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Narrator: when you see this Symbol, you know you're watching

Television that's educational And informational.

The more you know on nbc.

Dylan: hi everyone, I'm dylan Dreyer and we are off to

Encounter earth's most Extraordinary animals right

Here on "Earth odyssey".

On today's show, make way for Some remarkable reptiles and

Animals that share their Environments.

Like this storied sea turtle who Must leave her idyllic

Underwater home to make a Life-giving journey.

And the largest reptile in the World has surprisingly humble

Beginnings.

Plus, a king cobra on the prowl Causes a commotion.

And this colorful character Never misses a trick.

All this and so much more just Ahead on "Earth odyssey".

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Dylan: animals have learned to Flourish in every environment

On earth.

From the tundra to the desert, From the rainforest to the

Outback.

Each habitat is home to Perfectly adaptable creatures.

But whether a creature of Cooperation or a rugged

Individualist, there's no Guarantee of success when an

Animal's at the mercy of mother Nature.

More than 10,000 species live in The waters of the mediterranean.

And most make their home along Its wild, untamed coastline.

Including one of the oldest and Largest living organisms on the

Planet.

Neptune grass.

An underwater plant covering Almost 17,000 square miles.

It's found in almost every Corner of the mediterranean.

Seagrass is one of the most Important habitats on earth.

It absorbs more carbon dioxide Than an equivalent area of the

Amazon rainforest.

And it's a feeding ground for a Vulnerable marine species.

The loggerhead sea turtle.

Crustaceans and mollusks make up The majority of this species'

Diet.

And there are plenty hiding Among the seagrass.

This sea turtle spends her Entire life swimming in the

Mediterranean.

Surfacing every four to five Minutes to breathe.

But she returns to land briefly Every three years to spawn the

Next generation.

She's ready to lay her eggs.

As a cold-blooded animal, she'd Quickly overheat on land during

The day.

So she has to wait for the cool Of night.

For some creatures, neptune Grass is a sanctuary they never

Leave.

Small, stealthy, and hiding in Plain sight, it's the

Broad-nosed pipefish.

A relative of the seahorse, it Has evolved side by side with

The seagrass.

Barely moving, throughout her Life, this six-inch-long fish is

A master of hide-and-seek.

She mimics a blade of grass, Both with her color and her

Long, slender body.

She has a good reason to blend In, barracuda.

These opportunistic predators Hunt mainly by sight and are

Tantly on the lookout for Prey.

The pipefish rests vertically, Swaying gently in the current.

To the barracuda, she's just Another blade of grass.

As day shifts to night...

The loggerhead turtle makes her Move.

It's cool enough for her to haul Her 300-pound body onto the

Beach.

She's traveled more than 1,000 Miles to complete a remarkable

Life cycle.

Returning to the same beach Where she hatched, she uses

Powerful flippers, strengthened By a life at sea, to dig 2 1/2

Feet into the sand.

And then, the next cycle of life Can begin.

The warmth of the mediterranean Beach will incubate her eggs.

She'll visit this beach five Separate times throughout the

Season to dig a new nest and lay More than 100 eggs in each.

In two months' time, when all The tiny hatchlings emerge,

They'll find safety in numbers As they try to make it to the

Sea.

Coming up, we'll get a close-up Look at these salty apex

Predators.

And an unusual fish-out-of-water Story you have to see to

Believe.

Plus, when a 10-foot-long cobra Comes calling, everyone takes

Notice.

Don't go away.

"Earth odyssey" will be right Back.

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Narrator: we now return to The more you know on nbc.

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Dylan: the richest rainforests In the world can be found on the

Equatorial island of borneo.

Giant rivers crash down from the Mountains, delivering fresh

Water and life to the jungles Below.

The humid lowlands are ideal for Plant growth.

Some of the most productive Mangrove systems on earth can be

Found here.

Mangroves thrive along rivers And shorelines in a mix of fsh

And salt water.

It's an irresistible hunting Ground for the planet's largest

Reptile.

This saltwater crocodile is Returning to her nest.

This is a hyper-carnivorous Apex predator, known to eat any

Prey of nearly any size.

But her hatchlings are still Learning.

In order to climb the food Chain, they have to start small

And must wait until the cover of Darkness to hunt.

The night is quiet, but the Young crocodile isn't the only

Predator patrolling these Waters.

It has competition.

A buffy fish owl is also on the Lookout for its next meal.

It watches the young crocodile Stalk a mudskipper without any

Luck.

The young crocodile spies an Opportunity downstream.

The owl gets lucky, too.

It lands a fish.

It's a mangrove smorgasbord Where predators are spoiled for

Choice.

The mangroves are an intertidal Wonderland, perfect for the

Mudskipper's unique biology.

Specially adapted fins propel Them across the mudflats.

As long as they stay wet, Mudskippers can remain out of

The water for extended periods.

They carry moisture inside their Mouths and enlarged gill sacs,

And they can extract oxygen Directly from their damp skin.

During high tide, the Mudskippers wallow in the warm

Shallows.

At low tide, they get busy.

Each has a u-shaped burrow, some More than three feet deep.

They have to keep it open, Despite the constant influx of

Water and sediment.

It's here that the female lays Her eggs.

The biggest challenge is keeping Intruders out.

Mudskippers build walls around Their homes to mark out the

No-go zone.

Invasions are not appreciated.

Tempers flare when a home Invader refuses to leave.

The fish use their gaping mouths Like suckers, aiming to get a

Hold.

Luckily, these fights are mostly Just a display of power and

Dominance.

A winning male watches as his Challenger slinks away.

The contest is over, and his Territory secured.

Now he just needs to steer clear Of the saltwater croc.

Coming up, sound the alarm, Because nothing is off limits to

The world's longest venomous Snake.

And find out how this Amazing reptile uses its

360-degree views.

Don't go away.

"Earth odyssey" will be right Back.

.

Narrator: we now return to The more you know on nbc.

[music]

Dylan: for both predator and Prey, the goal each day is the

Same.

The predators try their best to Catch a decent meal, while prey

Try to avoid being on the menu.

This battle can be won by the Smallest margin.

And as you're about to find out, Sometimes it's a real surprise

Who wins the day.

In some parts of southern india, Up to three feet of rain can

Fall in one day.

The sun-baked patches transform Into a green oasis.

The replenished woodland Supports new arrivals.

Waterfalls and rivers swell, Expanding aquatic hunting

Ranges.

There's an explosion in plant Growth.

And food for thousands of forest Inhabitants, as well as new

Opportunities for predators.

Waterways have formed across the Entire forest, becoming a

Hunting ground for the world's Largest venomous snake.

The king cobra.

On the hunt, this male uses his Forked tongue to detect scents

Carried by the breeze.

His fangs are loaded with potent Neurotoxins, which are powerful

Enough to immobilize an adult Elephant.

During the monsoon, amphibians Make up a part of his diet, when

He can actually catch them.

Time to change strategy.

A highly versatile hunter, Cobras eat other snakes and

Reptiles, mammals and birds.

No part of the jungle is Off-limits, including the trees.

The giant hornbill travels far And wide in search of food.

These birds can live to 35 years Old and beyond.

As it feeds on its favorite Foreruit, this bird has no

Idea that the serpent is Silently ascending.

But there are watchmen on duty.

The snake's element of surprise Is ruined.

It's a victory for interspecies Communication.

Tufted gray langurs spend most Of their time in the treetops.

Their superior eyesight and Vocalizations make for an

Excellent early warning system.

Despite today's setback, the Giant king cobra is still king

In these parts.

Coming up, watch out if you see A common chameleon stick its

Tongue out at you when earth Odyssey comes right back.

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Narrator: we now return to The more you know on nbc.

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Dylan: on the rugged west coast Of france, an unusual landscape

Rises near the sea.

Here, the strong winds that Dominate this land have formed

Giant dunes.

Few large predators inhabit These barren, shifting sands.

But one small and unexpected Hunter has made it its home.

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Dylan: the common, or Mediterranean, chameleon.

Often associated with tropical Forests, this particular

Chameleon is a beach bum.

He's learned to survive the Parched terrain of these

Mediterranean coastal dunes.

His five-toed feet can cope with The sandy conditions.

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Dylan: but they're really Designed for gripping branches

While he hunts.

Most incredibly, his eyes move Independently of one another,

Doubling his chances of finding A meal.

After a target is detected, the Chameleon's eyes align,

Calculating the distance.

Launched forward by large Accelerator muscles, his tongue

Hits 13 miles per hour in less Than a second.

He'll eat up to 10 large Crickets in a single day.

His unique tongue is twice the Length of his body, covered in

Sticky mucus, which is 400 times Thicker than human saliva.

Finally, he's had enough.

Ready to take in the last of the Evening sun and sleep off his

Meal.

It's a myth that chameleons Change colour for camouflage to

Blend in with or match their Environment.

They change colour because of Temperature, light and even

Emotion, but mostly to Communicate with other

Chameleons.

Scientists are even using the Chameleon's colour adaptations

As bio-inspiration, hoping to Find new designs and solutions

Inspired by this remarkable Reptile.

From the beautiful to the Bizarre, each animal has its own

Way of making it in the wild.

As each species evolves and Adapts, their innate behaviours,

While maybe strange or Unexpected, provide a special

Set of tools to ensure their Species continues.

I'm dylan dreyer.

Thanks for joining us today on "Earth odyssey".

We hope to see you next time.

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