All language subtitles for BBC.Mexico.Earths.Festival.of.Life.S01E03.Burning.North.720p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.en

In the heart of the Americas,

where continents collide,

there's a land full
of natural riches.

A land of towering giants...

..scorching sands...

..and secret rivers.

Where great civilisations rose...

..and fell.

To succeed here takes passion
and spirit.

This is a country rich in colour
and culture.

A festival of life.

This is Mexico.

Just south of the American border
is a little-known world...

..Northern Mexico's prairie lands.

These dry grasslands are home

to one of Mexico's most
sociable animals...

..the black-tailed prairie dog.

They live in extensive colonies
comprised of dozens of families,

each with a dominant male,
several females

and their offspring.

In May, their six-week-old pups
take their first steps above ground.

Grasses and other prairie plants
provide all the food

and moisture these vegetarians need.

But feeding in this open terrain

comes with risks.

Their burrows offer an escape
from birds of prey

and coyotes.

But they're no protection

from one of the prairie's
most persistent hunters...

..the bullsnake.

This powerful constrictor
could easily

suffocate an adult prairie dog.

PRAIRIE DOG SQUEAKS

But it's pups he's after.

And they are hiding somewhere
in their burrow.

PRAIRIE DOG SQUEALS

Their father would be foolhardy to
follow this predator underground.

The snake's found nothing
down this hole,

so he's on to the next.

To save his pups, their father must
somehow drive the snake away.

PRAIRE DOG CALLS

He stands to warn others
where the snake is.

Repeated strikes may just
drive it away.

PRAIRIE DOG CALLS

The snake concedes defeat.

On the open prairies,
there's safety in numbers

in this prairie-dog town.

Thanks to their father's bravery,

the pups are safe again.

Northern Mexico sits at a latitude

where high atmospheric pressure
dominates.

A little rain ever falls.

This is Mexico's driest region.

Much of it is desert.

It's the least populated,
wildest corner of the country.

Journey west
and conditions only get hotter,

drier and more challenging.

But for those who overcome
these conditions,

there are rich rewards...

..especially on Mexico's
northern prairies.

THUNDER

Lying in the foothills of mountains,

at an altitude of over 5,000 feet,

these grasslands catch a little more
rain than most of the north.

Between June and September,

monsoon storms roll in
off the Caribbean,

helping grass to grow.

For the rest of the year,
little, if any, rain falls.

But even during drought,
there is water here.

Deep underground,

great reservoirs are trapped
in the porous limestone bedrock.

These giant aquifers help support

one of Mexico's most iconic
ways of life.

INDISTINCT SHOUTS

HORSE WHINNIES

This is cowboy country.

With year-round water
and plenty of pasture,

these prairies are ideal
for cattle ranching.

For centuries, people like
Servando Diaz Gomez

have worked this land.

Cowboys are rooted
in American culture,

but their true birthplace is here
in the prairies of Northern Mexico.

In the 16th century, the Spanish

brought cattle and horses
to the north,

and trained locals
to manage their herds.

The vaquero, or cowboy, was born.

But the dry conditions
make ranching tough.

These grasses are
easily overgrazed.

Over the last 100 years,

farming and drought have damaged
over half of the prairies.

But Servando is one
of a pioneering band

trying to reverse this trend.

Using electric fences,

he confines his herd
to small blocks of pasture.

Every few hours, they're moved on
to the next block.

The grazed area is then left
to recover.

It's a practice
that's having a big impact.

This healthy pasture is helping
Servando rear twice as many cattle.

And wildlife is thriving.

Well-managed prairies offer a rich
diet of insects and seeds

for up to three times as many
grassland birds.

And they provide food for one of
Mexico's rarest creatures...

..the aplomado falcon.

They range as far south
as Argentina,

but Mexico's prairies
are their northern limit,

where only a handful survive.

Like its relative, the peregrine,

it specialises in aerial assault.

The falcon is much faster
in level flight.

But its prey is far quicker
on the turn.

Only one in five pursuits
ends in success.

But aplomado falcons
have a secret weapon...

..breeding pairs hunt together.

Their prey's only chance to escape
is to hide.

The falcons need to flush
the bird out...

..and two birds are better than one.

Working together, these birds
are twice as successful.

And every catch is vital
when you're raising a family.

Conservationists have put
up platforms

to protect the precious chicks
from ravens and owls.

Precious because they are so rare.

There are only five pairs here,

and these are the only ones
to successfully breed this year.

But with conservationists
and ranchers

looking out for these
spectacular birds,

they've hopefully got a
brighter future.

Teamwork is important for many
in Mexico's prairies.

So, too, is bravery.

Charros are traditionally
dressed cowboys

who compete in Mexico's official
national sport...

..the charreria.

What was once a friendly competition
between neighbours

hundreds of years ago

is now the ultimate display
of cowboy bravado.

Each team of charros
is made up of specialists

who perform nine different
equestrian events across the day...

..that showcase all
the cattle handling,

riding and roping skills
used in cowboy life.

The most dangerous
is saved until last.

Martin specialises in
el paso de la muerte...

..the pass of death.

Galloping at full speed,

he has to jump onto the back
of a wild, untamed horse

and hang on without reins.

If he falls, he'll be trampled.

Martin now risks everything
to secure victory for his team.

In the burning north,
success favours the brave.

Mexico's prairies run along the edge
of great mountain ranges -

the Western and Eastern
Sierra Madres.

Over 10,000 feet high,

they intercept moist air coming
from the Pacific Ocean

and Gulf of Mexico.

Beyond the prairies,
the land is starved of rain...

..creating one of the biggest
deserts in North America.

The Chihuahuan Desert.

It covers an area
larger than Britain...

..and receives about half as much
rain as the prairies.

But in the heart of this desert

is one of Mexico's greatest
natural wonders...

..the valley of Cuatro Cienegas.

It may look barren...

..but this valley hides an oasis.

Here, aquifers break the surface,

creating a water world.

Most of these pools,
known locally as pozas,

are fed by thermal springs,

where underground water is forced
to the surface by geothermal heat.

Millions of years ago,

when this region was much wetter,

ancient waterways brought fish
into this valley.

As the climate dried,
the waters receded,

and fish became isolated in pools,

evolving into many new species.

16 species live here,

half of them found nowhere else
on Earth.

Including this one,

a Cuatro Cienegas cichlid.

This female has a family...

..and she is the most
devoted mother.

Stirring up the sediment,

she exposes tiny plankton
for her fry to feed on.

But the biggest challenge
isn't feeding her babies,

it's protecting them.

Some cichlids have evolved
into predators...

..and in this small pool
there are few places to hide.

From dawn until dusk,
she must defend her brood.

She has no time to feed herself,

and is getting weaker by the day.

But it's worth it.

Without her help,
her young would never survive.

When they're a centimetre long,

they will fend for themselves.

Until then,
this mother must give her all.

An astonishing diversity of life

has evolved in this valley.

It's home to more unique species

than anywhere else
on the North American continent.

That's the exception to the norm.

Most of this great desert
is dominated

by just a few hardy souls.

And one plant copes better
than most...

..the creosote bush -

so-called because it smells
like wood preservative.

Locals call it la gobernadora -

the governess.

And it governs for a very long time.

One plant is known to have survived

for over 11,000 years.

It's brilliant at coping
with drought.

Tiny, resin-coated leaves

drastically reduce water loss.

And its shallow roots
quickly soak up any moisture...

..stopping anything growing
in between.

Creosote has truly conquered
this desert.

Its success has been exploited
by a creature

that's addicted to creosote...

CHIRPING SOUNDS

..the creosote bush grasshopper.

It's one of the few animals
that can stomach this plant.

It's resinous leaves
are indigestible to most animals,

but this grasshopper
eats nothing else.

It's even evolved to look
like this plant

to avoid becoming food itself.

Most of the bushes have their
own resident male.

GRASSHOPPERS CHIRP

Their calls let other males know
this bush is occupied.

They're also very attractive
to the opposite sex.

This newly-arrived female is exactly
what he's been waiting for.

But they are not alone for long.

Another male flies in.

A female is worth fighting for.

He must throw his rival
out of his bush.

Easier said than done
with so many legs.

Victory for the resident male.

But he's just one of millions
of battling grasshoppers

in this endless expanse of creosote.

GRASSHOPPERS CHIRP

Hundreds of miles to the west,

the vast Chihuahuan Desert
meets great mountains.

These high sierras catch more rain
than the desert below,

enabling forests to grow.

Offering a refuge
for a special plant

with the hottest reputation.

THEY SPEAK SPANISH

Every autumn,
Armida Elena Contreras Duron

and her husband Eliazar
head out to their mountain ranch

to pick wild chillies
called chiltepin.

These plants might have
a fiery nature,

but they can be remarkably delicate.

They don't like constant exposure
to the desert sun.

But this woodland provides
enough shade for them to thrive.

6,000 years ago, this wild plant
started a food revolution

when it was first domesticated
here in Mexico.

It's given rise to thousands
of varieties of chillies worldwide.

And with fruit 20 times hotter
than jalapenos,

it gives a spectacular kick
to Armida's cuisine.

And an awful lot of chillies.

Every type of chilli
has a unique flavour.

Chiltepins are
particularly cherished

because they are arrebatado,

meaning rapid, or violent.

They're hot, but their heat subsides
quickly, and that's addictive.

To Armida and her family, it's
part of their national identity.

These mountain forests
are one of the few places

where wild chiltepin thrive.

And because of our love
of this spicy plant,

its descendants have spread
all around the world.

In the foothills to the west,

the sun has shaped another desert

that couldn't look more different.

Stretching over 100,000
square miles,

the Sonoran Desert
covers much of Northwest Mexico.

And it's home to the most iconic
desert plant of all...

..the saguaro cactus.

The Sonoran Desert is hotter
and drier than the Chihuahuan.

And one way to cope
is to become gigantic.

Towering up to 18 metres,

saguaros can store
great reserves of water.

THUNDER

During summer storms, a season's
rain can fall in just a few hours.

The saguaro is built
to take advantage of this.

Its shallow roots stretch as wide
as the cactus is tall,

and its split trunk allows it
to expand like an accordion,

enabling the largest cacti

to absorb one tonne of water
during one storm.

It's enough water
to last for a year,

making saguaros the lifeblood
of this desert.

Even in a drought year,
saguaros bloom.

They're a magnet for wildlife.

Almost every creature here
relies on this plant,

and not just as a source of food
and moisture.

Most of the older cacti
are pockmarked with nest holes...

..excavated by Gila woodpeckers.

But squatters often move in.

In this world of giants,

it helps to be tiny.

Not much bigger than a sparrow,

ferruginous pygmy owls easily
squeeze into woodpecker holes.

And this female
has a family to feed.

Deep inside, chicks are safe.

And not just from predators.

Outside is 40 degrees...

..but this plant's
enormous stores of water

keep the interior
up to eight degrees cooler

than the surroundings.

A vital refuge
for a family of tiny owls

in the crippling heat of the day.

At night, the daytime heat is lost
to the heavens.

With such clear skies
and no light pollution,

Northern Mexico is one of the best
places on Earth

to stargaze.

Under the cooler conditions,
the desert comes alive.

Many animals switch
to a night routine

to avoid the heat of the day.

Including one of Mexico's
most infamous residents.

The scorpion.

Mexico is home to the greatest
diversity of scorpions on Earth

and the Sonoran Desert
is a stronghold.

But even fearsome predators must
tread carefully.

Others are listening in.

In the desert, you've got to grab
any opportunity for a meal,

no matter how dangerous.

Pallid bats have become
scorpion-hunting specialists.

Their large ears
are especially sensitive,

capable of hearing the footsteps
of their prey.

As long as this scorpion
stays still, it's safe.

But this bat has another way
of increasing its chances.

It stalks its prey.

The slightest flinch
will give the scorpion away.

Its sting is no defence.

Pallid bats are immune
to scorpion venom.

By learning how to hunt one of
the desert's most common creatures,

these bats have found a unique way
to prosper

in this difficult environment.

It's a big meal, too,

and a vital source of moisture
in such a dry place.

On the western edge
of the Sonoran Desert,

daytime conditions
couldn't be more extreme.

This is El Pinacate.

A landscape with a violent past.

Pitted with volcanic craters
and extensive lava flows.

Temperatures can reach 56 Celsius.

Years can pass without rain.

In 1970, astronauts
on the Apollo 14 mission

came here to test
their lunar equipment...

..because the conditions
have created a moonscape.

This is Mexico's driest region.

All the more surprising
as it borders the sea.

The Sonoran Desert stretches
for hundreds of miles along

Mexico's Pacific coast

and the Gulf of California.

These waters have helped shape
this parched coastline.

Fed by the cold Californian current,

these seas produce cool and dry
onshore winds,

starving the land of moisture.

Clouds struggle to form...

..creating a coastal desert
that extends far out to sea.

In the most isolated corner
of the Gulf of California

is a true desert island.

Isla San Pedro Martir.

Giant cardon cacti are one of
the few things that can withstand

the drought-ravaged conditions.

There's no fresh water...

..and few obvious opportunities
for a meal.

But it's home to an especially
resilient resident.

The side-blotched lizard.

Endemic to this island, it's
ancestors became isolated on this

barren outcrop
seven million years ago.

Being marooned would have been
a death sentence for most creatures,

but this stowaway has made a
remarkable success of being
stranded...

..because of a banquet
found just offshore.

The cold seas that created
this desert island are some of

the richest on earth.

Nutrient-rich waters are forced to
the surface around islands like

Isla San Pedro Martir,

fuelling an explosion
of marine life.

In May, the island is transformed
into one of the world's largest

breeding colonies of this
aptly-named bird...

..the blue-footed booby.

It's the lifeline this lizard
has been waiting months for.

Raising a family is a messy affair.

Nests are littered with leftovers.

And this lizard has learned
to eat fish.

But to secure a meal,
it has to be quick,

there's an awful lot of competition.

These birds have had an
extraordinary impact on the lizards

isolated on this island.

With so few species to share
this unusual bounty,

they have completely overrun
this place.

This island has one of the world's
highest densities of lizards...

..over 30 times more
than the Mexican mainland.

They are the ultimate proof
that even the most barren places

can be bountiful.

If you can find a way,

you really can thrive
in Mexico's burning north.

Mexico is blessed with an
astonishing diversity of life.

A country bursting with colour...

..and the richest
natural heritage...

..with a spirit and vibrancy
found nowhere else on Earth.

In making this episode,

the crew travelled to some of
Mexico's remotest regions,

capturing remarkable animal
behaviour in the wild.

But there was one exception
- pallid bats.

They cover many miles of desert
every night

hunting scorpions
in the pitch-black -

impossible to film
under natural conditions.

So the crew teamed up with
bat scientist Winifred Frick,

who studies how these bats
feed in captivity.

With her help, they brought
the desert into a special bat lab

to hopefully film
this rarely-seen behaviour.

This makeshift lab on the
Baja Peninsula may not be remote,

but it's still presents problems
for cameraman Luke Barnett.

It's dark, it's 40 degrees,
stuff keeps not working

and power supplies keep packing up,
so it's going to be a challenge.

While the finishing touches
are put to the set,

Winifred is looking after the stars
of the show backstage.

I just think they're beautiful.

They've got these big ears, they
have this...almost this little

piggy snout, they've just got
a lot of character to their face.

For her studies, Winifred catches
wild bats

which she releases a few weeks
later.

She feeds and weighs them every day
to make sure they're healthy.

To understand their predatory
behaviour for scorpions

and understand...
I mean, scorpions, they eat,

we have to bring them into
the flight cage because

you can't record that in the wild

because we don't know where
a scorpion is going to be

and when the bat's going to hit it.

To enter the bat's world,
the crew switch to night shifts,

filming in complete darkness using
infrared cameras.

But will the bats perform?

Well, it's been quite slow, really,

cos the bats aren't used to
the environment perhaps.

And the bats are somewhere
in the corner.

I think they're all huddling.

They've got a better idea,
they've gone to sleep.

Yeah, midnight and we're all
a bit tired and a bit hot.

It ends up being an exhausting

and fruitless first evening
for them all.

And a quiet few hours soon turns
into a quiet few nights.

Without knowing when
a bat might strike,

Luke and the team must stay alert.

Easier said than done when working
all night in 40-degree heat.

We're losing you. I know.

The bats are resting.
The bat biologist is resting.

Must be the worst bit about being
a bat biologist, not falling asleep.

You find it hard? Yeah.

Well, it's funny,
I'm actually not a night person.

So my joke is I'm the world's worst
bat biologist

cos I'm also claustrophobic.

So not a night person, I don't like
to go into caves. Brilliant.

It's now just come up to six o'clock
in the morning

and we started about five with great
expectations.

A few came down and circled around,

but there wasn't a lot going on,
so it's very disappointing.

The bats never go hungry
as Winifred feeds them every day.

But after five frustrating nights,
the team needs to rethink.

A raised set makes filming more
manageable,

but Winifred thinks this is
the problem.

We may have to accommodate them,

rather than hoping that they're
going to accommodate us.

I think make it work with the
cameras and everything,

trying to get the set down on to the
ground level

will be the next thing to try. Sure.

We've had to lower the set,

so hopefully now the bats will fly
around much more over the top.

It's not been a job that we really
wanted to do

cos all we want to do is have a cold
shower and sleep, so...

Yeah, another night coming up.

With a more bat-friendly filming
set, there's renewed hope.

This looks awesome, you guys.

This looks like exactly where
they'd be hunting out in the wild

and getting it down on the floor.

I think it's going to be really key.
So I feel pumped. This looks good.

As the bats start to stretch
their wings,

they're already showing
a lot more interest.

And Luke manages to get some great
flying shots of these bats

in hunting mode.

It was much better today,

we lowered the set to the floor and
it seemed to make a big difference,

the bats are flying right over
the set for a change,

rather than around the outside,
low to the ground, so...

we're all feeling
a bit more excited.

But Luke still hasn't managed
to film the key shot

of a bat catching a scorpion.

As wildlife cameramen know
only too well,

capturing behaviour takes patience.

With only a couple of days of
filming left,

the bats finally settle in.

Look at that. Oh, look at that.
He's moved back. Oh!

I can't believe... He's just gone
again. We just got a shot.

That is such a relief.

That makes...

That makes me happy because it means
that at last we've actually got

what is looking like a sequence.

Without that moment of capture,
we'd have nothing.

And there's behaviour that Winifred
has never seen before.

When it comes in,
it cups it straightaway.

Yeah.

Yeah, look, she just makes that
awesome tent with her wings

and her tail.

And the only way out is teeth.

We just never get to see
this in the wild.

This is amazing.

Oh, that is beautiful.

Off she goes. Yeah.

It's time to take the bats back
to their wild desert home.

There... She's off.

It's been a unique glimpse into

the life of one of Mexico's
most secretive animals.