All language subtitles for How Do Animals Do That S02 E05_track3_[eng]

♪♪

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.