All language subtitles for Smithsonian.Channel.Documentaries.S2018E13.Incredible.Animal.Moments.1080p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.en

In a world where only
the fittest survive,

millions of years of evolution
have equipped a lucky few

with extreme adaptations
and formidable features.

It's an endless showdown,

and you're about to get
a front row seat.

This adventure isn't
for the squeamish

or the faint of heart.

from arid deserts
to the deepest oceans,

we'll be counting down

some of the greatest wildlife
moments ever captured...

when life in the wild
reaches a fever pitch...

And when the most daring
risk all

to ensure the survival
of the next generation.

these incredible scenes
will compete for the title

of most amazing moment.

coming at you in five
jaw-dropping categories:

Deadly showdowns...

Freaks of nature...

Gang wars...

Rough romance...

And extreme parenting.

Get ready for a wild ride,

coming up now

incredible animal moments.

The animal kingdom...

a world where predators rule
and prey flee for their lives.

those at the top
of the food chain

have killer moves
and extraordinary features...

Fearsome fangs...

Supersonic speed...

And deadly precision.

It's a battle of the extremes,

and we're counting down
the world's deadliest showdowns.

Making a debut in our countdown
at number 5

is the killer
everyone loves to hate.

This ancient hunter has ruled
these watery depths

for over 450 million years.

It's outlived the dinosaur
and five mass extinctions,

yet this highly evolved
super fish

continues to be vilified.

Jaws

depicted the shark
as a mindless killer,

but in this real-life drama

the great white is cunning
and calculating.

when hunting seals
off the coast of South Africa,

this female's
highly evolved senses

lead her to her next victim.

when the colony leaves the
safety of their rocky island,

not a single splash
goes unheard.

the great white's nostrils
can detect a drop of seal oil

in a body of water

the equivalent of
an olympic-sized swimming pool!

Tiny jelly-filled pores
on her nose

can absorb minute
electrical pulses...

Meaning this fishy beast

can home in
on a single seal's heartbeat.

This super predator's eyes

are also five times
the size of ours,

and behind each retina
lie crystal plates

that reflect light
in the murky water.

Once you're on the radar,
there's nowhere to hide

from this highly evolved
master of the deep.

This is the crowned king
of speed.

Cheetahs are the fastest animals
on the planet,

and these brothers
are on the hunt.

On today's menu, wildebeest,

one of africa's
fastest antelopes.

The brothers can outrun them,

but they're sprinters,
not distance runners.

They can easily overheat

and must get close enough
to close the deal

before they explode into action.

These impressive runners
can reach top speeds

of 75 miles per hour,

but their acceleration
is what's truly impressive.

Zero to 60 in three seconds...
or just three strides.

This round goes to the sprite
and spindly wildebeest.

the cat is no quitter, but
he needs to catch his breath.

the wildebeest
are on the move,

and the brothers
must go for broke.

They dig their specialized claws

into the heels
of the wildebeest.

the brothers live up
to their 50% strike rate.

Half their hunts end in success;

the other half
are dangerous life lessons.

Theirs is a delicate balance
between risk and reward.

In the Namibian desert,
one remarkable animal

has developed
a unique predatory strategy.

This is the caracal...

A distant relative of the lynx.

She may be slight, but this
cat's got a killer plan...

muscle-packed hind legs
and a super flexible spine

allow her to jump like
an acrobat off a springboard...

More than six feet in the air.

At a small watering hole,
a flock of weavers

provides a perfect opportunity
for this remarkable athlete.

She's off.

The caracal's powerful hind legs
and finely tuned reflexes

make her agile.

The weaver's fast,

but this feline's
locked her sights on it.

It's over in seconds...

And for now, this feathery snack
will have to do.

In a nearby desert,

this yellow mongoose
is the resident cobra hitman.

It's game on.

A strike from a cobra
could kill ten men.

But this desert carnivore

has guts of steel
and built-in immunity.

The cobra's speedy defense
strike is its trump card...

the only thing
that'll keep him alive.

Each is the other's prey,

but also a deadly opponent.

they know that turning their
back could be a fatal mistake.

The mongoose circles,

looking for a weakness
in the cobra's defense.

a quick strike needs
a matrix-style getaway.

The cobra tries intimidation...
But it's not enough.

They size each other up...
and punches fly!

The cobra delivers
its winning blow.

He's been spared from becoming
mongoose dinner...

This time around.

Now for the ultimate face-off.

Coming in at number 1
in this category

is an unlikely contender,

yet this gang of intrepid
heifers won't disappoint.

the Savannah is set
for the hunger games...

the age-old contest
between hunter and hunted.

At the top of the food chain,
the lions...

the biggest,
baddest cats around.

but word on the plains
is that the cape buffalo

is the most dangerous beast
in the game...

An adult bull can weigh
up to 2,000 pounds!

with a helmet of horns
and deadly, sharp hooves,

they are perfectly equipped

to be the lion's
greatest adversary.

they're built to kill...
Like an army of gladiators.

none of the other cats
will take on a buffalo,

but to these famished lions,
they're irresistible.

When the going gets tough, this
angry gang defends their own.

Without backup, a lone lioness

is no match
for this deadly showdown

and the angriest beasts
on the Savannah.

next on
incredible animal moments,

we count down nature's freakiest
and most curious creatures.

So far we've seen killer moves
and deadly showdowns.

Now, for the strange
and the bizarre.

these characters
are quick killers,

masters of disguise,
kings and queens of camouflage.

evolution has equipped them
with some peculiar adaptations.

and these daredevils
will leave you speechless.

In the dense canopy
of the Asian jungle,

a swift killer lies in wait.

in plain sight...
But virtually invisible...

It's a master of disguise.

With its zen-like appearance
of quizzical intelligence,

it's not surprising
that the praying mantis

has been worshipped as a god.

but those arms in their
prayer-like pose are deceptive.

Reports of snakes, small birds
and mammals

succumbing to its death grip
are no myth.

a smaller male mantis
is a pushover in comparison.

Their eyes are made of 10,000
separate specialized zones,

giving it excellent
stereoscopic vision...

Able to see up to 50 feet away.

grooming himself,
this male doesn't realize

the female in town
is not looking for a mate.

She's looking for lunch.

Her spring-loaded prayer stance

strikes in 30 thousandths
of a second...

Faster than the eye can see.

The powerful spiked forearms
have a crushing grip

that is nearly impossible
to escape.

A mantis eats its prey alive...

And for this cannibal,

decapitation is the preferred
way to serve up today's meal.

With names like trioceros,
bradypodion and archaius,

you'd think we had stepped back
into the Jurassic age.

But these cold-blooded creatures

are one of the most successful
hunters in the jungle today.

you've got to be quick
when your food moves this fast.

well-developed eyes
that pivot independently

allow it to see
almost 360 degrees.

There is nowhere to hide.

These strange reptiles
are chameleons.

Slow, deliberate steps

allow them to get close
to their target.

Chameleons are not designed
for the chase.

Their secret weapon?

a ballistic tongue that
accelerates at over 40 g's...

That's more than 10 times
the g-force

of a NASA space shuttle
on takeoff.

There is nothing in the jungle

that can outpace
the chameleon's tongue.

It is deadly accurate.

Once you're within
striking distance,

chances of escape are slim.

in this Indonesian jungle
lives the king of camouflage.

this tiny egg,
no bigger than a grain of rice,

will give rise to one of the
largest insects on the planet,

the atlas moth.

for it to reach monstrous
proportions, he needs to eat.

and for the first six weeks
of his life, that's all he does.

It's not long before he's
too big for his own skin.

his gooey insides bulge,
and his old bodysuit pops open

to allow the caterpillar
to mature.

He will shed his skin four times
as he grows fatter and fatter.

This grub continues to binge-eat

until he's the size
of a hot dog.

and then, it's time
for a costume change.

The caterpillar starts
to construct

his own silk changing room.

one month later,
it's time for the big reveal.

with a wingspan
of more than 12 inches,

it truly is a mammoth moth.

This once fat ugly duckling
is now a mosaic of color,

and it's not just for show.

the tips of the moth's wings
resemble the face of a cobra.

When threatened by predators,

this transformer will imitate
this deadly snake

by moving its wings
back and forth.

despite this elaborate
and miraculous makeover,

the adult atlas moth has
little over a week to live.

with no mouth,
he is unable to feed,

so his only goal is to find
a mate and continue his legacy.

next on our countdown
is the stuff of nightmares.

When darkness falls,

no creature in these stables
is safe.

It's the vampire bat,

the only bat in the world
that feeds on blood.

It's a master of echolocation

and uses bouncing
ultrasonic sound waves

to locate its victim.

It can tell where the warm blood
runs close to the skin,

thanks to heat sensors
near its nose.

Dinner... Is served.

With the sharpest teeth
in the animal kingdom,

the vampire bat
gently cuts through the skin

and sucks up the blood.

And thanks to a local anesthetic
in the bat's spit,

the victim doesn't feel a thing.

It may be the size
of your thumb,

but the vampire has
a life-sized appetite.

in just one year,
a colony of 100 vampires

can drain the blood
of 25 horses.

Without its blood fix
every night,

the bat would starve to death.

But through super hearing,

the vampire will recognize
this horse's breathing,

and tomorrow night
he will be back for more.

This cold-blooded eating machine
has a taste for his own kind.

And when he's on the hunt,

he goes straight for
the lion's share...

whether it fits
into his mouth or not.

Capable of injecting enough
venom to kill an elephant,

a king cobra's bite is
one of the deadliest on earth.

Once the venom has taken effect,
it's time to eat this rat snake.

First, he's got to locate and
line up the head of his meal.

having no limbs,
he uses his mouth...

Slowly slithering
toward the head.

once lined up
he starts to swallow.

He's got a deceptively
small mouth,

but elastic tendons allow him
to stretch it incredibly wide

to accommodate big meals.

It's not about what fits
in his mouth,

but what fits through his mouth.

Snakes can't make themselves
longer,

but they can stretch wider,

stuffing in their prey
and slowly expanding outwards.

Eyes too big for its stomach?

not likely to happen
with this gruesome killer.

And with that... Dinner's done!

And now... Another collection

of hair-raising
and heart-pounding images.

from hippo wars
to baboon battles,

we count down the most ferocious
fights captured on camera.

With the onset of new seasons,

males compete for territory
and mating rights.

It's a brutal fight.

Some wrestle for dominance...

Others bite, clash... Or kill.

Hold on to your seats
for another round...

As we count down the fiercest
fights in the animal kingdom.

This deadly mega-mouth
makes his entrance

at number 3
on our countdown of gang wars.

With tusks more than a foot long

and the strongest bite
on the planet,

it's one of the most dangerous
animals in Africa.

But this buxom beast
is a vegetarian

and feeds on nearly 90 pounds
of grass a day.

So why the mouthful
of menacing teeth?

Their sole purpose is battle.

When it comes to choosing
territories and females,

male hippos will use their teeth
to fight to the death.

it's the height
of zambia's dry season,

and this male's territory
has been reduced

to little more
than a shallow stream.

he's had to go
in search of deeper water...

In enemy territory.

This prime section of the river
is owned by a dominant male.

The intruder can either
put his pride aside

and submit to the resident male

or fight him for it.

He chooses war.

The massive yawn confirms
the intruder's challenge.

he sprays his feces
and testosterone through the air

to mark his territory.

The intruder stands his ground.

And the battle is on.

A 2-inch-thick hide provides
some protection

against each other's
ivory fangs,

but the insides of their mouths
are soft and gummy.

This is their target.

Their lower canines impale.

The intruder uses
his monster mouth

to lift the dominant male out
of the water like a bulldozer.

But this two-ton bull's
no pushover.

The intruder admits defeat.

He's lucky to escape
with his life...

This time around.

Coming in at number 2...

These feisty African geladas are
no strangers to deadly duels.

They share the same
social structure

as their baboon cousins.

Each herd has one dominant male,

and it's the job of this
ruling gelada, the baboon king,

to keep his family of females
and young protected.

So far it's twelve babies
and counting.

But the larger the family,

the harder it is
for this ruling male

to keep up with his
fatherly obligations.

And now, he faces
a serious problem.

There's a new kid on the block.

He's the king's younger brother,
and he's vying for the throne.

the baboon king keeps guard of
the herd on their daily commute.

But today is no ordinary day.

It's an ambush.

And this band of bachelors
has been waiting for him.

It's four against one.

Retreat is the only option.

They know that if they can help
bring down the king,

they'll move up a notch
in the mating chain.

he catches his breath
in the top of a tree...

Then makes a break for it.

He runs for open space
and right into a trap

where his brother
has been waiting.

This battle will be mano a mano.

the fury of the fight shows
just how much is at stake here...

Possibly the end of one reign
and the beginning of another.

The king delivers a savage bite,
straight to his brother's face.

The fight is over.

The challenger is badly injured.

His older brother has left him
with the ultimate scar.

He's lost a canine,
the mark of manhood.

Against all odds, the king has
clawed his way back to the top

and has secured
this mountain throne

at least for one more year.

Enter into japan's wild woods

and you'll hear
the honeybees abuzz.

Beneath the cool, mossy exterior
of their fortress,

these forest dwellers
are working around the clock

to nurture their hive
and protect their young.

During the summer months,

worker bees tirelessly produce
honey for the hive.

They spend their days
collecting nectar;

then regurgitate the honey
into cells in the honeycomb.

Their teamwork has produced
a thriving colony...

and it's a treasure chest
just waiting to be plundered.

These tiny honeybees
are easy prey

for the largest hornet
in the world.

Two inches long and 20 times
heavier than the honeybee,

the giant bamboo hornet

can wipe out
tens of thousands of bees

in a matter of hours.

They've hit the jackpot!

With an enemy in their midst,

the honeybees hatch
a battle plan.

This isn't their first rodeo!

Working in groups, the bees
overwhelm the giant hornet,

biting and stinging her
repeatedly.

They disperse a pheromone,

which alerts
the rest of the hive

and calls in fresh recruits.

Clusters of bees mob the hornet

and block the breathing holes
on her abdomen.

Their aim is to heat up
her temperature

beyond her thermal limit.

Inside the bee ball
it's 116 degrees...

And the smothered hornet
is quickly overheating.

The giant finally gives up
her brave fight...

Defeated by a gang of tiny bees
one fifth her size.

Get ready for the romantic
and riveting...

As we continue our countdown
incredible animal moments.

At certain times of the year,
jungles, deserts and prairies

sing with the sounds
of romance and courtship.

For some, it can be a friendly,
romantic and charming affair.

For others... Not so much.

So get ready for the raunchy,
risqué, and downright dirty...

And see what really happens
behind the curtain,

next on our countdown
incredible animal moments.

In the jungles of Panama,

it's the onset
of the rainy season...

and the forest echoes
with the music of frogs.

One of these small amphibians
has hopped on to our countdown

to occupy third place.

a male glass frog
calls for a mate...

And a female responds.

Spurred by the rain, they've
both come down to the stream

to engage in an intimate
and ancient ritual.

these amphibians spend
the dry season in the canopy,

but once the rains come,
it's time to mate.

Glass frogs get their name

from their unique style
of camouflage.

They don't change their colors
like some animals.

the glass frog's belly
is completely translucent.

In the deep green wetness
of the rainforest,

it's a perfect disguise.

before mating,
the female glass frog

hops around on a leaf,
collecting water,

causing her to swell up
and hydrate the eggs inside her.

when the female
releases the eggs,

the male catches them with his
hind legs and fertilizes them.

as the eggs develop
over the next two weeks,

both the male and female
play important parental roles.

One frog takes a turn
hydrating the eggs,

while the other
helps stand guard.

This shared parental daycare

will go a long way to ensure
the survival of their offspring.

Coming in at number 2...

Although these contenders
are cold blooded,

they know how to keep things
hot and steamy

on the jungle floor.

vipers mate in a ritual
of gently rubbing bodies.

Their bodies caress
and tongues flicker

as the male tastes
the female's pheromones,

testing if she's ready to mate.

When the female is aroused,

she'll lift the base
of her tail, and they'll mate,

like these puff adders
are doing.

The male tends to do
most of the work...

perhaps the females
pace themselves during mating

because just one session

can sometimes carry on
for up to three hours.

females hold all the cards
when it comes to reproduction.

they can store sperm
from one mating session

for up to five years
before it starts to deteriorate.

unlike most snakes,
female puff adders give birth

to live snakelings.

this ensures
that their offspring

get the best possible
chance at life.

within two weeks of birth,
equipped with fangs and venom,

they're fully independent

and perfectly capable
of surviving on their own.

Number 1 on our countdown
of romantic moments

goes to the gifted lover
from down under.

The little red flying fox
of Australia

is a real trapeze artist.

This acrobat uses his talents

even in the most challenging
positions.

Long-clawed thumbs make
ideal clambering hooks

for walking the tightrope.

And a good grip is important

when you're as hyperactive
as the acrobat.

the little red spends
a third of its day grooming

and another large chunk of it
sleeping.

Their curved claws act
as bat coat hangers

and allow them to hang around,
upside down,

without ever falling...

Even when they're taking a nap.

In fact, their feet
can latch on so hard

that even dead bats
remain hanging in place.

When you're always upside down,

you need a trick move
when nature calls.

But this is not the only move
that counts here.

The acrobats compete for females
in upside-down boxing matches.

it's inverted
mixed martial arts.

They claw, box and bite.

The victorious gymnast will mate

with any female
that will have him.

And it's a tricky affair,

even if you're hanging
like a bat.

after a steamy romance
comes the job of parenting,

and a few animals
will risk everything

to protect their young.

Next, more incredible images
as we count down

the greatest moments
of extreme parenting.

For many animals, parenting
can be a full-time job.

Some females go at it solo,

caring for their young
and providing for the family.

Others get help from dad

or other females,
if they're lucky.

up next, we count down
the most remarkable moments

of animal parenting.

it's summer
on the Mississippi river,

and this pair
of feathered lovers

glides in at the top
of our countdown.

Wood ducks that partnered up
in January

now prepare to start a family.

A hole high above the water

will provide relative safety
from predators...

and easy access
to the Mississippi

when the chicks are ready
to take to the water.

by late June...
30 days after they were laid...

A dozen surviving wood ducks
are ready to hatch.

All the chicks are born alert
and with a full coat of down.

They can't fly yet,

but they can't stay
cramped up here either.

After only one day,

mom calls for them to boldly go
where they've never gone before.

It's a 30-foot leap of faith.

the first brave soul
prepares for liftoff.

one down... and its brothers
and sisters wait in the wings.

typically, all the chicks
will jump just minutes apart.

but every now and then,
there's a failure to launch.

After the harrowing departure,

they've landed
in a brave new world.

Only about half the ducklings
will make it to adulthood.

In the meantime, it's up to mom
to teach them all she can.

South of the U.S. border,
off the coast of Mexico,

another mother goes
to extreme lengths

to provide protection
to her newborn calf.

this pacific humpback
takes the number 3 slot

on our countdown
of extreme parenting.

every year these giants
make the 16,000-mile journey

from the cold artic seas

to safer havens
in the tropical pacific.

these islands
off the Baja peninsula

provide an important sanctuary

for whales who come to give
birth in these warm waters.

this mother has chosen
this extraordinary location

to introduce her newborn calf
to the world,

the start of a powerful bond.

for hours at a time,
she remains almost motionless

as her daughter suckles some of
the richest milk of any mammal,

up to 150 gallons a day.

Even though her mother weighs
in the tons,

she demonstrates a tenderness
with her calf

that belies her enormous power.

This youngster is growing
at around 55 pounds a day,

and one of her first important
lessons is controlling buoyancy.

Mother whale makes sitting still
look easy.

But her one-ton baby can't seem
to get the hang of it.

eventually she figures out
that she can use her mother

as a kind of giant anchor,

nestling beneath her until she
needs to surface for air.

for now, being
a baby humpback whale

in the deep blue waters of Baja
seems idyllic.

The lessons she's learning here

could mean the difference
between life and death

when she makes her first
long and dangerous journey

all the way
to the rich feeding grounds

of the frozen arctic circle.

once the grasses
of the serengeti start growing,

an extraordinary tale
of animal daycare unfolds.

it's the onset
of the calving season,

when each heavily pregnant cow

will instinctively drop
its calf,

as many as 8,000 per day.

And it's the following
two to three weeks

that the predators
have been waiting for.

This lioness is hiding
at the center

of literally thousands
of newborn calves.

A mother is forced to leave
her minutes-old offspring.

She makes a brave
and final attempt

to scare off the big cat.

But her calf is now
at another's mercy.

why the lioness hesitates
to make the kill is unknown.

astonishingly,
the calf is imprinting,

compelled to treat
a nearby warm body

as its provider and protector,

a very rare
and usually fatal mistake.

But for some mysterious reason,

the lioness tolerates
the behavior.

attention diverted,
the calf is left alone.

Somewhere in there is a mother
bereft of her calf.

It's believed that mothers
recognize their own calves

by scent.

But successful reunions
like this are rare.

This zebra has just given birth,

and she's the crown winner
in our countdown.

As a new mom, she has
one simple mission:

To keep her seven-week-old foal
alive on his first migration

across the brutal plains
and treacherous rivers

of the masai Mara.

Every year, the search
for food and water

drives 1.5 million wildebeest

and hundreds of thousands
of zebras

on an 1,800-mile journey across
this east African Savannah.

By the time they complete
this great migration,

almost a quarter of the animals
will perish.

For many, the violent Mara river
is the ultimate choke point

and the setting
for nature's deadliest ambush.

Lurking below are the biggest
crocodiles in Africa.

For months they've survived
on little but scraps...

And they are hungry.

Mom and foal take the plunge

and are quickly swept
downstream.

As mom fights the rapids,

there is no way the little foal
can keep up.

The pair is ripped apart,

and the foal disappears
into the chaos.

as more zebras
are washed downstream,

the young foal follows.

After crossing twice midstream,

he finally makes it
to the riverbank.

this time...
There's no turning back.

meanwhile his mother
is fighting her own battle.

She gathers her strength

and readies herself
for a final push.

It's do or die.

her young foal
is not giving up either,

but he's clearly exhausted.

After hours of searching,

mom still has not found
her foal.

Amazingly, she decides to plunge

back into
the crocodile-infested Mara...

perhaps thinking
he's on the other side.

luckily the crocs
are too far downstream...

And mom makes it
to the shallows.

But the young foal is now
on the opposite bank.

it's been more than a day
since he's seen his mother.

without her milk,
he won't last long.

Miraculously mom has survived
a third trip across the river

and is finally back
on the same bank as the foal.

A bite from a crocodile
jolts her into action.

there's no way out
over the pile of carcasses.

The only option is to plunge

back into the blood river
one last time.

Her only hope for survival

is if the crocs
have finally had their fill.

And it seems this time
they have.

thanks to perseverance
and the whims of nature,

mother and foal are alive.

Days of imprinting after birth
have paid off.

And after two days apart,
mother and son reunite.

For the next three months,

they'll join the herds on the
bountiful northern grasslands

until the great migration
leads them south once more.

For this zebra and her foal,
this is life...

tenuous, challenging,
and lived one day at a time.