT

TO STAND HIS GROUND.

THE CHALLENGER REPLIES.

EVENTUALLY, IT WORKS AND THE

CHALLENGER BACKS DOWN.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS - ADVENTURE TO RUSSIA.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO

EXPLORE AND THERE'S ALWAYS

SOMETHING HUNGRY IN THE VAST

WILDERNESS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE.

WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN ON OUR NEXT

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]