- 7 hours ago
Uncover the wonders of nature's creativity and marvel at the incredible abilities possessed by these remarkable creatures in this captivating video compilation.
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00:00The sky suddenly turns orange. All you can see as you look up are millions of butterflies.
00:06You just got lucky to witness the spectacular natural show, the annual migration of monarch butterflies.
00:14Every fall, as the days get shorter and the temperatures go down in the northeastern U.S. and Canada,
00:20these beautiful creatures leave their summer breeding grounds.
00:25They travel up to 3,000 miles to Mexico and never come back.
00:31Their perfect overwintering ground is high in the mountains.
00:35Millions of monarch butterflies are safe there in the canopy of Ollamal fir trees.
00:41Once the winter is over, it's time for them to go back up north.
00:45They make a stopover around Texas to mate and lay eggs on milkweed plants.
00:52A few days later, these eggs turn into caterpillars that feed on the plant
00:56until they transform into grown-up butterflies.
01:00Now, it's their turn to continue the journey up north until they find a new breeding ground.
01:05This way, generations keep changing en route,
01:08and it may take up to five of them to get to the final destination back in Canada.
01:13It's a natural mystery how the butterflies traveling south live up to eight months traveling with the air currents.
01:20The same species going back completes its life cycle in five to seven weeks.
01:27Scientists still don't know why the monarchs migrate and how they find their way.
01:32It could be connected with the blooming of milkweed plants, their primary food source.
01:49Humpback whales are real champions when it comes to migration and size among mammals.
01:55They cover a distance of up to 5,000 miles following their lunch.
02:00In the summer, they move towards the poles to colder waters,
02:04where there's plenty of krill and small fish.
02:08In the winter, they go south towards the equator's tropical waters.
02:12They also travel to mate.
02:14They have specific locations where they gather to do it.
02:18During the winter breeding season, you can hear male humpback whales sing,
02:23most likely to attract females or mark their territory.
02:26They produce a long series of calls and can repeat the same song for several hours.
02:32When the song changes, all singers that are currently migrating pick up the new tune.
02:38It's amazing how they do it when the distance between groups can be over 3,000 miles.
02:48Sea turtles migrate for more sentimental reasons.
02:52For hundreds of millions of years, these cute family guys return to the exact place where they were born to
02:59lay their eggs.
02:59They can cover up to thousands of miles, mostly when the seasons change and the waters are of a comfortable
03:06temperature.
03:09It could take them years, since some of them travel across the Pacific Ocean between Indonesia and the west coast
03:15of the United States and Canada,
03:17which is a total of 10,000 miles.
03:20But how do they find the exact spot they need if their parents can't just send them a geotag?
03:26Scientists have found out that they navigate using the invisible lines of the Earth's magnetic field.
03:33It turns out that each part of the coastline has its unique magnetic characteristics.
03:38The turtles remember theirs and travel using their internal compass.
03:42The magnetic field changes slowly but surely, so they have to shift their nesting sites accordingly.
03:51Salmon are born in freshwater streams and moved to the ocean as juveniles.
03:56Atlantic salmon are brown and spotted as they cover hundreds of miles in freshwater and turn silvery in the ocean,
04:03where they travel for up to 1,000 miles.
04:06Adult salmon stay in the ocean for 1 to 5 years, feeding mostly on zooplankton.
04:12Then it's time for them to go back to freshwater to spawn.
04:16On their way back to the breeding grounds, they have to ascend thousands of feet against the current in mountain
04:21streams.
04:23This challenging journey is called a salmon run.
04:27They set on this run because they know the stream they're headed to will be good for spawning,
04:31and they'll meet the right species to mate with.
04:34Young salmon remember the smell of their home stream and probably even take note of various points along the way
04:40to the ocean to find it again.
04:42Just like sea turtles, they use the Earth's magnetic field as a compass for their travels.
04:48Pacific salmon and most male Atlantic salmon only live for a few weeks after spawning,
04:53and some female Atlantic salmon survive and migrate back to the ocean.
05:01Caribou, better known as reindeer, are the champs when it comes to migration distance among land mammals.
05:09Every spring, they cover a distance of around 400 miles in Alaska, from their winter to their summer feeding grounds.
05:16Individuals cover up to 3,000 miles, but herd migration is way more spectacular.
05:22The largest herd has at least 260,000 members, and its migration territory covers an area larger than California.
05:32Scientists put radio tracker collars on some herd members and take thousands of photos to count them all.
05:39This census is organized every three years in good weather conditions to see if the population figures are rising or
05:46falling and track their migration patterns.
05:49Caribou grow through all this migration trouble to safely raise their newborn young.
05:54They reach remote grounds where golden eagles, wolves, and grizzly bears won't bother the youngsters during their first, most vulnerable
06:02days.
06:03Another good excuse to hit the road up north for them is to save themselves from mosquitoes, which would be
06:08a huge problem in warmer months.
06:11Plus, they get fresh seasonal foods from the areas they stay in.
06:15Their migration helps fertilize the grounds they pass by.
06:18Which means, the tundra should thank them for regenerating and protecting its grasslands.
06:25Wildebeest, also known as noobs, are relatives of antelopes and gazelles.
06:31They spend most of their lives in the Serengeti plains of southeastern Africa, grazing on the grassy savannas.
06:39Every year at the end of the rainy season, normally in May or June, millions of wildebeest head northwest in
06:45search of greener pastures and then back again.
06:48This migration is so spectacular that it's considered one of the seven wonders of the natural world.
06:54Sadly, not all wildebeest make it to their final destination, as they have to cross rivers full of giant crocodiles
07:02and pass by hungry lions and other predators.
07:10If you look at dragonflies' migration routes, you can call them real globetrotters.
07:17Scientists discovered one such route that spanned from India to the Maldives, Seychelles, Mozambique, Uganda, and back again for at
07:25least 8,700 miles.
07:27It's the longest insect migration we know of so far.
07:31It looks like they set on this epic journey when the temperature reaches a certain mark and the days start
07:37to grow longer.
07:38They seem to be following the rains as they start during the monsoon season in India and arrive for the
07:44rainy season in eastern and southern Africa.
07:48One fragile insect cannot complete the whole trip, so it turns into a sort of relay race that includes four
07:54generations of dragonflies.
07:56Each generation plays its role in the journey.
08:00Scientists can't put radio trackers on dragonflies as they do with other animals because the insects are too small.
08:06So, to put together the migration route puzzle, they analyzed 21 years of data from volunteer citizen scientists and also
08:14wing samples from museums.
08:16Each of the samples had a chemical code that could roughly tell where the insect was from.
08:20This data helped the scientists understand how far this or that insect traveled as an adult.
08:31Elephants are known to have traveled across Africa for centuries.
08:35They rely on their herd leader's memory when it comes to recalling the tricky migratory routes.
08:41This big elephant boss leads everyone else to sources of ripe food and water when the seasons change.
08:47They also migrate to avoid danger, which is mostly represented by humans.
08:52Elephants have developed their own communication methods to pass on information about prospective danger.
08:58They use chemical secretions, vibrations, gestures, and touch.
09:02Recently, many African countries have restored some of the oldest elephant migration routes.
09:08These big-eared guys usually avoid dangerous areas for generations,
09:12but once they know the route is safe, they start using it again.
09:17So, we all know that Mother Nature is wise.
09:21If she blesses some creature with a particular body part, it should make perfect sense, right?
09:26Well, yeah, but still, some wildlife shots make you wonder if evolution has gone the wrong way.
09:33Snake's natural design allows them to swallow a whole mouse.
09:37But, in some cases, this cruel ability can turn against them.
09:42Yes, snakes can actually swallow themselves.
09:45Scientists believe that they mostly do this because of stress, captivity, temperature regulation, hunger, or illness.
09:52The snake is pretty helpless in this situation, you can tell.
09:56If it doesn't get help in time, digestive juices may begin to corrode the swallowed tail.
10:01So, if you ever catch your pet snake doing this, try to stop it, or take it to the vet.
10:07Okay, but what about the fangs, I hear you ask?
10:11Does a venomous snake have immunity to its own venom?
10:14Well, if the snake digests it, it will be okay.
10:18It's because protein is a primary component in venom.
10:21And besides, the venom is excreted by the gland in the snake's mouth.
10:26So, no matter whom the snake bites, chances are that it's going to drink a bit.
10:30So, the only way a snake can actually suffer from its own venom is by biting itself straight into the
10:37blood vessel.
10:38In this case, it'll experience the same reaction as any other animal.
10:43Now, think you're having a bad hair day?
10:45Hey, check this guy out.
10:47Chris was an Australian merino ram who became a celebrity in 2015 after being discovered in the wild.
10:55Farmers shorn him and gained nearly 90 pounds of wool.
10:58When the animal was found, he carried over five years' worth of fleece on his body.
11:03But Chris belonged to the domestic sheep breed that needs to be shorn regularly.
11:08Otherwise, the animal is at great risk of injury and infection.
11:12So, the lives of these cuties depend directly on going to the hairdresser.
11:17Shall we talk about horns?
11:19Cattle, goats, and many other species proudly wear this fancy headdress not only for fashion, but also as a weapon
11:27for brutal battles.
11:28If you ask this bighorn sheep ram directly how old he is, you'll probably hear something like,
11:34But if you want to get a more precise answer, you can count the number of rings on his horns.
11:40The biggest and the darkest ring usually marks the fourth birthday, when the ram matures enough for mating.
11:46Although animal horns may look very tough, in fact, most of them are made of keratin.
11:52It's the same protein that builds human hair and nails.
11:55Horns never stop growing as the animal ages, just like our own hair.
12:00And eventually, they can curl into really extravagant shapes, making these weapons turn against their owners.
12:06This is what a Wilshire sheep horn looks like when it's young.
12:10But as the years go by, the horns typically curl in front of its face.
12:15And while most grow out harmlessly, the inward-growing horns can end up dangerously close to the sheep's head.
12:22Like this ram who's having bad luck, to say the least.
12:26Its horn has slowly grown into its own skull, and eventually, well, it didn't end well for the sheep.
12:32Of course, this would hardly have happened on a farm, because people would have made a preventive horn cut.
12:38But, unfortunately, in the wild, animals cannot use hairdresser services.
12:44That's why they use rocks and branches to rub and grind away at their horns to keep them safe, just
12:49like humans trim their nails.
12:52Faulty genetics is not the only reason for the horn distortion.
12:55You see, when males of this species want to fight for dominance, they begin to butt heads to show each
13:01other who's the alpha male here.
13:04These battles can break horn plates, making them grow at weird and dangerous angles.
13:09The fancier the original shape of the horns is, the more problems their fracture may cause.
13:15This poor African kudu is a bright example.
13:19Fortunately, in some cases, unlimited body part growth can be good for the animal.
13:24Just take a look at these adorable smiles.
13:26If you happen to break off your own molar tooth, your dentist would probably say it's irreversible and offer a
13:33replacement.
13:34But if an alpaca breaks its front teeth, all it has to do is wait a bit.
13:40Although these animals don't have upper teeth, their lower teeth constantly grow throughout their lifetime.
13:46And they might look pretty creepy when they get too long.
13:49That's why some farmers prefer trimming them from time to time.
13:53Just like pet owners cut the nails of their cats or dogs.
13:57Now, llamas look so similar to alpacas that many people confuse these two species.
14:03But the significant difference between them is that llamas' front teeth are encased in enamel.
14:09That's why, unlike alpacas, they don't possess the superpower of limited growth.
14:14Eh, too bad.
14:15Unlike the keratin horns, deer antlers are made entirely of bone.
14:20Typically, only male deers, called stags, grow antlers.
14:24Very rarely, females can grow them, too, due to a serious hormone imbalance.
14:30This is a deer equivalent of a beard on a human female that sometimes can appear due to various diseases.
14:36Adult deers grow and shed their antlers annually, which coincides with the breeding season.
14:42At first, their antlers are covered in velvet, a protective skin with blood vessels.
14:47But once the antler is fully developed, the deer gets rid of the velvet, just like snakes shed their skin.
14:54Although this process doesn't harm the deer, it may look pretty spooky.
14:59Once the brand-new antlers are ready, stags begin to fight with other males over the ladies' attention.
15:06Usually, stags barely eat or sleep during this competition.
15:09And if you ever question whether the antlers of two deers can get locked together, the answer is yes.
15:16Every stag is risking ending up stuck with his own rival instead of having a romantic night out with a
15:22female deer.
15:23Bummer.
15:23Moreover, all the traumas that the deer gets during the mating season can influence further antler growth if specific nerves
15:31get damaged.
15:32Just like horns, antlers can develop at distorted angles because of genetic failures.
15:38Some mutations can even make them grow monstrously large.
15:42This unlucky deer can barely move his head without losing balance.
15:46Also, if a deer breaks one of its legs, its body can speed up the healing by sacrificing the bone
15:53and blood material from one of the antlers.
15:55And thus, this antler will get thinner and weaker.
15:58And speaking of facial extensions, we cannot skip the tusks.
16:03Please meet Babirusa from Indonesia.
16:05This ancient boar first emerged over 35,000 years ago.
16:09It's easy to confuse these big tusks with horns, but they are actually upper canines.
16:15They tend to pierce through the skin of the boar's face as it matures.
16:19Scientists believe that these intimidating tusks have evolved as a tool to protect eyes and throat while fighting with other
16:26males during mating season.
16:27But this design doesn't seem very thoughtful.
16:30If a male boar doesn't grind his tusk regularly, they can end up curling back into his own skull, which
16:37can blind him or even worse.
16:39Now, what if I told you that hooves can grow out of control, just like horns and antlers?
16:45It took evolution millions of years to turn the middle toe of the animal's foot bone into the hoof.
16:51And just like toenails, they tend to grow and curl into creepy shapes if they aren't cut regularly.
16:57When donkeys or horses don't have a chance to wear down their hooves naturally by walking on hard surfaces, they
17:04tend to overgrow.
17:06This makes the animals walk on the balls of their feet and overstretch the tendons, which may result in pain
17:12and bone loss.
17:13And eventually, they can lose the ability to walk at all.
17:17So, if you ever come across a horse with curly hooves, consider calling the experts to give it an emergency
17:24manicure.
17:25Perhaps, one of the most obvious questions regarding the undersea world is, can a fish drown in the water?
17:32Yup, it can.
17:33Although gills are an amazing gift of nature, there are still many factors that may deprive a fish of healthy
17:40breathing.
17:40When the oxygen level in the water is too low, fish begin to suffocate.
17:45But it happens very rarely in the wild.
17:48Oxygen deficit usually appears in aquariums that are not washed and replenished often enough.
17:54Also, parasites, diseases, and an overall imbalance in water components can cause the fish to drown.
18:01And on that note, I need to hoof it on out of here.
18:05See you next time!
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