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, I'M DYLAN DREYER, AND

WE'RE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON ANOTHER

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

TODAY, WE DISCOVER ALL THE

UNIQUE AND MYSTERIOUS ANIMALS

THAT CALL MADAGASCAR, ZANZIBAR,

AND EGYPT HOME.

- WE'LL SCURRY OVER TO THE ROCKY - RESIDENTS OF SHORE-DWELLING

CRABS AND MEET THE HUNGRY HERON

WHO KEEPS THEM HIDING.

PLUS, ALTHOUGH THIS LAND IS

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO WALK ON,

ONE ANIMAL'S FEET HAS ENOUGH

PADDING TO MAKE THIS PLACE ITS

PAD.

AND LATER, WE TURN BACK THE DIAL

AND EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF THESE

ANCIENT REPTILES.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IT'S HARD TO FIND MORE

BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN THE WORLD

THAN THOSE ON THE ISLANDS OF

ZANZIBAR.

THIS AFRICAN CHAIN LIES JUST OFF

THE COAST OF TANZANIA, AND IT'S

KNOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST EXOTIC

PLACES IN THE WORLD, WHERE LIFE

IS MOVING ALL AROUND YOU.

HERE, YOU'LL SEE THE PLANET'S

LARGEST FISH AND CRAB SPECIES,

BUT BEFORE WE WALK WITH THE

GIANTS, LET'S CRAWL WITH THE

SMALLEST CRUSTACEANS, A SPECIES

WHO'S NOT AFRAID TO COME OUT OF

HIS SHELL.

LYING 25 MILES OFF THE EAST

COAST OF TANZANIA IN AFRICA, THE

ZANZIBAR ARCHIPELAGO, OR ISLAND

CHAIN, IS DOMINATED BY TWO

ISLANDS, UNGUJA AND PEMBA.

- UNGUJA IS THE LARGER OF THE TWO, - MEASURING JUST

62-MILES-LONG-BY-18-MILES-WIDE.

AROUND 130,000 YEARS AGO, THE

INDIAN OCEAN'S SEA LEVELS BEGAN

TO DROP.

ENORMOUS FOSSILIZED CORAL REEFS

WERE REVEALED, GIVING BIRTH TO

ZANZIBAR AND THE MANY SMALLER

ISLANDS SURROUNDING ITS COAST.

SOME CREATURES BEGAN COLONIZING

THE ISLAND FROM DAY ONE, BUT

ALONG WITH OTHER PRIMATES,

PEOPLE SET UP HOME HERE MORE

RECENTLY.

TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO, SETTLERS

ARRIVED ALONG ZANZIBAR'S SHORES,

LIVING SIMPLE LIVES GOVERNED BY

THE TIDES.

- EVER SINCE, THE ISLANDS HAVE - BEEN A TRADE HUB BETWEEN

MAINLAND AFRICA AND ASIA, AND

THE POPULATION HAS RISEN TO

AROUND ONE MILLION.

- BUT ZANZIBAR STILL HAS A WILD - SIDE

AND AS THE TIDES COME AND GO,

THE ISLAND'S GIANT CREATURES

REVEAL THEMSELVES.

NOTHING LOOKS MORE TRANQUIL THAN

WARM TROPICAL WAVES LAPPING OVER

A WHITE SANDY SHORE; HOWEVER, ON

ZANZIBAR'S BEACHES,

THERE'S FAR MORE THAN MEETS THE

EYE.

SOME OF THE ISLAND'S EARLIEST

COLONIZERS CAME ASHORE IN SEARCH

OF FOOD LONG BEFORE THE ARRIVAL

OF MAN

AND THEY NEVER LEFT.

AT LOW TIDE, SHORE-DWELLING

CRABS HAVE IMPORTANT JOBS TO DO.

EXCAVATING AND MAINTAINING

BURROWS BURNS LOTS OF ENERGY.

ALGAE AND FUNGUS SCRAPED OFF

FILTERED SAND PARTICLES FORMS

THE BULK OF THIS CRAB'S DIET.

- FEEDING IS A PRODUCTION LINE - PROCESS LEAVING SAND PELLETS

DOTTED ALONG THE SHORE.

AT LOW TIDE, BLACK HERONS ARE

ALSO ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A MEAL.

ALTHOUGH THE CRABS TAKE COVER,

THIS BIRD HAS BIGGER FISH TO

FRY.

AS THE NEW TIDE APPROACHES, IT'S

A SCRAMBLE TO RETREAT TO SAFETY

UNDERGROUND.

THOSE WHO'VE WANDERED TOO FAR

FROM THEIR BURROWS MUSCLE IN ON

SOMEONE ELSE'S HARD-EARNED HOME.

SOME OF THE MOST UNIQUE ANIMALS

IN THE WILD GIVE ZANZIBAR THE

WILD CHARACTER THAT MAKES IT ONE

OF THE MOST INTERESTING AND

BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON EARTH.

UP NEXT, WE'LL MEET ONE SPECIES

OF LEMUR THAT YOU'LL NEVER MEET

ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH.

PLUS, IT WOULDN'T BE A TRIP TO

THE NILE WITHOUT RUNNING INTO OR

AWAY FROM THIS PREHISTORIC

CROCODILE.

PLUS, WE EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS STINGERS

IN THE DESERT OF EGYPT.

.

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

DYLAN: SITTING AROUND 250 MILES

OFF AFRICA'S SOUTHEASTERN COAST,

MADAGASCAR IS THE FOURTH LARGEST

ISLAND IN THE WORLD.

IT APPEARS EARLY SEAFARERS

WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL MAKING THIS

SHORT CROSSING FROM THE

MAINLAND.

STRONG SURFACE CURRENTS AND

FEROCIOUS SEAS MADE NAVIGATING

THE CHANNEL ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.

INSTEAD, MADAGASCAR WAS

INITIALLY COLONIZED BY A SMALL

PARTY OF INDONESIANS

APPROXIMATELY 1,200 YEARS AGO.

DRIVEN BY THE EQUATORIAL

EAST-WEST CURRENT, IN GIANT

OUTRIGGER CANOES, THEY LANDED

SAFELY ON THE ISLAND'S

NORTHEASTERN SHORES, FOLLOWING

AN EPIC

3,700-MILE JOURNEY.

MADAGASCAR'S COASTLINE HAS

ALTERED GREATLY SINCE BREAKING

AWAY FROM AFRICA AROUND 160

MILLION YEARS AGO.

AROUND 40 MILES INLAND IS A

UNIQUE GEOLOGICAL FEATURE BORN

UNDER THE SEA.

THIS MASS OF RAZOR-SHARP

PINNACLES IS KNOWN AS THE

TSINGY.

ONCE A SUBMERGED CORAL REEF,

TECTONIC ACTIVITY RAISED THIS

LIMESTONE MASSIVE MORE THAN 300

FEET ABOVE THE SEA.

- EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS, - RAINWATER DISSOLVED AND CARVED

OUT THE CALCIUM-RICH ROCK.

THE NAME TSINGY TRANSLATES TO

"AS WHERE ONE CANNOT WALK

BAREFOOT", SO LOCAL PEOPLE

RARELY VENTURE INTO THIS

NEEDLE-LIKE STONE FOREST.

HOWEVER, CERTAIN CREATURES HAVE

SET UP HOME HERE.

CROWNED LEMURS NEGOTIATE THESE

VERTICAL BLADES WITH BALLETIC

EASE.

- EXTRA THICK PADDING ON THEIR - HANDS AND FEET OFFERS ESSENTIAL

PROTECTION.

- UP HERE, THEY FACE LITTLE - COMPETITION IN THEIR SEARCH FOR

LIZARDS AND INSECTS, A DIETARY

SUPPLEMENT DURING THE DRY

SEASON.

WHEN WE RETURN, IT WOULDN'T BE A

TRIP TO THE NILE WITHOUT RUNNING

INTO OR AWAY FROM THIS

PREHISTORIC CROCODILE.

PLUS, WE EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS STINGERS

IN THE DESERT OF EGYPT.

[BREAK]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: EGYPTIAN WILDLIFE IS

SYNONYMOUS WITH DESERTS.

THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL FIND THE

SNAKES, FOXES, AND BIG CATS THAT

HAVE BEEN REVERED IN THE REGION

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, BUT THE

MOST REVERED ANIMAL IN ALL OF

EGYPT'S CAPTIVATING HISTORY

ISN'T FOUND NEAR THE DESERT.

LET'S JUMP IN, BUT KEEP OUR

DISTANCE FROM EGYPT'S MOST

FEARED AND RESPECTED REPTILES,

THE NILE CROCODILE.

EGYPT IS A COUNTRY SYNONYMOUS

WITH PHARAOHS, PYRAMIDS, AND

ABOVE ALL, DESERT.

SITUATED IN NORTH AFRICA, IT IS

SURROUNDED BY TWO MAJOR SEAS.

TO THE NORTH, THE MEDITERRANEAN,

AND TO THE EAST, THE RED.

- BUT THESE VAST BODIES OF WATER - PLAY LITTLE PART IN FUELING THE

HUGE ARRAY OF LIFE FOUND WITHIN

EGYPT'S SAND-COVERED CENTER.

WITH AN ANNUAL RAINFALL OF JUST

OVER 30 INCHES, OFTEN FAR LESS,

REMARKABLY, THIS REGION ALSO

LAYS CLAIM TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S

- EARLIEST AND LONGEST-LASTING - CIVILIZATIONS.

ANCIENT EGYPTIANS BELIEVED THAT

CREATURES HAD POWER OVER NATURE,

CONTROLLING THE SUN, THE MOON,

THE DAY AND NIGHT.

AND ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS SEEN

AS LORD OF THE WATER, THE KEY TO

SURVIVING THIS HARSH DESERT

LIFE.

THE NILE CROCODILE HAS REMAINED

UNCHANGED SINCE THE DAYS OF THE

DINOSAUR.

REACHING A LENGTH OF 16 FEET AND

WEIGHING MORE THAN 800 POUNDS,

IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST REPTILE

ON THE PLANET.

A POWERFUL JAW FULL OF SHARP

CONICAL TEETH ENABLES IT TO KILL

- ALMOST ANY CREATURE WITHIN ITS - RANGE.

NILE CROCODILES WERE ALSO

REVERED.

THEY INHABITED TEMPLE PONDS,

WERE ADORNED WITH GOLD

BRACELETS, AND FED THE FINEST OF

MEATS.

AS NIGHT DRAWS IN, THE DESERT

TEMPERATURE DROPS DRAMATICALLY

FROM JUST ABOVE 100 DEGREES TO

BELOW 20 DEGREES.

AVOIDING THE HEAT OF THE DAY IS

VITAL FOR MANY CREATURES, AND

SOME HAVE ADAPTED TO LEAD A

NOCTURNAL LIFE.

AT FIRST GLANCE, THE EGYPTIAN

LESSER JERBOA COULD EASILY BE

MISTAKEN FOR AN UNDERSIZED

KANGAROO.

- BUT THIS FOUR-INCH-LONG - BURROWING MAMMAL IS ACTUALLY A

MEMBER OF THE JUMPING RODENT

FAMILY.

LIKE ITS RAT RELATIVES, THE

JERBOA IS AN OMNIVORE, RELYING

ON PLANTS, SEEDS, AND INSECTS TO

SURVIVE.

- BECAUSE WATER IS SO SCARCE, - THEY'VE DONE AWAY WITH THE NEED

TO DRINK.

THEY OBTAIN ALL THE MOISTURE

THEY NEED FROM FOOD.

AFTER A QUICK SNACK, IT'S TIME

FOR A SAND BATH.

THIS REMOVES OILS AND ANY

CLOGGED DIRT FROM THEIR FUR.

TAIL-GROOMING IS ANOTHER

IMPORTANT ACTIVITY.

EXTENDING UP TO TEN INCHES LONG,

THIS FUR-TIPPED APPENDAGE CAN BE

NEARLY THREE TIMES THE JERBOA'S

BODY LENGTH.

- THIS TAIL PROVIDES ESSENTIAL - BALANCE WHEN HAVING TO MOVE AT

HIGHER SPEEDS, AS AT NIGHT,

PREDATORS ARE ALWAYS ON THE

PROWL.

HORNED VIPERS HAVE HOLLOW HINGED

FANGS AND SPECIALIZE IN AMBUSH.

- THEY CAN STRIKE AT LIGHTNING - SPEED, INJECTING THEIR VICTIM

WITH VENOM.

A SMALL MAMMAL WOULD BE TAKEN

DOWN IN A MATTER OF SECONDS.

- UNAWARE OF THE NEARBY THREAT, - THE JERBOA REPAIRS ONE OF THE

MANY ENTRANCES TO ITS BURROW;

HOWEVER, THIS SNAKE'S POTENTIAL

- VICTIM STILL ISN'T WITHIN - STRIKING RANGE.

AS THE VIPER CREEPS CLOSER, ITS

COVER IS BLOWN.

- WITH HIND LEGS FOUR TIMES THE - LENGTH OF ITS FRONT, THE JERBOA

CAN COVER MORE THAN THREE FEET

IN A SINGLE JUMP, REACHING

SPEEDS OF ALMOST 15 MILES PER

HOUR.

EVEN THE FASTEST SNAKE IN THE

WORLD, THE BLACK MAMBA, ISN'T

ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT.

THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS DIDN'T

ONLY WORSHIP AND RESPECT LARGE

ANIMALS.

ONE OF THE REGION'S MOST

RECOGNIZABLE INVERTEBRATES

PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THEIR

DAY-TO-DAY LIVES.

WHEN WE RETURN, WE EXPLORE THE

HISTORY OF ONE OF THE MOST

FAMOUS STINGERS IN THE DESERT OF

EGYPT

PLUS COME FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE

SMALLEST FOX IN THE

WORLD NEXT ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO EGYPT, - WHERE ONE OF THE MOST

RECOGNIZABLE ARACHNIDS MADE ITS

HOME IN THESE DESERTS THOUSANDS

OF YEARS AGO.

THE SCORPION AND ITS TOXIC TAIL

MADE ITS MARK ON THE EARLIEST

SETTLERS OF THE NILE REGION.

NOT ONLY WAS IT USED AS A KING'S

NAME, IT BECAME THE SYMBOL OF A

GODDESS, SERKET, THE HEALER OF

VENOMOUS STINGS AND BITES.

- LIKE SPIDERS AND ALL OTHER - ARACHNIDS, SCORPIONS HAVE EIGHT

LEGS.

THESE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY A PAIR

OF POWERFUL PINCERS USED FOR

GRABBING AND TEARING UP PREY.

COMPARED TO OTHER SCORPIONS, THE

FOUR-INCH-LONG DEATH STALKER IS

SLIGHTLY BUILT.

HOWEVER, ITS THIN TAIL AND

SLENDER PINCERS ARE MORE THAN

- COMPENSATED FOR BY ITS DEADLY - STING.

IT IS POSSIBLY THE MOST VENOMOUS

SCORPION ON THE PLANET.

- THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS SPOTTED A - POTENTIAL MEAL.

CAMEL SPIDERS AREN'T TRUE

SPIDERS.

- ALTHOUGH THEY SHARE THE SAME - NUMBER OF LEGS, THE SIMILARITIES

END THERE.

THEY LACK BOTH THE SILK AND

VENOM GLANDS OF THEIR NAMESAKES.

INSTEAD, CAMEL SPIDERS RELY ON

SPEED, STEALTH, AND A PAIR OF

POWERFUL OVERSIZED JAWS TO

SUBDUE THEIR PREY.

RELATIVE TO SIZE, THEY HAVE THE

LARGEST JAWS OF ANY CREATURE ON

THE PLANET.

THEY ARE THE GREAT WHITE SHARKS

OF THE ARACHNID WORLD.

CAMEL SPIDERS SHY AWAY FROM THE

DESERT SUN, SO EVERY FEW DAYS,

THEY DIG A NEW BURROW IN WHICH

TO SHELTER DURING THE DAY.

THIS BULLDOZER METHOD OF

SHIFTING SAND AND ROCKS ENSURES

THE JOB IS DONE SWIFTLY.

- WHILE THE CAMEL SPIDER FOCUSES - ON THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO ITS

LAIR, THE SCORPION MOVES IN.

WITH THE BATTLE OVER, IT SEEMS

VENOM HAS TRIUMPHED OVER BRUTE

FORCE.

THE SUBDUED VICTIM IS

DISMEMBERED.

THE COOLER NIGHT AIR DRAWS OUT

OTHER DESERT-DWELLING

CREATURES...

- ...INCLUDING A UNIQUE MAMMAL - THAT HAS ALSO EVOLVED TO AVOID

THE NEED TO DRINK.

THE FENNEC FOX IS NOT ONLY THE

SMALLEST FOX IN THE WORLD, IT'S

ALSO THE SMALLEST MEMBER OF THE

DOG FAMILY.

- WITH A BODY LENGTH OF AROUND TEN - INCHES, IT CAN WEIGH LESS THAN

TWO POUNDS.

OVERSIZED EARS NOT ONLY PROVIDE

EXCELLENT HEARING, THEY ALSO

DISSIPATE BODY HEAT.

A BEETLE SCUTTLING ACROSS THE

SAND STANDS LITTLE CHANCE OF

AVOIDING THIS PREDATOR.

- THE FENNEC'S HIGHLY SENSITIVE - EARS CAN EVEN LOCATE PREY MOVING

UNDERGROUND.

MOST MEALS ARE OBTAINED THROUGH

DIGGING.

SCORPIONS ARE A FAVORITE MEAL.

THE FOX'S SMALL, NEEDLE-SHARP

TEETH ARE QUICK TO DISABLE THEIR

DEFENSIVE STINGS.

- THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON TODAY'S - JOURNEY TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S

MOST INCREDIBLE PLACES, WHERE

EXOTIC PLANTS AND ANIMALS ARE

LIVING, WORKING, FIGHTING, AND

PLAYING TOGETHER.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR

ANOTHER "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]