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== ��Ļ�������Զ������� ==
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Millions of years ago,
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00:00:13,713 --> 00:00:16,876
before man, before the ice ages,
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00:00:17,117 --> 00:00:19,677
when the world was warm and humid,
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00:00:19,919 --> 00:00:23,446
forests like these covered
ch of the earth.
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00:00:23,690 --> 00:00:27,148
And it was here,
rough eons of geological time,
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00:00:27,394 --> 00:00:30,852
that a profusion of life evolved.
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00:00:31,097 --> 00:00:33,122
The remnants of
those primordial jungles
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00:00:33,366 --> 00:00:36,199
are the rain forests of today.
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00:00:36,436 --> 00:00:40,896
They are home to half of
all the animal species on earth.
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00:00:41,141 --> 00:00:43,439
Yet, in the shady depths
of the forest,
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00:00:43,676 --> 00:00:48,010
there is seldom more than a
fleeting glimpse of this abundance.
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00:00:53,053 --> 00:00:53,815
When they are seen,
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00:00:54,054 --> 00:00:56,079
the animals are often revealed
as strange
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00:00:56,322 --> 00:01:01,021
and splendid examples of
natural perfection and adaptation.
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00:01:49,509 --> 00:01:53,741
Myriad in their diversity
and sometimes bizarre in form,
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00:01:53,980 --> 00:01:55,709
these creatures give
the somber forest
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00:01:55,949 --> 00:01:59,112
a special mystery and splendor.
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00:03:07,020 --> 00:03:09,215
Endless rains and high temperatures
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00:03:09,455 --> 00:03:14,051
create the steamy atmosphere
in which rain forests thrive.
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00:03:14,294 --> 00:03:18,162
These conditions occur now only in
a narrow belt around the equator
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00:03:18,398 --> 00:03:21,299
where forests blanket some
three million square miles
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00:03:21,534 --> 00:03:23,661
of the earth's tropics.
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00:03:27,574 --> 00:03:28,370
Within this belt
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00:03:28,608 --> 00:03:32,339
lies the small Central American
country of Costa Rica,
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00:03:32,579 --> 00:03:36,913
which possesses one of the richest
natural endowments on earth.
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00:03:40,987 --> 00:03:44,514
When Christopher Columbus landed
here in 1502,
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00:03:44,757 --> 00:03:46,691
he found a mountainous land
of rivers
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00:03:46,926 --> 00:03:52,023
and forests like those he'd seen
ten years earlier in Hispaniola.
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00:03:52,265 --> 00:03:56,463
Then, in what is perhaps the first
description ever of a rain forest,
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00:03:56,703 --> 00:03:58,068
Columbus wrote:
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00:03:58,304 --> 00:04:00,363
"Lts lands... are most beautiful...
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00:04:00,607 --> 00:04:04,338
and filled with trees of
a thousand kinds and tall,
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00:04:04,577 --> 00:04:06,807
and they seem to touch the sky;
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00:04:07,046 --> 00:04:09,879
and I am told that
they never lose their foliage,
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00:04:10,116 --> 00:04:11,606
as I can understand,
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00:04:11,851 --> 00:04:12,943
for I saw them as green
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00:04:13,186 --> 00:04:16,713
and as lovely as they are
in Spain in May..."
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00:04:18,658 --> 00:04:20,558
But it was partly from
the early explorers
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00:04:20,793 --> 00:04:23,956
that some popular misconceptions
arose.
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00:04:24,197 --> 00:04:26,324
For many, the first glimpse
of a rain forest
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00:04:26,566 --> 00:04:29,660
was from the rivers
that flowed through them.
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00:04:30,169 --> 00:04:32,637
The forests seemed impenetrable-
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00:04:32,872 --> 00:04:34,965
a tangled mass of undergrowth
through
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00:04:35,208 --> 00:04:38,666
which a man could only hack
a path with difficulty.
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00:04:39,445 --> 00:04:42,437
But in reality,
the dim interior is more open
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00:04:42,682 --> 00:04:45,480
and usually easy to move about in.
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00:04:45,718 --> 00:04:47,310
Little light penetrates
the dense canopy
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00:04:47,553 --> 00:04:50,750
and so undergrowth is sparse.
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00:04:50,990 --> 00:04:54,687
Only a thin layer of leaves
covers the ground.
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00:05:14,447 --> 00:05:17,314
A coral snake searches
for a place to drink
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00:05:17,550 --> 00:05:22,510
and finds enough rainwater
in a curled leaf.
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00:05:29,228 --> 00:05:34,291
The bright bands of color warn
predators that it's poisonous.
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00:05:42,942 --> 00:05:48,608
Below this thin layer of leaves
lies the forest soil-and a paradox.
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00:05:48,848 --> 00:05:51,112
For the luxuriant vegetation
of a rain forest
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00:05:51,351 --> 00:05:54,081
is often based
on impoverished soil.
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00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:59,087
The explanation lies in the way
the forest recycles its nutrients.
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00:05:59,258 --> 00:06:02,227
Dead trees and fallen leaves rot
quickly,
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00:06:02,462 --> 00:06:05,329
and their nutrients are rapidly
reabsorbed by fungi
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00:06:05,565 --> 00:06:08,125
and tiny roots near the surface.
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00:06:08,368 --> 00:06:11,769
The entire system is so efficient
that little is lost,
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00:06:12,004 --> 00:06:15,440
and fully 95 percent
of the rain forest's nutrients
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00:06:15,675 --> 00:06:17,540
are held in the living vegetation,
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00:06:17,777 --> 00:06:20,439
hardly any in the soil.
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00:06:27,653 --> 00:06:28,711
To shed its old skin,
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00:06:28,955 --> 00:06:30,650
the coral snake rubs its body
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00:06:30,890 --> 00:06:34,485
against rough surfaces
in the leaf litter.
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00:06:59,419 --> 00:07:03,515
A male poison-arrow frog is
courting a female.
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00:07:03,756 --> 00:07:05,383
With his monotonous song,
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00:07:05,625 --> 00:07:06,853
he will try to entice her
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00:07:07,093 --> 00:07:10,494
to follow him under a leaf
where they'll mate.
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00:07:36,956 --> 00:07:39,447
The male leads the way.
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00:07:48,100 --> 00:07:55,006
She follows. Within the shelter
of a curled leaf,
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00:07:55,241 --> 00:07:59,177
she'll lay her eggs,
and the male will fertilize them.
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00:08:07,687 --> 00:08:11,020
She has produced five eggs
in a cluster of jelly
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00:08:11,257 --> 00:08:15,353
and will stay nearby
until they're ready to hatch.
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00:08:26,839 --> 00:08:29,399
Workers from a colony
of leaf-cutting ants
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00:08:29,642 --> 00:08:33,772
are harvesting leaves to
take back to their nests.
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00:08:43,155 --> 00:08:44,417
With their scissorlike jaws,
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00:08:44,657 --> 00:08:48,491
they easily cut the leaves
to manageable size.
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00:08:51,764 --> 00:08:54,232
But some skill is needed
for the next stage
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00:08:54,467 --> 00:08:58,801
when the leaf is hoisted into
position for the journey ahead.
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00:09:02,108 --> 00:09:06,602
For some, the problem may be
too much help
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00:09:06,846 --> 00:09:09,838
for others, just a sudden puff of wind.
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00:09:11,117 --> 00:09:12,744
But they're the exceptions.
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00:09:12,985 --> 00:09:13,610
For most ants,
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00:09:13,853 --> 00:09:17,050
it's only the first step
in the long trek back to the nest,
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00:09:17,290 --> 00:09:20,487
which may be 100 yards or more away.
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00:09:22,495 --> 00:09:25,328
They follow a chemical trail
laid down by the workers
90
00:09:25,565 --> 00:09:27,294
that first scouted this tree,
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00:09:27,533 --> 00:09:30,093
so they seldom go astray.
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00:10:11,811 --> 00:10:15,076
The leaf fragments that
they carry are not for eating.
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00:10:15,314 --> 00:10:17,407
Instead, they are employed
by the ants
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00:10:17,650 --> 00:10:20,244
in a remarkable system of farming.
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00:10:20,486 --> 00:10:22,613
The leaves are used to
culture the fungus
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00:10:22,855 --> 00:10:26,256
that is the only food source
for the ants and their brood.
97
00:10:26,492 --> 00:10:28,255
Here in the underground garden,
98
00:10:28,494 --> 00:10:32,521
the leaves are cut into much
smaller pieces and carefully cleaned
99
00:10:32,765 --> 00:10:34,426
probably to remove any spores
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00:10:34,667 --> 00:10:37,830
that might contaminate
the pure culture.
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00:10:38,070 --> 00:10:40,868
The leaf edges are chewed
to a wet pulp,
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00:10:41,107 --> 00:10:42,802
and a clear droplet of body fluid
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00:10:43,042 --> 00:10:45,374
is added to create
the perfect foundation
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00:10:45,611 --> 00:10:49,377
for the precious fungus
that sustains the colony.
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00:10:56,989 --> 00:10:59,958
This is not the work
of leaf-cutter ants.
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00:11:00,192 --> 00:11:02,217
The insects that create these
patterns
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00:11:02,461 --> 00:11:04,827
are seldom seen during the day.
108
00:11:05,064 --> 00:11:08,124
In daylight, insects are
more vulnerable to predators,
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00:11:08,367 --> 00:11:10,130
so many feed only at night,
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00:11:10,369 --> 00:11:15,306
leaving their mark everywhere
in the understory of the forest.
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00:11:16,308 --> 00:11:18,936
But some insects are active by day,
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00:11:19,178 --> 00:11:24,741
and this morpho butterfly is
a brilliant target for a jacamar.
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00:11:28,921 --> 00:11:34,223
Before it can be swallowed,
the wings must be removed.
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00:11:57,116 --> 00:12:00,244
Great agility and keen eyesight
make this anole
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00:12:00,486 --> 00:12:04,650
lizard a formidable predator
on small insects.
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00:12:16,202 --> 00:12:19,171
Nearby, a female is shedding.
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00:12:25,878 --> 00:12:28,904
Her old skin is too nutritious
to be wasted;
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00:12:29,148 --> 00:12:31,981
she eats every bit of it.
119
00:12:36,856 --> 00:12:39,825
The female is in his territory
and by staying,
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00:12:40,059 --> 00:12:43,290
she shows that she is willing
to be courted.
121
00:12:51,771 --> 00:12:55,764
He displays to her by flashing
his brilliant dewlap.
122
00:12:56,008 --> 00:12:59,239
A performance like this is both
a signal to the female
123
00:12:59,478 --> 00:13:02,970
and proclaims his territory.
124
00:13:42,154 --> 00:13:44,315
The female will remain here now,
125
00:13:44,557 --> 00:13:48,288
and they'll mate frequently
over the next few days.
126
00:14:04,710 --> 00:14:07,543
Its body blending perfectly
with the leaves,
127
00:14:07,780 --> 00:14:10,749
a praying mantis settles
in a patch of sunlight
128
00:14:10,983 --> 00:14:13,918
created by a fallen tree.
129
00:14:16,455 --> 00:14:17,649
When a great tree falls,
130
00:14:17,890 --> 00:14:20,882
a gap is created in the forest
canopy.
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00:14:21,126 --> 00:14:25,790
It is in these sunny spaces
that the forest regenerates itself.
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00:14:26,098 --> 00:14:30,125
The seedlings of most forest trees
cannot survive in shade;
133
00:14:30,369 --> 00:14:32,564
to flourish, they need light.
134
00:14:32,805 --> 00:14:36,741
So the competition for space
around a fallen tree is intense.
135
00:14:36,976 --> 00:14:37,738
And for every sapling,
136
00:14:37,977 --> 00:14:42,437
there is a clinging vine competing
for a place in the sun.
137
00:14:51,457 --> 00:14:52,151
But in this gap,
138
00:14:52,391 --> 00:14:56,452
there's a tree that always has
clear growing space around it.
139
00:14:56,695 --> 00:14:58,925
This species of swollen-thorn acacia
140
00:14:59,164 --> 00:15:02,463
has evolved a remarkable system
of defense.
141
00:15:02,701 --> 00:15:05,602
For as soon as a sapling
or vine touches it,
142
00:15:05,838 --> 00:15:09,774
ants that live on the acacia
attack the intruder.
143
00:15:13,712 --> 00:15:19,480
They cross onto the touching vine
and cut through its leaf stems.
144
00:15:23,822 --> 00:15:25,790
In a short time, their work is done,
145
00:15:26,025 --> 00:15:27,822
and the vine will lose its leaves,
146
00:15:28,060 --> 00:15:30,290
wither, and die.
147
00:15:37,336 --> 00:15:40,396
Most forest trees have evolved
poisonous chemicals
148
00:15:40,639 --> 00:15:43,870
in their leaves to stop insects
from eating them.
149
00:15:44,109 --> 00:15:45,701
But the acacia is edible,
150
00:15:45,945 --> 00:15:47,378
and would soon be destroyed
151
00:15:47,613 --> 00:15:49,911
were it not for the vigilance
of the ants.
152
00:15:50,149 --> 00:15:51,946
Any insect that lands on this acacia
153
00:15:52,184 --> 00:15:57,781
soon learns its error-for the
ants bite and sting viciously.
154
00:16:13,038 --> 00:16:14,437
In return for their protection,
155
00:16:14,673 --> 00:16:17,540
the tree completely supports
the ants.
156
00:16:17,776 --> 00:16:20,142
It secretes for them
a sugar-rich solution,
157
00:16:20,379 --> 00:16:24,338
which they drink from little
nectaries between the leaves.
158
00:16:35,894 --> 00:16:38,488
On the tips of some leaves
in each acacia,
159
00:16:38,731 --> 00:16:43,031
unique structures are grown
especially for the ants.
160
00:16:43,268 --> 00:16:45,930
They are rich in protein
and vitamins,
161
00:16:46,171 --> 00:16:49,607
and are taken by the ants
to feed their larvae.
162
00:17:13,399 --> 00:17:16,732
It's here within the large hollow
thorns of the acacia
163
00:17:16,969 --> 00:17:19,938
that the ants rear their brood.
164
00:17:40,292 --> 00:17:44,058
Some of these larvae will mature
into fertile adults with wings,
165
00:17:44,296 --> 00:17:48,926
and fly away to start
another colony in a seedling tree.
166
00:18:02,815 --> 00:18:08,117
These young basilisk lizards forage
along the river's edge.
167
00:18:10,622 --> 00:18:13,489
They live in the territory
of this adult male
168
00:18:13,725 --> 00:18:16,717
who tolerates them
and probably fathered them.
169
00:18:16,962 --> 00:18:19,954
But he allows no other adult male
to intrude here.
170
00:18:20,199 --> 00:18:24,158
This female is exclusively his.
171
00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,266
Flowers are attractive
to the leaf-cutters as well,
172
00:20:11,510 --> 00:20:15,412
and many end up
in the fungus gardens.
173
00:21:27,419 --> 00:21:30,354
Spider monkeys move
as easily through the canopy
174
00:21:30,589 --> 00:21:34,616
as the puma through
the forest's understory.
175
00:21:36,495 --> 00:21:39,020
Towering 100 feet above
the forest floor,
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00:21:39,264 --> 00:21:41,732
the canopy harbors more
tree-dwelling creatures
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00:21:41,967 --> 00:21:44,936
than any other habitat on earth.
178
00:21:45,170 --> 00:21:49,834
The treetops mingle and interlock
to create a self-contained world;
179
00:21:50,075 --> 00:21:55,536
many of its inhabitants never leave
its sunny spaces to venture below.
180
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,425
A three-toed sloth feeds
in the hot sun,
181
00:22:11,663 --> 00:22:14,131
while a mother carries her baby
182
00:22:14,366 --> 00:22:17,494
into the cool shade
within the canopy.
183
00:25:36,234 --> 00:25:40,864
A"lie-in-wait" lizard remains
perfectly motionless.
184
00:25:41,106 --> 00:25:44,701
It's a strategy that serves it well:
By keeping still,
185
00:25:44,943 --> 00:25:48,902
the lizard is overlooked
by both predator and prey.
186
00:25:49,147 --> 00:25:54,050
And an unsuspecting victim
can be pounced on from above.
187
00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:39,756
Rain forests seldom get less than
100 inches of rain in a year.
188
00:26:39,998 --> 00:26:42,694
Some even exceed 400 inches.
189
00:26:42,934 --> 00:26:45,334
And so, most of the leaves
in the humid understory
190
00:26:45,570 --> 00:26:48,869
of the forest are specially
adapted to drain water
191
00:26:49,107 --> 00:26:51,302
from their surface as quickly
as possible.
192
00:26:51,543 --> 00:26:52,532
If water stays on them,
193
00:26:52,777 --> 00:26:57,476
the leaves may rot or become host
to tiny plants that may do damage.
194
00:26:57,716 --> 00:27:02,779
These drip tips ensure that
the leaves will dry quickly.
195
00:27:19,104 --> 00:27:22,631
The forest floor can usually
absorb rain as it falls.
196
00:27:22,874 --> 00:27:25,274
But when the rains are
particularly heavy,
197
00:27:25,510 --> 00:27:27,444
the forest becomes saturated
198
00:27:27,679 --> 00:27:30,546
and the water runs off to flood
the surrounding rivers
199
00:27:30,782 --> 00:27:34,274
flushing fallen trees
and debris out to sea.
200
00:28:05,116 --> 00:28:08,882
A tide line of rotting vegetation
is left on the beach,
201
00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:12,851
and a shy agouti forages
among it for fruits.
202
00:28:43,722 --> 00:28:47,055
These paper wasps are drying
their nest.
203
00:28:47,292 --> 00:28:48,759
Constructed of wood pulp,
204
00:28:48,993 --> 00:28:50,460
it would soon soak up the rain
205
00:28:50,695 --> 00:28:55,496
if the wasps didn't drink the water
and spit it over the edge.
206
00:29:16,554 --> 00:29:18,818
The adults take so much care
and trouble,
207
00:29:19,057 --> 00:29:22,356
because in each of the cells is
a developing wasp,
208
00:29:22,594 --> 00:29:27,463
and their entire brood could be
destroyed by a heavy downpour.
209
00:29:28,166 --> 00:29:29,463
As each larva grows,
210
00:29:29,701 --> 00:29:32,727
the wasps enlarge its cell
by adding another layer
211
00:29:32,971 --> 00:29:36,031
of pulp and saliva
to the outside rim.
212
00:29:36,274 --> 00:29:38,640
And when the nest begins to warm
in the sun,
213
00:29:38,877 --> 00:29:41,937
they cool their brood
by rapidly vibrating
214
00:29:42,180 --> 00:29:45,081
their wings to create a current
of air.
215
00:30:01,533 --> 00:30:04,559
The eggs of a poison-arrow frog
have hatched,
216
00:30:04,803 --> 00:30:09,206
and the female carries two tiny
tadpoles on her back.
217
00:30:15,713 --> 00:30:17,078
While they are developing into
frogs,
218
00:30:17,315 --> 00:30:19,408
they have to be in water.
219
00:30:19,651 --> 00:30:21,312
She takes them up a tree to a site
220
00:30:21,553 --> 00:30:25,455
she has chosen in
a bromeliad plant.
221
00:30:57,455 --> 00:31:01,323
She will deposit them in rainwater
held in the bromeliad.
222
00:31:01,559 --> 00:31:05,586
She makes her way down a leaf
to a small pool at its base.
223
00:31:05,830 --> 00:31:07,695
And here, she submerges her tadpoles
224
00:31:07,932 --> 00:31:12,096
until they release their grip
and leave her back.
225
00:31:33,524 --> 00:31:37,119
The tadpoles will complete their
development in this tiny pool.
226
00:31:37,362 --> 00:31:39,853
In six to eight,
weeks they'll emerge as frogs
227
00:31:40,098 --> 00:31:43,033
and return to the forest floor.
228
00:31:57,782 --> 00:32:00,046
Army ants are on the move.
229
00:32:00,285 --> 00:32:02,082
They build no permanent nests and
230
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:06,017
constantly comb the forest
for their prey.
231
00:32:22,373 --> 00:32:26,241
This species preys only
on the larvae of social insects
232
00:32:26,477 --> 00:32:29,708
and here they attack a nest
of paper wasps.
233
00:32:31,616 --> 00:32:34,050
There is nothing the wasps can do.
234
00:32:34,352 --> 00:32:37,219
They abandon their brood
to the voracious horde,
235
00:32:37,455 --> 00:32:41,755
which will soon strip the nest
of all life.
236
00:33:34,779 --> 00:33:36,246
They take their plunder
to a bivouac
237
00:33:36,481 --> 00:33:39,507
on the underside of a fallen log.
238
00:33:39,751 --> 00:33:43,118
Here, by linking special hooks
at the ends of their legs,
239
00:33:43,354 --> 00:33:46,152
they form long, hanging chains.
240
00:33:46,391 --> 00:33:47,255
Through sheer numbers,
241
00:33:47,492 --> 00:33:52,486
these strands mesh together to
from the living fabric of the nest.
242
00:33:57,402 --> 00:34:00,132
Within the nest,
strands of workers interlock
243
00:34:00,371 --> 00:34:04,000
to create chambers for
the queen and brood.
244
00:34:42,847 --> 00:34:47,580
At night, the forest teems
with a different life.
245
00:34:51,055 --> 00:34:56,083
It's now that most of
the leaf-eating insects emerge.
246
00:35:44,008 --> 00:35:45,976
To survive the ravages of insects,
247
00:35:46,210 --> 00:35:50,704
most plants have evolved toxic
compounds that protect their leaves.
248
00:35:50,948 --> 00:35:54,748
But insects in turn have developed
immunity to the chemicals.
249
00:35:54,986 --> 00:35:57,978
So together they have evolved,
insect and plant,
250
00:35:58,222 --> 00:36:02,056
until now most insects have become
such specialized feeders
251
00:36:02,293 --> 00:36:05,456
that they can only eat the leaves
of one particular plant,
252
00:36:05,696 --> 00:36:08,563
or only one family of plants.
253
00:36:37,628 --> 00:36:39,994
This harlequin beetle spends
most of its life
254
00:36:40,231 --> 00:36:43,166
as a larva concealed
within dead wood.
255
00:36:43,401 --> 00:36:46,996
But now as an adult,
it emerges to find a mate.
256
00:36:47,238 --> 00:36:50,105
The beetle is host to
a resident colony of mites
257
00:36:50,341 --> 00:36:55,040
that finds refuge in the creases
and folds of its back.
258
00:36:59,417 --> 00:37:00,441
Also riding on the beetle
259
00:37:00,685 --> 00:37:05,281
are pseudoscorpions that prey
on the mites.
260
00:38:05,449 --> 00:38:06,814
Help in the prowerful job
261
00:38:08,486 --> 00:38:13,719
the creases is no chance
in the Chigao seem see
262
00:38:42,253 --> 00:38:44,983
A stick spider suspends itself
head down
263
00:38:45,222 --> 00:38:48,658
above a leaf on which its prey
might walk.
264
00:38:48,893 --> 00:38:52,522
Its web is held by the tips
of its four front legs.
265
00:39:50,988 --> 00:39:55,322
Green leaf-frogs gather near
a forest pool to mate.
266
00:39:55,559 --> 00:39:57,049
The males wait near the water
267
00:39:57,294 --> 00:40:01,230
to intercept the females
as they arrive.
268
00:40:26,690 --> 00:40:29,158
Clasping the much larger female,
269
00:40:29,393 --> 00:40:34,729
the male will stay with her now
until she has laid her eggs.
270
00:40:52,416 --> 00:40:55,510
She selects a leaf directly
above the water,
271
00:40:55,753 --> 00:41:00,918
and as she lays her eggs,
the male fertilizes them.
272
00:41:43,667 --> 00:41:47,262
The cat-eyed snake isn't
interested in the frogs.
273
00:41:47,505 --> 00:41:49,871
He is after their eggs.
274
00:41:50,107 --> 00:41:53,270
And as egg-laying has been going
on for several days,
275
00:41:53,511 --> 00:41:56,912
he will easily find others.
276
00:43:06,617 --> 00:43:08,744
Many snakes are attracted
to the pool
277
00:43:08,986 --> 00:43:11,318
when the leaf-frogs are laying.
278
00:43:11,555 --> 00:43:14,217
They eat almost all the eggs.
279
00:43:24,835 --> 00:43:27,929
Glass frogs also lay their eggs
above water,
280
00:43:28,172 --> 00:43:30,436
in this case a stream,
281
00:43:30,674 --> 00:43:32,335
and the male remains
close to the eggs
282
00:43:32,576 --> 00:43:34,703
until they're ready to hatch.
283
00:43:34,945 --> 00:43:37,072
His presence probably deters flies
284
00:43:37,314 --> 00:43:40,681
and other insects
that would harm them.
285
00:43:47,257 --> 00:43:50,454
On a rainy night about two weeks
after the eggs are laid,
286
00:43:50,694 --> 00:43:52,787
the vigil of the male ends
287
00:43:53,030 --> 00:43:56,796
when the emerging tadpoles drop
into the stream below.
288
00:44:10,748 --> 00:44:12,272
But the frogs do not always manage
289
00:44:12,516 --> 00:44:15,178
to lay their eggs directly
above the water.
290
00:44:15,419 --> 00:44:18,786
However, the tadpoles are specially
equipped with reflexes
291
00:44:19,023 --> 00:44:21,992
that help them cope
with this situation.
292
00:45:21,785 --> 00:45:24,777
The first rays of sun
warm the forest
293
00:45:25,022 --> 00:45:27,650
and a mist rises up
the great mountain mass
294
00:45:27,891 --> 00:45:29,620
that divides Costa Rica,
295
00:45:29,860 --> 00:45:32,226
separating the forests of
the Atlantic coast
296
00:45:32,463 --> 00:45:34,397
from those of the Pacific.
297
00:45:36,366 --> 00:45:37,424
High in these mountains,
298
00:45:37,668 --> 00:45:38,930
the forest receives moisture
299
00:45:39,169 --> 00:45:41,694
from direct contact with the clouds,
300
00:45:41,939 --> 00:45:45,636
and the vegetation changes
imperceptibly.
301
00:46:19,910 --> 00:46:21,400
Many of the creatures found here
302
00:46:21,645 --> 00:46:24,409
can live only at these
cooler heights.
303
00:46:24,648 --> 00:46:27,116
And it's here at the very top
of the mountain
304
00:46:27,351 --> 00:46:30,218
that a rare mating ritual occurs.
305
00:46:30,454 --> 00:46:33,048
It takes place only during
the few days of the year
306
00:46:33,290 --> 00:46:37,249
when contact of cloud
and forest is at its greatest
307
00:46:37,494 --> 00:46:40,759
when enough water has collected to
form the few small pools
308
00:46:40,998 --> 00:46:44,161
in which golden toads lay their eggs.
309
00:46:45,969 --> 00:46:48,494
These toads occupy an area
of mountaintop
310
00:46:48,739 --> 00:46:51,264
no greater than one square mile.
311
00:46:51,508 --> 00:46:54,534
They have been found nowhere else
on earth.
312
00:46:57,414 --> 00:46:59,746
The golden males gather
at these pools
313
00:46:59,983 --> 00:47:03,350
and fight for possession of
one of the drab females.
314
00:47:03,587 --> 00:47:05,578
Once firmly established on her back,
315
00:47:05,823 --> 00:47:08,485
a male is usually secure
in his conquest
316
00:47:08,725 --> 00:47:12,161
and can easily repel
any further challenge.
317
00:47:51,068 --> 00:47:54,629
Long strings of eggs are laid in
the tiny pool,
318
00:47:54,872 --> 00:47:58,740
and if the misty weather persists
long enough to maintain the pool,
319
00:47:58,976 --> 00:48:03,811
another generation of golden toads
will be produced.
320
00:48:08,518 --> 00:48:10,509
Bellbirds announce their territories
321
00:48:10,754 --> 00:48:13,552
from the tops of the tallest trees.
322
00:49:02,739 --> 00:49:08,075
A pair of Resplendent Quetzals are
digging out a nest in a dead tree.
323
00:49:08,312 --> 00:49:09,802
The males are considered
324
00:49:10,047 --> 00:49:13,414
the most beautiful birds
in the Western Hemisphere.
325
00:49:40,877 --> 00:49:43,345
The ancient Mayas and
Aztecs so revered
326
00:49:43,580 --> 00:49:46,378
the quetzal that only royalty
and nobility
327
00:49:46,616 --> 00:49:48,914
were allowed to wear
the magnificent feathers
328
00:49:49,152 --> 00:49:51,279
in their ceremonial costumes.
329
00:49:51,521 --> 00:49:53,546
To kill the bird was a crime;
330
00:49:53,790 --> 00:49:55,587
they were simply caught
331
00:49:55,826 --> 00:49:59,694
and released after their long
plumes had been plucked.
332
00:50:43,974 --> 00:50:46,670
But the forests are going.
333
00:50:46,910 --> 00:50:48,275
At the present rate of destruction,
334
00:50:48,512 --> 00:50:52,846
most countries will lose their
rain forests within our lifetime.
335
00:50:53,417 --> 00:50:56,614
And with the forests will go
hundreds of thousands of unique
336
00:50:56,853 --> 00:51:01,756
and irreplaceable life forms
that can survive nowhere else.
337
00:51:01,992 --> 00:51:03,323
Many will become extinct even
338
00:51:03,560 --> 00:51:06,586
before they have been described
by science.
339
00:51:06,830 --> 00:51:08,263
Their importance to
nature's balance
340
00:51:08,498 --> 00:51:10,329
and their possible contribution
341
00:51:10,567 --> 00:51:14,059
to human welfare will never
be known.
342
00:51:15,205 --> 00:51:15,694
But at last,
343
00:51:15,939 --> 00:51:17,907
some countries are beginning
to realize that
344
00:51:18,141 --> 00:51:23,101
rain forests justify their
existence simply by being there.
345
00:51:23,346 --> 00:51:25,871
And tiny Costa Rica, by its example,
346
00:51:26,116 --> 00:51:29,279
has become a world leader
in conservation.
347
00:51:29,519 --> 00:51:33,250
One quarter of its land is given
some measure of protection,
348
00:51:33,490 --> 00:51:34,422
and a full eight percent
349
00:51:34,658 --> 00:51:38,185
is permanently protected
in national parks.
350
00:51:38,428 --> 00:51:41,795
If other nations will follow
Costa Rica's example,
351
00:51:42,032 --> 00:51:43,431
there is hope.
352
00:51:43,667 --> 00:51:45,828
But it is a race against time,
353
00:51:46,069 --> 00:51:48,867
because in the hour it has taken
to view this film,
354
00:51:49,106 --> 00:51:58,674
some 3,000 acres of the world's
rain forest have been destroyed.
29387
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