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00:11The Americas, home to millions of species of animal who clash in savage battles of survival.
00:22But what happens when the new world's most ruthless killers turn against each other?
00:32Animals fight tooth and claw against their own kin to win food, territory, and rights to the bloodline.
00:43In the wild badlands of the Americas, there are no rules.
00:49This is Animal Fight Night.
01:05One of America's most iconic beasts, the grizzly bear.
01:13Heavyweight champions of Animal Fight Night.
01:21The only thing that scares a grizzly is another grizzly.
01:38They can charge at over 30 miles per hour and bite with enough force to crush a bowling ball.
01:47Their strength and speed is thanks to a 1,000-pound body packed with muscle, concentrated in their shoulders, hump,
01:56and buttocks.
02:03One source of their strength is salmon.
02:10Grizzlies can eat 40 a day.
02:15That's 100,000 calories.
02:20Male bears are twice the size of females.
02:26But females need to catch more fish to feed their young and keep themselves fighting fit.
02:36Forty percent of bear cubs don't reach adulthood, often falling prey to mountain lions, wolves, or even adult male grizzlies.
02:47So females are ferocious when they're protecting their cubs.
02:59This mama bear shows her cubs how to fish.
03:09They learn by mimicking her.
03:16She dives in.
03:20But accidentally runs into another bear.
03:27In the confusion, a rival female steals her fish.
03:33Mama bear is furious and attacks.
03:40Three-inch claws are as long as human fingers.
03:43Twice as long as the claws on her hind paws.
03:49Her swipe could shred skin.
03:52But thick fur protects the bear's body.
03:55The skin around her neck is 20 times thicker than a human's.
04:03The rival female has given the fish to her own cubs.
04:16Mama won't stand for it.
04:22But she's bitten off more than she can chew.
04:27She can't win.
04:30So backs down.
04:37The rival cubs eat their salmon dinner.
04:43While mama bear returns to her young empty-handed.
04:49Luckily, there are plenty more fish in the sea.
04:56And many more fights in the Americas.
05:01Our next contender proves you don't have to be big to be a psychotic killing machine.
05:08Because one of the top killers of starlings is other starlings.
05:13Their weapons of choice, beaks and claws, aimed right at the brain.
05:25Breeding season.
05:26And a male starling needs a nest to attract a female.
05:36This proud homeowner scored a piece of prime real estate.
05:40And that got him the girl.
05:44But in starling world, competition for males is intense.
05:49Rival females want to take her place.
05:52And they're willing to kill for it.
06:02Immediately, a threat.
06:04The husband is building a nest for eggs.
06:08He leaves to find raw materials.
06:12A female intruder seizes the moment.
06:17She flies in to find the wife home alone.
06:31But the wife won't give in without a fight.
06:38Far away, the husband has no idea his home is under attack.
06:45They try to pin each other down using their claws.
06:49She struggles on.
06:53The invader uses her deadly weapon.
06:58Going for the kill.
07:01Aiming through the eye.
07:03For her brain.
07:11The husband returns to a shocking scene.
07:18He freezes.
07:21They're exhausted.
07:26For many bird species.
07:29Males act as bystanders when females fight.
07:44But not starlings.
07:51He intervenes.
07:52He intervenes.
07:53Not to help his wife.
07:55But to stop her fighting.
07:59So he can have two wives.
08:02They take it outside.
08:05The wife isn't sharing her home or man with anyone.
08:10Ten percent of starling deaths are caused by fights over nests.
08:17The husband tries again.
08:26It's getting too complicated for the intruder.
08:29The wife has protected her home.
08:32Whether the husband likes it or not.
08:34If they can keep it safe, the couple will have several fledglings.
08:39But the sky is filled with rival starlings.
08:44This mating season is far from over.
08:55The seasons don't get longer than in the Canadian Arctic.
09:00Here, only the hard endure.
09:03And they don't come harder than the muskox.
09:08Ice Age survivors, muskox shared this land with woolly mammoth.
09:14They weigh over 800 pounds.
09:18And live in small nomadic herds.
09:21These ancient warriors get along just fine for most of the year.
09:26Until it's time to mate.
09:29When male horns become a deadly weapon.
09:33And muskox become the battering rams of the animal kingdom.
09:43This six-year-old bull was pushed out of his herd by its dominant male.
09:51And now wanders the tundra alone.
10:04Picking up the musky scent of a bull from another herd.
10:14He spots his target.
10:22The big chief.
10:25Eight years old, the chief is bigger.
10:29But size isn't everything.
10:32If the youngster can oust him, he'll win a harem of eight cows.
10:37It's a battle that kills one in ten.
10:40But it's worth a shot to continue his bloodline.
10:46The raging bull approaches the big chief.
11:00The big chief tilts his head.
11:03Showing off his horns.
11:06But his rival isn't intimidated.
11:09They swing their heads back and forth.
11:13This is a clear statement.
11:15It's fight time.
11:18The bulls back up around 65 feet to gain speed.
11:23Inflicting maximum pain on their enemy.
11:27To continue their bloodline.
11:31Or die.
11:35They charge.
11:38Colliding horns first.
11:41The equivalent of a head-on car crash.
11:44At 30 miles per hour.
11:49Armored skulls help cushion the impact.
11:53Four inch thick horn and three inches of bone shield the brain.
11:58To absorb the shock.
12:04Even an armored skull can't hold out forever.
12:11After ten charges.
12:14The big chief is defeated.
12:19He's escaped death.
12:22But at his age.
12:24It's likely he's had his last season of mating.
12:28He'll join a herd of other bachelors.
12:31To live out his days.
12:40For the raging bull.
12:42It was worth risking his life.
12:44He will continue his bloodline.
12:47And pass the baton.
12:49To the next generation.
12:54For our next slippery contender.
12:59Mating season is just beginning.
13:03The coach whip snake.
13:07Unlike other snakes.
13:09Coach whips get going in the midday sun.
13:13They're active.
13:14And super aggressive.
13:17Holy crap dude.
13:23It's spring.
13:24And this coach.
13:26Has one thing on his mind.
13:29He's on the lookout for a lady.
13:32But instead.
13:33He's slithering straight into trouble.
13:39Hikers stumble across him.
13:43That's vicious.
13:45In a deadly fight.
13:47With another male coach whip.
13:55The enemy.
13:57Has coach's head.
13:58In his mouth.
13:59Oh you've got him.
14:00In a headlock.
14:01Blood.
14:02Is pouring out.
14:10A coach whip is armed with razor sharp teeth.
14:12Four rows on their upper jaw.
14:15And two below.
14:17All point backwards.
14:19To help draw prey down the throat.
14:22These snakes don't kill their victim.
14:25They just eat it alive.
14:30Coach doesn't want to be on the menu.
14:33He pulls an awesome move.
14:36Oh my gosh.
14:37The one that's being eaten.
14:38Is now biting the other one's body.
14:41Clamping his jaws.
14:43Over the enemy's windpipe.
14:45Both.
14:46Trying to suffocate the other to death.
14:59Coach loses his grip after a flip from the enemy.
15:04That's amazing.
15:14Suddenly, both sense another danger.
15:19With no external ears, the coach whip has poor hearing.
15:25Instead, it senses vibrations through the ground.
15:30Both snakes pick up the movement of human bystanders.
15:43Distracted, they break free from each other and race off into the scrub land, where the fight will continue until
15:55one of them gets his girl or dies trying.
16:04The Canadian wilderness.
16:06Deep snow makes movement difficult.
16:09Staying alive in the freezing temperatures is even harder.
16:15This lone lynx is four times the size of a house cat.
16:20He has a territory of 15 square miles to hunt on, and will defend it with his awl.
16:28He has a warm coat to survive the cold.
16:31Long legs with big, fluffy paws work like snowshoes, enabling quick movement through deep powder.
16:39Perfect for hunting hares.
16:43The main part of his diet.
16:49He can spot a mouse at 250 feet.
16:58Tufts of hair at the tips of his ears enhance hearing by picking up the smallest sound vibrations.
17:23A terrifying sound makes a driver stop his car and start filming.
17:40The lone lynx has found a wanderer on his territory.
17:46With food scarce, he can't afford to lose land.
17:55Paws hit like boxing gloves.
18:04They slam each other to the ground.
18:13The loner lashes out with a paw.
18:19The wanderer bites his claw in return.
18:27Changing tactics, the loner flips on his back.
18:30But this is not a move of submission.
18:33He now has all four sets of claws in the air.
18:37So the wanderer can't get in to attack without risking his life.
18:46There's too much at stake to continue.
18:48With this strategic masterstroke, the loner has won.
18:54The wanderer won't trespass here again.
19:07In North America's towns and cities, one of the most surprising contenders in animal fight night, a small critter with
19:17a big problem and a furious temper.
19:21Cue the shrew, an animal who must eat every three hours or face death.
19:31So when shrews compete for food, they use tooth, claw, and deadly venom to become suburbia's most savage fighting machines.
19:46Almost blind, shrews are prey for foxes, raccoons, raccoons, dogs, and just about everything.
20:00Against the odds, this old soldier has reached his first birthday.
20:06But he can't hide forever.
20:08He has to come out and eat every few hours.
20:14The shrew has one of the fastest metabolic rates of all animals.
20:20To stay alive, they must eat 90% of their body weight every day, or face starvation.
20:37With such a high need for food, he simply can't afford to share.
20:44This guy will eat bugs, flies, and snails.
20:53And if he finds another shrew on his patch, he'll eat him, too.
21:03When this hungry trespasser drops in on the old soldier's turf, it's blind rage.
21:14There's no taming this shrew.
21:20Landing his target is tough.
21:26With poor eyesight, shrews use smell, hearing, touch, and echolocation, like dolphins and bats.
21:38Shrews transmit and receive sound waves, to pinpoint their opponent's location.
21:55Both shrews' strategy is to use their front feet to pin down the opponent and strike with a vicious bite.
22:06Their teeth deliver the ultimate weapon, venom.
22:13Delivered through grooves in the teeth, it can kill 200 mice with a single dose.
22:24But neither shrew can land the killer bite.
22:31The trespasser tries to get back in the game, but once bitten, twice shy.
22:43This guy is done.
22:46He decides it's not worth his life, and hits the road.
22:50Our old soldier heads out for dinner.
22:54This battle may be won, but a shrew's war is never over.
23:03Found in America's southwest states, our next combatant might look like a dragon from a Hollywood fantasy movie.
23:12But this scaly bad boy is 100% non-fiction.
23:18One of only a handful of venomous lizards in the world.
23:23With a split-second bite, and killer-sharp claws, this is the Gila monster.
23:32We all win.
23:34This Gila monster is one of North America's biggest lizards.
23:39He always goes it alone.
23:41And if there's one thing he hates, it's sharing.
23:49After a winter of hibernation, it's high noon, and time to eat.
23:55Our lone ranger comes out of his burrow.
24:01Only to find there's a stranger in town.
24:07Time for an ultimate lizard showdown.
24:13The lone ranger and the outlaw try to psych each other out.
24:30The ranger makes a lightning draw.
24:41Gila monsters can take in over three times as much oxygen as other lizards.
24:47Meaning that they can fight intensively for longer.
24:51This is a mega monster match.
24:55With a bite as unrelenting as a bulldog, once they've got a grip, they don't let go.
25:06The ranger pulls a smackdown.
25:09The outlaw dazed.
25:15The ranger flips upside down to deliver the knockout.
25:21Unlike snakes, Gila monsters store venom in their bottom jaw.
25:27Pumping it through grooved teeth as they chew enemy flesh.
25:32Upside down, gravity helps the venom flow into the wound more quickly.
25:37Only five drops of Gila venom will kill a dog in just 15 minutes.
25:44The outlaw is immune to the ranger's poison.
25:47But the bite still hurts like hell.
25:51Enough to win the fight.
25:53And send the outlaw defeated, riding off into the sunset.
26:05But in America, another bad boy bandit is never far away.
26:15The neighborhood raccoon is an animal with an unusual skill.
26:21With longer back legs than front, these guys are all about smarts.
26:28They can rotate hind feet to point backwards, climbing down trees head first, if the branches hold up.
26:42This one-year-old raccoon has grown up in the country, where raccoons share, and there's room for everyone.
26:50Now, like lots of raccoons, he's heading for town, where food seems plentiful.
27:00The problem is, there are 20 times the number of raccoons in American towns and cities than in rural areas.
27:09So the country boy has some serious competition.
27:23City raccoons use their smarts to hustle food.
27:28Using a wide lower body and low center of gravity to push over large objects like trash cans.
27:37They have dexterous fingers.
27:40The area of their brain dedicated to the sense of touch is among the greatest of all known mammals.
27:47They soak their paws to soften hard skin, making them even more touch sensitive.
28:00Black bandit masks may enhance night vision, and help keep glare out of their eyes.
28:13Now, the country boy has been eyeballed in bandit territory.
28:20This raccoon is ready to defend his food.
28:24Snacks down, it's time for a smackdown.
28:34They size each other up.
28:39Equally matched, this fight will be down to skill.
28:45Country boy snaps.
28:47It doesn't faze the bandit.
28:56Nervous, the boy has second thoughts, but he hasn't eaten for days.
29:04This downtown throwdown is about to get ugly.
29:18In this street fight, anything goes.
29:23The country boy grabs the bandit by the tail, as far from his mouth as possible, to avoid being bitten.
29:34Bandit gets the boy down.
29:36Time for the killer move.
29:4340 teeth, including four sharp canines, clamp on to country boy's neck.
29:51With a move usually used to stun prey, the bandit tries to disorient the boy with vicious shaking.
30:02Time to take out the trash, and go in for the kill.
30:09The law shows up.
30:12A distraction, saving the country boy's skin.
30:16He gets away with it this time, but this boy's got a long way to go, to become a bandit
30:22of the burbs.
30:293,500 miles away, one of the largest wild animals in South America, the guanaco, this continent's hardiest and most
30:45adaptable fight night contenders.
30:50Guanacos live all over South America, from Patagonia to Peru, and they have the nastiest tactics of all our fighters,
31:05going right for the family jewels.
31:12This six-year-old head honcho lives with his harem of ten females and their offspring, on his 20-acre
31:20territory.
31:31Female guanacos are fickle.
31:33They want a male who can keep them safe, keep them fed, and father chulengos, baby guanacos.
31:43The head honcho can never relax.
31:49Over half a million wild guanacos roam South America.
31:54Competition is rife.
32:09Honcho's next threat looms on the horizon.
32:13This four-year-old bachelor has honcho's harem in his sights.
32:22The bachelor charges.
32:26He swings his neck like a club, but misses.
32:32Second time, honcho's not so lucky.
32:38The chase is on.
32:43There's only around 60% as much oxygen as at sea level, but guanacos can run at incredible speeds of
32:5040 miles per hour.
32:55Guanacos have adapted to live at high altitudes.
33:00Their heart is 15% larger than is usual for mammals their size.
33:06A teaspoon of guanaco blood contains 68 million red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body, four times that
33:15of a human.
33:20The bachelor catches honcho.
33:31The two front teeth and two canines are called fighting teeth.
33:38They're sharp, dagger-like, and guanacos know just how to use them.
33:44They even try to bite off the other's cajones.
34:05But honcho doesn't want his avocados turning to guacamole.
34:14so he heads for the hills defeated he's had his last tango with these girls
34:27while the bachelor has his pick of new dance partners
34:34this regular change of guard stops inbreeding the bachelor will become a poppy and enjoy
34:46the family life for as long as he can hold on to it
34:57brawls for the bloodline break out all over the americas
35:04high summer mating season for stellar sea lions
35:12this big daddy rules the beach all 25 females here are his to mate with
35:20in return this rookery and the 20 nautical miles of ocean around it is under his protection
35:27perfect for sunbathing playing
35:35and even some surfing
35:41but nothing lasts forever
35:44big daddy has already fought off an invading bull
35:48trying to take his place
35:55and the next brutal challenge
35:59is only a bloody wave away
36:07an insurgent charges behind enemy lines
36:11right onto daddy's beach
36:14it's a battle of might
36:18his flexible spine allows daddy to draw back his neck
36:22and inject maximum force into an 800 pound head slam
36:28to win one sea lion has to force the other down the cliff into the sea
36:36big daddy gets high ground and leverage to shunt the insurgent down the cliff side
36:45to help a nasty bite
36:48to help a nasty bite
37:19and injured
37:20the insurgent flees
37:28big daddy has made it through another mating season
37:34time to get his strength up for next year
37:37when the fighting starts over
37:45for our next contender
37:47it's all about that one girl
37:54in Chile
37:55Juliet sits at the top of these trees
37:58waiting for her Romeo
38:00at the bottom
38:02Romeo
38:03he's a Darwin beetle
38:05on the brink of extinction
38:07as the world heats up
38:09bigger than a baseball
38:11male Darwins can be three and a half inches long
38:17jaws make up almost half their length
38:21and are used to attract the ladies
38:24and dispatch the competition
38:34Romeo heads upwards
38:41meeting another beetle on the same mission
38:49nothing will keep this Romeo from his Juliet
38:55the rules of engagement
38:57use jaws to reach over a rivals head
39:00and hook under his wings
39:02then lift
39:03and throw your enemy off the tree
39:06no problem for an insect
39:08who can lift
39:09120 times his own body weight
39:13Romeo tries pulling the suitor off the tree
39:16but the rival holds tight
39:19these fights can end in death
39:23as one beetle rips the head from the other's torso
39:29Romeo prides his opponent from the tree
39:34and throws him 80 feet to the ground
39:41with one of the hardest exoskeletons of all insects
39:45the fall is more annoying than fatal
39:49for Romeo
39:52another challenger is right around the corner
40:00Romeo wins again
40:02and again
40:05and again
40:14finally he finds his Juliet
40:18after climbing 80 feet
40:19and battling many suitors
40:21he's ready for his reward
40:23and to do his part in keeping his kind alive
40:26but she's not so keen
40:30he gives chase
40:34finally using his jaws to catch her
40:38he continues his bloodline
40:44his babies will be born
40:46and eat wood found on the forest floor
40:48so to save his partner the time of climbing down
40:53he gives her a helping hand
40:55what a guy
40:59hopefully
41:01there'll be many more high wire Darwin beetles to come
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