All language subtitles for How Do Animals Do That S01 E04_track3_[eng]

♪♪

Narrator: ANIMALS...

DO THE MOST INCREDIBLE THINGS.

[ GOAT BLEATS ]

LIKE THIS...

AND THIS.

I BET YOU'RE WONDERING,
"HOW DO THEY DO THAT?"

WE'RE REVEALING ANIMALS'
BIGGEST SECRETS, LIKE...

WHY DO DOGS WAG THEIR TAILS

WHY ARE ZEBRAS BLACK AND WHITE?

AND WHAT'S THE HIDDEN SECRET
BEHIND A CROC'S JAWS?

THESE WONDERS AND MORE ON...

--Captions by VITAC--
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THE TAIL HAS ALL KINDS OF USES.

RATS BALANCE WITH IT,

FOXES COZY UP WITH IT,

AND HIPPOS FLING THEIR...

THEIR, UM...

EW, YOU KNOW,
LET'S NOT GO THERE.

[ BIRDS CHIRPING ]

AND AS FOR DOGS,

WHEN THEY'RE NOT
RUNNING AROUND CHASING IT,

[ DOG BARKS ]

...THEY'RE WAGGING IT.

UNTIL RECENTLY,
PEOPLE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND

WHAT THIS REMARKABLE APPENDAGE
WAS FOR, SO....

WHY DO DOGS
WAG THEIR TAILS?

[ DOG BARKING ]

♪♪

FINNEGAN IS
A THREE-YEAR-OLD LAB MIX

AND AN EXPERT TAIL WAGGER.

♪♪

[ BARKS ]

TODAY, HE'S TAKING HIS OWNER
FOR A WALK.

HER NAME IS
ALEXANDRA HOROWITZ.

SHE'S A SCIENTIST, DOG EXPERT,

AND SHE'S BEEN TAKING
A PROFESSIONAL INTEREST

IN FINNEGAN'S REAR EXTREMITY.

OKAY, FINN. SHOULD WE
GO MEET SOME DOGS?

FINNEGAN'S TAIL
IS EXTRAORDINARILY INTRICATE.

MADE UP OF AROUND 23 VERTEBRA

AND ENCASED IN
A FINE WEB OF MUSCLES,

IT CAN MOVE
IN ALMOST ANY DIRECTION.

ALTHOUGH IT HELPS HIM BALANCE,

ALEXANDRA BELIEVES ITS MAIN
PURPOSE IS RATHER AMAZING.

♪♪

HER FIRST WHIFF
OF ITS TRUE FUNCTION

CAME WHEN SHE BEGAN TO NOTICE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAGGING.

THERE ARE MANY TYPES
OF TAIL WAGS.

YOU KNOW, FINNEGAN ARRIVING
AT THE PARK WITH EXCITEMENT

AND A LOOSE BROAD WAG IS ONE.

THAT'S CLEAR EXCITEMENT,
PLEASURE, ANTICIPATION.

Narrator:
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE

TO READ THE DIFFERENT MEANINGS
OF THE DIFFERENT WAGS.

IF A DOG RECOGNIZES
AND TRUSTS SOMEONE,

ITS TAIL WAGS TO HIS RIGHT,

TRIGGERED BY THE SIDE OF THE
BRAIN THAT CONTROLS SOCIABILITY.

[ BARKING ]

BUT IF THE TAIL WAGS
TO THE DOG'S LEFT,

THE MUTT IS FEELING THREATENED.

THIS RESPONSE IS POWERED
BY THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRAIN,

WHICH CONTROLS NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
LIKE FEAR AND AGGRESSION.

THE DOG'S BRAIN/TAIL CONNECTION
IS SO STRONG,

ALEXANDRA SAYS WE CAN TELL
WHAT DOGS ARE THINKING

JUST BY LOOKING AT THE TAIL.

SOME LOW TAILS ARE ANXIOUS,
ARE SUBMISSIVE,

ESPECIALLY A TAIL THAT'S ALL
THE WAY DOWN BETWEEN THE LEGS.

Narrator: I GOT IT.
THAT'S DOG FOR,

"DON'T HURT ME."

AND A HIGH,
ALMOST PERFECTLY STILL TAIL

CAN SIGNAL
A DOG IS READY FOR ACTION.

Horowitz: WHEN THAT HAPPENS,
SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN,

SO IT COULD BE
SOMETHING AGGRESSIVE.

THE DOG IS GOING TO JUMP
ON ANOTHER DOG.

A DOG IS GOING TO RUN
SUDDENLY REALLY FAST,

PURSUE SOMETHING REALLY FAST.

YOU CAN JUST SEE ALL THE ENERGY

BUILT UP IN THE TAIL,
IN THAT BOLT-UPRIGHT TAIL.

Narrator: WHILE IT'S CLEAR
THAT THE DOG'S EMOTIONS

ARE BEING EXPRESSED
THROUGH ITS TAIL,

IT'S NOT SO CLEAR WHY.

ALEXANDRA BELIEVES
THAT FOR PACK ANIMALS LIKE DOGS,

TALKING THROUGH THEIR TAIL
IS IMPORTANT.

WITH EACH DOG KNOWING
WHAT THE OTHER IS THINKING,

THEY CAN WORK
MORE EFFECTIVELY AS A TEAM.

Horowitz: TAILS ESSENTIALLY
ARE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN DOGS.

THEY HAVE THIS ONE
REALLY VISIBLE WAY

OF SAYING HOW THEY'RE FEELING.

YOU SEE ALL THIS EXPRESSION
OF EMOTION IN THEIR TAILS --

UNCERTAINTY,
ANTICIPATION, APPREHENSION,

DELIGHT, EXCITEMENT.

Narrator: THE SAYING,
"TALKING OUT OF YOUR BUTT,"

MIGHT BE A METAPHOR FOR HUMANS,

BUT FOR DOGS,
ALEXANDRA BELIEVES IT'S TRUE,

AND THIS IDEA IS BACKED UP

BY SOME PRETTY AMAZING
OBSERVATIONS.

JUST AS WE DON'T TALK
TO WALLS WHEN WE'RE ALONE --

WELL, NOT USUALLY ANYWAY --

DOGS DON'T WAG THEIR TAILS

WHEN THERE'S NO ONE
AROUND TO SEE THEM WAGGING.

HOWEVER, OUT IN THE PARK,

WAGGING APPEARS TO BE A LANGUAGE
ALL BREEDS UNDERSTAND,

BUT, YES -- THERE'S A BUT --

DOGS WITH SHORT TAILS
HAVE A PROBLEM

BECAUSE OTHER DOGS
FIND IT HARDER

TO FIGURE OUT
HOW THEY'RE FEELING,

AND AS A RESULT,
SOME SHORT-TAILED DOGS

CAN HAVE A TOUGH TIME
MAKING FRIENDS.

AW.[ WHINES ]

♪♪

NOT A PROBLEM
FOR FINNEGAN, THOUGH.

HE JUST CAN'T STOP TALKING.

FINNEGAN IS EXPRESSING
HIS EMOTION ALL THE TIME.

IT'S OUT THERE
FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.

Narrator: JUST WATCH HIS BUTT,
AND HE'LL TELL YOU A TALE.

♪♪

ON THE AFRICAN SAVANNA,
THE BIG-GAME ANIMALS

ARE PLAYING A GAME
OF HIDE-AND-SEEK.

IN THIS HIGH-STAKES MATCH,
BOTH HIDERS AND SEEKERS

TRY THEIR HARDEST TO BLEND IN
AND NOT BE SPOTTED.

OH, EXCEPT THESE GUYS.

IT'S LIKE THEY'RE DRESSED
FOR A PARTY,

SO, WHY ARE ZEBRAS
BLACK AND WHITE?

♪♪

ZEBRAS, THE WILD AFRICAN HORSE
WITH THE SENSATIONAL STRIPES.

BIOLOGISTS HAVE SPENT DECADES
FIGURING OUT

WHY THESE GUYS
HAVE SUCH STANDOUT MARKINGS.

LET'S SEE WHAT
THEY'VE COME UP WITH.

OPTION ONE --

THE STRIPES ALLOW ZEBRAS
TO TELL EACH OTHER APART

BECAUSE THEY'RE AS UNIQUE
AS A FINGERPRINT.

OPTION TWO --

NATURE'S REVOLUTIONARY
AIR CONDITIONING UNIT.

BLACK ABSORBS HEAT.

WHITE REFLECTS IT.

THIS DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURE
COULD CREATE

COLLIDING AIR CURRENTS
THAT SUCK HEAT AWAY.

OPTION THREE --

BIZARRE AS IT MAY SOUND,

PERHAPS THE STRIPES
AREFOR CAMOUFLAGE.

OKAY, I KNOW FOR US,
A HORSE DRESSED LIKE A REFEREE

STICKS OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB,

BUT LIONS, THEIR MAIN PREDATOR,
ARE COLOR-BLIND.

FROM A DISTANCE,
THE BIG CATS MIGHT MISTAKE

THE STRIPS FOR WAVY GRASS,

SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF THOSE THREE THEORIES?

WELL, AFTER YEARS OF TESTS
CARRIED OUT IN THE FIELD,

I CAN REVEAL
WHAT MOST SCIENTISTS NOW THINK.

EACH OF THESE THEORIES...

IS BALONEY.

[ ZEBRA WHINNIES ]

BIOLOGISTS FROM SWEDEN
AND HUNGARY STEPPED BACK

AND LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM
FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.

RATHER THAN CONCENTRATE
ON THE BIG PREDATORS,

THEY FOCUSED ON TINY PARASITES

THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR A DEADLY DISEASE

KNOWN AS SLEEPING SICKNESS.

PARASITES ARE CARRIED
BY A BLOOD-SUCKING BUG

THAT HUNTS AROUND WATER HOLES.

IT'S CALLED THE TSETSE FLY.

INCREDIBLY,
THE BLACK AND WHITE STRIPES

COULD CONFUSE
THESE FLYING VAMPIRES,

SO INSTEAD OF LANDING
ON ZEBRAS AND INFECTING THEM,

THEY HEAD FOR AN EASIER TARGET

LIKE AN ELEPHANT.

SO, IT TURNS OUT,
THE ZEBRAS STRIPES,

WHICH HAVE BAMBOOZLED
THE SCIENTISTS FOR YEARS,

MAY REALLY BE MEANT
TO BAMBOOZLE THE TSETSE FLY.

GOOD. TIME TO BUZZ OFF.

COMING UP, THE SECRET
TO THE WORLD'S STRONGEST BITE,

BRAINIAC COCKATOOS,

AND SOME LIZARD WIZARDRY.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: MILLENNIA AGO,

ONE OF OUR MOST INGENIOUS
ANCESTORS MADE THE FIRST TOOL.

FROM THAT MOMENT,

HOMO SAPIENS NEVER LOOKED BACK.

-[ SCREAMS ]
-TOOLS ARE WHAT SEPARATE US

FROM THE REST
OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM,

OR SO WE THOUGHT.

♪♪

BECAUSE NOW THERE'S ANOTHER
TOOLMAKER ON THE BLOCK,

AND HE'S GOT FEATHERS.

THIS COCKATOO COULD BE

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM'S
ANSWER TO EINSTEIN.

HE CAN MAKE TOOLS,
SOLVE PROBLEMS,

AND HE'S EVEN STARTED
TEACHING HIS FRIENDS, SO...

HOW DO COCKATOOS
MAKE AND USE TOOLS?

♪♪

COCKATOOS LIVE ACROSS
INDONESIA AND AUSTRALASIA.

♪♪

WHEN THEY MATE,
THEY MATE FOR LIFE,

WHICH CAN BE
AS LONG AS 40 YEARS.

THEY'RE THOUGHT
TO BE ABOUT AS CLEVER

AS A THREE-YEAR-OLD HUMAN,

AND THEY'VE BEEN OBSERVED
TEACHING THEIR PEERS

HOW TO CRACK OPEN NUTS
AND OTHER USEFUL JUNGLE SKILLS,

BUT NONE HAS BEEN SEEN
MAKING TOOLS

UNTIL NOW.

THIS IS FIGARO,
A ONE-IN-A-MILLION BIRD GENIUS

AND GRAND MASTER TOOLMAKER.

FROM A WORKSHOP LAIR IN AUSTRIA,
HIS RESEARCHER, ALICE,

HAS BEEN BLOWN AWAY
BY HIS SMARTS.

SHE'S BEEN BUSY
BUILDING CONTRAPTIONS

TO TEST HIS TOOL-MAKING SKILLS.

UP UNTIL NOW,
FIGARO HAS BEEN MOSTLY

MAKING TOOLS OUT OF TWIGS,

BUT TODAY, ALICE IS
GIVING HIM A NEW CHALLENGE.

WE HAVE THIS FRONT PROBING HOLE,

AND WE HAVE A PLATFORM BEHIND IT

WHERE WE CAN PLACE
A FOOD REWARD.

Narrator: FIGARO IS
A SUCKER FOR PEANUTS,

BUT THIS ONE IS TRAPPED
BEHIND A PANE OF PLASTIC

WITH AN OPENING THAT'S TOO SMALL
FOR FIGARO'S CLAWS OR BEAK.

ALL HE HAS TO HELP HIM
IS A LUMP OF WOOD

THAT DOESN'T LOOK USEFUL AT ALL.

MUCH TOO BIG TO FIT
THROUGH THE OPENING.

WE'LL SEE HOW HE DO.

Narrator: FIGARO HAS NEVER SEEN
THIS PUZZLE BEFORE.

THIS IS A REAL
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

Auersperg: IN ORDER TO SOLVE
THIS KIND OF PROBLEM, HERE,

FIGARO HAS TO BE INNOVATIVE
IN THAT

HE HAS TO FIND
A NEW SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM

THAT HE HAS NEVER
ENCOUNTERED BEFORE.

Narrator: CAREFUL, ALICE.

YOU'RE GIVING HIM
TOO MANY CLUES.

OKAY. FIRST, THE BIRD PRODIGY
INSPECTS THE WOOD.

THEN HE EYES UP THE SIZE
OF THE HOLE

AND THE DISTANCE TO THE PEANUT.

IT TAKES A FEW SECONDS
TO CRAFT HIS MASTER PLAN,

AND THEN HE'S OFF!

♪♪

HE BREAKS APART THE WOOD
WITH HIS BEAK.

MADE OUT OF KERATIN,
THE SAME STUFF

AS OUR FINGERNAILS,

HIS BEAK IS SO SHARP,

HE CAN USE IT TO STRIP WOOD
AND MAKE TOOLS.

♪♪

WHAT'S HE'S GOING TO DO
WITH THAT?

♪♪

GENIUS.

♪♪

FIGARO HAS CREATED
THE IDEAL TOOL FOR THE JOB,

THE RIGHT LENGTH
AND WIDTH PIECE OF WOOD

TO FIT THROUGH THE HOLE,
AND CHECK OUT THAT TECHNIQUE.

HE'S USING HIS TONGUE
TO AIM HIS SPLINTER.

IN THE WILD, COCKATOOS USE THEIR
TONGUES LIKE WE USE FINGERS,

HELPING TO FEEL, HOLD,
AND MANIPULATE OBJECTS,

BUT HANG ON.[ RECORD SCRATCHES ]

ALICE, HAVE YOU BEEN HELPING
FIGARO WITH THIS HANDIWORK?

I DIDN'T TEACH HIM THIS.

Narrator: AMAZING.

IT SEEMS LIKE THE SKY IS
THE LIMIT FOR THIS PLUCKY BIRD.

WITH HIS ABILITIES,
HE COULD DO ANYTHING HE WANTS --

AN ARTIST, AN ASTRONAUT...

OR EVEN A DENTIST!

[ SCREAMS ]

COMING UP, THE SECRET OF THE
STRONGEST SNAP ON THE PLANET...

AND HOW CHAMELEONS CHANGE COLOR.

Narrator: THE STRONGEST
BITE FORCE EVER MEASURED

DOESN'T BELONG TO THE HYENA,

EVEN THOUGH THEY MUNCH
THROUGH BONES FOR BREAKFAST.

NOR TO THE GREAT WHITE SHARK,

EVEN THOUGH THEY SLICE
THROUGH SEALS FOR LUNCH.

THE RECORD ACTUALLY BELONGS
TO THESE GUYS.

NO, NOT THE WILDEBEEST.

THE CROCODILES.

FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS,
THEIR INCREDIBLE SNAP

HAS KEPT THEM
AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN.

SO WHAT IS THE HIDDEN SECRET
BEHIND A CROC'S JAW?

♪♪

CROCODILES ARE ONE OF
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PREDATORS

TO STALK THE EARTH.

80 MILLION YEARS AGO,
THEY WERE CATCHING DINOSAURS.

TODAY, THEIR DESCENDANTS --

THE ALLIGATORS OF
NORTH AMERICA AND CHINA,

CAYMAN OF SOUTH AMERICA,

AND CROCODILES
OF AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA --

STILL USE THEIR LETHAL JAWS

TO DRAG AND DROWN
PREY OF ALL SIZES.

THESE ANIMALS ARE POWERFUL.
THEY'RE STEALTHY.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY
QUITE INTELLIGENT.

THEY'RE SOME OF THE
ULTIMATE KILLING MACHINES.

Narrator:
IN A BID TO UNCOVER THE SECRET

BEHIND THE CROCODILE FAMILY'S
SUPERCHARGED BITE,

CROCODILIAN EXPERT
PROFESSOR GREG ERICKSON

HAS BEEN ALL AROUND THE WORLD
TESTING THEIR BITE FORCE.

Dr. Erickson:
ALL RIGHT. EVERYONE READY?

-YEP.
-THIS IS THE FUN PART.

Narrator: TODAY, HE'S MEASURING
THE BITE FORCE OF HUMPHREY,

A POTENTIALLY LETHAL
15-FOOT-LONG GATOR

FROM THE ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR
FARM IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.

I'D BE A LIAR IF I TOLD YOU
I WASN'T A LITTLE NERVOUS.

ANYTIME YOU TEST
A BIG CROCODILIAN,

YOU KNOW, IT'S A SCARY THING.

Narrator: COMPARING
THE BITE OF THIS ALLIGATOR

WITH THAT OF THE CROCODILE'S

IS AN IMPORTANT STEP
IN VERIFYING HIS THEORY.

THE HARD PART IS
I'VE GOT TO GET

ABOUT A 700-, 800-POUND
ALLIGATOR FROM THERE TO HERE,

AND IT DOESN'T WANT
TO COME HERE.

THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

Narrator: OKAY, COME ON,
HUMPHREY. THAT'S A GOOD BOY.

Dr. Erickson: GO.

♪♪

THAT'S PRETTY GOOD
RIGHT THERE, GUYS.

ALL RIGHT. COOL. UM...

WHO WANTS TO HOLD
THE HEAD FOR ME?

Narrator:
YEAH, WELL, UH, NOT ME, GREG.

I'M QUITE HAPPY
HOLDING THE SCRIPT.

UH, WHAT ABOUT HIM?

YEAH, HE'LL DO IT,
ONE OF THE ZOO'S STAFF. GOOD.

Dr. Erickson:
JUST TRY TO KEEP THE HEAD
STRAIGHT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

OKAY, BIG BOY.
YOU READY?

[ HISSING ]

THE HIGHEST BITE FORCES
ARE AT THE BACK OF THE MOUTH,

AND IT'S JUST LIKE
A PAIR OF SCISSORS.

IT CUTS BEST AT THE BACK,
SO IT'S CLOSER TO THE FULCRUM.

ARE YOU SET?

OKAY, EVERYBODY READY?

HERE WE GO.

OH, YEAH.

Narrator:
HUMPHREY IS NOT MESSING AROUND.

Dr. Erickson: 1,460 POUNDS.

Narrator: THAT'S ROUGHLY DOUBLE
THE BITE FORCE OF A LION.

INCREDIBLE.

POUND FOR POUND, HUMPHREY'S BITE
HAS THE SAME EXPLOSIVE POWER

AS THE GIANT CROCODILES
GREG HAS ALREADY TESTED.

Dr. Erickson:
THE BITE FORCES WE'VE MEASURED

FOR THE 17-FOOT SALT WATER
CROCODILES IN AUSTRALIA,

THEY WERE DOING
3,700 POUNDS, AND...

[ ALLIGATOR HISSING ][CHUCKLES] THAT'S RIGHT.

AND THOSE WERE
THE HIGHEST BITE FORCE

EVER MEASURED
FOR A LIVING ANIMAL.

Narrator: GREG BELIEVES THAT
BOTH CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS

SHARE THE SAME TRICK
TO MAXIMIZE THEIR BITING POWER.

THE REAL SECRET TO THE
BITE FORCE OF THESE ANIMALS

ARE RIGHT HERE -- THESE
PTERYGOIDEUS VENTRALIS MUSCLES.

Narrator: ALL MEMBERS
OF THE CROCODILE FAMILY

HAVE HUGE MUSCLES
IN THEIR NECK,

WHICH ARE HIDDEN
BELOW THE WATER LINE.

IN US, THESE HELP KEEP OUR TEETH
BASICALLY ALIGNED FOR CHEWING.

IN THESE ANIMALS,
THEY'VE BASICALLY
BUILT UP THOSE MUSCLES.

THEIR MUSCLE IS KIND OF
DOWN UNDER THE JAWS,
AND IT GIVES THEM STEALTH.

IN OTHER WORDS, IF THEY
BUILD UP THESE MUSCLES,

YOU'D BE ABLE TO SEE
THE ALLIGATOR COMING.

IT ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE
VERY POWERFUL BITES

BUT ALSO STILL BE STEALTHY.

THEY'RE LIKE SUBMARINES.
AND HERE'S WHERE THEY BREATHE.

HERE'S THE EYES.
HERE'S THE EARS.

AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL
THAT'S ABOVE THE WATER

WHEN THEY'RE CRUISING UP
ON A PREY ITEM.

♪♪

Narrator: THE MASSIVE JOWLS
ARE ONLY HALF THE STORY.

GREG HAS SPOTTED AN INCREDIBLE
DOUBLE-JAW JOINT

UNIQUE TO THE CROCODILE FAMILY.

THE HUGE NECK MUSCLES
PULL DOWN WITH SUCH FORCE

THAT WITHOUT THIS SECOND JOINT,

THE CROCODILE
WOULD DISLOCATE ITS JAW

EVERY TIME IT SNAPPED
ITS MOUTH SHUT.

IF WE HAD THE SAME
BITING APPARATUS,

WE'D BE ABLE TO BITE
THROUGH SHEETS OF STEEL.

AND YET, MIGHTY AS THEY ARE,

THE JAWS DO HAVE
AN ACHILLES' HEEL.

THE MUSCLES THAT OPEN
THE CROC'S JAW ARE TINY.

Dr. Erickson:
THEY'RE MADE TO CLOSE THE JAWS.

THEY'RE NOT REALLY MADE TO OPEN
THEM WITH ANY FORCE WHATSOEVER.

THEIR JOB IS JUST
TO POP IT BACK OPEN,

AND THE MUSCLES THAT
ARE INVOLVED WITH
THAT ARE RIGHT HERE.

THEY'RE RATHER SMALL.

Narrator: THE SMALL MUSCLES
THAT OPEN THE JAW

MAY HELP THE CROC STAY STEALTHY,

BUT THEY ALSO MAKE
THE CROC A WEAKLING

WHENEVER IT OPENS ITS MOUTH.

SO YOU EVER COME FACE-TO-FACE
WITH A CROC OR A GATOR,

YOU COULD TRY
HOLDING ITS JAWS SHUT

SO IT CAN'T BITE YOU
IN THE FIRST PLACE.

GOOD TO KNOW.

[ INSECTS BUZZING ]

NEXT, THE INCREDIBLE SECRET
OF THE EVER-CHANGING CHAMELEON.

Narrator:
CHAMELEONS POSSESS

ONE OF NATURE'S
MOST ASTONISHING SUPERPOWERS.

THEY CAN CHANGE COLOR.

VERY USEFUL FOR HIDING
FROM PREDATORS AND PREY.

[ CRUNCH ]

AND WHEN THE BOYS SPOT
A LOVELY LADY CHAMELEON,

THEY CAN'T RESIST SHOWING OFF.

FOR YEARS, WE'VE ENVIED
THEIR MAGICAL ABILITIES,

BUT ONLY RECENTLY
HAVE WE BEEN ABLE

TO UNLOCK
THEIR INCREDIBLE SECRET.

SO HOW DOCHAMELEONS
CHANGE COLOR?

CARLOS, A PANTHER CHAMELEON,

LIVES IN THE RAINFORESTS
OF MADAGASCAR.

WITHIN MINUTES, HE CAN BLEND

INTO ANY BACKGROUND
IN THE RAINFOREST

AND SWAY TO MIMIC
THE MOVEMENT OF THE BRANCHES.

WHEN IT COMES TO SURVIVAL,

HIS SUPER-STEALTH MODE
GIVES HIM THE EDGE.

[ CRUNCHING ]

FOR YEARS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING
TO FIGURE OUT HOW HE DOES IT,

AND NEW RESEARCH, USING
A POWERFUL ELECTRON MICROSCOPE,

HAS FINALLY REVEALED THE SECRET

BEHIND HIS
MIND-BOGGLING BIOLOGY.

LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE SURFACE
OF THE CHAMELEON'S SKIN

REVEALS SMALL PATCHES
OF BRIGHT COLOR.

THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS.

ZOOMING WAY INTO THESE PATCHES

REVEALS SOMETHING NO ONE
COULD HAVE GUESSED -- SALT.

TINY, TINY NANOCRYSTALS
OF THE STUFF,

EACH LESS THAN 1/100th
THE WIDTH OF A HUMAN HAIR.

THE TINY SALT CRYSTALS
WORK LIKE LITTLE MIRRORS

THAT REFLECT CERTAIN COLORS.

WHEN RELAXED,
THE CRYSTALS REFLECT GREEN,

THE PERFECT COLOR
FOR LEAFY CAMOUFLAGE.

BUT WHEN CHAMELEONS
SPOT ANOTHER CHAMELEON,

IT WANTS TO STOP HIDING
AND START SHOWING OFF.

MUSCLES MANIPULATE THE DISTANCE

BETWEEN THE CRYSTALS
IN THEIR SKIN.

INCREASING THE DISTANCE
MAKES THE CRYSTALS

REFLECT LONGER
COLOR WAVELENGTHS,

TURNING THE CHAMELEON
FROM GREEN TO RED.

DECREASING THE DISTANCE

REFLECTS SHORTER WAVELENGTHS
LIKE BLUE OR PURPLE.

INCREDIBLY, THEIR SUPER SKIN

CAN CREATE EVERY COLOR
OF THE RAINBOW AND BEYOND,

EVEN CREATING COLORS
THE HUMAN EYE CAN'T SEE.

♪♪

SO NOT ONLY DO THE SALT CRYSTALS
IN THE CHAMELEON'S SKIN

ALLOW IT TO HAVE
THE ULTIMATE INVISIBILITY CLOAK,

THEY CAN USE THEIR SUPERPOWER
TO TALK TO EACH OTHER, TOO,

TURNING VIVID TO SAY
"GO AWAY" TO RIVALS

OR "COME ON OVER" TO A NEW MATE.

LOOKING GOOD, CARLOS.
HOW CAN SHE POSSIBILITY RESIST?