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 THERE, I'M DYLAN

DREYER, AND THIS IS "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

- TODAY, WE'LL SEE WHAT'S HATCHING - AND CRAWLING UNDER THE SURFACE

OF ARABIA'S BEACHES.

THEN, WE'LL SCURRY OVER TO THE

ROCKY RESIDENTS OF THE LARGEST

CRAB IN THE WORLD, WHO ONLY

COMES OUT AT NIGHT.

PLUS, JUST BECAUSE THE WATER IS

SHALLOW DOESN'T MEAN THE COAST

IS CLEAR.

ALL OF THIS AND MORE COMING UP

ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: ALTHOUGH THE ARABIAN - PENINSULA IS HOME TO SOME OF THE

MOST EXTREME DESERTS IN THE

WORLD, IT'S ALSO HOME TO

THOUSANDS OF MILES OF BEACHES.

IN FACT, THE PENINSULA'S

COASTLINE IS ABOUT THREE TIMES

THE LENGTH OF THE COASTLINE OF

CALIFORNIA, AND THOSE BEACHES

ARE WHERE SOME OF THE MOST

INCREDIBLE ANIMALS ON THE PLANET

FOLLOW THEIR ANCIENT INSTINCTS

TO CONTINUE THE CIRCLE OF LIFE.

TAKE A LOOK.

- ARABIA IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST - PENINSULA.

BUT THIS HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THE

CASE.

SOME 30 MILLION YEARS AGO, IT

WAS CONNECTED TO AFRICA.

DRIVEN BY FORCES IN THE EARTH'S

CORE, THE TWO PLATES SEPARATED,

CREATING THE RED SEA.

TODAY, ARABIA IS COVERED BY

ALMOST 800,000 SQUARE MILES OF

BRUTAL DESERT.

- AT ITS CENTER IS ONE OF THE - LARGEST BODIES OF SAND IN THE

WORLD, RUB' AL KHALI, THE EMPTY

QUARTER.

THIS SEA OF SAND IS THE SIZE OF

FRANCE AND IS SO HOT IN THE

SUMMER, THAT FEW DARE ENTER.

YET ARABIA'S HOSTILE APPEARANCE

HIDES A LAND OF DIVERSE

ECOSYSTEMS AND MORE THAN 500

DIFFERENT VERTEBRATES.

TO FIND THEM, YOU'LL HAVE TO

LOOK BEYOND THE SEARING HEAT,

BUT JUST UNDER THE HORIZON.

- AS DARKNESS FALLS, NOT ALL OF - ARABIA'S SANDS ARE STIRRED BY

THE CLIMATE.

GREEN TURTLES USE THE COVER OF

ARABIA'S NIGHT TO DIG THEIR

NESTS.

THE DEPTH AND POSITION IS

CRITICAL.

IT NEEDS TO BE DEEP ENOUGH TO

PROTECT THE HELPLESS EGGS, BUT

IT ALSO DETERMINES THE GENDER OF

THE BABIES INSIDE.

CLOSER TO THE SEA, AN INCUBATION

WILL BE COOLER, PRODUCING MORE

MALE HATCHLINGS.

- FARTHER UP THE BEACH, THE EGGS - WILL BE WARMER, AND THEY WILL

HOLD MORE FEMALES.

HAVING INCUBATED FOR AROUND TWO

MONTHS, A CLUTCH LAID EARLIER IN

THE SEASON BEGIN THEIR EPIC

JOURNEY.

DARKNESS PROVIDES A CLOAK OF

SAFETY AS THEY FOLLOW THE

- NATURAL LIGHT OF THE HORIZON TO - THE SEA.

ARABIA'S DAWN FIRST BREAKS ON

THE EASTERN SHORES OF RAS AL

HADD.

AS THE LAST EXPECTANT MOTHERS

RETURN TO THE SEA, PREDATORS

TAKE TO THE SKIES.

- THEY COMB THE BEACH FOR ANY - HATCHLINGS THAT DIDN'T ESCAPE

UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS.

WITH SUNRISE, HUNTERS HAVE A

GREATER CHANCE OF FINDING FOOD.

- WITHIN MINUTES OF SURFACING, THE - LATE YOUNGSTER RACES FOR ITS

LIFE, BUT IS TOTALLY EXPOSED.

- THE LORE OF SCAVENGED EGGS - DISTRACTS THE PREDATORS FROM

THEIR QUARRY AND GIVES THE

YOUNGSTER A CHANCE TO MAKE A

BREAK FOR IT, THE EQUIVALENT OF

A HUMAN KILOMETER TO THE WATER'S

EDGE.

YET WITH ESTIMATES OF ONLY ONE

IN A THOUSAND MAKING IT TO

ADULTHOOD, FACING THE

UNCERTAINTY OF THE ARABIAN SEA,

HIS GREATEST TRICK MAY STILL BE

IN FRONT OF THIS LITTLE TURTLE

TOT.

COMING UP ON "EARTH ODYSSEY",

MEET THE ONLY LIZARD IN THE

WORLD THAT PREFERS TO SPEND MOST

OF ITS TIME IN THE WATER.

THEN, WHY WOULD THE LARGEST CRAB

IN THE WORLD FEEL THE NEED TO

WEAR TWO SHELLS?

WE TURN OUR NIGHT VISION ON TO

FIND OUT THE ANSWER.

PLUS, EVEN THOUGH RHINOS ARE

HERBIVORES, YOU STILL MIGHT NOT

WANT TO JOIN THE FUN.

.

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

- DYLAN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - ARE VOLCANIC HOTSPOTS DRIFTING

IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN A THOUSAND

MILES WEST OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN

COUNTRY OF ECUADOR.

THESE ISLANDS REPRESENT

EVOLUTION IN ACTION.

NATURE'S GREAT SCIENCE

EXPERIMENT HAPPENED HERE.

IT WAS A LABORATORY FOR A 19TH

CENTURY BOTANIST NAMED CHARLES

DARWIN.

AT JUST 26 YEARS OLD, DARWIN

SAILED TO THE GALAPAGOS ON HIS

SHIP, THE HMS BEAGLE.

- HE SPENT THE NEXT 30 YEARS - STUDYING THE WILDLIFE HE BROUGHT

HOME FROM THESE ISLANDS.

HIS GROUNDBREAKING WORK CENTERED

AROUND THE ISLAND'S SMALLER

- INHABITANTS, PARTICULARLY, THE - FINCHES AND MOCKINGBIRDS.

BY OBSERVING THEM CLOSELY,

DARWIN DISCOVERED THAT EACH

- SPECIES OF FINCH HAD A DIFFERENT - BEAK.

- SOME WERE LONG AND POINTY FOR - SCRAPING OUT POLLEN FROM THE

CENTER OF FLOWERS.

OTHERS HAD STUBBY, SHORT BEAKS

FOR MASHING UP SEEDS.

DARWIN BELIEVED, HOWEVER, THAT

EACH FINCH DESCENDED FROM THE

SAME BIRD.

THESE BIRDS EVOLVED INTO THEIR

OWN SPECIES THROUGH A PROCESS

DARWIN CALLED NATURAL SELECTION.

THIS THEORY SHAPES SCIENCE

CLASSES TO THIS DAY.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY

GALAPAGOS NATIVE THAT DARWIN

FOLLOWED.

THESE ARE POSSIBLY THE MOST

FAMOUS INHABITANTS OF THE

ISLAND, THE GALAPAGOS TORTOISE.

GALAPAGO IS AN OLD SPANISH WORD

MEANING "SADDLE".

IT'S A GREAT WAY TO DESCRIBE THE

SHAPE OF THEIR SHELLS.

THIS SPECIES OF TORTOISE IS ALSO

THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD,

WEIGHING AS MUCH AS 550 POUNDS

AND GROWING TO BE FIVE FEET IN

LENGTH.

THESE TORTOISES HAVE PERFECTED

THE ART OF DOING NOTHING.

THEY SLEEP, ON AVERAGE, 16 HOURS

A DAY, ONLY WAKING UP LONG

ENOUGH TO GRAZE ON THE LONG

GRASSES.

THEY WARM THEIR COLD-BLOODED

BODIES BY THE SUN, AND WHEN THAT

GETS TOO HOT, SLOWLY, THEY'LL

MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE WATER.

- BATHING AND DRINKING FROM THE - ISLAND'S LAKES HELPS THESE

GENTLE GIANTS REGULATE THEIR

TEMPERATURE ON HOT DAYS.

THIS LAIDBACK TORTOISE CAN GO A

YEAR WITHOUT EATING OR DRINKING.

THAT'S THANKS TO A SLOW

METABOLISM AND AN INTERNAL

STORAGE AREA FOR WATER.

JUST AS THIS TORTOISE MUST ADAPT

TO ITS SURROUNDINGS, THE ISLANDS

THEMSELVES KEEP CHANGING AS

WELL.

A VOLCANIC HOTSPOT SIX HUNDRED

MILES BENEATH THE SEA KEEPS

THINGS CHANGING.

LAVA CONTINUOUSLY ERUPTS FROM

THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.

THOSE ERUPTIONS FORM LAND MASSES

THAT WILL COOL DOWN AND MAKE

THEIR WAY SOUTHEAST, BUT DON'T

EXPECT TO SEE ANY SUDDEN SHIFTS.

THESE VOLCANIC ISLANDS ONLY

CREATE ABOUT TWO INCHES EVERY

YEAR.

A JOURNEY THAT ALWAYS ENDS THE

SAME, THE ISLANDS WILL ONE DAY

- BE SWALLOWED UP BY THE OCEAN - AGAIN.

THE NEWEST OF THE GALAPAGOS

ISLANDS IS FERNANDINA.

THE ROUGH BLACK ROCKS FROM THE

LAVA COAT THE ISLAND.

JUST A FEW PLANTS AND ANIMALS

COULD EVER SURVIVE.

WITH LITTLE COMPETITION, THIS

REPTILE STAKES CLAIM.

THE MARINE IGUANA, IT'S THE ONLY

LIZARD IN THE WORLD THAT PREFERS

TO SPEND MOST OF ITS TIME IN THE

WATER.

THESE LIZARDS ADAPTED TO THIS

BARREN LANDSCAPE.

NOW THERE ARE MORE THAN 250,000

MARINE IGUANAS ON THE GALAPAGOS.

THE MARINE IGUANAS ARE

COLD-BLOODED REPTILES, AND THE

OCEAN IS FREEZING COLD.

THOSE TWO THINGS DON'T MIX.

TO GET PREPARED, THESE CREATURES

LIE OUT ON THE HOT ROCKS FOR

ABOUT AN HOUR TO WARM UP.

WHEN IT'S GO TIME, THE MARINE

IGUANA PLUNGES DEEP INTO THE

SEA.

THIS IGUANA'S TAIL IS FLAT AND

ACTS LIKE A BIG FLIPPER,

PROPELLING HIM AS DEEP AS 40

FEET DOWN.

THESE MARINE ANIMALS ARE

VEGETARIAN.

- THEY SEEK OUT THE RED AND GREEN - ALGAE GROWING ON UNDERWATER

ROCKS.

- LONG FINGER-LIKE CLAWS ALLOW - THEM TO GRASP THE ROCK, HOLDING

TIGHT AS THEY GRAZE.

A SHORT SNOUT LETS THE IGUANA

GET CLOSE TO THE LAVA ROCKS,

TEARING AT THE ALGAE.

AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES, THE ICY

WATER MAKES THEIR MUSCLES SEIZE

UP.

IF THE IGUANAS DON'T SURFACE

QUICKLY, THEY COULD GET STUCK

UNDERWATER.

INSTINCT DRIVES THE IGUANAS TO

RETURN TO THE ROCKS BEFORE IT'S

TOO LATE.

MARINE IGUANAS END UP SWALLOWING

A GREAT DEAL OF SALT DURING

THESE DIVING EXPEDITIONS.

SPECIAL GLANDS ABOVE EACH EYE

COLLECT THE SALT.

WHEN THEY'RE READY, THE IGUANAS

JUST SNEEZE OUT THE EXCESS SALT.

WHEN WE RETURN, WHY WOULD THE

LARGEST CRAB IN THE WORLD FEEL

THE NEED TO WEAR TWO SHELLS?

PLUS, IN THE SHALLOW WATERS OF

SOUTH ASIA, NEVER KNOCK THE

SHIFTY NATURE OF THIS GIANT

CROC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

ON EVERY "EARTH ODYSSEY", WE

FIND A DIVERSE GROUP OF WILDLIFE

ALL WITH UNIQUE TRAITS THAT

SERVE THEM IN THE WILD.

WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET

ANOTHER ANIMAL WITH A SPECIAL

TALENT FOR SURVIVING AND

THRIVING.

TAKE A LOOK.

AS NIGHT DRAWS IN ON THE ISLANDS

OF ZANZIBAR, THE WORLD'S BIGGEST

CREEPY CRAWLY REVEALS ITSELF.

- WEIGHING IN OVER - EIGHT-AND-A-HALF POUNDS WITH A

LEG SPAN UP TO THREE FEET,

- THE COCONUT CRAB IS - THE PLANET'S LARGEST LAND-LIVING

INVERTEBRATE.

- IT'S ACTUALLY A GIANT HERMIT - CRAB.

WHILE IT'S YOUNG, IT CARRIES

ANOTHER CREATURE'S ABANDONED

SHELL ON ITS BACK FOR

PROTECTION,

BUT ONCE FULLY GROWN, IT

DEVELOPS A TOUGH OUTER SKIN.

THIS CRAB STAYS HIDDEN DURING

THE DAY TO REDUCE WATER LOSS

FROM HEAT, BUT AT NIGHT, THIS

SOLITARY STALKER HEADS OFF IN

SEARCH OF ITS FAVORITE FOOD.

UNLIKE MOST OF ITS RELATIVES,

THE COCONUT CRAB CAN'T SURVIVE

IN WATER.

IT WOULD DROWN IF SUBMERGED.

- ITS GILLS HAVE EVOLVED TO WORK - LIKE LUNGS, ALTHOUGH THEY NEED

TO BE KEPT MOIST IN ORDER TO

FUNCTION.

ITS ANTENNAE HAVE ALSO EVOLVED,

ENABLING IT TO PICK UP AIRBORNE

SCENTS THE SAME WAY INSECTS DO.

THIS FOREST FORAGER, ALONG WITH

OTHERS, IS ON TO SOMETHING.

ALSO KNOWN AS THE ROBBER CRAB,

OR PALM THIEF, COCONUT CRABS ARE

GREAT CLIMBERS.

THEY CAN CUT DOWN COCONUTS BY

THEMSELVES; HOWEVER, FALLEN

FRUITS ARE QUICKLY SEIZED UPON.

- ALTHOUGH THE SURROUNDING SEA IS - A NO-GO ZONE FOR THESE

LAND-BASED GIANTS, IT WASN'T

ALWAYS THAT WAY.

THEY STARTED LIFE IN THE WATER.

A FEMALE COCONUT CRAB MAKES HER

WAY TO THE SHORE.

SHE'S BEEN CARRYING A BATCH OF

EGGS GLUED TO HER ABDOMEN FOR

TWO MONTHS.

- AT HIGH TIDE, THEY'RE READY TO - BE RELEASED.

ON CONTACT WITH WATER, THE EGGS

HATCH IMMEDIATELY.

THE JUVENILE GIANTS EVENTUALLY

MAKE THEIR WAY ASHORE, WHERE

THEY LIVE A HERMIT'S LIFE BEFORE

BECOMING PERMANENT DRY LAND

RESIDENTS.

- UP NEXT, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT - COULD BE LURKING IN THE SHALLOW

END OF SOUTH ASIA'S MOST

DANGEROUS AREAS.

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME TO SOUTH ASIA,

WHERE DANGEROUS PREDATORS ARE

NEVER TOO FAR, LIKE THIS ONE

LURKING IN THE SHALLOW END.

REACHING MORE THAN 13 FEET LONG,

MARSH CROCODILES ARE POWERFUL

PREDATORS.

THIS CROC BASKS IN THE SUN TO

KEEP WARM,

BUT SUBMERGES ITSELF WHEN IT'S

READY TO HUNT.

PERFECTLY DISGUISED AS A PIECE

OF WOOD, THIS SHALLOW WATERHOLE

MAKES AN IDEAL HUNTING GROUND.

HE'LL USUALLY SURVIVE ON FISH

AND SMALLER ANIMALS, BUT THIS

- DEER COULD SUSTAIN HIM FOR - MONTHS.

IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY HE ISN'T

GOING TO IGNORE.

THE SAMBAR DEER LIVES TO SEE

ANOTHER DAY, AND THE HUGE

CROCODILE SLOWLY RETURNS TO HIS

HIDING PLACE.

- BUT NOT ALL OF INDIA'S MOST - EXTRAORDINARY HABITATS ARE

FAMOUS FOR BIG PREDATORS.

IN THE FAR EAST OF INDIA LIES A

BOUNTIFUL LAND OF GENTLE GIANTS.

THE GRASSLANDS OF ASSAM ARE ONE

OF THE MOST FERTILE HABITATS ON

EARTH.

AMONGST THESE ECOSYSTEMS, SOME

OF THE WORLD'S TALLEST GRASSES

FLOURISH.

AND THESE GIANT PLANTS SUPPORT

ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST

MAMMALS...

...THE INDIAN RHINOCEROS.

STANDING MORE THAN SIX FEET TALL

AND WEIGHING MORE THAN TWO TONS,

RHINOS SPEND A LOT OF TIME

MAINTAINING THEIR WEIGHT.

BUT THIS MOTHER AND HER CALF ARE

RARELY LEFT TO DINE IN PEACE.

DRONGO BIRDS CATCH A RIDE,

SCOUTING FOR ANY FLIES OR TICKS

OFTEN FOUND ON THE RHINO'S SKIN.

AND NIMBLE CATTLE EGRETS FEED ON

OTHER INSECTS DISTURBED BY THE

LARGE HERBIVORES AS THEY GRAZE

THROUGH THE GRASS.

THE MOTHER AND HER CALF TOLERATE

THESE BIRDS, BUT THE TWO RHINOS

- MUST SOON GO THEIR SEPARATE - WAYS.

- THE CALF WILL SOON NEED TO LEAVE - ITS MOTHER'S SIDE AND ESTABLISH

A HOME OF ITS OWN.

BUT IN THESE LAST DAYS AS A

FAMILY, THERE IS STILL TIME TO

ENJOY THE PLEASURES OF THIS WILD

PARADISE TOGETHER.

- 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]