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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 The animal kingdom has no shortage of rivalries, and we're not just talking about the predator
00:10 vs prey dynamic.
00:12 No, things are a little more complicated out in the wild, especially when there's food
00:16 or status involved.
00:22 Welcome back to another episode of Forever Green.
00:24 Before we dive in, we've got a question for you.
00:28 We're going to show you a video right now, but only the first few seconds, and you have
00:32 to guess which one wins this fight, the iguana or the snakes chasing him for food.
00:37 Ready?
00:38 Put your guesses in the comments, and we'll play out the rest of the clip at the end of
00:42 the video.
00:43 So, stick around for the answer.
00:45 But for now, we're counting down 10 fearless, natural-born enemies in the wild.
00:51 Alright, let's dive in.
00:55 Number 10 - Lions vs Hyenas
01:00 If the Lion King has taught us anything, it's that lions and hyenas do not get along.
01:07 Unless the lion is a jealous, power-hungry tyrant looking to overthrow his king brother.
01:12 That rivalry is not just in the Lion King.
01:18 Since the beginning of their time, lions and hyenas have been competing over the same hunting
01:23 territories.
01:24 And while in documentaries, lions are almost always portrayed as kings and hyenas as lowly
01:29 thieves, the truth is that both species are known to steal from one another and are even
01:34 known to attack each other's young.
01:37 Lions are much stronger than hyenas, so you might think it's an unfair competition, but
01:41 that's not the case every time.
01:45 Lions may be stronger, but hyenas roam in packs and therefore are greater in number.
01:51 Just check out this video of a pack of hyenas attacking a lone lion.
01:58 Lions and hyenas share the same habitats and depend on the same prey for food.
02:03 So you can be sure that when they cross paths, it's not pleasant.
02:09 This competition fuels animosity and they are often hostile to each other for seemingly
02:13 no reason.
02:16 In many cases, rangers and tourists have found that male lions just take pleasure in harassing
02:21 hyenas or killing hyenas.
02:25 The lions have, in fact, got it down to an art form.
02:29 They have learned to recognize the feeding calls of hyenas, and they often follow these
02:33 calls to chase them away from their prey.
02:37 It should seem like an abundance of prey would lessen the competition, but the opposite appears
02:41 to be true.
02:43 This bitter rivalry actually dates back to 37,000 years ago.
02:47 That's right, the bad blood runs deep.
02:52 Lion bones dating back to that era have been found in hyena dens in and around Germany.
02:57 Bones that bear the bite marks of a spotted hyena.
03:02 Scientists believe these lions may have been killed in fights with hyenas over prey.
03:07 And recently, similar lion remains were found in present-day hyena dens in Africa.
03:14 Number 8.
03:16 Mongooses vs. Snakes
03:20 It's not every day that a snake has to face a challenger.
03:23 Generally, even the biggest apex predators know how to avoid these guys, but the mongoose
03:28 is made of sterner stuff.
03:31 This tiny carnivorous mammal, usually between 24 and 58 cm, takes on large venomous snakes
03:37 far too regularly, and they emerge victorious most of the time.
03:43 But how?
03:44 They are primarily found in Africa, and they eat anything from birds and small rodents
03:48 to reptiles and frogs.
03:51 They even on occasion like fruits, nuts, and seeds.
03:55 And sometimes, they'll open up bird eggs by throwing them at a tree or some solid object.
04:01 Given how they share some similar prey with snakes, these two enter into a confrontation
04:06 sometimes.
04:08 Mongooses have special acetycholine receptors that make them resistant and even immune to
04:13 snake venom, giving them an edge over their enemy.
04:18 And their technique isn't too bad either.
04:20 They dart and feint at the snake at lightning speed.
04:24 So the snake is forced to strike repeatedly until they tire themselves out.
04:28 Then, the mongoose goes straight for the head and bites it off.
04:33 Plus, their thick, puffy coats prevent short-fanged snakes from hitting their mark.
04:40 They are fearless hunters and attackers.
04:43 You won't find them hiding or slyly walking around the way lions stalk their prey.
04:49 7.
04:51 Bears vs. Wolves
04:55 If a bear runs into a pack of wolves, most likely, they will try to avoid each other
04:59 since a fight would benefit no one.
05:02 But if there's food involved, you best believe there's going to be a battle right to the
05:06 end.
05:08 Bears are larger than wolves, obviously.
05:11 They can be anywhere from 5 to 8 feet, and they weigh 800 pounds.
05:17 As opposed to wolves, which are generally 63 inches long and weigh 175 pounds.
05:24 A lone wolf running into a bear stands no chance, but a pack of wolves?
05:28 Well, it's anyone's guess.
05:31 Here, a single bear faces off against 11 wolves.
05:35 This video was taken in Yellowstone Park, where the wolves were only recently introduced
05:40 into the ecosystem.
05:42 The wolves, known as the "Junction Butt Wolf Pack", had just brought down an elk and left
05:47 the kill.
05:49 When they returned, the group found a grizzly bear eating their dinner.
05:53 Of course, a standoff ensued with the pack circling the bear.
05:58 After a strained few minutes, the wolves slink away, unwilling to risk their lives for an
06:02 elk.
06:03 In any case, bringing an elk down is no big task for a whole pack.
06:09 I'm sure they found another one in no time.
06:14 Before we move on, here's a quick challenge for you.
06:18 If you can leave a like on this video, smash that subscribe button, and turn on the notifications
06:22 in less than 5 seconds, you will have 10 years of amazing luck.
06:26 Hurry up and try it.
06:27 It actually works.
06:31 Number 6 - Elephants vs Rhinos
06:38 If you think it's just apex predators, competing in the wild for food, think again.
06:42 With more than enough food to go around, you'd be right in assuming that there's no reason
06:47 for these two plant-eating giants to mess with each other.
06:51 But something called a "musth" period in elephants can quickly mess with that peaceful coexistence.
06:58 Rhinos are quite commonly killed by elephants, particularly young bull elephants, in competition
07:03 for food.
07:06 In a study conducted in 2013, researchers from Australia took a close look at their
07:11 eating habits through the seasons.
07:15 Turns out, rhinos and elephants ate in the same regions at the same times of the year.
07:20 But rhinos munched on different grasses depending on if the elephants were present.
07:26 Without elephants around, the rhinos ate more diverse plants like succulents and woody shrubs.
07:32 But when the elephants were near, they limited themselves to grasses.
07:36 That just shows that their presence affects foraging opportunities for rhinos.
07:40 If one of them decides to be brave and venture out to try more exotic foods, they might suffer
07:45 a kick in the head.
07:46 Needless to say, that's not something you want.
07:51 Elephants range from 8 to 13 feet and weigh up to 14,000 pounds, and they can eat 300
07:56 pounds of food a day.
07:58 Compared to that, the largest rhino is the white rhino at over 5,000 pounds, 13 feet
08:03 long and 6 feet tall.
08:06 They have a 2-inch thick hide and horns up to 5 feet in length.
08:10 They have a fighting chance against hippos, hyenas, and even lions.
08:15 But an elephant?
08:16 No shot.
08:17 No shot.
08:20 Elephants are usually peaceful creatures, but if the rhino messes with its food, it
08:24 can take down the rhino and smash it with its great weight.
08:29 This tactic is used against not just rhinos, but pretty much any animal in the wild.
08:35 Elephants are fully capable of stomping a killer croc to death or trampling on a lion.
08:42 Case in point, these guys know how to throw their weight around.
08:47 #5.
08:50 Pythons vs Alligators
08:53 Burmese pythons are found in Southwest Asia, but have also been known to live alongside
08:58 the American alligators in the Everglades National Park.
09:03 Male American alligators can reach 11.2 feet and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
09:09 Although that is on the rarer side of the scale, Burmese pythons on the other hand,
09:13 range from 16 to 23 feet and weigh 200 pounds.
09:18 This intimidating snake will kill its prey by constriction, squeezing it until it suffocates
09:23 to death.
09:25 They're also fantastic swimmers and are able to stay underwater for up to 30 minutes at
09:29 any one given time.
09:33 When coming up against an alligator in its habitat, the one hurdle the python must overcome
09:38 is the tough bony armor plates of the reptile, something that some pythons don't manage to
09:42 do.
09:45 It's fair to say that American alligators and Burmese pythons will rarely fight each
09:49 other, but when they do, either one can win the fight and eat the other.
09:56 The only difference is that the alligator will chew his food up, while the python will
10:00 swallow the reptile whole.
10:02 Did you already know that pythons and alligators fight?
10:05 Well, our number two choice may come as more of a shock.
10:13 Number 4.
10:14 Killer Whale vs White Shark
10:18 So how do deep sea predators keep busy while the lions and hyenas are duking it out?
10:23 Working out a rivalry of their very own, of course.
10:27 It's hard to believe anyone would challenge an apex predator such as the great white shark.
10:32 The great white is a beast when it comes to hunting seals and penguins, and have occasionally
10:36 been known to attack not only humans, but boats too.
10:41 Whales in comparison are generally seen as peaceful giants, with the exception of the
10:45 ruthless killer whale that has more than earned its name.
10:49 These highly intelligent 12,000 pound predators compete over the same hunting grounds as their
10:54 razor-toothed 2,000 pound rival, and will not shy away from having a confrontation if
11:00 it comes down to it.
11:03 Before placing your bets on the outcome of such a gruesome fight, check out this story.
11:09 Observers in the Farallon Islands once witnessed a giant orca stunting a great white shark
11:15 by ramming it on its flank, before taking it from behind, turning it upside down and
11:20 drowning it.
11:26 Number 3.
11:27 Honeybees vs Giant Asian Hornets.
11:32 As the name suggests, giant Asian hornets are huge hornets, and their sting feels like
11:37 being jabbed by a red hot needle.
11:41 While honeybees have a toxin that's more lethal than that of the hornets, honeybees only sting
11:46 once, injecting a much lower dose.
11:49 The hornet, however, stings repeatedly, delivering over 10 times more venom.
11:55 The venom in one giant hornet could kill 10 mice, and a small colony could kill a 150
12:01 pound animal.
12:04 On average, these hornets kill 30 to 50 people a year in Japan.
12:09 So if it's capable of that much damage to a mammal, imagine what it could do to a honeybee.
12:16 These guys like to feed honeybee larvae to their young, which begins one of the most
12:20 incredible wars in the whole animal kingdom.
12:24 Their attack starts with a slaughter phase, where they enter hives looking for larvae,
12:27 and destroy everything in the process.
12:30 They cut the bees' heads off with their mandibles, and when the bees try to fight back and sting
12:34 their enemies, they cannot pass through the hornet's strong armor.
12:39 One hornet alone can take down 20 bees per minute, and in 90 minutes, they can destroy
12:44 an entire colony's workers.
12:47 So at this point, you're probably thinking, "Well, there's nothing bees can do to defend
12:52 themselves, so it's not a fair fight at all."
12:55 But they have tricks of their own.
12:58 When a hornet finds a hive, the bees don't try to stop it, instead, they let it in.
13:04 They then surround the hornet forming a bee ball, and vibrate, heating up the hornet until
13:09 it is cooked.
13:11 This is one of the most spectacular defense mechanisms in nature.
13:15 Asian giant hornets may be violent and ruthless, but the honeybees win this round.
13:22 It is now time to check out today's subscriber pick.
13:25 Remember, if you ever come across some bizarre or fascinating image, you can send it to us,
13:30 and we'll investigate.
13:31 Today's image is of a hawk entangled with a snake it's trying to pick off the ground.
13:36 We did a little digging, and found that snakes and hawks are sworn enemies.
13:40 Check out our number 2 spot.
13:44 Hawks vs. Snakes
13:49 This video shows a young, red-tailed hawk and a 4-foot bull snake go head to head.
13:56 Bull snakes are constrictors, and they mainly eat rodents, but also prey on birds and lizards.
14:02 Hawks mostly hunt mammals like mice and rabbits, but they will make a meal of snakes too, if
14:07 necessary, even if they weigh over 5 pounds.
14:12 The men in the video intervene to untangle them, so at least here, we know that both
14:16 the hawk and the snake were left alive.
14:18 Had there been no intervention, it's anyone's guess who would have won.
14:24 When bull snakes detect live objects that look too big to be a prey, they assume the
14:28 object is a predator and take defensive action.
14:33 And on the other hand, you have the hawk, strong, powerful birds with one of the largest
14:37 talons of all predators.
14:41 If the snake happens to be venomous, the chances of survival look somewhat slimmer for the
14:45 hawk.
14:47 Before we take a look at the next one, we've got a quick challenge for you that will take
14:51 you just 5 seconds.
14:52 Go ahead and subscribe to the Forever Green channel and hit the notification bell, so
14:56 you never miss an upload.
14:59 Number 1.
15:01 Polar Bear vs Walrus
15:05 Walruses fight only to defend themselves against a hungry polar bear.
15:10 Polar bears are giant beasts weighing 1,600 pounds, and they usually hunt seals, unless
15:15 food is scarce and it's getting cold.
15:20 Walruses are a great source of fat, with 18% blubber that gives them a 10cm coating around
15:25 their body.
15:26 It's enough to keep the polar bear warm in the harsh cold, that is, if it can manage
15:31 to catch one.
15:33 A walrus is not an easy prey to bring down.
15:36 They range from 7.25 to 11.5 feet and can weigh up to 1.5 tons, which is twice the weight
15:43 of the polar bear.
15:44 They also have two 3-foot long tusks that can be used as powerful weapons.
15:50 When these two lock heads, anything can happen.
15:53 The bear is stronger and a natural apex predator, but many polar bears are found dead or severely
15:58 wounded by walruses' tusks.
16:01 And as promised, here's the rest of that clip of the iguana and the dozens of snakes.
16:07 Yep, the iguana managed to escape the jaws of these predators, and by kicking it away
16:11 no less.
16:15 If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to hit the like button and check out more videos
16:19 on nature and animals on the Forever Green channel.
16:22 We'll be back soon with another video.
16:25 But until then, thanks for watching and we'll see you next time.
16:34 [Music]
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