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?"

[ CAT MEOWS ]

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

CAN DOGS TELL TIME?

WHY DO BEES DIE WHEN THEY STING YOU?

AND HOW CAN A TINY SHRIMP CREATE AN EXPLOSION AS HOT AS THE SUN?

THESE WONDERS AND MORE ON...

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

WHETHER IT'S DINNERTIME,

WALK TIME...[ DOG WHINES ]

...OR EVEN COMING-HOME TIME,

OUR DOGS SEEM TO KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THAT IS,

AND THEY DO IT WITH INCREDIBLE ACCURACY.

BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THEY CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND TIME.

OR CAN THEY?

HOW DO DOGS KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

[ CLOCK TICKING ]

[ DOG WHINES ]

THIS GORGEOUS WHIPPET-TERRIER MIX IS RAPH,

AND THIS IS HIS BEST BUDDY, ALAN.

Alan: BASICALLY, WE'RE INSEPARABLE.

WE JUST GET TO HANG OUT ALL THE TIME.

HE LIKES TO SLEEP A LOT, SO HE'LL JUST NAP BESIDE ME.

Narrator: RAPH AND ALAN HAVE KINDLY LET US INTO THEIR HOME

TO TEST HOW WELL RAPH UNDERSTANDS TIME.

LIKE CLOCKWORK, RAPH IS ALWAYS AT THE DOOR

WHEN ALAN GETS HOME FROM WORK.

BUT DOES HE HEAR OR SMELL HIS PERSON COMING?

OR DOES RAPH SOMEHOW KNOW IT'S TIME FOR ALAN TO COME HOME?

Alan: USUALLY, HE'S RIGHT AT THE DOOR READY FOR ME AND JUMPING UP.

Narrator: ALAN INSTALLS REMOTE CAMERAS AROUND THE APARTMENT

TO SPY ON RAPH FOR A WHOLE WEEK.

EVERY DAY, ALAN AND RAPH HAVE A REGULAR ROUTINE.

AFTER THEIR MORNING WALK, ALAN LEAVES FOR WORK AT 9:30.

NOW RAPH HAS THE WHOLE PLACE TO HIMSELF.

AFTER A BIT OF SNOOPING AROUND,

HE SETTLES DOWN FOR A SNOOZE IN THE BEDROOM.

AN HOUR OR SO LATER, SOME SHUT-EYE IN HIS DOG BED.

AT AROUND 1 O'CLOCK, TIME FOR A SIESTA ON THE SOFA.

IT REALLY IS A DOG'S LIFE.

AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY DURING THE WEEK,

ALAN HEADS HOME FOR RAPH'S MIDDAY WALK.

AND AT 1:30, AS ALAN WALKS THROUGH THE DOOR,

HE'S GREETED BY HIS EXCITED FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND.

NOW, REWIND THE CAMERAS BACK FIVE MINUTES...

...AND WE CAN SEE THAT AT 1:25, WHILE ALAN IS STILL ON HIS BIKE,

RAPH WAKES FROM HIS SLUMBER AND GOES TO WAIT AT THE FRONT DOOR.

IT'S LIKE HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TIME IT IS.

AND AMAZINGLY, RECORDINGS SHOW HE DOES THE SAME THING

DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY.

GOOD BOY.

Alan: FIVE MINUTES BEFORE I ACTUALLY EVEN GET INTO THE BUILDING,

HE SEEMS TO BE ANTICIPATING ME COMING HOME.

HIS EARS START TO PERK UP, AND HE'S WALKING AROUND,

WHERE RATHER THAN EVEN 10 MINUTES BEFORE THAT,

HE'D BE A LOT MORE CHILL AND ON THE COUCH.

Narrator: SO, WHAT'S THE SECRET TO A DOG'S ABILITY TO KNOW

WHEN WE'RE COMING HOME?

WELL, FOR A LONG TIME, SCIENTISTS THOUGHT THAT DOGS

MAY JUST HAVE A SUPER ACCURATE BODY CLOCK.

BUT RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS

A DOG MIGHT BE TELLING THE TIME WITH...

HIS NOSE.

THE THEORY IS DOGS USE THEIR INCREDIBLE SENSE OF SMELL

TO MEASURE SCENT PARTICLES DETERIORATING OVER TIME.

BECAUSE ALAN HAS A REGULAR ROUTINE,

RAPH CAN THEN ASSOCIATE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ODOR

WITH VERY PARTICULAR TIMES OF THE DAY.

SO, WHEN ALAN LEAVES FOR WORK,

HIS SCENT CONTINUES TO LINGER IN THE AIR.

BUT AS TIME TICKS AWAY, SO DOES ALAN'S SMELL.

IT'S THOUGHT RAPH'S 300 MILLION SCENT RECEPTORS

CAN DETECT ALAN'S DIMINISHING SCENT

LIKE A CLOCK COUNTING DOWN TO HIS RETURN.

AND WHEN THE CLOCK HITS 1:25 P.M.,

ALAN'S SCENT DROPS TO A PARTICULAR LEVEL.

RAPH RECOGNIZES THIS AS THE SMELL OF THE TIME

THAT ALAN WILL WALK THROUGH THE DOOR.

TO TEST IF RAPH IS REALLY SMELLING THE TIME,

ALAN IS GOING TO RESET HIS SCENT CLOCK

MIDWAY THROUGH THE MORNING.

HE STUFFS SWEATY CLOTHES INTO A PLASTIC PIPE.

IT'S CONNECTED TO AN INTAKE FAN

AND A PIPE WHICH LEADS INTO THE APARTMENT.

AT 9:30 A.M., ALAN LEAVES FOR WORK AS USUAL.

AND LIKE CLOCKWORK, RAPH BEGINS HIS DAILY ROUTINE OF SNOOZING.

AT NOON, A TIMER ACTIVATES THE FAN...

[ FAN WHIRRING ]

...AND PUMPS ALAN'S SCENT THROUGHOUT THE APARTMENT.

AT 1:25, RAPH NORMALLY WOULD BE WAITING AT THE DOOR,

READY TO WELCOME ALAN HOME.

INSTEAD, HE'S IN A DEEP SLUMBER, DREAMING OF CHASING CATS.

AND WHEN ALAN RETURNS HOME,

HE COMPLETELY SURPRISES HIS CONFUSED BEST FRIEND.

♪♪

Alan: RIGHT UP UNTIL I CAME IN TO THE DOOR,

HE WAS LYING ON THE COUCH BASICALLY SLEEPING, SNOOZING.

YOU CAN TELL THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT I WAS COMING HOME.

IT WASN'T UNTIL I LITERALLY CAME RIGHT IN TO THE DOOR

THAT HE JUMPED RIGHT UP.

Narrator: ALAN BLEW HIS SCENT INTO THE APARTMENT

ON THREE SEPARATE DAYS,

AND ON EACH ONE, RAPH LOST HIS SENSE OF TIME.

SO, AS STRANGE AS IT SOUNDS,

WE CAN NOW ADD TELLING, OR SMELLING, THE TIME

TO THE LIST OF INCREDIBLE THINGS A DOG'S NOSE CAN DO.

[ OWL HOOTING ]

THERE ARE MORE THAN 750 KINDS OF STINGING INSECTS.

ALL DEFEND THEMSELVES BY INJECTING VENOM

INTO ANYTHING THEY SEE AS A THREAT.

[ WOMAN SCREAMS ]

MOST STINGING BUGS CAN DO THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN,

BUT FOR ONE -- THE HONEYBEE --

STINGING YOU IS THE LAST THING THEY DO.

WHY DO HONEYBEES DIE AFTER THEY STING?

IN A HONEYBEE HIVE,

IT'S FAIR TO SAY THE WOMEN DO ALL THE WORK.

ALTHOUGH, THAT'S PARTLY BECAUSE THERE ARE HARDLY ANY MEN.

THE COLONY CONSISTS OF ONE QUEEN TENDED BY A FEW HUNDRED MALES

AND UP TO 60,000 FEMALE WORKER BEES.

ONLY THE FEMALES HAVE STINGERS,

AND THAT'S BECAUSE HER STINGER IS CONNECTED TO TWO GLANDS --

ONE THAT DELIVERS VENOM, AND ANOTHER THAT DELIVERS EGGS.

BUT ONLY THE QUEEN IN A HIVE WILL ACTUALLY LAY EGGS.

AS WITH OTHER BEES, THE HONEYBEE'S STINGER IS LIKE

A RETRACTABLE HYPODERMIC NEEDLE.

BUT WHERE OTHER BEES' STINGERS ARE SMOOTH,

THE HONEYBEE'S HAS TWO EDGES OF SAWTOOTH BLADES.

THE BARBS ARE ANGLED TO PIERCE THE SKIN OF HAIRY ANIMALS

THAT WOULD EAT THEIR HONEY, LIKE BEARS, SKUNKS, AND RACCOONS.

WHEN THE BEE STINGS,

THE BARBED BLADES SCISSOR THROUGH THE SKIN,

WHERE IT CAN INJECT ITS ACIDIC, CELL-DESTROYING VENOM.

BUT BECAUSE OF THE DIRECTION OF THE BARBS,

WHEN THEY HAVE PIERCED THE SKIN,

THE BEE CAN'T PULL ITS STINGER OUT,

AND TRYING ENDS IN DISASTER.

THE BEE TEARS HER ABDOMEN AWAY,

LEAVING BEHIND A STRING OF DIGESTIVE PARTS,

GLANDS, A VENOM SAC,

AND THE STINGER STILL IN THE VICTIM,

WHICH IS WHY THIS KAMIKAZE ACT

IS USUALLY ONLY DEPLOYED TO DEFEND THE HIVE.

THE HONEYBEE'S SUICIDAL STING HAS EVOLVED

AS AN ANTI-MAMMAL DETERRENT.

AND THE TOXIC VENOM WILL CONTINUE

TO PUMP INTO THE VICTIM FOR UP TO 10 MINUTES.

SO EVEN AFTER THAT LAST GUTSY ACT OF DEFENSE,

THE HONEYBEE CAN GO TO THE BIG BEEHIVE IN THE SKY

KNOWING SHE'S STILL DOING HER PART

FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF HER COLONY.

COMING UP...

WHY DO BIRDS FLY IN CIRCLES?

THE SECRET OF A KANGAROO'S HOP.

AND HOW A TINY SHRIMP CREATES TEMPERATURES AS HOT AS THE SUN.

Narrator: WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING DOWN PREY,

SIZE ISN'T EVERYTHING IN THE ANIMAL WORLD.

THE FEARSOME HONEY BADGER WILL TAKE ON HYENAS TWICE ITS SIZE.

[ ANIMALS SNARLING ]

THE KOMODO DRAGON CAN KILL A 1,000-POUND BUFFALO

WITH A SINGLE TOXIC BITE.

BUT POUND FOR POUND,

THERE IS ONE ANIMAL MORE FEROCIOUS THAN ANY OTHER.

IT HAS A KILLER PUNCH --

200 TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN A HEAVYWEIGHT BOXER'S --

AND IT'S BARELY BIGGER THAN YOUR THUMB.

WHAT MAKES THE TINY MANTIS SHRIMP

SUCH A POWERFUL PREDATOR?

AROUND 4 INCHES LONG AND WEIGHING IN AT JUST 2 OUNCES,

ONE OF THE PRETTIEST BUT MEANEST CRITTERS IN THE OCEAN --

THE PEACOCK MANTIS SHRIMP.

DESPITE HIS NAME,

THIS LITTLE GUY IS NEITHER A MANTIS OR A SHRIMP.

HE'S ACTUALLY A DISTANT COUSIN OF CRABS AND LOBSTERS.

AND BIOLOGIST DR. TIM HERRLINGER WANTS TO SHOW

HOW THE SHRIMP PACKS SUCH A MEGA PUNCH,

BY OFFERING UP A MEAL.

THIS PEACOCK MANTIS SHRIMP IS A FEROCIOUS PREDATOR.

ITS EYES ARE MOVING ALL OVER.

IT KNOWS SOMETHING'S THERE.

Narrator: THE MANTIS SHRIMP'S FOOD COMES WITH A PROBLEM --

A TOUGH SHELL,

WHETHER IT'S MUSSELS, SHRIMP, OR IN THIS CASE, A CLAM.

Herrlinger: THIS IS HARD.

[ TAPPING ]

THE MANTIS SHRIMP HAS TO HAVE AN ABILITY TO BREAK THROUGH

THESE SHELLS AND SCOOP OUT AND EAT THE GOODIES INSIDE.

Narrator: FIRST, THE MANTIS SHRIMP LINES UP

THE WEAKEST PART OF THE SHELL,

AND HE TAKES AIM FOR THE FIRST BLOW.

♪♪

Herrlinger: LOOK AT THE DAMAGE DONE TO THIS CLAM.

Narrator: SO, HOW DOES THIS TINY ANIMAL CREATE SUCH A DEVASTATING FORCE?

WE'D NEED A HAMMER TO DO THE SAME.

ITS POWER COMES FROM TWO CLUB-LIKE APPENDAGES,

WHICH THE MANTIS SHRIMP SWINGS LIKE TINY HAMMERS ON A HINGE.

THEY ARE MADE FROM THE SAME MATERIAL AS FISH SCALES.

BUT WHAT MAKES THESE CLUBS ALMOST INDESTRUCTIBLE

IS THERE ARE SEVERAL LAYERS FOCUSED AROUND THE IMPACT ZONE

THAT ABSORB THE FORCE --

SO MUCH SO,

THE CLUBS CAN MAKE 50,000 HITS WITHOUT BREAKING.

BUT THE REAL SECRET BEHIND THE POWER OF A MANTIS SHRIMP'S PUNCH

IS THE INCREDIBLE SPEED THEY GENERATE

TO WHIP THEIR HAMMER CLUBS.

THE SPEED OF EACH STRIKE IS 50 TIMES FASTER

THAN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

Narrator: IN FACT, ACCELERATING FROM 0 TO 50 IN 0.2 MILLISECONDS,

IT'S FASTER THAN A BULLET.

IT COULD EVEN SHATTER THE GLASS OF THIS TANK IF IT WANTED TO.

AS THE CLUB RETRACTS,

A THICK MUSCLE AT THE TOP OF THE ARM IS PULLED FORWARDS.

STRAINING UNDER THE TENSION,

IT IS HELD IN PLACE BY A LATCH SYSTEM.

THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF ELASTIC ENERGY

IS LOCKED AND LOADED UNTIL THE LATCH IS RELEASED.

THE MANTIS SHRIMP RELEASES A FORCE

2,500 TIMES ITS OWN BODY WEIGHT.

A BOXER'S PUNCH IS JUST THREE TIMES HIS BODY WEIGHT.

BUT THE REAL SECRET OF THIS HUGE FORCE

IS IT IS ACTUALLY A DOUBLE IMPACT.

FIRST, THE CLUB MOVES FORWARD, HITS THE SHELL OF THE ANIMAL.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE FORCE IS SO STRONG THAT THE WATER BOILS.

Narrator: THAT'S RIGHT.

A MANTIS SHRIMP PUNCH CAN BOIL WATER.

THE IMPACT BETWEEN THE SHELL AND THE CLUB CREATES A TINY VACUUM.

FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND, THE EXTREME PRESSURE

FROM THIS VACUUM BOILS THE SURROUNDING WATER.

THIS MIX OF BOILING WATER AND PRESSURE CREATES A VAPOR BUBBLE

THAT IMPLODES INTO A BALL OF SOUND AND LIGHT,

CREATING TEMPERATURES SO HOT, THEY REACH 7,000 DEGREES --

AS HOT AS THE SURFACE OF THE SUN.

SO, THE MOST POWERFUL PUNCH IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

IS PART UPPERCUT, PART THERMAL EXPLOSION.

THIS CRAB HASN'T GOT A CHANCE.

[ ANIMALS YELPING, INSECTS BUZZING ]

Narrator: COMING UP...

THE POWER BEHIND THE KANGAROO'S 25-FOOT HOP.

AND DO CIRCLING VULTURES REALLY MEAN YOUR TIME IS UP?

♪♪

Narrator: KANGAROOS ARE THE ONLY ANIMAL

THAT HOP TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES.

AT SPEEDS OF 43 MILES PER HOUR,

KANGAROOS CAN MOVE FASTER THAN A GREYHOUND

AND COVER 25 FEET IN A SINGLE LEAP.

AND THIS PHYSICS-DEFYING BOUNCE

ACTUALLY USES UP LESS ENERGY THE FASTER THEY GO.

WHAT'S THE SECRET TO A KANGAROO'S HOP?

70% OF AUSTRALIA IS MADE UP OF DESERT AND SPARSE VEGETATION.

THAT'S OVER 3 MILLION SQUARE MILES --

NEARLY 11 TIMES THE AREA OF TEXAS.

AND YET A GIANT 200-POUND ANIMAL LIVES

AND THRIVES IN THIS ARID PLACE.

THE KANGAROO'S SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON ITS ABILITY TO HOP

FROM ONE WATERING HOLE TO THE NEXT

QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.

AND, BOY, CAN THEY DO THAT.

KANGAROOS HAVE BEEN RECORDED

TRAVELING A STAGGERING 200 MILES IN JUST 10 HOURS.

TO FIND OUT THE SECRET OF THEIR AMAZING HOP,

WE'VE COME TO THE LONE PINE SANCTUARY

NEAR BRISBANE.

COME OOOOON!

COME OOOOON!

SO, I GUESS WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH A KANGAROO, AREN'T WE?

Narrator: HERE, LIANA ANDERSON LOOKS AFTER

OVER 150 KANGAROOS AND WALLABIES.

Liana: HELLO!

SO, THESE ARE SOME OF MY BIG BOYS.

THIS IS ONE OF MY MORE DOMINANT FELLAS NOW.

HIS NAME'S MR. T. HE'S A BIT OF A STUD.

Narrator: BUT BEING BUFF IS NOT THE SECRET

TO A KANGAROO'S HOP.

THE SECRET IS IN THE WAY

THE KANGAROO AVOIDS USING ITS MUSCLES.

AT 14 INCHES,

A KANGAROO'S ACHILLES TENDONS ARE TWICE AS LONG AS A HUMAN'S.

AS THE KANGAROO LANDS, THE TENDONS COMPRESS,

AND THIS STORES ENERGY FROM THE HOP.

KANGAROO TENDONS ACT LIKE BATTERIES, READY TO RECYCLE

AND RELEASE THAT ENERGY INTO THE NEXT HOP.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE SPRING BEING SQUASHED DOWN

THAT STORES ENERGY,

IF YOU LET IT GO, IT WILL PING UP.

Narrator: A KANGAROO'S ACHILLES TENDONS HOLD

10 TIMES MORE ENERGY THAN THEIR LEG MUSCLES.

AND THE TENDONS ARE SO EFFICIENT,

THEY CAN RECYCLE UP TO 90% OF THE ENERGY FROM A ROO'S HOP.

IN FACT, THE FASTER THE ROO HOPS,

THE MORE ENERGY THE ACHILLES TENDONS RECYCLE,

SO ROOS HARDLY USE ANY MUSCLE POWER AT ALL.

AT THIS SPEED, IT SEEMS THE KANGAROO WOULD BOUNCE

UNTIL HE WAS OUT OF BREATH.

BUT IT TURNS OUT, HOPPING MAKES IT EASIERFOR THEM TO BREATHE,

INFLATING AND DEFLATING THEIR LUNGS WITH EACH BOUNCE.

BECAUSE KANGAROOS ARE SOENERGY-EFFICIENT,

ENGINEERS ARE NOW STUDYING THEM IN THE HOPE

THAT THE KANGAROO HOP MIGHT LEAD TO A GIANT LEAP

IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EVERYTHING FROM CARS TO COMPUTERS.

NEXT, THE SURPRISING TRUTH TO WHY VULTURES FLY IN CIRCLES.

Narrator: IF YOU LOOK UP AND SEE VULTURES CIRCLING ABOVE YOU, DON'T WORRY.

THEY'RE NOT WAITING FOR YOU TO DIE.

THAT'S A MYTH.

SO, IF THEY'RE NOT WAITING TO POUNCE ON WEAKENED PREY,

WHY DO VULTURES FLY IN CIRCLES?

[ BIRD SQUAWKS ]

Narrator: VULTURES CAN BE FOUND ON PRETTY MUCH EVERY CONTINENT

ON THE PLANET EXCEPT AUSTRALIA AND ANTARCTICA.

AS LARGE SCAVENGERS,

VULTURES OFTEN NEED TO FLY HUNDREDS OF MILES

TO FIND A CARCASS TO FEAST ON.

AND BECAUSE THE NEXT MEAL COULD BE MORE THAN A WEEK AWAY,

THEY ALSO NEED TO EXPEND VERY LITTLE ENERGY FINDING IT.

THE MORE ENERGY THEY USE,

THE LESS CHANCE THEY HAVE OF MAKING IT TO THE NEXT MEAL.

SO THESE INGENIOUS BIRDS HAVE COME UP

WITH A WAY OF STAYING IN THE AIR LONGER

WITHOUT NEEDING TO FLAP A SINGLE WING.

IN FACT, THEY LET NATURE DO ALL THE WORK.

WHEN THE SUN HITS THE GROUND, IT WARMS THE AIR DIRECTLY ABOVE,

WHICH BECOMES LESS DENSE.

THIS LIGHT, WARM AIR RISES UP IN COLUMNS CALLED THERMALS.

THE CORE IS THE STRONGEST PART OF THE THERMAL,

AND IT SPIRALS UP.

THE REASON VULTURES FLY IN CIRCLES

IS BECAUSE THEY RIDE THESE THERMALS.

BY CIRCLING AROUND THE CORE,

THEY JUST NEED TO HOLD THEIR WINGS OPEN,

AND THE SPIRALING RISING AIR

CATCHES BENEATH THEIR 10-FOOT WINGSPAN.

THE AIR LIFTS THEM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FEET IN SOME CASES.

THERMAL HOPPING MEANS A VULTURE CAN COVER HUNDREDS OF MILES

IN ONE FLIGHT WITH BARELY A FLAP OF THE WINGS.

BUT GIVEN THERMALS ARE INVISIBLE,

HOW DO VULTURES FIND NEW ONES?

WELL, THEY USE THE BIRD EQUIVALENT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING.

THEY LOOK OUT FOR OTHER CIRCLING BIRDS OR FOLLOW ONES

THAT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE ON THE HUNT FOR A THERMAL.

AND THE BIRDS THEY FOLLOW DON'T HAVE TO BE OTHER VULTURES.

THEY COULD BE HERONS, EAGLES, EVEN ALBATROSS.

FOR A SOLITARY HUNTING OR SCAVENGING BIRD,

IT SEEMS SOCIAL NETWORKING CAN LEAD TO YOUR NEXT MEAL.

[ BIRDS CACKLING ]