- 9 minutes ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:05When you see this symbol, you know you're watching television that's educational and
00:10informational. The More You Know on NBC. Hi, everyone. I'm Dylan Dreyer. It's time
00:17to meet some of nature's most adaptable architects. Amazing animal homes and habitats just ahead
00:24on Earth Odyssey. Coming up, a complex baby bird condo that may beat them all. And we go
00:33prowling the banks of the Nile with one cool cat. Plus, these mountain kids have a stellar
00:40room with a view. And the only wild monkeys in Europe are kicking back in a tourist town,
00:47living wild right now on Earth Odyssey.
01:11Whether it's a den, a burrow, a hive, or a nest, animals reliably find and build places to call
01:18their own. Sometimes a home is a simple bed of leaves. But one small, striking bird builds a house
01:25that's so complex, it has a secret entrance and a hidden compartment.
01:31It's early April, and the long Russian winter has run its course.
01:37More sunlight is warming the mountains.
01:44As the ice thawes, water carves channels through the snow.
01:52It's a trickle at first.
01:57But it soon becomes a stream, flowing into some of 130 tributaries which feed this huge inland sea.
02:07Among these is the Volga, the longest river in Europe, flowing 1,800 miles.
02:23The river divides into hundreds of channels as it enters the northern edge of the huge Caspian Sea.
02:34The annual flooding of the wetlands creates a secluded haven for a wide variety of wildlife.
02:42These unique conditions allow saltwater species to exist, as well as freshwater animals and plants.
02:50And the reeds growing on its banks provide perfect nesting grounds for spring visitors,
02:56like pendulon tits.
03:02These tiny, unassuming-looking birds are masters of deception.
03:12One skillful architect is building a hanging sanctuary at the water's edge.
03:21Woven from spiderwebs, animal hair, and soft plant matter, his nursery will take around three weeks to complete.
03:29A ring of twisted fibers forms the foundation and bears the weight of the hanging nest.
03:36Halfway through, it looks like a hanging basket.
03:43Ten days later, his nest is complete and surprisingly secure, suspended over the water from a single twig.
03:51A female decides he's a good bet, based on his building skills.
03:57A female decides he's a good bet, based on his building skills.
03:57Soon, she's inside, and begins an elaborate deception.
04:01She creates a hidden cradle in the lining of the nest, and conceals her eggs one by one.
04:18The mother bird leads the male to believe she has yet to lay, so he won't abandon the nest too
04:24soon.
04:31Later, she'll uncover the eggs and flee the nest, leaving him to fulfill his parental duties alone.
04:38That frees her to lay a second clutch of eggs in another nest.
04:45These unusual nests hang 30 feet above the ground, to help deter predators below.
04:56But this nest has caught the attention of a prowler, the jungle cat.
05:14With tufted ears and a short tail, this wildcat is slightly smaller than the lynx.
05:21It's most closely related to the house cat.
05:33Tantalizingly close, the hanging buffet is just out of reach.
05:41Despite their name, jungle cats don't usually live in jungles.
05:45They're found throughout the Middle East and prefer grasslands,
05:49and the dense cover of reeds near the water's edge.
06:02Rodents are their usual prey, but this hunter has his eyes on a different quarry, a ground-nesting bird.
06:10The cat waits.
06:17But today, luck and a quick response keep the quail out of harm's way.
06:24Coming up, this clever clownfish lives in a poisonous palace.
06:28What makes it work?
06:31And mountain mamas boldly lead their kids to the highest peak.
06:36Plus, jumping for joy in Gibraltar.
06:39Then, coming in for a cuddle.
06:41More wild animal homes when Earth Odyssey comes right back.
06:50We'll be right back to The More You Know on NBC.
06:56We now return to The More You Know on NBC.
07:18Being small is a risky business.
07:29We'll be right back to The More You Know on NBC.
07:30Size matters in the ocean food chain.
07:41Learning how to evade predators is essential if you want to live a long life.
07:57But some fish have developed very clever survival strategies.
08:06Like the hardy clownfish.
08:13They owe it all to their VIP relationship with anemones.
08:21Anemones are predatory marine animals, like coral, and their tentacles are always out.
08:27These soft-boned animals like to eat small fish.
08:41But clownfish have found a way to live in harmony with the deadly stinger.
08:45Thanks to a complex chemical relationship that is forged even before birth.
08:58A pair of clownfish are laying their eggs right beside their host anemone.
09:10This allows its smell to be imprinted on their new brood.
09:14They guard the eggs closely as they mature.
09:20A week later, the larvae are ready to break free and find a home of their own.
09:25Most will become fish food as they drift on the currents.
09:32But if they can survive for two weeks, they'll be ready to settle on the reef.
09:38And if they can find the right anemone, they'll have an excellent chance of living a long and peaceful life.
09:53To live inside the tentacles, the young clownfish have to acclimatize their bodies to stinging tentacles.
10:00A protective mucus layer around their bodies allows them to survive when they are stung.
10:07Eventually, the anemone will stop firing its tiny darts of poison,
10:12recognizing the fish as part of itself.
10:24But even good tenants have to pay rent.
10:28Butterfly fish like to eat anemones, and the clownfish act like security guards.
10:43Clownfish clean their host, and as the fish hide in the tentacles,
10:48they increase water flow, improving oxygen supply.
10:59At night, some clownfish actively fan their hosts to help them breathe.
11:07The partnership is so successful that all 30 species of clownfish in the wild call anemones home.
11:23It's a long-lasting alliance on the reef battleground.
11:32Coming up, these incredible climbers seem to defy gravity in their mountain hideaway.
11:38And what happens when monkeys spend the day sightseeing with people?
11:42More unusual animal homes when Earth Odyssey returns.
11:51We'll be right back to The More You Know on NBC.
11:57We now return to The More You Know on NBC.
12:12An animal has to be unusually tough to live year-round in the treacherous peaks of the European Alps.
12:18But one remarkably sure-footed goat does just that.
12:22At any altitude, the ibex's secret to survival in its rugged home begins at ground level.
12:36A labyrinth of ice and rocky peaks, with mountains soaring more than 15,000 feet,
12:43scrapes the sky at one of the most populated areas on the planet.
12:47The Alps are the wild heart of Europe.
13:00For thousands of years, humans have tried to inhabit its more accessible peaks and valleys.
13:06First, by creating footpaths, then roads, villages, and cities.
13:11People have subjected the mountains to a multitude of changes.
13:21Today, those who live here share a common mountain culture.
13:26One built on resistance to adverse conditions and of admiration, awe, and respect for these giants of rock.
13:40A labyrinth of ice and rock.
13:41But with so much human intervention, can life here still be wild?
13:49When snow covers everything else, the sturdy ibex flourishes in this dizzying high-altitude world.
13:57On the rock slabs and cliff ledges, these wild goats rely on a sophisticated adaptation that makes them superb mountaineers.
14:14To move in such demanding terrain, their hooves have evolved into incredibly efficient instruments.
14:22At the front, there is a hard, sharp edge, backed by a central area of rubber-like consistency.
14:29Its design is similar to the shoes that free climbers use.
14:33In addition, the two halves can be spread apart elastically so that a single half alone can stop the animal
14:40from slipping.
14:47When faced with a route, it doesn't know.
14:50The ibex is cautious.
14:59Retracing your steps is not always easy.
15:07Every movement is carefully measured, each sequence tried several times.
15:13There is no room for a mistake.
15:20But on their most familiar routes, ibex move rapidly with great confidence.
15:26They always use the same small protrusions and end up placing their hooves at exactly the same points.
15:33For the greater part of winter, the cliffs are one of the few places where it is still possible to
15:38find food.
15:39Better yet, few predators will follow the ibex up these treacherous cliffs.
15:45That makes these peaks a safe place to congregate until the richer days of spring.
15:52Coming up, they're raising rambunctious toddlers in a busy city.
15:57How these primates navigate parenthood when Earth Odyssey returns.
16:07We'll be right back to The More You Know on NBC.
16:13We now return to The More You Know on NBC.
16:29The territory of Gibraltar, known for the Rock of Gibraltar, marks the passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean
16:36Sea.
16:46It's also the home of the Gibraltar monkeys, the only primate population on the European continent.
16:54Some of these unique wild monkeys are perfectly adapted to living in town with humans.
17:00In fact, they are a major tourist attraction.
17:03They wander freely through the tourist spaces as if they were people.
17:15Their origin in Europe was considered a bit of a mystery.
17:19But they are actually Barbary macaques, most likely introduced during the Muslim occupation of Spain.
17:29These monkeys live in groups with an important social order.
17:34Each member has its own position and status.
17:53It's a deeply structured society, and good manners must be learned from a tender age.
18:15All this playing is crucial for the young macaque's development.
18:37Grooming activities help the macaques not only to stay healthy, but also to create and strengthen the bonds between them.
19:02Surprisingly, this adaptable Gibraltar monkey population has been increasing in recent decades, even in the most unlikely of places.
19:14We've seen how home sweet home means many different things for many different creatures.
19:20But no matter your species, all homes are built with skill and filled with family.
19:25I'm Dylan Dreyer. We'll see you next time here on Earth Odyssey.
19:31.
19:55.
19:56.
19:56.
19:57.
19:57.
19:58.
19:58.
19:58.
19:58.
19:58.
19:58.
19:58.
19:58.
19:58.
19:59.
Comments