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The Philippines are a chain

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of tropical islands in
the western Pacific Ocean.

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They're among the most
spectacular islands on Earth.

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And they're home to some of

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the world's most exotic wildlife.

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Mysterious creatures haunt
the forests and mangroves.

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Plants turn predator.

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And darkness brings the
islands' most elusive animals

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out of hiding.

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The unique and the unusual

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flourish on the Philippines,

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the Islands of Mystery.

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The Philippines archipelago contains

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over 7,000 tropical islands

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in the western Pacific Ocean.

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They're among the most
ancient islands on Earth.

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Dense rainforest covers most of the land.

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And all combined, the Philippines have

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the world's fifth longest coastline.

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The islands sit within the
notorious Pacific Ring of Fire,

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making them prone to typhoons,

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earthquakes,

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and the threat of eruption from

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around 20 active volcanoes.

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They're also home to one of
the most diverse collections

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of animals and plants in the world.

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The Philippines are crowded with

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rare and unique species,

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including many specialized predators.

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Some of the more skillful

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stalk the dense forests of Palawan Island.

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Palawan lies between the South China Sea

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in the northwest,

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and the Sulu Sea in the southeast.

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It's the sixth largest
island in the Philippines.

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It's also the most sparsely populated

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and the most heavily forested.

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Dense rainforest and misty mountains

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run the length of the island.

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Beneath the canopy is a
maze of branches and vines,

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the perfect home for
some of the Philippines'

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most formidable hunters.

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The leaf litter rustles

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under the weight of monstrous bugs,

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such as a forest scorpion,
searching for a meal.

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Armed with a lethal sting
that targets nerve cells,

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it will inject any prey it comes across

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with paralyzing venom.

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A giant Scolopendra is just as deadly.

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This is one of the world's
largest centipedes.

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Adults can reach up to
20 centimeters long.

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One poison-packed bite is usually enough

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to kill animals as big
as mice, birds, and bats.

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But giant centipedes
and scorpions don't have

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the run of the jungle.

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The wealth of bugs provides a banquet

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for the forest's larger residents,

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including one unlikely-looking creature

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unique to Palawan.

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A binturong is on the prowl for food.

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One of the Philippines' rarest
and most elusive animals.

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It's also known as a bearcat.

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A closer look reveals why.

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With its stocky body,

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feline features,

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and small, tufted ears,

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it looks like a cross
between a bear and a cat.

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Despite appearances,
it's related to neither.

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Its closest relatives are
the African civet and genet.

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Binturongs are found in dwindling numbers

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throughout Asia.

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But as its name suggests,

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the Palawan bearcat is
found only on the island.

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And the forest floor isn't
its favorite place to hunt.

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Bearcats are built for
life among the branches.

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Semi-retractable claws help
it scale tall trees with ease.

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Alongside the South American kinkajou,

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the bearcat is one of only
two carnivores in the world

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with a prehensile tail.

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It works like a fifth hand

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to help it grip, balance
and move through the canopy.

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Once among the branches,

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the bearcat reveals a speed and dexerity

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it can't match on the ground.

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Palawan's forests are a
fertile bearcat hunting ground

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and it spends most of
its life up in the trees.

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Although it mainly lives on fruit,

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it will eat insects,
birds and rodents too.

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Powerful jaws easily
shred bark to find grubs.

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It also has a keen sense of smell,

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and the air carries the
scent of a bearcat favorite,

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eggs.

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Long, sensitive whiskers
help it track down

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the source of the smell,

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balanced among the branches.

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It's not only animals

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who've developed special skills

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to survive in Palawan's jungles.

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So has the vegetation itself.

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Bizarre and bulbous plants

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crowd the edge of the forest.

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They're pitcher plants,

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so called because of
their vase-shaped bodies.

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And they're far deadlier than they look.

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The soil at the edge of
the forest is poor quality,

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and not fertile enough
to support most plants.

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So pitcher plants turn to
another source of food.

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Living creatures.

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These plants are predators,

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and as they can't move,

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they make their prey come to them.

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There are over 100 species
of tropical pitcher plant

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but Nepenthes philippinensis is found

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nowhere else on Earth.

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Using special glands,

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the plant secretes sweet-smelling nectar

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onto its brightly colored outer lip.

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To insects like ants,

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the combination of scent and
color proves irresistible.

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And the lip of the plant seems

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the most enticing part of all.

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Once lured onto the edge,

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the ant's fate is sealed.

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The surface is a slippery death trap.

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The plant's body is full of liquid.

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Some hold as much as a liter.

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And its waxy walls are
impossible for its prey to climb.

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Special digestive enzymes work like acid

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and break down the ants'
bodies as they drown.

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The pitcher plant now
has the vital nutrients

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it can't get from the soil.

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Besides the dense forests
carpeting the island,

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Palawan has another hidden world.

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And this one couldn't be more different

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from the tangle of plant life.

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As the island's rivers
drain towards the sea,

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some disappear inside
the limestone mountains.

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These rivers have carved one of

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the most spectacular
cave systems on Earth.

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The Puerto Princesa's
subterranean river park.

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It's not known who discovered
these caves or when.

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Some believe the island's
earliest inhabitants

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knew they existed,

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but were too afraid to explore them.

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Once inside,

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it's easy to understand why.

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Enormous stalagmites reach
up from the cave floor

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like huge gnarled fingers.

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And as daylight disappears,

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cave dwellers creep out of the shadows.

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A whip scorpion stalks the cave walls.

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Despite its name, it's
more closely related to

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a spider than a scorpion,

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and it has the speed to prove it.

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A cave tarantula waits for the tiny hairs

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on its body to bristle.

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A sign that prey is near.

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The beat of bat wings is a constant echo.

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Huge colonies crowd the roof of the cave.

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Its dark crevices are the
perfect place to roost

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and help keep them safe from predators.

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The Puerto Princesa's subterranean river

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is 8.2 kilometers long,

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and the world's second
longest underground river.

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It forms part of Palawan's
mountain to sea ecosystem,

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where the forests stretch
all the way to the shore.

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The river passes through the cave

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before eventually reaching
the South China Sea.

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This is a land that time forgot.

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The island's prehistoric
coastline provides a home

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to a creature unchanged
for thousands of years.

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Palawan is the lair of
a modern day dragon.

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A water monitor lizard
is on the hunt for food.

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It weights more than 25 kilograms

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and is the second largest
lizard in the world.

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It's called a water monitor

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as it spends up to a third
of its life in the water,

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and likes to live near sea and rivers.

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Palawan provides a perfect home

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for these giant reptiles.

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They have easy access to the sea

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and are the island's top predator

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so have no natural competition.

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And they aren't fussy about food.

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They'd eat anything they can catch.

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Like snakes, water monitors
have forked tongues,

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which constantly flicker
as they taste the air

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to pinpoint prey.

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And when they can't
find food on the ground,

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they can easily search up in the canopy.

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Water monitors are
surprisingly agile climbers.

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They'll sometimes even
jump from tree to tree

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to chase prey or escape danger.

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But good climbing skills
don't guarantee a meal.

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And failing to a catch isn't
the end of its problems.

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Down on the ground,

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tempers are fraying.

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Although water monitors
cross paths when foraging,

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they are solitary by nature.

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It's every lizard for itself

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especially where food is concerned.

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While others fight,

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a lone lizard slinks away from the crowd

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to search for a fresh hunting ground.

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Water monitors rarely
stray far from the sea.

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Their strong swimming
skills have enabled them

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to occupy islands all over Asia.

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And beaches can be a
good place to find food.

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Its flickering tongue
senses a monitor favorite.

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Razor sharp teeth cut through the shell

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like a knife through butter,

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and this is just the start to the feast.

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Crabs have crept out of
their burrows to forage

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while the tide is out.

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The lizard has hit the jackpot.

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Water monitors are surprisingly quick

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and can run faster than most humans.

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Crabs have little chance of escape.

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Barely full, it slinks back
into the shade of the forest.

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Palawan's coastline is
precious hunting ground

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for people as well as animals.

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One item is especially highly prized,

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but finding it takes an
extraordinary effort.

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With few landing places for boats,

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swimming is the best
way to reach the shore.

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The treasure is hidden among the cliffs,

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which ring the island.

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To find it means a death-defying climb.

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Small birds called swiftlets

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nest in cliffs and caves
across southeast Asia.

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Rather than twigs and moss,

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they build their nests from spit.

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Their saliva is perfect
for sticking to cave walls

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and dries on contact with air.

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Each nest can take two months to build

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and to local people,
each one is priceless.

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They are the main ingredient
in the gourmet dish

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bird's nest soup,

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and are so valuable they're
known as white gold.

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The Tagbanua are the one of

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the Philippines' oldest tribes,

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and swiftlet nests provided them

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with a vital source of
income for centuries.

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The climb to find the nests

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is not for the faint-hearted.

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But the prize outweighs the risk.

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Swiftlet nests are laced with minerals

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and as well as being eaten,

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are thought to act as an aphrodisiac

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and a medical cure-all.

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They're so fragile and hard to access,

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one kilogram of the nests can be worth

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up to 10,000 dollars.

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To protect the swiftlet population,

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the nest-collecting season is
strictly controlled by law.

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Unsurprisingly, the climbers
who collect the nests

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keep their location a
closely guarded secret.

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The South China Sea doesn't just shape

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the island's coastline,

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it helps form one of its
most complex ecosystems.

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Mangrove forests.

262
00:26:48,621 --> 00:26:51,229
Where salt water meets fresh water,

263
00:26:51,229 --> 00:26:54,859
it creates a unique and
unforgiving environment.

264
00:26:56,753 --> 00:26:58,913
The mud is overwhelming.

265
00:26:58,913 --> 00:27:02,419
The salt levels would kill
most plant life and animals.

266
00:27:07,790 --> 00:27:12,201
But remarkably, some
vegetation flourishes.

267
00:27:12,201 --> 00:27:13,297
Mangroves are home to some of

268
00:27:13,297 --> 00:27:16,587
the most resilient plants in the world.

269
00:27:20,654 --> 00:27:23,535
Special adaptations help them survive.

270
00:27:26,902 --> 00:27:30,324
A lack of oxygen is one of
their greatest challenges.

271
00:27:34,187 --> 00:27:37,307
The earth is saturated
with salt and bacteria,

272
00:27:37,307 --> 00:27:39,530
and it's difficult for plants to breathe

273
00:27:39,530 --> 00:27:42,277
through the soil like normal.

274
00:27:48,194 --> 00:27:50,879
So mangrove roots rise above the ground

275
00:27:50,879 --> 00:27:54,409
and take oxygen directly
from the air instead.

276
00:28:05,422 --> 00:28:08,930
Over time, raised roots slow the tide,

277
00:28:08,930 --> 00:28:11,058
allowing sediment to settle

278
00:28:11,058 --> 00:28:12,642
and new land to form.

279
00:28:16,204 --> 00:28:19,387
This creates a home for
a wealth of creatures

280
00:28:19,387 --> 00:28:21,605
and a hunting ground for humans.

281
00:28:27,284 --> 00:28:30,391
There are exotic foods in Palawan.

282
00:28:30,391 --> 00:28:32,247
But one, found in the mangroves,

283
00:28:32,247 --> 00:28:34,050
is a particular favorite.

284
00:28:35,463 --> 00:28:38,438
A giant worm-like creature called tamilok.

285
00:28:42,572 --> 00:28:45,408
They live inside dead mangrove roots.

286
00:28:45,408 --> 00:28:47,392
Finding which ones they're hiding in

287
00:28:47,392 --> 00:28:49,818
takes a lot of time and patience.

288
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:07,457
Bore holes are a sign

289
00:29:07,457 --> 00:29:10,168
that their quarry has been and gone.

290
00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:16,980
Tamilok are also known as shipworms.

291
00:29:16,980 --> 00:29:19,460
They plagued seafarers for centuries

292
00:29:19,460 --> 00:29:21,952
and caused thousands of ships to sink.

293
00:29:28,331 --> 00:29:31,226
Trying to find one among
the maze of roots and mud

294
00:29:31,226 --> 00:29:33,224
can exhausting work.

295
00:29:38,248 --> 00:29:41,180
It's like looking for
a needle in a haystack.

296
00:30:02,678 --> 00:30:05,888
One blow splits a rotting
root relatively easily.

297
00:30:31,175 --> 00:30:34,057
And this time, the
hunters have struck lucky.

298
00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,507
Despite appearances, tamilok isn't a worm.

299
00:30:39,507 --> 00:30:41,107
It's an elongated clam

300
00:30:41,107 --> 00:30:42,924
with a tiny shell.

301
00:30:45,538 --> 00:30:47,794
Local restaurants sometimes serve tamilok

302
00:30:47,794 --> 00:30:49,750
with a special marinade.

303
00:30:49,750 --> 00:30:51,430
But some people say they're best eaten

304
00:30:51,430 --> 00:30:53,296
straight from the root.

305
00:31:06,530 --> 00:31:08,342
One tamilok down,

306
00:31:08,342 --> 00:31:10,391
the search goes on.

307
00:31:15,729 --> 00:31:16,866
Mangroves don't just provide

308
00:31:16,866 --> 00:31:19,536
an unusual source of food for people.

309
00:31:22,822 --> 00:31:26,375
Around 550 kilometers due east of Palawan,

310
00:31:26,375 --> 00:31:28,502
on the island of Bohol,

311
00:31:28,502 --> 00:31:31,415
mangroves have become a
favorite place to find food

312
00:31:31,415 --> 00:31:33,792
for some of our closest living relatives.

313
00:31:39,318 --> 00:31:42,280
A troop of long-tailed
macaques are on the move.

314
00:31:50,143 --> 00:31:52,314
They've left their homes in the forest

315
00:31:52,314 --> 00:31:53,674
and entered the mangroves

316
00:31:53,674 --> 00:31:56,467
to satisfy their unusual appetites.

317
00:32:03,024 --> 00:32:05,571
For animals used to life in the trees,

318
00:32:05,571 --> 00:32:08,113
the mangrove is a home from home.

319
00:32:14,336 --> 00:32:17,014
But they need to tread carefully.

320
00:32:20,636 --> 00:32:23,906
Jagged roots jut from the
ground like a bed of nails.

321
00:32:29,016 --> 00:32:32,099
One wrong move could
result in serious injury.

322
00:32:41,772 --> 00:32:45,207
Human-like hands skillfully
rummage through the mud.

323
00:32:51,227 --> 00:32:54,202
Fallen fruits are buried
beneath the sludge.

324
00:33:02,368 --> 00:33:05,306
A quick clean and they make a tasty snack.

325
00:33:15,422 --> 00:33:18,019
But fruit is not the main attraction.

326
00:33:21,117 --> 00:33:22,813
The macaques in Bohol

327
00:33:22,813 --> 00:33:26,077
visit the mangrove to find
one of their favorite foods.

328
00:33:28,205 --> 00:33:30,019
And it's a very unlikely one.

329
00:33:31,969 --> 00:33:33,083
Crab.

330
00:33:41,831 --> 00:33:44,930
Once caught, crabs need
to be handled with care.

331
00:33:47,111 --> 00:33:49,579
And it pays to find a safe place to eat,

332
00:33:49,579 --> 00:33:52,006
away from the rest of the troop.

333
00:33:57,339 --> 00:34:00,607
Nimble fingers make light work of shell.

334
00:34:00,607 --> 00:34:02,511
Crab meat is full of protein.

335
00:34:10,854 --> 00:34:14,271
A wide-eyed youngster watches from above.

336
00:34:18,854 --> 00:34:22,127
It seems confident enough to
try and catch a crab itself.

337
00:34:30,421 --> 00:34:32,054
But it soon finds out

338
00:34:32,054 --> 00:34:34,367
it's not as easy as it looks.

339
00:34:42,021 --> 00:34:43,775
Some food bites back.

340
00:34:52,071 --> 00:34:53,763
Others have had more luck.

341
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,232
The youngster retreats
after a painful lesson.

342
00:35:10,062 --> 00:35:13,486
Macaques are able to exploit
any feeding opportunities

343
00:35:13,486 --> 00:35:15,935
and are found around the world.

344
00:35:15,935 --> 00:35:19,329
Everywhere from tropical
islands to frozen forests.

345
00:35:22,136 --> 00:35:23,623
Next to humans,

346
00:35:23,623 --> 00:35:26,593
they are the most abundant
primates in the world.

347
00:35:31,287 --> 00:35:33,239
After the feast is over,

348
00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:35,217
it's time to relax.

349
00:35:38,887 --> 00:35:43,003
In macaque society, there
is a clear hierarchy.

350
00:35:43,003 --> 00:35:46,267
Grooming not only removes parasites,

351
00:35:46,267 --> 00:35:48,992
it also reaffirms relationships.

352
00:35:58,768 --> 00:36:00,735
Freshly fed and groomed,

353
00:36:00,735 --> 00:36:02,805
it's time to move on.

354
00:36:07,406 --> 00:36:09,326
And that takes them back into one of

355
00:36:09,326 --> 00:36:12,609
the most extraordinary
places in the Philippines.

356
00:36:16,168 --> 00:36:19,177
The Chocolate Hills of Bohol.

357
00:36:24,316 --> 00:36:26,059
At the heart of the island

358
00:36:26,059 --> 00:36:29,452
are over 1200 conical hills.

359
00:36:29,452 --> 00:36:32,081
Strangely similar in shape and size,

360
00:36:32,081 --> 00:36:36,003
most are between 30 and 50 meters tall.

361
00:36:41,923 --> 00:36:44,910
Their joint effect is mesmerizing.

362
00:36:50,936 --> 00:36:54,658
The origins of the hills
are steeped in legend.

363
00:36:57,228 --> 00:36:58,505
Some say they are

364
00:36:58,505 --> 00:37:01,969
the solidified tears of a grieving giant.

365
00:37:01,969 --> 00:37:04,708
Others believe they're
man-made burial chambers

366
00:37:04,708 --> 00:37:06,461
to rival the pyramids.

367
00:37:14,211 --> 00:37:16,931
Most geologists agree the
Chocolate Hills are mounds

368
00:37:16,931 --> 00:37:20,398
of limestone shaped by wind and rain.

369
00:37:41,211 --> 00:37:45,143
The origin of their name
is easier to identify.

370
00:37:45,143 --> 00:37:48,520
During the dry season, the
grass covering the hills

371
00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:50,406
turns chocolate-y brown.

372
00:37:55,196 --> 00:37:58,363
The surrounding forests
provide a home for wildlife

373
00:37:58,363 --> 00:38:01,573
just as mysterious as the
Chocolate Hills themselves.

374
00:38:05,436 --> 00:38:08,406
Like an insect with an
appetite for poison.

375
00:38:17,643 --> 00:38:21,243
A tree nymph caterpillar
climbs its favorite plant,

376
00:38:21,243 --> 00:38:22,505
a dogbane.

377
00:38:25,562 --> 00:38:27,952
To try and stop insects eating them,

378
00:38:27,952 --> 00:38:31,376
dogbanes flush their leaves with toxins

379
00:38:31,376 --> 00:38:34,266
but it's a tactic which
doesn't always work.

380
00:38:39,186 --> 00:38:41,231
Poison makes the plants more desirable

381
00:38:41,231 --> 00:38:44,155
to the tree nymph caterpillar, not less.

382
00:38:47,968 --> 00:38:51,215
It carefully severs the
stem carrying the toxins

383
00:38:51,215 --> 00:38:53,695
so it consumes only a nonlethal dose

384
00:38:53,695 --> 00:38:55,738
as it eats the leaf.

385
00:39:03,345 --> 00:39:04,688
The caterpillar cunningly adopts

386
00:39:04,688 --> 00:39:06,633
the plant's self-defense tactic.

387
00:39:08,521 --> 00:39:12,291
It now carries the toxins
that should deter predators.

388
00:39:19,433 --> 00:39:21,321
After about two weeks,

389
00:39:21,321 --> 00:39:23,564
the caterpillar doubles its size.

390
00:39:25,794 --> 00:39:29,394
It weaves a silk pad on a
leaf and suspends itself,

391
00:39:29,394 --> 00:39:32,044
using barbed hooks on its rear.

392
00:39:39,811 --> 00:39:41,332
What happens now

393
00:39:41,332 --> 00:39:43,262
is a biological miracle.

394
00:39:47,252 --> 00:39:50,709
Enzymes digest the caterpillar's tissue,

395
00:39:50,709 --> 00:39:53,234
effectively liquidizing its insides.

396
00:40:09,094 --> 00:40:11,659
The caterpillar slowly sheds its skin

397
00:40:11,659 --> 00:40:14,309
to reveal a golden chrysalis.

398
00:40:18,539 --> 00:40:21,209
At first, the chrysalis
is soft and skin-like,

399
00:40:23,759 --> 00:40:27,182
but it quickly toughens to
form a protective cocoon.

400
00:40:37,687 --> 00:40:40,164
In the safety of its hardened home,

401
00:40:40,164 --> 00:40:44,330
it waits for cells in its
liquid center to slowly change.

402
00:40:58,357 --> 00:41:00,159
Two weeks pass.

403
00:41:07,455 --> 00:41:10,361
The caterpillar is now
ready for the final stage

404
00:41:10,361 --> 00:41:13,603
of a miraculous transformation.

405
00:41:46,277 --> 00:41:49,318
One of the Philippines' most
spectacular butterflies,

406
00:41:49,318 --> 00:41:52,242
the tree nymph, slowly enters the world.

407
00:42:21,064 --> 00:42:23,436
Free of its cramped cocoon,

408
00:42:23,436 --> 00:42:26,182
it gently puffs up its paper-y wings.

409
00:42:31,116 --> 00:42:35,078
Its fragile body slowly
dries in the warm sunshine.

410
00:42:38,898 --> 00:42:42,310
Finally, it's time for its first flight.

411
00:42:51,186 --> 00:42:53,090
But freedom is short-lived.

412
00:43:00,930 --> 00:43:03,148
An orb weaver spider strikes.

413
00:43:11,638 --> 00:43:16,010
Its web is over a meter
wide and almost invisible.

414
00:43:19,375 --> 00:43:22,105
The outcome seems inevitable.

415
00:43:25,998 --> 00:43:28,711
But all is not what it seems.

416
00:43:28,711 --> 00:43:32,030
Something about the butterfly
doesn't taste quite right.

417
00:44:01,220 --> 00:44:02,900
One last look,

418
00:44:02,900 --> 00:44:05,646
and the spider cuts its captive free.

419
00:44:14,883 --> 00:44:16,773
The toxins from the dogbane plant

420
00:44:16,773 --> 00:44:19,253
the butterfly ate when
it was a caterpillar

421
00:44:19,253 --> 00:44:20,962
have saved its life.

422
00:44:23,543 --> 00:44:26,311
It's completely unpalatable to the spider.

423
00:44:31,454 --> 00:44:33,454
This ingenious trick has earned

424
00:44:33,454 --> 00:44:35,741
the tree nymph another name.

425
00:44:35,741 --> 00:44:37,895
The lucky butterfly.

426
00:44:43,645 --> 00:44:47,975
The orb weaver is left waiting
for more appetizing catch.

427
00:44:55,214 --> 00:44:58,236
The lucky butterfly isn't
the only insect in Bohol

428
00:44:58,236 --> 00:45:00,711
with an astonishing secret.

429
00:45:06,334 --> 00:45:09,775
A mangrove crabapple plant
has been ravaged by bugs.

430
00:45:11,855 --> 00:45:14,354
Some of the culprits continue to feed.

431
00:45:19,561 --> 00:45:21,668
The small insects look fairly unremarkable

432
00:45:21,668 --> 00:45:24,238
during the day,

433
00:45:24,238 --> 00:45:26,196
but as the sun sets,

434
00:45:26,196 --> 00:45:29,143
they show a very different side.

435
00:45:34,777 --> 00:45:38,660
Darkness descends and
ghostly lights flash.

436
00:45:48,937 --> 00:45:51,497
The insects are fireflies

437
00:45:51,497 --> 00:45:53,602
and nighttime is when they shine.

438
00:46:03,992 --> 00:46:06,552
The lights are a courtship display,

439
00:46:06,552 --> 00:46:08,740
a sign males want to mate.

440
00:46:13,782 --> 00:46:15,746
Flashes are caused by a chemical reaction

441
00:46:15,746 --> 00:46:17,743
inside the fly's body.

442
00:46:30,900 --> 00:46:33,763
It's thought by displaying
at the same time,

443
00:46:33,763 --> 00:46:37,011
males have a greater chance
of attracting a female.

444
00:46:39,198 --> 00:46:41,916
Their mass effect rivals
the brightest stars

445
00:46:41,916 --> 00:46:43,606
in the nighttime sky.

446
00:47:02,012 --> 00:47:05,573
The shimmering display
slowly draws to a close.

447
00:47:15,607 --> 00:47:18,363
Now is the time the
island's most celebrated

448
00:47:18,363 --> 00:47:21,236
and secretive predator
comes out of hiding.

449
00:47:26,069 --> 00:47:27,969
The Philippine tarsier.

450
00:47:32,442 --> 00:47:33,976
It's so tiny,

451
00:47:33,976 --> 00:47:36,610
it would fit inside a human hand.

452
00:47:40,423 --> 00:47:42,609
And it only stirs after dark.

453
00:47:47,343 --> 00:47:50,572
The tarsier is one of the
world's smallest primates

454
00:47:50,572 --> 00:47:53,034
but it has the biggest
eyes relative to body size

455
00:47:53,034 --> 00:47:55,483
of any mammal.

456
00:47:55,483 --> 00:47:58,376
Unsurprisingly, it has superb sight.

457
00:48:02,782 --> 00:48:05,549
A cricket is well-camouflaged

458
00:48:05,549 --> 00:48:07,096
but not well enough.

459
00:48:11,439 --> 00:48:14,237
The tarsier's hearing is superb too.

460
00:48:26,833 --> 00:48:29,799
It pinpoints the cricket's position,

461
00:48:35,684 --> 00:48:37,414
and strikes.

462
00:48:41,259 --> 00:48:44,565
The cricket doesn't sense
danger until it's too late.

463
00:48:51,212 --> 00:48:53,019
The name tarsier comes from

464
00:48:53,019 --> 00:48:56,332
its unusually long tarsus or ankle bones,

465
00:48:56,332 --> 00:48:59,049
which work like shock absorbers.

466
00:49:01,289 --> 00:49:04,813
They help it to jump
quickly and land quietly.

467
00:49:11,333 --> 00:49:12,919
As it holds the cricket,

468
00:49:12,919 --> 00:49:15,910
it's clear how tiny the tarsier is,

469
00:49:15,910 --> 00:49:17,936
and how hungry.

470
00:49:29,991 --> 00:49:32,423
Special adhesive discs on its feet

471
00:49:32,423 --> 00:49:34,902
help it to stick to branches while it eats

472
00:49:34,902 --> 00:49:37,682
and keeps watch.

473
00:49:41,223 --> 00:49:44,999
Its eyes are bigger than
its brain and its stomach.

474
00:49:44,999 --> 00:49:48,324
They're fixed in its skull and can't move.

475
00:49:48,324 --> 00:49:51,821
But it can spin its head
through 180 degrees like an owl.

476
00:49:59,454 --> 00:50:03,335
And that helps it spot many
more feeding opportunities.

477
00:50:07,293 --> 00:50:09,698
A cricket provides a big meal

478
00:50:09,698 --> 00:50:11,899
but it's merely an appetizer.

479
00:50:19,649 --> 00:50:21,664
The tarsier launches a feeding frenzy

480
00:50:21,664 --> 00:50:24,555
to rival the most ferocious predator.

481
00:50:42,333 --> 00:50:44,390
One of the island's tiniest predators

482
00:50:44,390 --> 00:50:46,160
is among its deadliest.

483
00:50:50,261 --> 00:50:53,343
A long night's hunting
has only just begun.

484
00:50:58,333 --> 00:50:59,572
The Philippines are home to

485
00:50:59,572 --> 00:51:01,709
some of the rarest animals on Earth,

486
00:51:01,709 --> 00:51:04,183
and some of the most unusual.

487
00:51:11,262 --> 00:51:13,502
Many of these ancient islands are isolated

488
00:51:13,502 --> 00:51:15,020
and undisturbed.

489
00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:22,977
As a result, unique
species have flourished,

490
00:51:22,977 --> 00:51:25,483
uninterrupted by the modern world.

491
00:51:29,581 --> 00:51:31,285
The islands are a breeding ground for

492
00:51:31,285 --> 00:51:34,164
the rare, the beautiful and the bizarre.

493
00:51:37,434 --> 00:51:40,515
And those which harbor deadly secrets.

494
00:51:41,834 --> 00:51:43,017
Here

495
00:51:43,017 --> 00:51:45,044
on the Islands of Mystery.