- 2 days ago
The team heads to Madagascar to study the recently discovered Goodman's mouse lemur - one of the smallest primates on the planet. This velvet pinball makes ...
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AnimalsTranscript
00:02What if I told you there is a secret world of tiny creatures
00:06with incredible powers beyond the realm of human imagination?
00:14When you realize the phenomenal abilities of these tiny little
00:18animals and what they're truly capable of,
00:21in comparison, we are just big, clumsy giants.
00:26I've devoted my life to unlocking the secrets
00:28of these miraculous mini-monsters.
00:30I'm teaming up with a scientist, friend,
00:33and we're going to the very edge of the world to find them.
00:35Which way? To the bush? I got one!
00:37Behind you, behind you. Did you get it?
00:38He's got me. Looks like a dinosaur,
00:40straight up from the dawn of time.
00:41That's the perfect killing machine right there.
00:45I'll show you, pound for pound,
00:47they stack up against any creature that ever roamed the Earth.
00:51Fight that. Oh!
00:53It destroyed my sensor.
00:55This is in the realm of superheroes.
00:58Size does not matter,
01:01especially when you're a little giant.
01:26This desert's full of life, man.
01:27Oh, yeah.
01:28There's over a thousand native species of animals.
01:32Including one of the baddest creatures you're ever going to find in tough country.
01:36The ultimate mighty mouse. The grasshopper mouse. Stone cold killer.
01:42Are you kidding me?
01:43This is a little cute mouse.
01:46I'm going to change your mind today.
01:48After you see a grasshopper mouse in the flesh, you will never look at mice the same way again.
01:54It is jaws on paws.
01:57Yeah, if you say so.
01:59Today, we're combing through a portion of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona in search of a
02:04tiny and adorable little creature.
02:06It's actually a ruthless, vicious killer.
02:09The grasshopper mouse.
02:12This little giant is the only carnivorous mouse in North America.
02:16And it has survived for thousands of years
02:18because of a few remarkable traits that allow it to evade much bigger predators. Owls, coyotes,
02:26rattlesnakes, and also make it the perfect killing machine.
02:29It's lightning fast. It has insane jumping abilities. And last but not least, it has
02:36razor sharp teeth that allow it to completely sever the spinal cord of its prey in a single bite.
02:42And the grasshopper mouse is also known as the scorpion mouse.
02:46This little mouse feeds on scorpions because it's actually immune to scorpion venom.
02:53And when it kills prey, it stands up on its hind legs and howls the moon like a wolf.
03:00It's a wearmouse.
03:03Right now, Billy is highly skeptical that this toothy little fluffball could ever be considered
03:08a ferocious predator. But I am confident he will soon be convinced that he is dealing with the most
03:14relentless and skillful assassin in the American Southwest.
03:23What's the strategy for catching this grasshopper mouse?
03:26Mission number one, find scorpion habitat. Where there are scorpions, there are grasshopper mice.
03:33So the key to finding a grasshopper mouse is to find scorpion habitat,
03:37which is an area usually covered in saltbush and fallen trees and brush.
03:44Perfect. This is what I'm talking about.
03:47There's saltbush everywhere and really thick, heavy deadfall as well.
03:51Oh, yeah.
03:51But also have a look around. Look at all these rodent holes.
03:54I mean, you've got an entire rodent metropolis.
03:57Yeah.
03:57Now, they're obviously not all grasshopper mice, but we only need one.
04:02All right. Let's get the bait in the traps.
04:06Since this micro monster is a carnival, we're actually baiting these humane traps with little
04:12pieces of hot dog. Let's do this. We're going to set many traps over a very wide target area.
04:19Hopefully, that'll tip the odds in our favor. Let's come back once it's pitch black and see if we can
04:25pick up a little howling action from our monster mouse. Late night show with the grasshopper mouse.
04:30The scientists in me cannot miss an opportunity to hear this little creature give this amazing roar.
04:36And hopefully, we'll confirm that not only are we in prime grasshopper mouse territory,
04:40but we'll also get a chance to witness that rarely recorded natural phenomenon.
04:50It's so quiet. It's a perfect night for listening.
04:56Obviously, incredibly thick with scrub here, and it is dark, but you don't need to see an animal to find
05:03it.
05:05Billy, remember, you're listening for a high-pitched, shrill sound like the whistle of a tea kettle
05:10with a frequency between 9 and 14 kilohertz. Nothing else in this desert can produce that sound.
05:16It's very distinct. And if we're within 50, 60 meters, we should be able to hear it pretty clearly.
05:22But with your fancy mic, we'll definitely catch it from much farther away.
05:27This parabolic microphone is so sensitive, if a mouse so much as moves its whiskers,
05:32we'll be able to pick that up as long as it's within a 500-meter range. That's the mic's maximum
05:37reach.
05:45I'm near the sand ship.
05:51That could be our guy.
05:52Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's go check it out.
06:02Oh, look at that. I am so glad we have these flashlights.
06:06That is the giant desert hairy scorpion, and he is not luminescent. He's glowing.
06:12It's the UV light from our flashlight. That's what's making it glow.
06:16Exactly. Scientists aren't precisely certain why they glow, but we generally accept that it has
06:23something to do with the outermost layer of the scorpion's exoskeleton, known as the hyaline layer,
06:28and how it reacts to UV light. Oh, that's awesome. This affirms that this was the right place to set
06:34up
06:34our traps, because this is exactly what a grasshopper mouse wants for dinner. Even though this guy is
06:40venomous, the grasshopper mouse can eat these scorpions with impunity because of a metabolic marvel.
06:47It actually turns that lethal venom into painkillers. It no longer feels any pain at all,
06:52and it in turn kills and eats the scorpion. In fact, if this scorpion doesn't find cover before it
06:59gets too cold, he's going to be left out of no man's land and be picked off quick smart.
07:03Look at that stinger. It is locked and loaded. Oh, that's awesome.
07:08No. Oh, oh, oh.
07:10Wow. Look at that flexibility. I have never seen that in my entire life. He's about two and a half,
07:20three inches wide. And that hole that he just went into is about the size of a nickel. Well,
07:25I'll tell you this. If he's gone to that much trouble to get rid of us, then we should do
07:29him
07:29the courtesy and leave him. Yeah. That was amazing. Oh, look at him. Here he goes. All right, little guy,
07:37on your way. Just keep listening. There's a lot of scurrying and scampering over there. There you go.
07:54It's that coyote. There's something big going down over here.
08:12Oh, wow. Check this out.
08:18That's a howl. That is a legitimate howl. We've got ourselves a bloodthirsty weremouse.
08:24We are in the right place.
08:29He had some confidence coming out of that thing. He's just told everybody that he's the king of
08:34Arizona. They do two types of howls. They do a territorial howl to let you know that you're in
08:40their space. And they do this celebration of blood and victory at the end of a successful battle. That
08:48was awesome. I've never heard anything like that. But what's even better is knowing that we're in the
08:54right location. Oh, yeah. This is the place. But I don't think two bubbling giants stomping through their
08:59territory is going to encourage any tiny creature to come out. All right. I think our best option
09:05is to wait out the night and come back at first light. Let's do it.
09:14You feeling lucky, Billy? Yeah, I feel lucky. We got a bunch of traps led out here,
09:18so I'm hoping that at least one of them has hit the jackpot.
09:22Here we go. Lucky number one. Got anything? No, not so lucky. That is still open for business.
09:32All right. Let's keep rolling. All right. Oh, I got nothing. All righty. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
09:41You see something? The gates are closed. Oh, no way. Grab your net. Three, two, one.
09:50Oh, there he is. Oh, that's a big one. Yeah, buddy. We have got ourselves. Wait a minute.
09:58This isn't a grasshopper mouse. It's a Merriam's kangaroo rat. Look at that long tail
10:04with the feathery plume. Hold him. That's it. That's it. The hearing is so sensitive. They can hear
10:10the actual moment just before a rattlesnake strikes and evade it. Wow. Plus, they don't drink a drop of
10:16water. This is a supreme desert specialist. Keep in mind, this rat's bigger than a grasshopper mouse,
10:23but it's actually one of its favorite prey. That's right. Our mouse eats other rodents.
10:28That's how dominant it is. Wow. All right. You want to let him go? Easy desert. Hop along.
10:34That's why they call it a kangaroo rat. All right. We got to keep going. We got to find our
10:39guy.
10:39All right. Here's one. Oh, we're in business. All right. Here we go. Here we go. Got a seal?
10:49Yeah. Three, two, one. Oh, money. Yes. We have a grasshopper mouse.
10:59All right. Give me the box. Okay. You ready? Don't bite me. Don't bite me. Don't bite me. Don't bite
11:02me.
11:03Oh, he's in. He's in. Yes. My man. Look at you. Oh, man. You adorable little buzzsaw.
11:15So this is your little killer, huh? Mm-hmm. He's tiny but mighty. I don't know. It's kind of cute.
11:21It doesn't look like it could harm a fly, let alone a scorpion. Oh, Billy, you have no idea.
11:26Everything you think he is, that's what he's not. He is chiseled muscle from head to toe. That little fat
11:33tail is a counterweight to let him do these extraordinary lethal acrobatics. And it also
11:38provides thermoregulation, that is temperature control. And that's vital in the Sonoran desert,
11:43where we can go from one temperature extreme to another. Also, teeth. Shut the door on those teeth,
11:49because this right here is a terminator in a fur coat.
11:56BTG says that this is the ultimate killer of the Southwest. Having seen it up close, I'm not sure
12:01it will live up to that title. But there's only one way to find out. For a very short period
12:06of time,
12:06we're going to bring this little guy into our mobile lab to run some tests and collect some data
12:11to see if it's really true. And then we're going to safely release him back into his natural environment.
12:17It's hard to believe this little fluff dumpling could be such a gifted assassin. It's all peaches
12:23and cream, but I assure you, blood for breakfast, blood for lunch, blood for dinner, dreams of blood.
12:27This guy has two personalities, and the darker one is something to behold. If you just look at it,
12:34it looks just like a regular house mouse, but for two differences. One, it's slightly beefier in the body.
12:41It's muscularity is much greater than a regular mouse. And then its tail is much shorter and much
12:47thicker. And what that means is it's got a far more controllable and responsive counterbalance.
12:52When it's actually predating on dangerous animals, other mice, scorpions, centipedes,
12:58it's incredibly acrobatic. And that tail allows it to do maneuvers that only a kung fu master can do.
13:05When this little thing wakes up and goes hunting, its kinetic potential is off the charts. And you
13:11will see that counterbalanced tail and that compact muscular body absolutely fly. And of course, above all,
13:17ridiculous teeth and bite force and that never-say-die attitude. Once it's got prey, it does not let it
13:25go.
13:25This is a very big predator in a very small package. Let's weigh this guy. Okay, he's on.
13:33Our friend here weighs 1.15 ounces. Its true body length is 2.6 inches.
13:42The Grasshopper Mouse has three legendary abilities. I'm going to use my high-speed camera
13:47to test for its speed and its incredible vertical leap. But before that, I'm going to test for the
13:53thing it's known for its massive bite force.
14:00This is a FlexForce pressure sensor. Any little ding on this circle at the end
14:05will give me a reading on my laptop. All we need is for you to convince our little friend there
14:10to bite down on this sensor so we can get a pressure reading.
14:13Oh, is that all you need?
14:14Yes, sir.
14:15All right, let's do it. I love it. I bet this little guy will have a phenomenal bite force.
14:20Not only can he munch straight through hard creatures like scorpions and beetles,
14:25when it attacks other mammals, it bites through their spine.
14:29It's quick and painless, except for the first part, which is excruciating.
14:34Okay, I'm going to hold him real gentle. No pressure on him. That's when he'll be at his most
14:39relaxed. And we'll have the best shot of getting a natural behavior when something gets close to
14:44his mouth. And that is chomped down real hard. Come on, little guy. Here we go.
14:52Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh my gosh. Man, that's sharp. Okay.
15:01I really felt a sharp pinch on my flesh, despite wearing these super thick Kevlar line gloves,
15:07and for good reason. See those little teeth? That's what's doing the damage. Doesn't look like
15:12much, but I assure you that is a mouthful of don't argue. Their front two teeth never stop growing.
15:19That's because it's a true rodent. That's the defining trait. They wear them down by eating,
15:23they grow right back. All right, let's try it again. Here we go. Ready? Careful. Oh,
15:31he bit it. Oh, he's got it. He's in that thing. Oh, oh, look at that. No way. He bit
15:37through the
15:38force sensor. Gosh, look at that. Do you see that? He destroyed my sensor. Let's see what we got.
15:49Oh, what is it? 0.5 pounds of bite force. So that's eight ounces. He weighs one ounce. So 800
15:56%
15:56its body mass is its bite force. That is amazing. In the animal kingdom, jaguars have the greatest bite
16:03force of any big cat. A large male jaguar weighs around 300 pounds and has a bite force of 1
16:10,500 PSI.
16:12That's enough to crush a rock hard coconut shell in a single bite. But our scaled up 300 pound grasshopper
16:21mouse, which is now 4,200 times its original size, has a bite force of 2,400 PSI. That's nearly
16:301,000 PSI
16:31more than the jaguar and more than enough force to shatter a six inch thick concrete slab with a single
16:38bite.
16:42I can't believe what I'm seeing. He broke the sensor. I told you looks cute, but that's a guillotine for
16:48a
16:49face right there. And keep in mind, as much as this is great indicative science, these animals
16:54are not saving their lives. They're not eating. They're not killing things. So we're never going
16:58to get the highest maximum bite force. But 800% body mass. I know. My mind is blown.
17:05With such a mighty bite, it's not just prey. Even large predators in the Sonoran Desert,
17:10horned owls, coyotes, vultures, would think twice before messing with this whiskered warrior.
17:16I'm super impressed. Considering that he destroyed my bite force sensor,
17:20he's already set a pretty high bar for what he's capable of. So I'm expecting his speed to be through
17:25the roof. Oh, I assure you, this guy is incredibly fast. I mean, if you're the prey for a grasshopper
17:32mouse, you have no idea where it's coming from because the smackdown is coming from every direction,
17:37seemingly instantaneously. Which is why I want to clock how fast it can go.
17:46I'm going to set up the high speed camera. He put our piece of plexi with the centimeter
17:50measurement on it. I got you. In order to clock the mouse's top speed, we set up a high speed
17:55camera.
17:56Camera rolling. And then we set him loose in front of a scale background. Moving, moving. Yeah,
18:00he's fired up. He is very fast in every direction at the same time.
18:07Oh, that was quick. How fast was that, man? He went 30 centimeters in 0.13 seconds.
18:15Wow. That's five miles per hour. Considering his size, that's really impressive speed.
18:21He's doing 32 body lengths per second. The fastest human beings do six. He's about five times as fast
18:28as the fastest human being on earth. That's incredibly fast. And he can change direction
18:33almost instantaneously. Nearly impossible to outrun if you're its prey and nearly impossible to catch
18:39if you're its predator. It's no wonder these little creatures rule over such a wide swathe of desert.
18:45I'm really coming around on this guy. I told you. After what his legs just demonstrated,
18:50I want to test this vertical leaf. Oh, Billy, you got no idea. He's like a tiny mini kangaroo.
18:56Ooh. These guys can leap up into this scrub and shrubbery and rip animals out of the branches,
19:02which is quite extraordinary. Oh, you see him jumping? Yeah. Can't wait to test that.
19:10All right. I'm going to actually use this little shiny metal ruler and try to attract the mouse.
19:15When he notices it, I'm hoping it'll encourage him to jump high towards it. Okay, here we go.
19:21He sees it. He sees it. Whoa. Look at that height.
19:26Come on, little guy. Oh. You see that? Oh, oh. He's jumping higher than the top of the terrarium.
19:36Unbelievable jumping power. Let's see what we got with the high-speed camera. Yes, please.
19:45Oh, my gosh. Whoa. That's incredible. He was definitely above the top of the plexiglass,
19:53which is 18 inches high. Considering the mouse's tiny body length, I'd expected him to jump
20:06maybe a foot. And so that's what we set up the high-speed camera to cover. But he absolutely shredded
20:14our plans. We didn't get a shot at the peak of his jump. But we both saw him clear the
20:21terrarium,
20:21an incredible athletic feat, and not one that I ever could have predicted.
20:28What did I just see? You just saw that little mouse defy the laws of physics.
20:35He is only 2.6 inches long, and the terrarium is 18 inches high. And this little guy can jump
20:42at
20:42least that height. Keep in mind, the highest vertical jump from a standing start recorded
20:49by a human being is 63 inches, or just over 5 feet. That's less than one average human body length.
20:58Now, imagine if this guy was the size of an average human male. That's about 5 feet 9 inches. And
21:05he has
21:05a vertical leap of over seven times his body length. That means this mouse could jump 483 inches.
21:14That's more than 40 feet straight up into the air. That's higher than the average telephone pole.
21:21That's the kind of mad hops this little guy has.
21:25So keep in mind, this is also a great defensive mechanism. I mean, every time it comes under attack
21:30from a low-lying desert predator, such as a rattlesnake or a healer monster, it can evade the
21:34attack by jumping high out of reach. Whoosh! It's gone. What you're looking at is a wild predator
21:42with extraordinary explosive abilities. And he is as adept a killer as any of the largest predators
21:51you'll ever see. This guy is an adorable fluffy paradox of beauty and nightmare. But I also think it's
21:58time to get it back to its natural environment. Absolutely. All right. Come on, little guy.
22:04It's time to send you home.
22:08This little mouse, he's everything we were promised and more.
22:12I'm so glad this guy's only an ounce and six inches long.
22:16All right, let's get out of here before it gets dark. This is we're mouse country. I don't know what
22:20the little guy transforms into once the sun goes down.
22:29Without a doubt.
22:51You
22:51You