Original subtitles

(birds chirping)

in a realm of titans,

one giant stands above them all.

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redwoods are nature's skyscrapers.

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now, meet the tenants.

Secretive...

Strange...

...And deadly.

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swim among sprawling roots.

And scale the dizzying heights.

To discover an extraordinary tree of life.

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in a land...

...Of giants.

(playing america the beautiful)

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if coastal california has a king, it's the redwood.

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these trees have reigned over america's west coast

for 20 million years.

And their crowns are the tallest in the world,

up to 370 feet high.

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taller than an apollo rocket.

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future redwood heirs may start small.

But saplings develop fast.

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in peak conditions,

they can grow to a regal 50 feet in just 20 years.

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as their branches reach for the heavens,

their roots stretch into rivers and streams.

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every tall structure needs a solid foundation.

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redwood roots only go 10 to 13 feet deep into the soil,

but they spread out up to 80 feet wide,

giant, thirst-driven tentacles.

And down here with them, something extraordinary.

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for millions of years

redwood roots have shared this freshwater

with another prehistoric life-form...

The lamprey.

It may look like an alien species,

but its time on earth stretches back further than most.

They are a fish that formed before the world knew gills.

They survive instead on primitive breathing holes

along the sides of their bodies.

And their mouths, they have to be seen to be believed.

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rings of rasping teeth inside a round mouth.

It's all designed to lock onto another fish

and suck its blood.

Most of their feeding is done in the ocean,

but their lives are bookended

with a year or so in freshwater.

In the shadows of the redwoods

is where pacific lampreys are born and where they die.

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returning to freshwater is an epic journey.

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think your drive home is tough?

You ain't seen nothing yet.

His commute begins with a headfirst battle

against a fast-flowing stream.

He is your average joe lamprey,

doing what his life cycle demands.

(birds chirping)

he works the night shift,

sometimes covering five miles at a time.

Even the smallest waterfalls become enormous speed bumps.

That's when the mild-mannered pacific lamprey

does something extraordinary.

He reveals a superpower.

Suction.

He uses it to inch his way upstream

from one smooth rock to the next.

It's still a struggle.

And it requires a 'try, try again' attitude.

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then, a major roadblock.

A man-made dam looks insurmountable.

But on the side,

a toll booth of sorts.

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it's heavy traffic with no e-zpass.

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and no guarantee of success.

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the cost is high.

An entire night's work.

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finally...

Triumph.

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exhausted, he makes it into the heart of redwood country...

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...Where roots of the giant trees stretch into the water.

But his commute from hell was just the beginning.

He's worked hard to reach a suitable mate.

And now, together, they must build a nest for their young.

How they do this is truly remarkable.

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they dig some with their tails.

But it's not enough.

Again, super suction to the rescue.

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the collection of rocks they make is called a redd,

and it will go some way to protecting their eggs

from being washed downstream.

When their home is complete

they each secure themselves to a rock and embrace.

The male fertilizes the eggs as they leave the female.

And just like that, their greatest life's work is done.

A one-time deal.

The pair part ways and, all alone, start to die.

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above the water, vultures know the lamprey's life cycle well,

and relish its end.

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(screeching)

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when the lamprey embryos hatch,

they move downstream until they find a sandy bottom

they can dig into for safety.

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they'll stay here, mostly underground,

for at least a couple of years,

developing eyes and teeth and growing fat on algae.

For now, these baby lamprey are filter feeders.

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just like the redwoods above.

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coast redwoods span more than 500 miles

along california's pacific coast.

From big sur all the way up to southern oregon.

They follow the california fog belt.

A strip of coast where miles of marine fog

regularly move inland.

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and where it hugs the coast

is where redwoods thrive.

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redwood needles specialize in catching fog.

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and some plants below depend on it.

The understory may get as much as 13 inches of moisture

from a redwood on a single foggy day.

Here, to cash in on all that wonderful wetness,

another giant...

Of sorts.

The banana slug is the largest slug in north america.

It can grow more than seven inches long.

He's guided by his tentacles.

The top two detect light,

and the lower two smell what's before him.

They lead this california native

from one meal to the next.

And that's vital for the health of the redwoods.

The slug's recycled feces is a primary fertilizer

for the forest floor.

From little things, big things grow.

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other creatures slink around the base of these woods, too.

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dangerous ones.

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the garter snake specializes

in the redwood's cool and dark climate.

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the giant banana slug is an easy grab.

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too slow to get away.

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down the hatch it goes.

But not so fast.

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there's a catch.

And the garter snake is only just starting

to realize his mistake.

Among california's giant redwoods,

this garter snake has gotten himself

into a sticky situation.

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at the time, banana slug for breakfast

seemed like a good idea.

But the slug's mucus is an anesthetic

that numbs the snake's mouth.

He chokes on the slime.

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the slug may be dead,

but the garter snake has learned a lesson.

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scratch big yellow bananas from the menu.

Such defenses exist throughout the animal world,

and the tree world has some of its own, too.

There's a reason why these giants live so long.

Each redwood has three major lines of defense.

First, it's fireproof.

An old redwood has bark thick enough

to survive the hottest of wildfires.

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second, they can regenerate.

A fallen redwood will sprout new trees

along the toppled trunk.

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and finally, tannins.

The chemical responsible for the red color of the bark

is a weed killer and an insect repellent.

The redwoods drive away most insects.

But one is drawn to them.

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they're here to use the bark as shelter, not food.

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and they set the redwoods buzzing

with a low, vibrating chorus.

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ladybugs by the thousands.

(buzzing)

there are almost 6,000 species of ladybugs worldwide,

but convergent ladybugs are the only ones in this area.

And they're one of only two species

known to swarm like this.

These beetles are usually loners.

But every winter, they gather in the heart of the redwoods,

sheltering in the tree bark and on the ground.

Come spring, they begin some very important bug business.

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you see, not all ladybugs are ladies.

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it's a risqué business.

Females often mate with several males.

And males can be a tough bug to bear.

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once the fun is over, they'll split up,

beat their wings around 85 times a second...

(buzzing)

...And fly out to the fields and meadows to their lay eggs.

The tiniest of creatures,

hiding out here with the giants.

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roosevelt elk are the largest of all the elk subspecies

in north america.

They grow fat on the ferns and leaves

that thrive in the redwood rain forest.

The males can always do with extra vittles,

especially those that help them make keratin.

Every year they use this protein to grow giant antlers

at an astounding rate, as fast as an inch a day.

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they shed them in February or March,

and then grow them again from scratch.

All so the males can fight over females in the fall.

And win the right to become dads.

(bugling)

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calves are born away from the herd

and stay separated among the redwoods for around two weeks.

Once big enough,

they join their mothers in the nursery herd.

Here they learn to live out in the open.

Plenty of time to play and to feed.

They spend up to 12 hours a day nursing and grazing.

These young also attract some unwanted attention.

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this coyote could take out a fawn.

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(bugling)

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especially one that's all alone.

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at the edge of california's redwoods,

chances like this don't happen often.

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no nearby adult means an easier kill.

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(bugling)

but the fawn runs back to mom.

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female elk will charge a coyote.

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he's missed his chance.

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best to get while the getting's good.

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out here, where the redwoods hit the coast,

they mix it up with a patchwork of meadows

and offer up bouquets of flowers.

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next to the land of giants, a domain of mini miracles.

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some of these hummingbirds are no bigger than a ping-pong ball

and no heavier than a nickel.

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and they are all suckers for some nectar.

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they beat their wings too fast to see without special cameras.

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more than 70 flaps a second.

That's around 10 times faster

than the spin of a helicopter blade.

But the effect is similar.

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they can fly forward or backward at will,

dive at speeds of 50 miles an hour,

and hover with ease.

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(buzzing)

while their wings purr like a motor,

their heads stay still enough

to dive into a tubular flower for a drink.

(buzzing)

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hummingbirds are so reliant on flight

that their legs barely work.

They can neither walk nor hop.

They can scoot sideways a little,

which is enough to help them come bath time.

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close to dusk is a good time to freshen up.

The toughest part of this bird's day is about to begin.

(buzzing)

these are anna's hummingbirds,

among the most common on the pacific coast.

Life would be sweet here for them,

except for an incoming rival.

(buzzing)

the allen's hummingbirds move in once a year

for their breeding season.

They are fiercely territorial.

And they'll do whatever it takes to get the best flowers.

Get ready...

For a duel.

It's a battle for the skies

on the fringes of california's redwoods.

Two hummingbird species duke it out mid-flight.

Their beaks become weapons of aerial warfare.

Male allen's will chase out the anna's,

and even other allen's,

to claim territory close to nesting females.

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and the winner stakes its claim over the best flowers.

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this is important because the flowers close at night.

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as the sun sets, mom heads back to the cover of the redwoods.

Bringing her hard-earned food to share with her family.

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the nest is a little more than an inch wide.

It will stretch as her chicks grow.

But it'll never reach the size of some spectacular digs

just a little farther up.

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don't let its messy exterior fool you.

This tree house is the pinnacle of modern architecture.

An eight-square-foot loft in a remote neighborhood,

a nest 50 feet high.

The architect has big plans for this penthouse.

The dusky-footed woodrat

is one of the animal kingdom's best builders.

And a redwood is her hardware store.

She may use other trees for food,

but for construction,

a redwood provides all the materials she needs.

First, the foundation.

Redwood branches make a solid frame.

She cements them together with a layer of urine.

Now to work in some pest control.

She chews on bay laurel leaves

to release a chemical insect repellent.

She'll use this as wallpaper.

Finally, the interior.

Every house needs a kitchen and a place for the kids.

She digs out multiple rooms

and stocks the pantry full

with enough food to last more than 200 days.

The thick branches of a redwood are ready-made real estate.

But interior decorations call for some late-night shopping.

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woodrats are also called pack rats.

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and they've been known to adorn their nests at night

with everything from bones to bottle caps.

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but retail therapy has its risks.

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down below, a prowling fox catches her scent.

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the décor will just have to wait.

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she scampers back to her fortress

where no fox can follow.

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but she's not in the clear yet.

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daylight brings another predator,

and it's one of the most extraordinary tree climbers

in all america.

The fisher is made for life among california's redwoods.

They often den high up in the trees.

Fishers are whoppers of the weasel family.

Full-grown males can reach more than two feet in length,

plus a tail.

This female is only about half that size,

but still a deadly predator.

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she keeps her nose to the ground,

and sniffs out trails used by her prey.

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a woodrat was here.

And not that long ago.

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her semi-retractable claws dig into the bark,

and she travels up and down with ease.

Her tracking skills lead her

right to the woodrat's front door.

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she digs in.

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but the crafty woodrat has an emergency exit.

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she escapes into the upper reaches of the redwood canopy--

no ordinary canopy,

but one with many places to hide.

On the surface of these massive limbs,

rough bark and crevices trap falling needles

that break down into a soil called arboreal humus.

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this humus absorbs rainfall like a sponge.

In short, it becomes earth;

a planet above the planet.

And from this earth sprouts new life.

A hidden forest unseen from below.

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there's a commander in chief up here,

the leader of the tree world.

Even though he weighs a tenth of an ounce,

the wandering salamander is a permanent resident

in this canopy.

He has no lungs.

Instead he breathes through his skin.

It's a nifty trick that's possible

only if his skin stays wet.

Up here, that's not a problem.

Enough moisture stays trapped

in the sky-high foliage year-round.

These salamanders are only found in north america,

where they've become expert climbers.

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a prehensile tail can grab ahold of twigs,

and gripped toe pads allow them to easily scale these giants.

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they tunnel under moss, find mates, eat insects,

and jump from limb to limb with confidence.

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year after year,

the wandering salamander thrives in the clouds,

100 feet high plus,

and may never touch the ground.

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a luxury high-rise in a city of branches.

Climb higher,

and you reach the crown of the redwoods.

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best have wings to get here.

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the northern spotted owl moves up and down

to find the ideal temperature on any given day.

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agile, maneuverable,

and his wings, near silent.

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night and day,

from ground to crown...

...His prey is never safe.

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it's dinnertime.

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in california's redwoods,

'silent but deadly' is a badge of honor.

And it's worn by the spotted owl.

His soundless approach goes completely unnoticed.

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he'll catch as much as he can.

Once he's had his fill,

he stashes the rest in cool tree limbs for later.

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spotted owls live almost exclusively

in old growth forest.

As the big old trees fall, so do they.

Despite federal protection,

less than 10,000 northern spotted owls remain,

and there are fewer each year.

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one thing more precious than a spotted owl...

Is two.

This breeding pair has bonded for life.

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under their powerful gaze...

...Spotted owl junior.

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just two months old

and already acting like a famished teenager.

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mom and dad prefer to hunt by night.

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but junior's insatiable hunger doesn't allow for a day off.

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junior catches on slowly.

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but within a couple of months,

he, too, will be dispatching mice

by snapping their necks and downing them whole.

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live and learn, little one.

It takes practice to become a phantom of the redwoods.

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the hunt of the owls brings us back down to earth.

But what defines this space

is still the rise of the ancient redwoods.

Some of them are more than 2,000 years old.

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among the longest-living organisms on the planet.

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each is like a high-rise building

for an incredible range of tenants.

From the ancient swimmers around their sprawling roots...

To the salamander living in the heights of the canopy...

And from america's biggest slug...

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to its biggest elk...

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...This is a kingdom of giants.

And it's the redwood that wears the crown.