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...

HOW DO A HAMSTER'S CHEEKS STRETCH

TO DOUBLE THEIR NORMAL SIZE?

HOW DO TINY DOTS ON A GATOR'S JAW

TURN IT INTO A SUPER PREDATOR?

AND IT'S A MIRACLE.

HOW DID THIS LIZARD HAVE EIGHT BABIES WITH NO MALE AROUND?

♪♪

ALL THIS AND MORE ON "HOW DO ANIMALS DO THAT?"

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THESE CUDDLY LITTLE CRITTERS

LIVE IN NEARLY A MILLION HOMES IN THE U.S. ALONE,

BUT THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE HAMSTER ICEBERG.

WITH OVER 20 SPECIES OF HAMSTER,

THERE COULD BE MILLIONS MORE IN THE WILD,

BUT EVERY SINGLE ONE SHARES AN INCREDIBLE FEATURE.

THEY OVERSTUFF THEIR CHEEKS WITH FOOD.

FROM THE SMALLEST, LIKE THE DWARF,

A PING-PONG BALL SIZED POCKET ROCKET

THAT NEEDS ENOUGH FUEL TO RUN THE EQUIVALENT

OF FOUR MARATHONS EVERY DAY,

TO THE KING KONG OF HAMSTERS, THE EUROPEAN,

A 14-INCH TITAN THAT EATS EVERYTHING FROM PLANTS

TO LIZARDS AND SMALL BIRDS.

SO WHAT'S THE SECRET BEHIND THE HAMSTER'S SUPER STRETCH CHEEKS?

♪♪

THIS GOLDEN HAMSTER IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PETS

IN THE U.S.

AMAZINGLY, THIS ONE AND EVERY GOLDEN HAMSTER SINCE

CAN BE TRACED BACK TO A SINGLE WILD FEMALE

CAPTURED IN SYRIA IN 1930.

SHE WAS BRED IN CAPTIVITY WITH A CAPTURED MALE,

AND HER DESCENDANTS WERE SHIPPED AROUND THE WORLD,

WITH EVERY FEMALE SINCE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING OVER 60 BABIES.

THERE ARE NOW ABOUT 6 MILLION PET GOLDEN HAMSTERS

ON THE PLANET.

THE WILD ONES ROAM ACROSS THE GRASSLANDS OF EUROPE

AND THE DESERTS OF ASIA.

IF FOOD IS SCARCE, THEY STOCK UP WHEN THEY HIT THE JACKPOT.

BY STUFFING THEIR CHEEKS,

THEY CAN CARRY FOOD OVER LONG DISTANCES

WHILE HIDING IT FROM HUNGRY COMPETITORS.

TO FIND OUT JUST HOW MUCH FOOD THEY CAN FIT IN THOSE CHEEKS,

SCIENTISTS INVITED A TAME HAMSTER

TO HELP HIMSELF TO AN ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFET.

USING X-RAY PHOTOGRAPHY, THEY REVEALED THE HAMSTER'S SECRET.

IT HAS FLEXIBLE POUCHES IN ITS CHEEKS

THAT EXPAND AND STRETCH TWO-THIRDS OF ITS BODY LENGTH,

ALL THE WAY BACK TO ITS HIPS.

THIS INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE SHOWS THAT THE HAMSTER'S CHEEKS WORK

LIKE A STRETCHABLE GROCERY BAG, DOUBLING IN SIZE,

AND SQUEEZING ALL THOSE NUTS IN

IS MADE POSSIBLE BY SPECIAL MUSCLES

THAT CONTRACT TO PUSH THE FOOD ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM.

THESE EXPANDABLE CHEEKS CAN HOLD HALF A HAMSTER'S BODY WEIGHT.

THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF A MAN CARRYING

150 1/4-POUNDERS IN EACH CHEEK.

ONCE THOSE CHEEK POUCHES ARE FILLED,

THE HAMSTER HEADS TO A SAFE SPOT

AND USES THOSE SAME CHEEK MUSCLES

TO MASSAGE THE FOOD BACK UP.

NOW, THAT'S ONE AMAZING POCKET PET!

LET'S FACE IT, CAMELS AREN'T GOING TO WIN

ANY BEAUTY PAGEANTS,

BUT THESE STRANGE-LOOKING ANIMALS

COULDN'T BE MORE PERFECTLY DESIGNED FOR THEIR ENVIRONMENT.

THOSE LONG EYELASHES THAT PROTECT AGAINST SAND AND DUST,

THICK LIPS FOR EATING PRICKLY PLANTS

AND, OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE HUMP IS FOR.

DON'T WE?

WHY DO CAMELS HAVE HUMPS?

CAMELS ARE ICONS OF THE ARABIAN DESERT,

BUT THE WORLD'S LARGEST POPULATION OF CAMELS

IS NOT IN THE MIDDLE EAST,

BUT THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY IN AUSTRALIA.

AUSTRALIANS IMPORTED CAMELS IN THE 19th CENTURY

FOR TRANSPORTATION AND HEAVY WORK IN THE OUTBACK,

BUT WITH THE ADVENT OF THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE,

THESE SHIPS OF THE DESERT WERE SOON OUT OF A JOB.

A FEW THOUSAND WERE RELEASED INTO THE WILD,

AND WITH NO NATURAL PREDATORS, THEIR NUMBERS SKYROCKETED.

THESE AUSSIE CAMELS ARE THE ONE-HUMP VARIETY

CALLED DROMEDARY.

OVER IN CENTRAL ASIA, THE BACTRIAN CAMEL ROCKS TWO HUMPS.

NOW THERE'S MORE THAN A MILLION CAMELS DOWN UNDER,

THE LARGEST FERAL CAMEL POPULATION IN THE WORLD.

TO FIND OUT WHAT A CAMEL'S HUMP OR HUMPS ARE FOR,

WE'VE COME TO ALICE SPRINGS IN THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK

TO MEET CAMEL FARMER MARCUS WILLIAMS.

BY FAR, THE MOST DISTINGUISHING PART OF A CAMEL'S BODY

WOULD HAVE TO BE THE HUMP,

AND I GUESS THAT'S WHY WE GET ASKED QUITE OFTEN

WHETHER CAMELS STORE WATER IN THEIR HUMP OR NOT.

Narrator: IN THIS BRUTALLY HOT CLIMATE,

WE'D BE LUCKY TO LAST A DAY WITHOUT WATER,

BUT CAMELS CAN GO FOR 6 MONTHS WITHOUT A SINGLE DROP.

THAT MEANS THEY MUST BE STORING WATER SOMEWHERE.

MARCUS HAS DEVISED A TEST TO HELP SHINE A LIGHT

ON THIS CAMEL CONUNDRUM.

MORNING, PIXIE.

HE'S ENLISTED THE HELP OF PIXIE, A 22-YEAR-OLD FEMALE.

TOP IT UP.

PIXIE CAN GULP DOWN AS MUCH AS 30 GALLONS OF WATER

IN UNDER 15 MINUTES.

♪♪

TO FIND OUT IF ALL THAT LIQUID IS FILLING PIXIE'S HUMP,

MARCUS IS GOING TO USE A THERMAL CAMERA TO SCAN HER BODY.

THE CAMERA WILL DETECT ANY SPECIFIC AREAS

WHERE HER BODY TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN MADE COOLER

BY A GIANT DRINK OF WATER,

AND THIS SHOULD STAND OUT AS BLUE ON THE THERMAL IMAGE.

IS THAT A BIG COLD DRINK?

AND I DON'T SEE TOO MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE AT ALL

IN THIS BODY IMAGERY.

THE HUMP HAS THE SAME HEAT SIGNATURE

AS THE REST OF PIXIE'S BODY.

SO WHERE HAS ALL THE WATER GONE?

INCREDIBLY, ALMOST ALL THE 30 GALLONS SHE DRANK

HAS BEEN ABSORBED INTO HER BLOOD.

WHEN WE DRINK WATER,

IT'S ABSORBED INTO OUR BLOOD AND TISSUES,

BUT IF WE DRANK AS MUCH WATER AS PIXIE,

OUR BLOOD WOULD BECOME SO DILUTE,

OUR BLOOD CELLS WOULD EXPAND AND BURST.

IT'S CALLED WATER INTOXICATION,

AND IF THE WATER ENTERS OUR BRAIN CELLS,

SWELLING THEM, IT CAN LEAD TO SEIZURES, COMA,

EVEN DEATH.

SO HOW IT IS POSSIBLE FOR CAMEL'S BLOOD

TO TAKE ON SO MUCH WATER?

UNLIKE OUR ROUND CELLS,

CAMEL BLOOD CELLS ARE MORE FLEXIBLE AND OVAL-SHAPED.

WHEN THE CAMEL TAKES ON WATER,

THESE CELLS CAN EXPAND TO OVER TWO AND A HALF TIMES THEIR SIZE

WITHOUT RUPTURING

AND STILL TRAVEL FREELY ALONG THE SMALLEST BLOOD VESSELS.

SO IF THE HUMP ISN'T A WATER CONTAINER, WHAT IS IT?

IT TURNS OUT THAT DESERTS AREN'T ONLY LIGHT ON WATER,

THEY'RE ALSO LIGHT ON FOOD.

THAT MEANS CAMELS HAVE TO GO FOR WEEKS

WITHOUT EATING TO SURVIVE IN THE DESERT.

SO THEY STOCK UP IN TIMES OF PLENTY

AND STORE THE FOOD IN THE FORM OF FAT,

BUT IT'S NOT STORED LIKE OUR FAT.

IF A CAMEL HAD AN INSULATING LAYER OF FAT

ALL AROUND ITS BODY,

IT COULD BE DEAD BY NOON FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION.

INSTEAD, THEY STORE FAT IN THEIR HUMP.

THAT WAY, THE REST OF THE BODY CAN CONCENTRATE ON KEEPING COOL.

AN ADULT LIKE PIXIE CAN HOLD AS MUCH AS 80 POUNDS OF FAT

IN HER HUMP,

AND THAT'S ENOUGH ENERGY TO GET HER THROUGH A 100-MILE HIKE.

COMING UP, HOW CAN THESE DOTS ON A GATOR'S JAW

TELL IT EXACTLY WHERE IT'S PREY IS?

WHAT MAKES PIGEONS THE NOISIEST FLIERS,

AND HOW DID THIS KOMODO DRAGON GIVE BIRTH

WHEN SHE'D NEVER MET A MALE?

♪♪

Narrator: THE ALLIGATOR.

THIS HALF-TON OF ARMOR-PLATED MUSCLE AND BONE

MAY LOOK LIKE A BRUTE FORCE KILLING MACHINE,

BUT GATORS HUNT WITH ONE OF THE MOST SENSITIVE

DETECTION SYSTEMS IN THE ANIMAL WORLD.

THIS REPTILE CAN DETECT PREY HUNDREDS OF YARDS AWAY

FROM JUST THE SLIGHTEST RIPPLE,

AND IT'S NOT RELYING ON ITS EYES OR ITS EARS.

WHAT'S THE ALLIGATOR'S SUPER SENSE?

♪♪

WE'VE COME TO A ZOOLOGICAL PARK IN FLORIDA

TO MEET GATOR EXPERT GREG ERICKSON.

HE HAS 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE STUDYING CROCS AND ALLIGATORS.

Erickson: JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IS AMAZING ABOUT A CROCODILIAN.

THEY'RE LARGE. THEY'RE POWERFUL.

THEY'RE STEALTHY. THEY'RE INTELLIGENT,

AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ULTIMATE SURVIVORS

AND ULTIMATE PREDATORS THAT HAVE EVER GRACED THIS PLANET.

Narrator: GATORS HUNT MAINLY AT NIGHT,

BUT THEIR UNDERWATER VISION IS BLURRY,

LIMITED TO JUST A FEW FEET.

SO HOW ARE THEY SO GOOD AT FINDING THEIR PREY

IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT IN MURKY WATER?

GREG HAS DEVISED AN EXPERIMENT

THAT REVEALS THE GATORS' SECRET WEAPON.

AIN'T SHE PRETTY?

THIS 1-YEAR-OLD, LIKE ALL GATORS,

WAS BORN WITH THIS SUPER SENSE.

FIRST, GREG FILLS THE ROOM WITH RED LIGHT.

GATORS' EYES STRUGGLE TO SEE IN RED LIGHT,

SO THEY WILL HAVE TO USE SOMETHING OTHER THAN SIGHT

TO CATCH THEIR PREY.

FOR THE TEST, GREG TOSSES TINY FOOD PELLETS INTO THE TANK.

♪♪

OH, HE JUST PICKED IT UP. DID YOU SEE THAT?

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

THE GATORS SNAP UP EACH PELLET AS IT HITS THE WATER,

BUT IF THEY'RE NOT SEEING THE FOOD,

PERHAPS THEY ARE REACTING TO THE SOUND OF THE WATER.

[ PLOP! ]

BUT SLOW THE ACTION DOWN... [ PLOP! ]

...AND THE GATOR DOESN'T REACT

TO THE SOUND OF THE PELLET SPLASH.

IT STAYS MOTIONLESS UNTIL A RIPPLE TOUCHES ITS MOUTH,

AND THEN...

COULD THIS RIPPLE BE TRIGGERING THE GATOR'S ATTACK?

THE ANSWER IS HIDDEN ALONG THE EDGE OF THE GATOR'S JAWS.

THERE'S THESE LITTLE STRUCTURES

ON THE JAWS OF THESE ANIMALS CALLED DOME PRESSURE RECEPTORS,

AND THEY'RE THOUGHT TO MEASURE OR BASICALLY SENSE

PRESSURES OR SPLASHING IN THE WATER,

AND THIS IS HOW THESE ANIMALS FIND PREY IN THE DARK.

THE OUTSIDE OF AN ALLIGATOR'S JAW IS COVERED

IN 4,000 PRESSURE RECEPTORS,

EACH ONE 10 TIMES MORE SENSITIVE THAN OUR FINGERTIP,

AND WE CAN FEEL SOMETHING AS TINY

AS A MICROSCOPIC BACTERIA CELL.

SO THE GATOR'S SENSES ARE OFF THE CHART.

WHEN THE RIPPLE TOUCHES THE JAW,

THE GATOR CAN SENSE THE MOVEMENT AND WIDTH OF THE RIPPLE

AS IT BRUSHES ALONG THE PRESSURE RECEPTORS ON ITS SNOUT.

THE GATOR THEN CALCULATES THE EPICENTER OF THE RIPPLE.

IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE THE PREY LIES,

AND GATORS CAN SENSE

AND LOCATE THE TINIEST MOVEMENT IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND

AND EVEN FROM HUNDREDS OF YARDS AWAY.

SO IT TURNS OUT THE SECRET TO A GATOR'S DEADLY ACCURACY

IS ITS SENSITIVE SKIN.

[ CROCODILE ROARS ]

COMING UP, WHY ARE PIGEONS THE NOISIEST BIRDS ON THE BLOCK,

AND HOW DID THIS LADY PRODUCE BABIES

WITHOUT EVER MEETING A MAN?

Narrator: A BIRD IN FLIGHT,

MAJESTIC, WONDROUS,

AND AS QUIET AS THE NIGHT,

UNLESS YOU'RE A PIGEON.

EVERYTHING ABOUT PIGEONS IS NOISY --

THE CONSTANT COOING.

THEY EVEN STAMP THEIR FEET,

BUT THE PIGEONS' CALLING CARD

HAS TO BE THE UNMISTAKABLE SOUND OF ITS FLAPPING WINGS.

[ WINGS BEATING ]

WHY ARE PIGEON WINGS SO NOISY?

THERE ARE OVER 400 MILLION PIGEONS WORLDWIDE.

FOUR MILLION OF THEM HAVE MADE THEIR HOME IN THE BIG APPLE.

THAT'S ONE PIGEON FOR EVERY TWO NEW YORKERS,

AND WHEN THEY TAKE FLIGHT,

IT'S LOUD ENOUGH TO DROWN OUT EVEN THIS CITY'S SOUNDTRACK.

TO FIND OUT WHY PIGEONS ARE THE NOISIEST FLIERS,

WE'VE COME TO BRISTOL, ENGLAND,

WHERE BIRD TRAINER LLOYD BUCK

HAS BEEN TRAINING TWO BIRDS

FOR A SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS.

PODGE.

GOOD BOY, WELL DONE.

FIRST, LLOYD WANTS TO ANALYZE PODGE THE PIGEON IN FLIGHT.

HE'S USING HIGH-SPEED CAMERAS RUNNING AT 500 FRAMES A SECOND.

THE SMALLER THE BIRD,

THE FASTER IT NEEDS TO FLAP ITS WINGS TO GENERATE LIFT.

WHEN PODGE TAKES OFF, HIS FIRST FEW WING FLAPS ARE SO EXTENDED,

THEY TOUCH AT THE TIP TO MAXIMIZE THE FLAP,

AND THE RECORDING REVEALS INITIAL TAKEOFF

IS WHEN PODGE IS AT HIS NOISIEST.

LOADS OF LITTLE WING BEATS GOING ON THERE.

THE RAPID FLAPPING CAN ALSO BE A WARNING TO OTHER BIRDS,

AND THE FASTER THE WING FLAPS, THE MORE URGENT THE DANGER.

AND THERE'S THE OTHER FAMILIAR SOUND,

A KIND OF WHISTLE... [ WINGS CHIRPING ]

...BUT THE NOISE ISN'T COMING FROM THE PIGEON'S MOUTH.

SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED

THAT PIGEONS HAVE ONE FEATHER NARROWER ON EACH WING

THAN ALL THE OTHERS.

ON EACH DOWNSTROKE OF THE WINGS, AS AIR HITS IT,

THE TIP OF THE NARROW OUTER FEATHER VIBRATES,

CREATING THE WHISTLING SOUND.

NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT PIGEONS MAY BE ABLE TO CHANGE

THE NOISE OF THAT FEATHER WHISTLE

TO TURN THE SOUND INTO AN ALARM CALL,

BUT PIGEONS DON'T JUST MAKE A WHISTLING NOISE.

EVERY FLAP OF THE WING IS NOISY.

COMPARE PODGE THE PIGEON

WITH THE FLIGHT OF LILY, A BARN OWL.

SHE'S SO QUIET THAT A WHISPER IS TWICE AS LOUD.

TO FIND OUT WHY PIGEON WINGS ARE SO NOISY

COMPARED TO THE OWL'S WINGS,

LLOYD HAS DEVISED AN EXPERIMENT TO ILLUSTRATE THE AMOUNT OF AIR

MOVED BY EACH BIRD'S WINGS.

OKAY, LET'S SEE HOW PODGE GETS ON.

PODGE.

AS AIR HITS THE LEADING EDGE OF THE PIGEON'S FLIGHT FEATHERS,

IT CIRCLES DOWN AND AWAY,

CREATING SWIRLING VORTEXES OF AIR.

IT'S THIS TURBULENT AIR THAT CREATES THE SOUND.

THE MORE TURBULENCE, THE LOUDER THE NOISE.

BUT WHEN LILY FLAPS HER WINGS OVER THE SAME BED,

HARDLY A FEATHER MOVES.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE SOFT COMB-LIKE LEADING EDGE

ON LILY'S WING FEATHERS

BREAKS THE FLOW OF AIR INTO SMALLER CHANNELS,

AND THE SOFT FRINGE ON THE TRAILING EDGE

ABSORBS VIBRATIONS IN THE AIR,

ALLOWING AIR TO FLOW THROUGH THE OWL'S FEATHERS,

WHICH MEANS LILY CREATES BARELY ANY TURBULENCE AND NOISE.

THE LEADING EDGE ON PODGE'S FEATHERS IS MUCH STIFFER.

THERE ARE NO SOFT EDGES TO DAMPEN THE SOUND.

BUT PIGEONS HAVE NO NEED FOR STEALTH.

THEIR DIET IS BERRIES AND SEEDS, NOT LIVE PREY.

INSTEAD, PODGE TRADES THAT SILENT FLYING

FOR SPEED AND DISTANCE.

HIS RIGID NOISIER FEATHERS ARE BUILT FOR MARATHON FLIGHTS

OF UP TO 700 MILES IN ONE DAY.

SO THEY MAY NOT BE THE QUIETEST OR MOST GRACEFUL BIRDS,

BUT IF YOU'RE A PIGEON,

SOMEONE HAS ALWAYS GOT YOUR BACK.

[ FROGS CROAKING ]

COMING UP, A MIRACLE OF NATURE,

THE BIRTH THAT NO ONE SAW COMING.

Narrator: SPRING, MOTHER NATURE'S HONEYMOON,

A TIME FOR COURTSHIP AMONG CRITTERS

AND CREATING THE NEXT GENERATION.

ALL IT TAKES IS A MALE AND A FEMALE,

A SPERM AND AN EGG.

RIGHT?

WRONG.

A SOLO FEMALE KOMODO DRAGON

HAS MANAGED TO MAKE BABIES ON HER OWN.

SO LOOK OUT, MALES EVERYWHERE, THIS LADY DOESN'T NEED YOU.

HOW DO ANIMALS HAVE VIRGIN BIRTHS?

TO ANSWER THIS MOST BIBLICAL QUESTION,

YOU'VE GOT TO VISIT...

NO, NOT THERE.

HERE, CHESTER ZOO IN ENGLAND.

MEET FLORA, A FEMALE KOMODO DRAGON,

THE LARGEST LIZARDS ON THE PLANET.

FLORA IS A SINGLE LADY, SO WHEN SHE LAID EGGS,

11 IN TOTAL, AND EIGHT OF THEM HATCHED,

HER ZOOKEEPERS WERE SUITABLY SHOCKED.

THE KEEPERS CONFIRMED THAT FLORA,

WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE ZOO FOR 7 YEARS,

HAD NEVER LIVED WITH OR HAD CONTACT WITH A MALE DRAGON.

SCIENTISTS STUDIED THE DNA OF THE BABIES

AND DISCOVERED THESE KOMODO WERE FATHERED BY THEIR MOTHER.

THE TESTS SHOWED THE BABIES WERE NOT GENETIC COPIES

OR CLONES OF THEIR MOTHER,

BUT ONLY FLORA'S DNA WAS PRESENT.

IT TRULY WAS A VIRGIN BIRTH.

SO HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE?

IN NORMAL REPRODUCTION,

A FEMALE'S UNFERTILIZED EGG CARRIES CHROMOSOMES

WITH ONLY HALF THE MOTHER'S GENES.

THE MALE'S SPERM CARRIES THE OTHER HALF,

BUT IN SOME ANIMALS,

THE MOTHER CARRIES BOTH SETS OF CHROMOSOMES.

THIS SUBSTITUTES THE GENETIC INFORMATION NORMALLY CARRIED

BY A SPERM AND FERTILIZES HER EGG.

IT'S CALLED PARTHENOGENESIS,

FROM THE GREEK PARTHENOS, MEANING VIRGIN,

AND IT'S KNOWN TO HAPPEN IN SOME SNAKES, SHARKS AND EVEN TURKEYS,

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME

IT'S BEEN DOCUMENTED IN A KOMODO DRAGON.

SCIENTISTS THINK IT COULD BE LINKED

TO WHERE THE DRAGONS LIVE.

OF THE 17,000 INDONESIAN ISLANDS,

ONLY A THIRD ARE INHABITED.

SO IF ONE OF FLORA'S ANCESTRAL AUNTS

FOUND HERSELF WASHED UP ON A DESERTED BEACH,

WHAT'S SHE TO DO IF THERE'S NO MALE TO BREED WITH?

RESEARCHERS THINK THIS ISOLATION

COULD HAVE TRIGGERED PARTHENOGENESIS

TO HELP ESTABLISH NEW KOMODO COLONIES.

IN FLORA'S CASE, HER SOLITARY EXISTENCE IN CHESTER ZOO

KICK-STARTED THE SAME GENETIC RESPONSE

TO MAKE BABIES BY HERSELF.

LIFE FINDS A WAY.