Original subtitles

♪♪

Narrator: ANIMALS...

DO THE MOST INCREDIBLE THINGS.

[ GOAT BLEATS ]

LIKE THIS...

AND THAT.

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

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

ARE AFRICA'S GRUMPY AND AGGRESSIVE RHINOS

LEADING A SECRET DOUBLE LIFE?

WHY YOU CAN RUN BUT CAN'T HIDE FROM A RATTLESNAKE.

AND WHY DOES THIS MOLE HAVE SUCH A WEIRD NOSE?

THESE WONDERS AND MORE ON...

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

IT'S POLITE TO CHEW BEFORE YOU SWALLOW,

BUT COWS TAKE THIS IDEA TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

THEY GRIND THEIR MOLARS LEFT TO RIGHT 50 TIMES A MINUTE,

40,000 TIMES A DAY...

14 1/2 MILLION TIMES A YEAR.

SO...

♪♪

MEET DAISY, AN INCREDIBLE THREE- QUARTER-TON BIOLOGICAL FACTORY.

[ COW MOOS ]

SHE'S ABLE TO TURN ENERGY-SPARSE,

ALMOST NUTRITIONLESS GRASS INTO SEVEN GALLONS OF ENERGY

AND PROTEIN-RICH MILK EVERY DAY.

THAT'S ENOUGH MILK FOR 75 PEOPLE.

GOOD WORK, DAISY.

BUT BEFORE WE GO OVERBOARD WITH PRAISE,

EVEN DAISY WILL ADMIT THAT SHE'S HAD HELP,

BECAUSE LURKING INSIDE HER MASSIVE

50-GALLON VAT-LIKE STOMACH ARE A QUADRILLION LITTLE HELPERS.

REALLY, IT'S THESE GUYS, THE THOUSANDS OF SPECIES

OF MICRO-BUG LIVING INSIDE THIS ALIEN STOMACH WORLD,

WHO DO ALL OF THE WORK OF BREAKING DOWN GRASS.

STILL, IT'S DAISY'S JOB TO KEEP HER LITTLE WORKERS HAPPY.

AND TO DO THAT, SHE HAS TO CHEW A LOT.

WHEN DAISY FIRST SWALLOWS THE GRASS,

IT'S STILL WAY TOO TOUGH FOR THOSE MICRO-BUGS TO BREAK DOWN.

SO, TO HELP THE LITTLE GUYS OUT, AFTER CHEWING

AND SWALLOWING THE GRASS ONCE, SHE DOES IT AGAIN.

DAISY BURPS UP THE HALF-EATEN GRASS, NOW KNOWN AS CUD,

BACK INTO HER MOUTH FOR A SECOND AND MORE INTENSIVE CHEWING.

BY GRINDING HER MOLARS EIGHT HOURS A DAY,

DAISY IS ABLE TO BURST THROUGH THE GRASS' TOUGH CELLS

AND TURN IT INTO A KIND OF SLUDGE.

THIS TIME, THE SLUDGE WON'T COME BACK...

BECAUSE IT'S NOW HEAVY ENOUGH TO SINK DOWN THROUGH THE LIGHTER

TOP LAYER OF RECENTLY EATEN GRASS

TO THE BOTTOM OF HER HUGE, CAVERNOUS STOMACH.

AND THIS IS WHERE THOSE BUSY LITTLE MICRO-BUGS GET TO WORK.

♪♪

MILLIONS OF BILLIONS OF BACTERIA MUNCH ON THE CARBOHYDRATE

IN THE GRASS JUICE AND EXCRETE FATTY ACIDS.

[ COW MOOS ]

DAISY HAPPILY SOAKS UP THESE FATTY ACIDS

AND USES THEM TO MAKE HER MILK.

IN FACT, IT IS THESE FATTY ACIDS THAT HELP TURN THE MILK WHITE.

[ COW MOOS ]

UNFORTUNATELY, TO MAKE THE FATTY ACIDS,

THE BACTERIA ALSO GIVE OFF RATHER A LOT OF METHANE.

[ COW FARTS ]

DAISY GETS THE BLAME, OF COURSE.

COWS PRODUCE 200 TIMES MORE GAS A DAY THAN WE DO.

[ COW MOOS ]

SO DAISY'S MILK IS REALLY A COMBINATION OF BACTERIA DOO-DOO

WITH A SPLASH OF BUGS THAT HAVE DIED OF OLD AGE

AND BEEN ABSORBED THROUGH HER INTESTINAL WALL!

YUMMY!

AND BY SERVING THE GRASS WELL-CHEWED...

THE LITTLE WORKERS IN DAISY'S MILK-FACTORY STOMACH

ARE OVER THE MOON.

[ COW MOOS ]

RHINOS ARE TOUGH AND FIGHT ROUGH,

WEIGHING UP TO 4 TONS WITH A 35-MILES-PER-HOUR CHARGE.

THE BIGGEST NATURAL KILLER OF A RHINO IS ANOTHER RHINO.

BUT RECENT FILMING OF A HERD OF BLACK RHINOS AT NIGHT

IN AFRICA'S KALAHARI DESERT

REVEALED THAT THEY MAY BE LEADING A SECRET DOUBLE LIFE.

IN FACT, UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS,

RHINOS ARE MORE TENDER AND GENTLE THAN ANYONE KNEW.

♪♪

♪♪

AT THE RHINO PRIDE SANCTUARY IN LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA,

FOUNDER DR. JANA PRETORIUS HAS A THEORY AS TO WHY RHINOS

MAY BE GRUMPY AND AGGRESSIVE BUT ALSO TOUCHY-FEELY.

AND SHE WANTS TO DEMONSTRATE HER THEORY WITH A NEW ARRIVAL.

HE'S AN ADULT MALE BLACK RHINO.

Pretorious: THIS RHINO BULL IS FULLY GROWN.

HE'S BEEN BROUGHT HERE BEFORE HE MOVES ON

TO THE NEXT WILDLIFE RESERVE.

Narrator: HE'S HAD NO CONTACT WITH HUMANS UNTIL NOW.

Pretorious: HE'S STILL A LITTLE BIT WARY OF US.

♪♪

HEY.

COO-COO-COO.

[ RHINO GRUNTS ]

Narrator: WITH HIS HORN AIMED RIGHT AT HER

AND HIS FEET PAWING THE GROUND,

THIS RHINO IS DISPLAYING AGGRESSION.

JANA THINKS HE'S BEHAVING THIS WAY

BECAUSE RHINOS HAVE VERY BAD EYESIGHT

AND HIS BEHAVIOR MAY COME FROM INSECURITY.

Pretorious: BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SEE WELL,

THEY'RE VERY STRESSED ABOUT SUDDEN MOVES AND SUDDEN SOUNDS,

AND THAT'S WHY THEY'LL SEEM AS IF THEY WANT TO BE AGGRESSIVE.

BUT ACTUALLY, THEY'RE JUST BEING,

"OH, WHAT'S THAT, WHAT'S THAT?"

Narrator: SO JANA TALKS CALMLY TO THE RHINO

TO MAKE HIM RELAXED IN HER COMPANY.

Pretorious: COO.

COO-COO-COO.

Narrator: AND SLOWLY, THIS WILD RHINO CALMS DOWN

AND STEPS CLOSER.

HIS GUARD IS DOWN, AND THE BIG BULL RHINO DOESN'T JUST RELAX --

HE ACTUALLY APPROACHES TO BE TOUCHED.

SO, A LOT OF PEOPLE PERCEIVE RHINOS

JUST AS BEING VERY AGGRESSIVE.

BUT IF YOU SPEND TIME WITH HIM,

YOU'LL END UP BEING ABLE TO SCRATCH HIM AND TALK TO HIM.

IT'S A WAY OF ACTUALLY CALMING THEM DOWN.

Narrator: JANA'S WORK SHOWS THAT RHINOS

LIKE TO FEEL CONTACT WITH OTHER RHINOS,

BUT THE DESIRE IS STRONGEST IN THE YOUNGSTERS.

Pretorious: THEY ALWAYS, LIKE, TUCK IN TOGETHER,

AND THEY'LL PUT THEIR HEADS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER

OR THEY'LL LIE HEAD TO FEET.

Narrator: IN THE WILD, YOUNG RHINOS ARE VULNERABLE

TO HYENAS, CROCODILES, AND LIONS.

JANA BELIEVES

BY STAYING IN TOUCHING DISTANCE OF EACH OTHER,

THEY FEEL MORE SECURE AND PROTECTED.

♪♪

ONE THING THAT'S SURPRISING

IS THAT RHINOS CAN FEEL A GENTLE STROKE AT ALL,

BECAUSE THEIR SKIN IS THE THICKEST OF ANY LAND ANIMAL'S.

Pretorious: OOH, YES.

Narrator: DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND HORN-TO-HORN COMBAT,

IT'S MADE FROM TOUGH STRANDS OF COLLAGEN

MATTED TOGETHER IN A CROSS LATTICE,

CREATING A TWO INCH-THICK FORM OF NATURAL CHAIN MAIL.

BUT WHAT'S ASTONISHING IS THE SURFACE OF THE RHINO'S ARMOR

IS COVERED IN MILLIONS OF NERVES,

MAKING THEIR THICK SKIN

SENSITIVE TO THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH.

AND JANA'S DISCOVERED RHINOS LOVE

NOTHING MORE THAN A GOOD RUB OR A TICKLE.

Pretorious: ONCE THEY GET USED TO IT,

YOU ARE PRETTY MUCH FATED FOR LIFE

TO GIVE THEM BELLY RUBS.

YEAH, OVER. OH, YES.

♪♪

Narrator: SO...

NOT SO TOUGH NOW, ARE YA, BIG GUY?

♪♪

COMING UP, POUND FOR POUND, THE LOUDEST ANIMAL ON EARTH...

[ ELEPHANT TRUMPETS ]

...AND THE FASTEST EATER ON THE PLANET.

♪♪

♪♪

[ ROOSTER CROWS ]

[ CATS MEOWING ]

Narrator: THE ANIMAL KINGDOM CAN BE A NOISY PLACE...

[ WOLF HOWLS ]...FROM THE MALE ELK...

[ ELK SHRIEKS ]

...THAT SCREAMS AT THE TOP OF ITS LUNGS

TO THE GRUNTING ROAR OF A MALE KOALA.

[ KOALA GRUNTING ]

[ OWL CHIRPS ][ WOLF HOWLS ]

[ ELEPHANT TRUMPETS ]

[ LION ROARS ]BUT POUND FOR POUND...

♪♪

WHEN IT COMES TO VOLUME RELATIVE TO SIZE,

THE HALF-INCH MALE WATER BOATMAN IS THE UNDISPUTED KING OF NOISE.

OKAY, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR

THIS INSECT'S TRUE LOUDNESS ABOVE THE WATER,

BUT UNDERWATER...

[ CHIRPING ]

...THIS CHIRPING CAN HIT 99 DECIBELS.

THAT'S EQUIVALENT TO THE RUMBLE OF A TRACTOR.

UNUSUALLY, IT MAKES ALL THAT NOISE

BY RUBBING ITS PENIS ACROSS ITS ABDOMEN.

WELL, THAT'S ONE WAY TO ATTRACT THE LADIES.

BUT IT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE LOUDEST ANIMAL ON EARTH.

NOT RELATIVETO ITS SIZE BUT BECAUSEOF ITS SIZE,

THE ELEPHANT USES ITS GIGANTIC TRUNK TO MAKE A BIGGER NOISE.

[ ELEPHANT TRUMPETS ]

THAT MASSIVE NOSE ACTS AS A HUGE AMPLIFICATION CHAMBER,

CREATING A TRUMPET WHICH HITS 117 DECIBELS,

ABOUT AS LOUD AS A THUNDERCLAP.

[ THUNDER CRASHES ]

[ BABY CRYING ]

BUT USING JUST ITS TINY LUNGS,

A CRYING BABY DEFEATS EVEN THE MIGHTIEST ELEPHANT,

CLOCKING UP TO 120 DECIBELS, THE SAME AS A ROCK CONCERT.

♪♪

[ MONKEY HOWLING ]

BUT SINGING BEATS CRYING.

HOWLER MONKEYS HAVE A HOWL

AS LOUD AS A JET ENGINE AT 140 DECIBELS,

THE LOUDEST CALL OF ANY ANIMAL ON LAND.

BUT THIS IS NOT THE LOUDEST ANIMAL ON THE ENTIRE PLANET.

THAT SOUND BELONGS TO THESE HUGE, MAJESTIC CREATURES.

THE MIGHTY SPERM WHALE SENDS OUT A SERIES

OF SHORT 100-MILLISECOND-LONG CLICKS TO ECHOLOCATE THEIR PREY.

♪♪

THE WHALE IS ABLE TO TURN THE CLICK'S VOLUME UP

TO BEYOND DEAFENING BY USING THEIR HUGE HEAD AS AN AMPLIFIER.

THE WHALE FORCES AIR THROUGH ITS NASAL PASSAGE

TO A PAIR OF CLAPPERS CALLED MONKEY LIPS,

WHICH CLAP SHUT, CREATING A SINGLE CLICK.

THIS CLICK IS THEN AMPLIFIED SEVERAL TIMES

AS IT TRAVELS BACKWARD AND FORWARD

THROUGH THE INSIDE OF THE SPERM WHALE'S HEAD.

FINALLY, THE CLICK REACHES AN AREA OF THE HEAD

THAT FOCUSES THE SOUND INTO A UNIQUELY CONCENTRATED

AND LITERALLY DEAFENING NOISE.

OUR EARS CAN'T COPE WITH VERY LOUD SOUNDS.

AT 165 DECIBELS, OUR EARDRUMS RUPTURE.

ABOVE THE WAVES, WE'RE FINE

BECAUSE JUST 1% OF THE SOUND OF THE WHALE'S CLICKS

PASSES FROM THE WATER AND INTO THE AIR.

BUT UNDERWATER, EACH CLICK NOISE REACHES 235 DECIBELS.

THAT'S LOUDER THAN A TON OF DYNAMITE EXPLODING.

NOT ONLY WILL THE SPERM WHALE'S CLICKS RUPTURE OUR EARDRUMS,

BUT THE REPETITIVE CLICKING HAS A FREQUENCY

THAT COULD VIBRATE A DIVER TO DEATH.

[ WHALE CLICKING ]

SO, WHETHER ABOVE OR BELOW THE OCEAN,

YOU CAN'T IGNORE THE UNDISPUTED NOISIEST ANIMAL ON EARTH.

♪♪

COMING UP...

WHY DOES A RATTLESNAKE ALWAYS LET GO OF ITS PREY?

AND THE CRITTER WITH THE MOST INCREDIBLE NOSE.

♪♪

♪♪

[ TAIL RATTLES ]

Narrator: A RATTLE AND THEN...

A STRIKE.

IT LOOKS LIKE GAME OVER FOR THIS MOUSE.

OR MAYBE NOT.

THE SNAKE'S RELEASED IT.

WHAT IS IT THINKING?

♪♪

IN HOEDSPRUIT, SOUTH AFRICA,

ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING REPTILE EXPERTS,

DONALD STRYDOM, STUDIES VERY DANGEROUS SNAKES

FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

♪♪

[ SNAKE RATTLES ]

Strydom: YEAH, WHAT WE HAVE HERE

IS A WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE -- BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL.

THESE GUYS ARE FROM THE AMERICAS.

THEY JUST ARE MASTERS IN HUNTING.

THEY DON'T CHASE DOWN THEIR PREY.

THEY'LL LIE THERE CAMOUFLAGED SOMEWHERE

AND JUST WAIT A DAY OR TWO, A WEEK, A MONTH, OR MORE.

I MEAN, THAT SNAKE CAN GO WITHOUT FOOD

FOR LIKE ONE AND A HALF TO TWO YEARS.

[ SNAKE RATTLES ]

Narrator: AFTER A YEAR OF WAITING FOR DINNER,

YOU'D THINK THE RATTLESNAKE WOULD WANT TO HOLD ON TO IT.

BUT AFTER INJECTING A DROP-SIZED DOSE OF VENOM,

THEY HAVE A GOOD REASON FOR RELEASING THEIR PREY.

THAT RAT CAN TURN AROUND AND BITE THE SNAKE.

IT COULD KILL THE SNAKE.

IT WOULD BITE INTO THE HEAD, THE EYES, AND KILL IT.

Narrator: SO THE SNAKE AVOIDS BEING BITTEN BACK,

BUT LETTING GO CREATES ANOTHER PROBLEM.

♪♪

Strydom: THAT PREY IS GONNA RUN,

AND THE SNAKE HAS TO NOW LOCATE THAT PREY.

Narrator: IT TAKES AROUND TWO MINUTES

FOR THE VENOM TO INCAPACITATE THE PREY.

BY THAT TIME, THE ENVENOMATED RODENT COULD BE ANYWHERE.

SO HOW DOES THE SNAKE FIND ITS PREY?

RATTLESNAKES HAVE AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF SMELL.

ONE IDEA IS THAT THE SNAKE COULD FOLLOW THE PREY'S SCENT TRAIL,

EXCEPT, OUT HERE, THERE ARE HUNDREDS

OF OTHER RODENT SCENT TRAILS CRISSCROSSING

AND MASKING THE SCENT OF THE ANIMAL

THAT'LL SOON BE MOTIONLESS AND EASY TO GRAB.

BUT ONE THING SETS THE BITTEN RAT APART

FROM ALL THE OTHER CREATURES.

IT HAS THIS RATTLESNAKE'S VENOM COURSING THROUGH ITS VEINS.

DONALD THINKS THE SNAKE COULD BE USING THE SCENT OF ITS OWN VENOM

TO TRACK AND FIND THE DYING PREY.

TO TEST THE THEORY,

DONALD NEEDS TO HARVEST THE LETHAL RATTLESNAKE VENOM.

Strydom: IF THAT WERE INTO A MOUSE,

THAT WOULD BE A MASSIVE OVERKILL,

BUT THAT'S PROBABLY SPOT-ON TO KILL ME.

♪♪

Narrator: TO MAKE TRAILS FOR THE SNAKE TO FOLLOW,

DONALD HAS TWO SCENTED SPONGES.

Strydom: SPONGE NUMBER ONE IS PURELY RAT.

SPONGE NUMBER TWO IS GOING TO BE RAT,

AS WELL AS SNAKE VENOM.

♪♪

Narrator: DONALD MARKS OUT TWO SCENT TRAILS.

TO THE LEFT IS HEALTHY RAT SCENT.

TO THE RIGHT IS RAT SCENT PLUS THIS SNAKE'S OWN VENOM.

WILL THE SNAKE FOLLOW THE PURE RAT SCENT,

OR WILL IT FOLLOW THE SMELL WITH ITS OWN VENOM?

Strydom: THERE IT'S DOING IT. NOW YOU SEE.

LOOK HOW THE HEAD'S MOVING,

AND THAT TYPICAL LEFT AND RIGHT MOVEMENT

AND LOTS OF TONGUE FLICKING AS IT MOVES ALONG.

Narrator: THE TONGUE IS LICKING THE AIR FOR SCENT.

EACH LICK COLLECTS TINY SCENT PARTICLES

AND DELIVERS THEM TO A UNIQUE SCENT ORGAN,

A PATCH OF ODOR-SENSING CELLS INSIDE THE MOUTH.

THE REASON THE TONGUE IS FORKED

IS SO THAT IT CAN DIFFERENTIATE ODOR PARTICLES

COMING FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE.

THIS HELPS THE SNAKE FIGURE OUT THE DIRECTION OF THE PREY.

WHAT IT'S DOING IS OBVIOUSLY IT'S GOING LEFT AND RIGHT,

SO IT NEEDS TO REALLY SEE WHERE THE DOMINANT SMELL OF SCENT IS.

Narrator: IT'S REACHED THE POINT IN THE TRAIL

WHERE DONALD SEPARATED THE SPONGES...

AND GOES LEFT,

TOWARDS THE SPONGE WITHOUT VENOM.

♪♪

BUT IT'S CHANGING DIRECTIONS.

IT'S NOT GOING TOWARDS THE SPONGE

WITH JUST THE SMELL OF PREY.

IT'S GOING STRAIGHT TOWARDS THAT SPONGE

WITH THE SMELL OF ITS VENOM.

THE SNAKE IS HOMING STRAIGHT IN FOR ITS PREY.

♪♪

Narrator: BY USING THE SMELL OF THE RATTLESNAKE'S OWN VENOM,

THE RATTLER CAN CUT THROUGH

ALL THE OTHER DISTRACTING SCENT TRAILS TO FIND ITS DINNER.

BUT THE RATTLESNAKE ISN'T SMELLING THE VENOM

IT HAS INJECTED INTO THE RAT'S BODY.

AFTER THE RATTLESNAKE BITES,

IT MAKES SURE TO SPRAY SOME VENOM ON THE RAT'S FUR.

Strydom: THIS SPLATTER ON HERE IS ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF SPLATTER

THAT IT WOULD HAVE ON THE PREY ITEM.

Narrator: THIS WAY, THE SCENT OF THE VENOM IS STRONGER

AND MEANS A RATTLESNAKE IS NEVER LATE TO LUNCH.

COMING UP... THE WEIRDEST NOSE ON THE PLANET.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: THE NATURAL WORLD IS TEEMING WITH ANIMALS

THAT HAVE EVOLVED UNIQUE AND BIZARRE NASAL APPENDAGES, BUT...

♪♪

THE MOST BIZARRE NOSE ON THE PLANET

MAY BE RIGHT BENEATH YOUR FEET, BECAUSE LIVING IN TUNNELS

UNDERNEATH THE EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA

IS AN ANIMAL WITH A NOSE SO WEIRD

THAT THE ANIMAL'S BEEN NAMED AFTER IT -- THE STAR-NOSED MOLE.

SCURRYING THROUGH TOTAL DARKNESS,

THIS ALMOST-BLIND MOLE HAS NO NEED FOR EYESIGHT

BECAUSE AMAZINGLY, THAT STRANGE NOSE IS

THE MOST SENSITIVE TOUCH ORGAN OF ANY MAMMAL ON THE PLANET,

ALLOWING THIS WEIRD-LOOKING MOLE

TO SEE ITS DARK WORLD BY FEELING IT.

EVERY INCH OF THOSE 22 MOBILE TENTACLES

ARE COVERED IN THOUSANDS OF TOUCH RECEPTORS,

EACH BUMP THE WIDTH OF A HUMAN HAIR.

INSIDE EACH BUMP IS A RING OF NERVE FIBERS

THAT FEEL IN EVERY DIRECTION

TO CREATE A 3-D MAP OF WHAT IT TOUCHES,

SO IT SEES WITH ITS NOSE IN UNBELIEVABLE DETAIL.

♪♪

IN TOTAL, THE MOLE'S NOSE HAS A NETWORK OF 100,000 NERVES,

FIVE TIMES MORE NERVES THAN IN OUR HANDS,

ALL PACKED INTO A NOSE SMALLER THAN A FINGERTIP.

USING INFORMATION FROM ALL THESE NERVES,

THE MOLE'S BRAIN BUILDS UP A PICTURE OF WHAT IT'S FEELING.

IT'S A KIND OF TOUCHY-FEELY "SMELL-O-VISION."

IN FACT, IT TAKES THE MOLE JUST 120 MILLISECONDS TO TOUCH,

IDENTIFY, AND CONSUME PREY.

THAT'S FASTER THAN A BLINK OF AN EYE.

IN MAMMAL WORLD, THIS MOLE IS THE FASTEST EATER ON THE PLANET.

SO, IN A COMPETITION FOR STRANGEST SNIFFER,

THIS AMAZING AND UNIQUE CRITTER WINS BY A NOSE.

♪♪