Do Octopuses Have Three Hearts? & More Wild Facts

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Transcript

00:00:00Well, meet the tiny terrors of our world.

00:00:04Fire ants.

00:00:05When they sting, they inject venom that can cause serious trouble.

00:00:09For most people, it's just a fiery sensation and raised bumps.

00:00:13But for others, especially those who are allergic to it, it's life-threatening.

00:00:17These ants set up their camps right under your feet.

00:00:20They're quick to swarm and are fiercely protective of their colonies.

00:00:24They show no mercy to intruders.

00:00:26Their stings are rated about 1.2 on the Schmidt Insect Sting Index, where 4 is the maximum.

00:00:34It feels like a sudden jewel, but the sensations are less burning than when a bee stings you.

00:00:40They originated in tropical regions like Central and South America, but now you can find them

00:00:46even in some temperate zones like North America.

00:00:50In their colonies, fire ants have a strict hierarchy of queen, winged males and females,

00:00:56and different types of workers.

00:00:58They communicate through chemicals and sounds.

00:01:00The most famous member of this genus is the red imported fire ant.

00:01:05They've come from South America and invaded the southern U.S.

00:01:09They build large mounds, making farming difficult and damaging crops.

00:01:13It's almost impossible to control them.

00:01:16And on top of that, there's now the rise of another invasive species, the tawny crazy ant.

00:01:22This one poses a threat to native ecosystems.

00:01:25Turns out ants can be dangerously unfriendly.

00:01:29Colorful blister beetles are among the 10 most dangerous insects in the world.

00:01:34Luckily, they're not lethal to humans unless they go for you in a big pack.

00:01:39However, they pose a serious threat to large animals such as horses.

00:01:44Blister beetles produce a toxin called cantharidin, which causes skin blistering in humans.

00:01:49In the past, people believed it could treat warts and even rabies, and some even used

00:01:54it in love potions.

00:01:55However, it's a risky game.

00:01:58In the 1950s, a man was jailed for giving cantharidin-laced candies to two women, resulting

00:02:04in a tragic outcome.

00:02:06These beetles are not to be messed with.

00:02:08Handling them or ingesting them is very dangerous.

00:02:11They're attracted to alfalfa and hay.

00:02:13If a horse eats either of those, even a few beetles can release enough cantharidin to

00:02:18end it.

00:02:21This cute caterpillar from South America is called Linomia obliqua, and it's the

00:02:26most dangerous caterpillar on Earth.

00:02:28It's responsible for several fatalities due to its potent venom.

00:02:32It's the larval stage of the giant silkworm moth.

00:02:36When it grows up, it becomes a beautiful and harmless silkworm.

00:02:40But if you see them as youngsters, it's better to stay away.

00:02:44Its toxicity stems from venom-injecting bristles.

00:02:48They serve as a defense mechanism against predators.

00:02:51The poison messes up how your blood clots, and can cause really bad symptoms like burning

00:02:56feelings, throwing up, kidney problems, and sometimes even lethal outcomes.

00:03:01A single bite probably won't lead to anything horrifying.

00:03:04It delivers only a tiny amount of venom.

00:03:07But these caterpillars tend to congregate, and they're quite good at camouflage.

00:03:11This increases the risk of multiple stings.

00:03:17Locusts themselves aren't dangerous to humans.

00:03:19They're ordinary, loud grasshoppers.

00:03:22But they're infamous for their swarming behavior.

00:03:25These swarms often happen when there's a dry period with no rain.

00:03:28And then suddenly, a lot of rain falls, and plants start growing fast.

00:03:33Once it begins, it's nearly impossible to stop.

00:03:36They can become a destructive force within minutes.

00:03:39Throughout history, locust plagues have been devastating, wreaking havoc on crops and farmland.

00:03:45What's interesting is that the term locust can mean different things depending on where

00:03:50you're from.

00:03:51In some places, we're talking about cicadas, which are also known for their loud sounds.

00:03:56But true locusts are ancient creatures, relatively unchanged since the Triassic era.

00:04:02They're among the oldest insects on Earth.

00:04:04Wasps, hornets, and even bees can be extremely dangerous, especially to those allergic to

00:04:11their stings.

00:04:12The Asian giant hornet is the largest of the wasps.

00:04:16It can reach up to 2 inches in size.

00:04:18It packs a powerful venom that can cause serious discomfort and even spray into people's eyes.

00:04:24There's an even more venomous species in the Philippines called Vespa Luctuosa.

00:04:29Not to be confused with Expecto Patronum.

00:04:32Any Harry Potter fans?

00:04:33Anyway, fatalities because of wasps or bees are rare, but not unheard of.

00:04:39In the UK, about 10 people pass away each year from bee or wasp sting reactions.

00:04:46Always stay cautious.

00:04:47All these insects are very territorial and will fiercely defend their hives.

00:04:51When provoked, they signal danger to nearby bees and instigate a mass defense effort.

00:04:57If you need to handle them, it's best to call professionals.

00:05:03A flea is tiny and humble, but it left a colossal impact on human history and health.

00:05:09They're not just annoying pests, they're notorious carriers of various human conditions,

00:05:14and are responsible for some of the worst outbreaks in history.

00:05:18Back in the 14th century, I forget where I was, but the bubonic plague wiped out over

00:05:2425 million people in Europe, and fleas were a big part of spreading it.

00:05:29Fleas spend their lives searching for warm-blooded hosts to feed on, whether it's reptiles,

00:05:34mammals, pets, or humans.

00:05:37Despite their tiny size and absence of wings, they make up for it with impressive jumping

00:05:42abilities.

00:05:43They can leap 6 feet and jump over 1,200 feet in the air.

00:05:47A flea bite might seem like a minor annoyance, causing itching and inflammation.

00:05:52But a lot of them can lead to anemia in their hosts.

00:05:55Of course, the most dangerous part about them is the viruses, bacteria, and worms they

00:06:00transmit.

00:06:02Kissing bugs mostly live in both Americas, with smaller populations in Africa and Asia.

00:06:08Despite the friendly name, they're great at passing on bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

00:06:14One of the parasites they carry is trypanosoma cruzi.

00:06:18It's the culprit behind illnesses that affect millions globally and claim thousands of lives

00:06:23each year.

00:06:24What's interesting is that symptoms don't often appear until 10 or 30 years after being

00:06:29bitten.

00:06:30They typically manifest as heart failure, digestive issues, or nervous system problems.

00:06:36They don't actually kiss you.

00:06:37They suck on you and are attracted to their prey by breath.

00:06:41If you breathe through your mouth, you're a target.

00:06:44They're messy biters, often biting chaotically and almost uncontrollably, which only adds

00:06:49to their unsettling nature.

00:06:54Many have heard of the tsetse fly, an unusual and scary insect from tropical Africa.

00:06:59These flies are carriers of one of the most devastating human diseases, sleeping sickness.

00:07:05Similar to the kissing bug, the tsetse fly transmits trypanosomes, the parasites that

00:07:10cause sleeping sickness.

00:07:12They acquire this parasite from an infected host or from within the fly's own body.

00:07:18Sleeping sickness doesn't strike immediately.

00:07:20After a bite, it takes 1-3 weeks for symptoms to appear.

00:07:24Fever, headaches, joint pains, and itchiness.

00:07:27As the illness progresses, it can invade the nervous system, leading to confusion, insomnia,

00:07:33and loss of balance.

00:07:35Without treatment, it can result in a coma and then a fatal outcome.

00:07:39Luckily, sleeping sickness can be treated, and the number of losses is declining.

00:07:44The tsetse fly holds historical significance too.

00:07:48Its presence has hindered European colonial expansion in Africa.

00:07:53And the crown of the most dangerous insect in the world goes to…

00:07:58The mosquito.

00:07:59It's no surprise why.

00:08:01Despite their small size, they wield a massive impact.

00:08:04They're not only responsible for more human losses annually than any other animal, but

00:08:09they've also left an indelible mark on history.

00:08:12These little insects influence the rise and fall of entire civilizations.

00:08:17For example, malaria significantly weakened ancient civilizations such as in Rome and

00:08:22Greece.

00:08:23What's interesting is that it's not just the mosquitoes themselves that are dangerous,

00:08:28but the parasites.

00:08:30Bacteria and viruses carry and transmit through their bites.

00:08:33These tiny horrors spread a buffet of diseases.

00:08:37Despite malaria, there's also yellow fever which, just like with the tsetse fly, hindered

00:08:42European colonization efforts in tropical regions.

00:08:45The scariest one of them is the Anopheles mosquito.

00:08:48It's the apex predator of the insect world.

00:08:51It's responsible for more fatal outcomes and illnesses than any other insect.

00:08:57So how do we combat these tiny yet mighty foes?

00:09:01With prevention.

00:09:02We need to eliminate standing water in our surroundings and practice mosquito control

00:09:06measures.

00:09:07We must always stay one step ahead to protect ourselves and our communities from dangerous

00:09:13insects.

00:09:15So, the most famous survival rule when it comes to encounters with bears is to stay

00:09:25still and pretend you aren't a living thing.

00:09:28But this rule won't work with all bears, only with grizzlies and brown ones.

00:09:33If you're in North America, you'll find those in Alaska, Washington, Montana, Idaho,

00:09:39and Wyoming.

00:09:40Black bears, the ones you need to run away from, live in a larger territory.

00:09:45You can find them in 40 states, much of Canada, and even part of northern Mexico.

00:09:50So if you're hiking in Yellowstone, you could run into either a black bear or a grizzly.

00:09:56But let's say you're in California.

00:09:58The bear you accidentally meet is most likely a black one.

00:10:02And no, you can't just tell the difference by the color of its fur.

00:10:06Black bears can be black, brown, cinnamon, blonde, blue-gray, or even white.

00:10:12It's getting complicated, isn't it?

00:10:15If you notice a hump at the shoulders of your unexpected date, it's a grizzly.

00:10:20Black bears don't have those.

00:10:22A grizzly will also have a dished face, round ears, and long, light-colored claws.

00:10:28A black bear has a straight, dog-like muzzle, pointed ears, and dark claws.

00:10:33We'll have a quiz on this later… maybe.

00:10:39So if you're sure it's a grizzly or a brown bear, lie down.

00:10:43Take a fetal position, tuck your knees to your chest, and cover your head to show the

00:10:47bear you won't hurt them.

00:10:49These big guys mostly attack if they feel there's a threat to them.

00:10:53You can never outrun them, so don't even try.

00:10:56If they see you're a harmless little human, in 99% of cases, the bear will pass by.

00:11:02Wait for 2 or 3 minutes until you can't hear the bear anywhere near.

00:11:06It might hang out in the area to make sure you didn't stand up and, if you did, get

00:11:11into attack mode.

00:11:13If you pack well for emergencies and have bear spray on you, take off the safety clip

00:11:17when the bear is around 60 feet away and spray the bear.

00:11:21Aim slightly below its face.

00:11:23It's more effective than just assuming the fetal position.

00:11:27When the bear leaves, run away for safety in the opposite direction from the predator.

00:11:32Got all that?

00:11:34Good.

00:11:36If you're dealing with a black bear, it won't stop if it sees you in a fetal position on

00:11:41the ground.

00:11:42If you don't have bear spray on you, and the bear is clearly interested in you, show it

00:11:47who's boss.

00:11:48Throw rocks or your stuff at it, shout, hey bear, loudly, clap, make yourself look bigger

00:11:54by raising your arms and jacket, climb on a rock or a stump, do whatever it takes to

00:11:59scare it.

00:12:01Black bears are a lot like those bad guys at school who want to steal your lunch.

00:12:04They'll often give up if they see you can stand up for yourself.

00:12:09If the bear gets dangerously close to you, hit it in the eyes or nose and try to shock

00:12:14or stun it to make your unwanted hiking partner flee in fear.

00:12:19If the bear, no matter which type, is just sitting in the distance and staring at you,

00:12:24try to shuffle away super slowly.

00:12:27Move sideways at a slight angle so you don't trip as you backpedal away from this guy.

00:12:32This way, the bear won't think that you're trying to run away and won't be triggered

00:12:36to chase you.

00:12:38Talk calmly to yourself to show the bear that you're a human.

00:12:41Singing also helps, hey, maybe she'll know the tune.

00:12:45Avoid direct eye contact with the animal and never stand between the cubs and their mother.

00:12:50Don't freak out if the bear stands on its hind legs, it's not an aggressive move.

00:12:55Says right here.

00:12:57In case you ever plan to visit an area populated with polar bears, don't go without a bear

00:13:02deterrent, like a tank.

00:13:04Healthy polar bear males weigh half a ton, stand 8 feet tall on its hind legs, and can

00:13:10chase prey at 25 mph.

00:13:13So don't go out alone, hike with others, and talk while you hike to indicate you're

00:13:18a group of humans.

00:13:19Remember, not all polar bears are mean predators who want to have you for lunch.

00:13:24Some of them are just going somewhere.

00:13:26If you spot one with your head down, stalking in, not trying to go somewhere but definitely

00:13:32trying to focus on people, that's when you should be alarmed.

00:13:35Move away from the bear slowly, don't run.

00:13:39Only if the bear gets close to you, use your deterrents.

00:13:45Some people claim that ammonia is a great bear repellent.

00:13:48Bears really don't like it, so if you soak some rags in it and throw them in your garbage,

00:13:53the brown guests shouldn't bother you.

00:13:56And if you meet a bear in the wild and it's not that into you, ammonia could help you

00:14:01repel it.

00:14:02But it also destroys the nasal passages, leaving the animal without its sense of smell, which

00:14:07means it won't be able to sniff out food.

00:14:10It can also annoy a bear who wasn't planning to charge after you and provoke it to do so.

00:14:16Anything that smells interesting to bears, like food and stinky garbage, will make them

00:14:21notice you and come to check your camp out.

00:14:24So cook away from the camp and don't litter.

00:14:27If you put bear spray on your tent, you might attract unwanted fluffy guests.

00:14:32The pepper products in it smell like food, so that could be one way to attract bears.

00:14:39If you notice a bear standing along the road, resist the urge to stop and take photos.

00:14:44Move at least 100 yards away and pull over to a safe location.

00:14:49Wild bears quickly get used to humans and traffic noise, which can become dangerous

00:14:54for their lives.

00:14:55And they're more likely to approach campgrounds and picnic areas in search of human food.

00:15:03People who live close to the wilderness and on the mountains are used to bear visitors

00:15:07and don't fear them.

00:15:09Douglas Harder spotted a mother black bear and her two cubs emptying the bird feeder

00:15:13on his second-story deck.

00:15:15He returned home after a while and found that a bear had broken into his kitchen through

00:15:20a partially open sliding door.

00:15:22The uninvited guest had scratched up a wall and stolen some junk food before running away.

00:15:28Harder just finished cleaning up after the bear when a cub shoved its face through the

00:15:32cat door.

00:15:34Its photos went viral online.

00:15:38Then there's Kristen Jones.

00:15:39She was visiting her parents in North Carolina and decided to do some yoga on the bank of

00:15:44a nearby lake.

00:15:45She was using earbuds and didn't hear the bear approach her from the back.

00:15:50Suddenly, she felt someone sniffing and licking her neck.

00:15:54She thought it was her neighbor's dog and stretched her arm to pet it, and that scared

00:15:58away the animal.

00:16:00Kristen managed to snap a couple of photos of the bear moving away, although no one believed

00:16:04the licking story.

00:16:06She remembers this as the scariest moment of her life and hopes it will never repeat.

00:16:11As for the bear, he was most likely spotted in the area looking for food in trash cans

00:16:16and on other people's decks.

00:16:21Scientists who observe polar bears note how incredibly smart these animals are.

00:16:25Members of Polar Bears International have captured hundreds of photos to better study

00:16:29these animals.

00:16:31Before they started using a special cage, they would take photos using a camera that

00:16:35was on the end of a long pole that would be lowered from a height.

00:16:40One day, the camera's flash went off right in front of a bear's face.

00:16:44He didn't appreciate the paparazzi move, but instead of ruining the camera, the bear

00:16:49calmly extended one arm.

00:16:51Then, it stretched one claw and touched the lip of the camera's lens.

00:16:56The animal kept the claw inside and wouldn't let go of the camera.

00:17:00The photographer was trying to move the pole, but it was pointless.

00:17:04After 15 minutes, the bear looked up at him and finally let go of the equipment.

00:17:09It looked like it was trying to send a message never to use a flash on it again.

00:17:21In the U.S., people experience 250,000 human bites, 400,000 cat bites, and 4.5 million

00:17:30dog bites each year.

00:17:32Yes, adorable animals can still attack you unexpectedly.

00:17:36Let's take a look at the cutest and fiercest examples.

00:17:40Forget about these viral videos of people hugging pandas.

00:17:44These cuddly-looking cuties can be surprisingly dangerous.

00:17:47Despite cartoonish looks, they're still wild, and they will attack a human when they

00:17:51feel threatened.

00:17:53Even a snow leopard is scared to mess with an adult panda.

00:17:57So if you ever meet this animal in person, keep a healthy distance, especially if it

00:18:02has cubs.

00:18:04Pandas switched from omnivorous to a vegetarian diet a couple of million years ago.

00:18:09But they still have these carnivorous teeth and retractable claws in their paws that can

00:18:13easily cut your skin.

00:18:15Today scientists speculate that pandas' strict bamboo diet may be contributing to

00:18:20their extinction.

00:18:21So it makes sense to plant some more bamboo.

00:18:24To prevent these fluffy monsters from returning to their carnivorous habits, huh?

00:18:31Let's say you're hiking in the woods in China, and suddenly a ferocious panda jumps

00:18:35out of nowhere.

00:18:37First of all, make sure to carry bear spray and be ready to use it.

00:18:41You can pretend you're not alive, especially if the panda is too big to fight with.

00:18:46Don't rush to run away, though.

00:18:48Instead, try talking to the animal while backing away slowly.

00:18:52If a panda follows you while you're hiking, make loud noises along the trail to scare

00:18:56it away.

00:18:57The smell of food can attract pandas as well as snow leopards, so avoid cooking if you

00:19:02know you're being stalked.

00:19:06And speaking of deceptive fluffballs, koalas and wombats can't be trusted either.

00:19:12These Australian animals are closest relatives, so they share some common traits.

00:19:17Koalas are territorial creatures, and they don't hesitate to use their sharp claws

00:19:22and teeth to prove it.

00:19:23If a koala starts biting you, it won't let go easily – you'll have to pull it

00:19:27away.

00:19:28So it would be wise to wear long trousers and a jacket to provide additional protection

00:19:33to your skin.

00:19:34Also make sure to protect your pets, because koalas definitely won't do that.

00:19:40Don't be tricked by those cuddly videos of people with koalas, too.

00:19:45These are zoo animals that have gone through a long bonding journey before becoming human-friendly.

00:19:50If you ever come across these creatures in the wild, don't try to take a selfie and

00:19:54avoid triggering them with loud noises.

00:19:58Although koalas are known for sleeping 22 hours a day, it doesn't mean you can't

00:20:03trigger them.

00:20:05Koalas tend to get more alarmed when they detect strangers within a 16-foot radius.

00:20:10By the way, spraying urine on enemies is one of the koalas' favorite defense mechanisms.

00:20:16The majority of koalas in the wild can spread unpleasant conditions, so that's another

00:20:20huge reason to stay away from them.

00:20:24Wombats may look like innocent, friendly hamsters, but these nocturnal marsupials are known for

00:20:29attacking people, dogs, and even wild dingoes.

00:20:33Yep, they bit several people so badly that they needed hospitalization.

00:20:38So the safety rules are the same as with koalas – no hugs, no selfies.

00:20:43By the way, if you dare to run away from a wombat, keep in mind it can run up to 25

00:20:48miles per hour.

00:20:49What about you?

00:20:52Take swans.

00:20:53When it comes to personal boundaries, these fancy birds can show some sinister traits

00:20:57too.

00:20:59Swans can defend their mates and nests very aggressively, which includes biting and even

00:21:04taking your life.

00:21:06Their nesting season between April and June is especially dangerous.

00:21:10So if you're swimming, or even walking near a body of water in spring, and you spot

00:21:15a sneaky swan coming your way, make sure to keep a respectful distance.

00:21:19You don't want to try to touch or feed them, don't do anything that can provoke the birds,

00:21:25and heaven forbid you to approach their nests.

00:21:30Beware of the mute swan – it's one of the biggest hooligans in the bird world.

00:21:35These guys are less vocal compared to other swan species, so they can skip warning shouts

00:21:40and simply attack you in total silence.

00:21:43If it happens, don't rush to run away.

00:21:45Instead, try to stay calm, keep on facing the swan, and slowly back away.

00:21:51Using a barrier such as a fence or a tree can be helpful too.

00:21:55You can also trick the swan into believing that you're a bigger bird.

00:21:59Just show them an open umbrella or a wide piece of clothing that imitates wings, if

00:22:04you happen to have it handy.

00:22:07Sometimes you can come across a swan that looks like it needs your help.

00:22:10Even if it breaks your heart, safety rules don't recommend trying to save the bird

00:22:14on your own.

00:22:15That's because the swan may perceive your help as a threat.

00:22:19Instead, you should notify local wildlife authorities, and they'll take proper care

00:22:24of the animal.

00:22:26There are many stories of dolphins saving people and being cute and playful, but their

00:22:31games can be surprisingly dangerous, especially in the wild.

00:22:35And sharks can lose their lives if they mess with the wrong willy.

00:22:39Swimming with these smiley creatures is riskier than you might think.

00:22:43Dolphins can start pushing you with their powerful noses and bodies.

00:22:48In some cases, they can pull you underwater and bite you with their sharp teeth.

00:22:53Unfortunately, not everyone survives such an encounter.

00:22:57So how do you tell a good dolphin from a sinister one?

00:23:01Well first of all, if the dolphin is wild, never attempt to feed, pet, or play with it.

00:23:07If you see them flapping their jaws, chasing, slapping their tails in the water, or even

00:23:11releasing clouds of bubbles from their blowholes, take this as a sign of aggression.

00:23:17If you ever find yourself kayaking or swimming in the water with an aggressive dolphin, leave

00:23:21the area as soon as possible.

00:23:25Wanna see one of the most poisonous creatures on Earth?

00:23:28Well here you go!

00:23:29It's hard to resist putting this colorful guy on your palm to take a cute picture.

00:23:34But this could be your last photoshoot.

00:23:36The 2-inch long golden poison dart frog has enough venom to take the lives of 10 healthy

00:23:42adult men.

00:23:43This toxin is meant to attack the predator's nervous system and cause muscle contractions,

00:23:48respiratory paralysis, and even worse.

00:23:52Unlike snakes and scorpions, dart frogs don't need to bite to transfer their venom.

00:23:57They excrete it through their skin glands.

00:23:59So if you ever happen to touch this cutie by mistake, don't rub your eyes and wash

00:24:04your hands immediately.

00:24:05The toxin has to get into your bloodstream to affect you.

00:24:09So if you have any cuts on your skin, it makes sense to go to the hospital as soon as possible.

00:24:15Keep in mind that dart frog's skin tends to poison everything it touches, and the toxin

00:24:20can remain on those objects for up to a year.

00:24:25Look at this cute Shrek-eyed toy!

00:24:28Wait a second, it's alive!

00:24:30Say hello to one of the few venomous mammals on the planet – the slow loris.

00:24:35It's no wonder that this furry creature is the star of the shadow pet market.

00:24:40But you should read the directions before purchasing it since a refund is unlikely to

00:24:45be possible.

00:24:46You may have seen this animal raising its hands as if surrendering to the police.

00:24:51You wish!

00:24:53The slow loris has a toxin released from its bronchial gland on the sides of its elbows.

00:25:00This innocent-looking fluffy takes the venom into its mouth to mix it with its saliva.

00:25:05After that, it can rub its hair with the toxin to scare away its rivals.

00:25:10Or give you a fierce venomous bite that you'll never forget.

00:25:16This toxin causes anaphylactic shock, so it's dangerous to human life.

00:25:21Do you still want to bring this cutie home?

00:25:23Nah, I didn't think so.

00:25:27Just because the platypus looks like an ancient Pokemon, it doesn't mean you can let your

00:25:31guard down.

00:25:33Male platypuses have a special tool to fight for mates – hidden sharp spurs on their

00:25:37hind feet.

00:25:39They contain a dose of venom that's fatal to a dog-sized animal.

00:25:43But it doesn't mean you're safe.

00:25:45They can attack humans too.

00:25:48Even the sensation caused by the platypus' venom is described as a long-lasting intense

00:25:53ache that cannot be relieved with conventional medicines.

00:25:57So never try to pet this cutie – it's not worth it.

00:26:02There are many more cute but vicious animals on the planet, so remember that looks can

00:26:06be deceiving, and stay safe!

00:26:09If you're being approached by an aggressively looking dog, start yelling and screaming.

00:26:16It'll show your dominance and spook the animal off.

00:26:20Yes, this is a widespread venom, and no, it won't help you if you meet a canine that

00:26:25looks as if it's going to attack you.

00:26:27The best course of action in this rather scary situation is to stand still and avoid direct

00:26:33eye contact with the animal.

00:26:35You shouldn't run – it may only encourage the dog to start chasing you.

00:26:40If the animal attacks, drop to the ground and curl into a ball, protecting your head

00:26:44and neck with your hands.

00:26:47But what if you come across another, much more dangerous representative of the canine

00:26:52family?

00:26:53A wolf?

00:26:55Running away won't save your life.

00:26:57Wolves are much faster than humans, especially in the forest.

00:27:01Plus, as soon as you start running, the wolf's prey drive will immediately kick in.

00:27:06Instead, maintain eye contact with the animal at all times, and never ever turn your back

00:27:12on it.

00:27:14While trying to escape, make sure the wolf remains in front of you.

00:27:18If the predator ends up behind you, its hunting instincts may come into play, so slowly back

00:27:23away while facing the animal.

00:27:28You might have heard that if you've been bitten by a snake, you should apply garlic

00:27:32to the bite area.

00:27:34Another misconception.

00:27:36Garlic has absolutely no effect on snake venom.

00:27:39Instead, try to remember the color and shape of the snake.

00:27:43It can later help doctors treat the bite and figure out what anti-venom is needed.

00:27:48Also, remain still and as calm as possible.

00:27:52Garlic can slow down the spread of venom, and of course, immediately seek medical help.

00:27:59If you see a bear, fall down on the ground and pretend to have passed away.

00:28:04Unfortunately, it doesn't always work this way.

00:28:07First of all, you need to show the animal that you're not prey.

00:28:11Do not make any high-pitched noises and don't scream.

00:28:15This way, you may agitate the bear even more.

00:28:18If you wave your arms, do it slowly.

00:28:21If you decide to talk some sense into the bear, do it in a calm and low voice.

00:28:27Without taking your eyes off the bear, start to move sideways.

00:28:31It won't let you trip and go down.

00:28:34Do not rush or run away.

00:28:36Although at first sight, bears may look clumsy and heavy-footed, they're surprisingly good

00:28:42runners.

00:28:43Plus, these animals love chasing their prey.

00:28:47That's why if a bear charges after you, stop moving altogether.

00:28:51There's a misconception that bees can only sting once, but in reality, the problem is

00:28:59that honeybee stingers are barbed and can easily catch on their victim's skin.

00:29:04The stinger gets stuck.

00:29:05The bee can't free itself and doesn't usually survive such an accident.

00:29:10You need to remember that bees will protect their hives no matter what, and they can sting

00:29:16you even if you're just walking by.

00:29:19Dark colors can make bees more aggressive since such hues make people look like they're

00:29:24natural enemies.

00:29:26That's why if you're dressed in a black t-shirt, your chances of being stung by these

00:29:30insects are higher.

00:29:32If a swarm of bees is following you, hide in an enclosed or dark space.

00:29:37The lack of proper lighting will throw the insects off your track.

00:29:41Similar rules apply to wasp encounters.

00:29:44One of the worst mistakes you can make is wearing your long hair down and wearing dark

00:29:48clothes.

00:29:50Wasps are attracted to dark moving objects, and your clothes and hair certainly fit this

00:29:55description.

00:29:56So, if you suspect you may come across some wasps, put on some light-colored clothes and

00:30:02keep your hair tied up in a ponytail or bun.

00:30:05Contrary to popular belief, bathing a wasp sting in vinegar or baking soda won't help.

00:30:12Instead, apply some ice to the affected area.

00:30:17Gorillas are called the kings of the jungle, and not without a reason.

00:30:21They are leaders that tend to protect their family and land.

00:30:24They won't normally attack you if you behave obediently.

00:30:27So, upon meeting a gorilla, sit down.

00:30:31This way, you won't look large and threatening, towering over the animal.

00:30:36Try not to make loud noises and avoid direct eye contact.

00:30:40In case of an attack or approach, curl into a ball.

00:30:45Gorillas are proud animals.

00:30:46As a rule, they won't attack the weak and defenseless.

00:30:51Surprisingly, a wild kangaroo can pose a serious threat to a person.

00:30:57But it will only happen if you enter the animal's territory and it feels threatened.

00:31:02To avoid a conflict, cough.

00:31:04It's not a joke.

00:31:05Your coughs should be short and quiet.

00:31:08The kangaroo will consider it a sign of disease, and there's a chance it won't attack you.

00:31:14After that, back away slowly.

00:31:16This way, you will look smaller, therefore less threatening.

00:31:20Don't turn away and run, it will only provoke the animal.

00:31:24Remember that kangaroos are perfect jumpers, capable of catching up with you in a few moments.

00:31:30Of course, we must talk about sharks!

00:31:33The good news is that out of several hundred shark species existing on Earth, only about

00:31:39a dozen attack humans.

00:31:42If a shark gets interested in you, it will be extremely hard to break away.

00:31:46To not attract sharks, prevent blood or any other body fluids from getting into the water.

00:31:52Sharks can feel smells at great distances.

00:31:56Also, when you go swimming, take off shiny jewelry or other reflective objects.

00:32:02Sharks are attracted to shiny things because they mistake them for fish scales.

00:32:07Don't turn your back on this predator, and don't try to escape in panic.

00:32:11You will look like prey this way.

00:32:13Move slowly.

00:32:15Hitting the animal in its eyes and gills can only make it angrier and more determined to

00:32:19attack.

00:32:20Instead, start making bubbles.

00:32:23They're too noisy for sharks, and these animals don't like them.

00:32:28If you encounter a wild boar, it'll be a mistake to try to escape the animal by jumping

00:32:33into the water.

00:32:35Boars are actually good swimmers and can easily follow you if they feel threatened.

00:32:40Instead, start whistling or singing if you spot a wild boar walking nearby.

00:32:48If you've encountered a lion, maintain eye contact with the animal.

00:32:52Don't turn your back and don't move your eyes away.

00:32:56It will give the predator some time to attack.

00:32:59Try to look more massive than you actually are.

00:33:02Lift your arms and jack it up.

00:33:04If you look big and threatening, the animal will try to avoid the confrontation.

00:33:09Speak to the lion in a reasonably loud and confident voice.

00:33:13Such behavior isn't typical for a victim.

00:33:16You will baffle the predator, and it will perceive you as an irritating presence, which

00:33:20is better to stay away from.

00:33:23Elephants are clever and quite friendly animals, but they have been known to attack people.

00:33:29This is especially true about female elephant mothers with babies.

00:33:33If you have come across an elephant, pay attention to its body language.

00:33:38If the trunk is curled and the ears are pulled back, it means it might try to attack and

00:33:43crush you.

00:33:45If the animal approaches, don't run.

00:33:48Try to find something to serve as a barrier between you and the elephant.

00:33:52It can be a stone or a tree.

00:33:56Rhinoceroses have bad eyesight.

00:33:58That's why it's easy to frighten them and provoke them to attack.

00:34:02These animals' speed can reach 37 miles per hour, which is why it's really difficult to

00:34:08outrun them.

00:34:09The most foolproof way to escape from a rhinoceros is to hide behind a tree.

00:34:14It's a serious obstacle for the animal.

00:34:16Also, it's unlikely to follow you through bushes or high grass.

00:34:24Hippos may seem cute, but this image is very misleading.

00:34:29These animals can be extremely dangerous.

00:34:32Despite their weight, hippopotamuses can run at a speed of 18 to 28 miles per hour.

00:34:38Plus, it's quite easy to make them angry.

00:34:41So if the weather is hot, try not to come close to bushes.

00:34:45The level of water lowers during the drought season, and hippos hide in tall grass.

00:34:51To make the animal leave you alone, climb a tree, a rock, or a steep hill.

00:34:56Wait there until it goes away.

00:34:59Despite the widespread opinion, bulls react to movement, not the color red.

00:35:04Or any other color.

00:35:05That's why if a bull is running at you, stay straight and still.

00:35:10Use your hat, t-shirt, or other clothes you have at hand as bait.

00:35:15When the bull runs up close enough, throw this object as far away from you as possible.

00:35:20The bull will change the direction and follow this new target.

00:35:26You decided to go scuba diving for the first time.

00:35:29The water is clear and the sun is shining on the seabed.

00:35:33You take a few selfies and a fish swimming by when suddenly, the ocean goes pitch black.

00:35:40You look up and, oh my, what is that gigantic animal?

00:35:46It's definitely not a shark, not a whale.

00:35:49Is it a turtle?

00:35:51Yup, but fear not, it's not going to hurt you.

00:35:55If you had lived on this same earth about 72 million years ago, then maybe this could

00:36:01have really happened to you.

00:36:05Scientists have recently found the fossils of a gigantic marine turtle that could have

00:36:09grown as big as 12 feet.

00:36:12If you don't have any idea of how big that is, let's see some examples.

00:36:17That's the average length of a hippopotamus, six golden retrievers, or two Michael Jordans

00:36:23stacked on top of each other.

00:36:27The turtle's scientific name is an homage to that old school sea monster called Leviathan.

00:36:33Maybe you remember this from old school history lessons.

00:36:37The Leviathan is supposedly a mythical creature that would swallow entire ships or people

00:36:42that were deemed too greedy by the creature.

00:36:46Can you imagine being swallowed by this humongous sea turtle?

00:36:51No thank you.

00:36:54The fossils of this gigantic creature began to be excavated between 2016 and 2021, all

00:37:00the way in northeastern Spain.

00:37:03The first fossil was located by a hiker in the Spanish Pyrenees, and it was around 8

00:37:08inches long.

00:37:09The pelvis of this turtle alone measured around 35 inches.

00:37:15It would definitely be one of the biggest turtles today if it hadn't gone extinct.

00:37:21FYI, the largest living sea turtles today can reach up to 6 feet in length, which is

00:37:28already pretty big.

00:37:32Now, how about a gigantic prehistoric scorpion?

00:37:37I bet most people here are not huge fans of these creatures, especially since they're

00:37:42poisonous.

00:37:43Which is why the thought of a 9 foot long aquatic scorpion might be the stuff of nightmares.

00:37:48Let's just say that if they hadn't gone extinct some 400 million years ago, lakes and rivers

00:37:53would be much more dangerous places for humans today.

00:37:58These gigantic insects were considered to be apex predators in their time, hunting everything

00:38:04from fish to other animals, even of their own kind.

00:38:08Yikes, I got goosebumps just imagining these creatures.

00:38:12Should we thank the asteroid that hit our planet now or later on in this video?

00:38:18Another prehistoric animal that would shock humans if it were still alive is the so-called

00:38:22megatherium, a gigantic sloth.

00:38:27This huge sloth is believed to have grown up to 20 feet long, and its weight could be

00:38:33up to 8,000 pounds.

00:38:36It was found in the woodlands and grasslands of South America.

00:38:40The creature used to stand on its two feet in order to reach leaves on high branches.

00:38:45These giant sloths had huge claws.

00:38:49They helped them climb trees.

00:38:51I gotta say, I feel uncomfortable imagining these elephant-sized sloths climbing trees.

00:38:57Oh, of course!

00:38:59Some dinosaurs will make our super-sized creatures list, but before that, here's a fun fact.

00:39:05Did you know some dinosaurs are still alive today?

00:39:09Scientists have proven that birds are classified as theropod dinosaurs.

00:39:14Such infamous creatures as the T-Rex and Velociraptor belonged to this group.

00:39:20I'm sure you've heard these names even before you watched Jurassic Park.

00:39:24The Velociraptor is that scary dino that breaks into the kitchen.

00:39:28Well, they evolved, gained some feathers, and turned into various species of birds we

00:39:34know today.

00:39:36That means that any bird from chickens to those little blue ones is a direct descendant

00:39:41of dinosaurs.

00:39:43Now, does the name Spinosaurus ring a bell?

00:39:48You can see this huge dinosaur in some museums today.

00:39:52It's fossils, I mean.

00:39:55The Spinosaurus was one of the biggest land predators to walk Earth.

00:39:59Actually, to walk its land and water, since scientists believe that this dino was semi-aquatic.

00:40:07It fed mostly on meat, which means humans would be its natural prey if it lived today.

00:40:14This meat-eating dino lived around 90 to 100 million years ago.

00:40:19It was about 60 feet long, 12 feet high, and weighed up to 22 tons.

00:40:26Its head was around the size of 8 bowling balls and was shaped like a crocodile's face.

00:40:31Basically, the Spinosaurus was a big African elephant with the face of a crocodile.

00:40:39Just kidding.

00:40:40But that would look funny though, wouldn't it?

00:40:42A much more attractive dino was this guy.

00:40:45It's considered to be the largest dinosaur that has ever lived on our planet.

00:40:50What made it so big was its extremely long neck and very long tail.

00:40:57You wouldn't want to stand behind this creature, believe me.

00:41:00If it decided to swish its tail, you'd get catapulted very far away.

00:41:04This creature lived around 100 million years ago and its fossils were first found in Argentina

00:41:10around 2012.

00:41:12The dino measured 120 feet from head to tail, which made it almost as big as an American

00:41:18football field in width.

00:41:22And have I mentioned it weighed almost as much as a space shuttle?

00:41:26A staggering 75 tons!

00:41:29If it had been a carnivore, it would have probably been the greatest predator.

00:41:33But this big guy was a peaceful herbivore that had such a long neck that it could eat

00:41:38leaves from high trees.

00:41:40Cute, right?

00:41:43We must also talk about the Shastasaurus.

00:41:46As the name suggests, this animal is popularly known as the Mount Shasta Lizard, even though

00:41:52it was a marine reptile and probably never set foot on the mountain itself.

00:41:58This dino was usually around 23 feet long, but there was a specific strand of this species

00:42:04that could get as big as 69 feet long, about the size of the Great Blue Whale.

00:42:12This made it the biggest marine reptile to have ever lived.

00:42:15A fun fact about the Shastasaurus is that scientists believe it didn't even have teeth,

00:42:21which means it could only feed on soft-bodied prey such as squid, for example.

00:42:29The next animal on our list is the Blue Whale.

00:42:32Believe it or not, the biggest living animal on Earth actually started small.

00:42:38These days, the average mature Blue Whale can reach up to 100 feet in length and weigh

00:42:43up to 200 tons.

00:42:45That's more or less the weight of 40 elephants put together, or 30 Tyrannosaurus rexes, or

00:42:522,670 average-sized people.

00:42:57Blue Whales have to eat up to 50 million calories per day to support that body.

00:43:03That's the equivalent of 30,000 Big Macs, just FYI.

00:43:10But Blue Whales weren't always this big.

00:43:13They actually evolved from a four-legged mammal that lived on Earth around 48 million years

00:43:17ago.

00:43:19Their ancestor was called Pachycetus, and it was only 6 feet long.

00:43:24Here's a fun fact.

00:43:26To be able to live in the water as one does today, the Blue Whale had to go through some

00:43:30intense adaptations.

00:43:33A Blue Whale can replace up to 80-90% of oxygen in its lungs each time it takes a breath.

00:43:41A human replaces only up to 15% for comparison.

00:43:45It allows these animals to dive for up to one hour at a time, down to a staggering depth

00:43:50of 330 feet.

00:43:54Elephants were bound to make the list.

00:43:56Elephants are currently the largest land animals on Earth.

00:43:59They can grow to be about 13 feet tall and weigh up to 7 tons.

00:44:04That's pretty small if we compare it to the other animals that once lived on Earth, right?

00:44:09But if we placed a 6-foot-tall human next to an elephant, we'll see it's not at all

00:44:15that small.

00:44:18African Elephants are bigger than their close relatives, Asian Elephants, and they have

00:44:22a similar lifespan to humans, up to 70 years.

00:44:27Pokemon might have made us collectively wish that Salamanders were real-life dragons, although

00:44:32they're not.

00:44:34They can still be pretty cool, though.

00:44:37There is a giant species of Salamander that is known to be the largest living amphibian.

00:44:43They can grow to be as long as a regular-sized human, reaching up to 6 feet.

00:44:49I bet that wouldn't be a pleasant underwater encounter.

00:44:54There are sharks that glow in the dark, for example, Swell Sharks.

00:44:58They live in the dark ocean depths, almost 1,700 feet under the surface.

00:45:04No one knows why exactly, but they emit a fluorescent glow only other Swell Sharks can

00:45:09see.

00:45:10Scientists detected the glow because they used filters that blocked out yellow light.

00:45:15They think that could be the way for these big fish to communicate with their buddies.

00:45:20This glow helps sharks fight infections on a microbial level.

00:45:25Cowbirds have secret passwords they use to recognize each other.

00:45:29They're a specific type of parasite bird since they lay their eggs in other bird species'

00:45:34nests.

00:45:35The young cowbirds have an inner mechanism where they recognize their species singing,

00:45:39like some sort of secret password only they know.

00:45:43That's how they manage to find others of their kind.

00:45:46A grizzly bear has an incredibly strong bite.

00:45:49It may look cute, but if you're close to this big guy, you better stay out of reach of its

00:45:54sharp claws and especially its mouth.

00:45:57Its bite force is more than 8 million pascals, which means it can crush a bowling ball.

00:46:04Some animals have skin-deep stripes and others have more superficial ones.

00:46:10Tigers are in the first group.

00:46:11Not only is their fur striped, but their skin is as well.

00:46:15It's the same with some other furry big cats, like snow leopards.

00:46:19Giraffes and zebras are in the second group since they have patterns only on their coats.

00:46:25Speaking of zebras, do you think they're black with white stripes or white with black stripes?

00:46:30At first, it really looks like the second option is correct.

00:46:34Their black stripes mostly end towards the inside of their legs and on their bellies,

00:46:39and the rest of it is white.

00:46:41But that's not true.

00:46:42Surprisingly, they're black with white stripes.

00:46:45All of their fur, both white and black, grows from follicles that have something called

00:46:50melanocyte cells.

00:46:52All animals have these cells.

00:46:54They produce a pigment called melanin, and it gives color to their hair and skin.

00:47:00When it comes to zebras, chemical messengers tell which melanocytes send pigment to which

00:47:05area of fur.

00:47:06That's why zebras have a black and white pattern.

00:47:09But white is not actually its own pigment.

00:47:12It's an absence of melanin.

00:47:15So black is their default color.

00:47:19Koalas have fingerprints that are so close to ours that they could even taint crime scenes.

00:47:23It doesn't seem like they have a lot in common with humans, but take a closer look at their

00:47:27hands.

00:47:29They have distinctive loops and arches.

00:47:32So if any koalas want to do something illegal, it would be a good idea for them to wear gloves.

00:47:38Ghost crabs growl when they're around creatures they don't like or find threatening.

00:47:43They do it using teeth in their stomachs.

00:47:45First, they'll let you know they'll defend themselves if you try anything by showing

00:47:50you their claws.

00:47:52If that doesn't work, they'll go for fearsome growling noises like dogs.

00:47:56But the noise is coming from rubbing their three elongated hard teeth inside their stomach.

00:48:02Ghost crabs produce the same noise when they're grinding up food.

00:48:07Speaking of teeth, did you know narwhal tusks are actually some sort of an inside-out tooth?

00:48:13Unlike the majority of other whales, narwhals are the ones that come with a large tusk,

00:48:18or tooth that grows from the inside of their jaw.

00:48:21It has up to 10 million nerve endings, and they're unprotected, which means its tusk

00:48:26is very sensitive to any type of contact.

00:48:30It's almost like a piece of skin because tusks usually don't have many nerve endings.

00:48:35Up to 95% of humans are right-handed, and it's the same with bottlenose dolphins.

00:48:41There are even more right-handed ones among them than among humans.

00:48:46During one study, scientists found that bottlenose dolphins turn to their left side over 99%

00:48:52of the time, which means they're right-handed.

00:48:55They place their right side and right eye closer to the ocean floor as they go for prey,

00:49:00such as squids, shrimps, or smaller fish.

00:49:04More cool facts from the ocean.

00:49:06Did you know humpback whales use bubbles when they go after their prey?

00:49:10You might think they don't need any special method considering how large they are, but

00:49:14when they're lurking for prey in the open waters, these whales team up and use something

00:49:19called a bubble net technique.

00:49:22While swimming in an upward spiral, they blow bubbles underwater.

00:49:26These bubbles make it difficult for fish to escape.

00:49:30The oldest evidence we have of domesticated cats dates up to 12,000 years ago.

00:49:37Researchers discovered this almost 20 years ago when they were digging through an ancient

00:49:41village in Cyprus.

00:49:43They found cat bones right next to human ones, which suggested they were close even when

00:49:48their lives came to an end.

00:49:50Humans were hunters, so they domesticated dogs first, somewhere up to 29,000 years ago.

00:49:57Puffins helped them catch other animals, but they didn't think they needed cats until

00:50:00they started to settle down and store surplus crops.

00:50:04Mice became frequent guests in grain stores, so cats came in handy in those times.

00:50:11Puffins are quite innovative when they want to scratch their bodies.

00:50:14They can surely be proud of their stunning beaks, but they obviously think it's not

00:50:18enough for scratching.

00:50:20Researchers noticed they tend to spontaneously take a small wooden stick to scratch an itchy

00:50:25spot.

00:50:27There's a special type of ant that only lives in a small part of Manhattan.

00:50:32The Broadway Medians at the 63rd and 76th Street is the area these crawling critters

00:50:37decided was the best spot for them.

00:50:40The Manhattan ant looks like it's from Europe, but no European species can actually match

00:50:45it.

00:50:46Hey, Potterheads, can you believe there's a thing like chocolate frog?

00:50:50Well, not quite, but it looks like it.

00:50:53New Guinea and Australia weren't always separated.

00:50:56They spent millions of years together until about 12,000 years ago, rising sea levels

00:51:01divided them.

00:51:03Since they were together for so long, some animals and plants still inhabit both areas,

00:51:08including green tree frogs.

00:51:10These frogs have spread really far and wide, and some of them, who live in hot, swampy

00:51:15regions surrounded by plenty of crocodiles, actually look like they're made of chocolate.

00:51:21We all know flamingos for their specific color, but they're not actually pink.

00:51:26They're born gray, and that's how they would stay if it weren't for their diet of blue-green

00:51:30algae and shrimp.

00:51:33These foods have a specific natural dye, which is why flamingo feathers turn pink over time.

00:51:40These little Tasmanian devils grow up and leave their moms.

00:51:43They socialize together, forming bonds that last for the rest of their lives.

00:51:48Not only them, cows also have stronger social ties than we think.

00:51:52They like to socialize, and they make long-lasting friendships.

00:51:56One research even discovered their heart rates significantly increase as a sign of stress

00:52:01when they're separated from their BFFs.

00:52:04Imagine you could simply freeze yourself solid during the cold winter days instead of listening

00:52:09to your teeth chatter and trying to tighten your jacket.

00:52:12That's what frogs can do.

00:52:14Atlantic frogs mostly hibernate underwater and spend most of the winter at the bottom

00:52:18of a pond, lake, or some other body of water.

00:52:23Toads and frogs are generally cold-blooded, which means the temperature of their body

00:52:27takes on the temperature of their surroundings.

00:52:30So frogs can freeze during the winter because of a high concentration of sugar or glucose

00:52:35in their vital organs.

00:52:37Once they unfreeze, they continue as if nothing happened.

00:52:42Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood.

00:52:45They can move at speeds of 25 miles per hour.

00:52:48And they spray ink that not only blurs the predator's visual field but actually harms

00:52:53them.

00:52:54Also, they have nine brains, the central one and eight smaller brains located in their

00:52:59arms.

00:53:00That's why their arms can open a shellfish while the central brain is busy doing something

00:53:04else.

00:53:06An octopus even tastes with its arms.

00:53:08They have cells in their suckers that enable the arms to touch and taste in a way that

00:53:13they detect chemicals marine creatures produce.

00:53:16That way, an octopus can distinguish prey from rocks.

00:53:20Lions, dogs, cats, all these mammals sleep in pretty comfortable positions.

00:53:26But not whales.

00:53:27They look like giant floating loaves of bread, which is a scene one diver accidentally came

00:53:32across in the Caribbean Sea.

00:53:35These whales were just standing upright with their tails pointed down at a depth of about

00:53:3965 feet below the surface.

00:53:42Scientists discovered that when sperm whales take a nap, they stay in this position for

00:53:4710-15 minutes.

00:53:48They don't move or breathe.

00:53:50But these creatures spend only 7% of their time asleep, far less than other mammals.

00:53:56Usually, they either rest peacefully in the water or relax, slowly swimming next to other

00:54:01marine animals.

00:54:03When they're moving and sleeping at the same time, they're actually taking a nap.

00:54:07These animals can't go too deep and need to stay close to the surface.

00:54:12Great white sharks sleep and hunt at greater depths, which means one less thing to worry

00:54:16about when taking a quick nap.

00:54:18Plus, it gets pretty cold the deeper you go, and whales need warmer environments that can

00:54:24help them maintain the temperature of their large bodies.

00:54:27When alone, dolphins enter a stage of deep sleep.

00:54:31It usually happens at night and lasts for only a few hours at a time.

00:54:35While sleeping, the animal floats at the surface.

00:54:39It shuts down half of its brain, I can relate, together with the opposite eye.

00:54:44The other half is at a low alert level, awake and ready to react if some unwanted visitor

00:54:49comes closer.

00:54:51The part of the brain that is awake also sends signals when it's time to go up to the surface

00:54:56to take a breath of fresh air.

00:54:58Some mammals have the blowhole – that's a flap of skin they can open and close whenever

00:55:03they want.

00:55:04People breathe automatically – your body knows what it needs to do even when you're

00:55:09sleeping.

00:55:10But whales and dolphins have a voluntary breathing system.

00:55:13It means they need to consciously go to the surface to get some air.

00:55:17And one part of their brain needs to always be awake to inform the animal it's time

00:55:21to go up.

00:55:23Whales and dolphins can hold their breath way longer than other species.

00:55:27They also have a higher tolerance for carbon dioxide and can take in more air.

00:55:32Their red blood cells store more oxygen too.

00:55:36Whales' and dolphins' blood goes only to those body parts that really need oxygen.

00:55:41If a whale only uses its brain, heart, fins, and some other muscles needed for swimming

00:55:46at the moment, those will also be the only body parts that will get the oxygen.

00:55:51Digestion or other functions can wait.

00:55:54The ocean is not a place where you can relax and peacefully fall asleep.

00:55:58While sleeping, fish reduce their activity.

00:56:01Their metabolism becomes slow.

00:56:03Some of them keep floating in the same spot.

00:56:06Others find a safer place among corals or in the mud.

00:56:10Early in life, dolphins learn to make a unique whistle that helps others from their pod to

00:56:15identify them.

00:56:17That means these specific whistles are their names, and dolphins do respond to them.

00:56:23A blue whale's tongue is almost half-feet.

00:56:24It looks like a large tongue that sometimes protrudes from the shell.

00:56:28But that's actually the foot.

00:56:30And it's relatively long compared to the length of the animal.

00:56:33Clams use this limb to dig themselves in the sand.

00:56:37The blue whale is the largest living animal, and it's also larger than the majority of

00:56:42dinosaurs used to be.

00:56:44They can grow to more than 100 feet long and have a weight of almost 200 tons.

00:56:49That's like 50 adult elephants.

00:56:51A blue whale's tongue alone can weigh more than one elephant.

00:56:55Such a giant surely needs to eat a lot – half a million calories in just one mouthful.

00:57:01The blue whale's heart is the size of a small car and weighs 1,300 pounds.

00:57:07To move the blood through such a giant body, the heartbeats are so strong, you can hear

00:57:11them even from 2 miles away.

00:57:14The heart of a whale beats only 8 to 10 times per minute.

00:57:18The whale is one of the loudest creatures out there.

00:57:21Its call can go up to 180 decibels, which is as loud as a jet plane.

00:57:27Almost 95% of jellyfish's body is made of water.

00:57:30For comparison, the human body is 60% water.

00:57:34It's probably not a surprise since jellyfish don't have a heart, blood, eyes, or brain.

00:57:40The other 5% of their body weight is proteins, muscles, and nerve cells.

00:57:46Jellyfish have been around for more than 500 million years.

00:57:49This makes them older than dinosaurs.

00:57:51These creatures haven't changed much, and today's jellyfish are pretty much like their

00:57:56ancestors.

00:57:57These creatures live in the ocean, but in 1991, more than 2,000 jellyfish polyps were

00:58:03taken into space.

00:58:05Scientists wanted to see how they would react in the environment with no gravity.

00:58:09The jellyfish reproduced and created 60,000 new polyps, but unfortunately, those couldn't

00:58:16function normally after getting back to Earth.

00:58:19One species of jellyfish can literally live forever.

00:58:22As it grows older, the critter goes down to the seafloor to become a polyp again, and

00:58:27that polyp turns into a new jellyfish with the same genetics.

00:58:32Greenland sharks can live 500 years.

00:58:35This is an animal with almost the longest lifespan among vertebrates.

00:58:40Sperm whales are sociable creatures.

00:58:42They spend their life surrounded by their family.

00:58:45These animals support one another and have close friends they remember well, even if

00:58:49they don't see each other for a long time.

00:58:53Electric eels have small eyes that are not so effective in environments with no light,

00:58:58so they mostly rely on their electric organs.

00:59:01Those consist of 6,000 cells.

00:59:04Eels use them to stow power, similar to batteries.

00:59:08These creatures use electricity, like bats use their radars, or dolphins their sonar.

00:59:13An eel can also produce enough electricity to power a panel of light bulbs.

00:59:19There's a small tropical archerfish that can learn to recognize human faces.

00:59:24This fish has an interesting ability to spit small jets of water from its mouth.

00:59:30Researchers showed the fish the image of two different faces placed side by side.

00:59:34One was unknown, and the other was familiar.

00:59:37The fish was supposed to spit water at the familiar one.

00:59:41The creature took the right guess more than 80% of the time.

00:59:45Every year in the winter, great white sharks that live along the California coastline disappear.

00:59:51It feels as if they take a vacation for 30-40 days.

00:59:55The animals go to a point halfway between Hawaii and Mexico.

00:59:59They might do it to get some food, relax, or hang out with their buddies from other

01:00:03areas.

01:00:04The spot is now called the Whale Shark Cafe.

01:00:08Some types of sharks, like makos, whale sharks, or white sharks, breathe in a very specific

01:00:13way.

01:00:14It requires them to swim all the time.

01:00:17They also need to move quickly and with their mouth open.

01:00:20This way, the oxygen can enter and reach their gills.

01:00:24Sea sponges are some of the most primitive animals.

01:00:27They're immobile, don't have a mouth, eyes, bones, brain, heart, lungs, or any other

01:00:32organ whatsoever.

01:00:34And still, they're alive!

01:00:36There's such a thing as a sea unicorn.

01:00:39That's an animal called the narwhal.

01:00:41Its horn is actually a tooth that can grow up to 10 feet long.

01:00:45Manatees, also known as sea cows, are distant relatives of elephants.

01:00:50Their weight can go up to 1,000 pounds.

01:00:53These creatures are vegetarian and need to eat around 10% of their total weight on a

01:00:58daily basis.

01:00:59That's lots of sea salad!

01:01:01In some cases, manatees share space with alligators.

01:01:05But they get along pretty well.

01:01:07You can even find a photo from Florida where an alligator rides a manatee's back.

01:01:13Frogfish have special fins that help these creatures walk along the sand.

01:01:17They're very useful in shallow waters.

01:01:21A ghost pipefish is hard to see, but once you spot it, you're bound to get really

01:01:26surprised.

01:01:27Its head makes up over 40% of its body.

01:01:31Manatees don't feel like wasting time on such formalities as putting foods in their

01:01:35mouth.

01:01:36That's why they taste it with their feet, which is where their taste buds are.

01:01:41Marine iguanas are the only lizards on our planet that like spending time in the ocean,

01:01:46even though they mainly live on land.

01:01:48They're herbivores that feed in shallow waters and swim like snakes.

01:01:53Iguanas use their long claws to hold on to the bottom when they need to graze.

01:01:58Penguin turtles can cross over 1,400 miles when migrating.

01:02:02They try to find the perfect spot to lay their eggs.

01:02:06Penguins sort of fly when they're underwater, reaching a speed of 25 mph.

01:02:12More than 5 million years ago, I've heard, I wasn't around then, deep-sea worms and

01:02:17humans had a common ancestor.

01:02:19So we still share 70% of our genes with these creatures, and with sea stars, squid, and

01:02:26octopuses.

01:02:28The ocean covers over 70% of our planet, and over 80% of it is unexplored.

01:02:34More than 1 million species live there.

01:02:36But there are not only animals – 3 million shipwrecks are lying all over the ocean floor,

01:02:42hiding mysterious stories.

01:02:44Many of them are yet to be discovered.

01:02:51So Megalodon was one of the biggest and most ferocious monsters on our planet.

01:02:56Powerful jaws, razor-sharp teeth, gigantic size.

01:03:00But what do you know about how it sounded?

01:03:02Imagine how loudly it growled, permeating the underwater world with sound vibrations.

01:03:08This sound resembled, eh, nothing.

01:03:11Megalodon didn't have a voice.

01:03:12It was a shark, and sharks don't have sound-producing organs.

01:03:16It was a quiet danger.

01:03:18But despite its muteness, yes, that is a word, you could have still heard it.

01:03:24Come with me.

01:03:25Now you're underwater, clenching your fist, raising your hand, and quickly bringing it

01:03:30down.

01:03:31Now imagine that you have a big submarine instead of a fist, and hear the water flowing

01:03:35around the smooth surface of the hull.

01:03:38That's what a Megalodon sounded like.

01:03:40When this monster was swimming out to the surface and opening its jaws, it sounded like

01:03:45a waterfall.

01:03:46The giant shark swam at high speed.

01:03:49When the water was passing through its mouth and gills, it sounded like a flowing river.

01:03:53A fast, powerful river.

01:03:55Megalodon had no voice, only the scary sound of flowing water.

01:04:00Other ancient fish could make sounds, but you would hardly hear them.

01:04:04Whales, dolphins, and their distant ancestors are not counted because they're mammals.

01:04:09Fish communicated at frequencies elusive to human ears.

01:04:13They still have this ability, but in most, the ocean was, and is, a pretty quiet place.

01:04:19So let's get out on ancient lands and check what was going on with the sounds there.

01:04:25Thanks to modern technologies, scientists can analyze the sounds of many ancient animals.

01:04:30Using CT scans, they found that some dinosaurs had complex systems of small open pockets

01:04:36in their skulls.

01:04:37They used these winding cranial mazes to reproduce a wide range of sounds and regulate body

01:04:43temperature.

01:04:44And people have managed to hear them.

01:04:46An ancient bird that lived 79 to 140 million years ago, Vegasus, sounded similar to some

01:04:53farm birds like duck and geese.

01:04:56But the ancient creature probably screamed in a scarier way.

01:05:00Scientists found this out thanks to the Sphinx fossil they discovered in 2016 in Antarctica.

01:05:05It's the oldest known vocal organ in the world.

01:05:08Scientists can help Vegasus make a double humming sound coming from the left and right

01:05:12sides of the Sphinx.

01:05:14Imagine a duck and goose screaming, increase the volume several times.

01:05:19Perhaps that's what its distant ancestors sounded like.

01:05:22As for other flying reptiles like the pterodactyl, it couldn't scream like Vegasus because it

01:05:28didn't have a syrinx.

01:05:30These winged monsters could growl, hiss, and snap their beaks, and this was their most

01:05:35effective sound.

01:05:36Remember any tall basketball player.

01:05:39The skull of the pterodactyl was slightly longer than their height.

01:05:43Just imagine what a noise the dinosaur created when it was snapping its powerful beak.

01:05:48The clicking sound could deafen and frighten other ancient creatures nearby.

01:05:52Now, you probably know what a Tyrannosaurus sounds like, thanks to the movies.

01:05:57Among thousands of others, you'll recognize this prolonged roar similar to a chainsaw,

01:06:02vacuum cleaner, and horn.

01:06:05Honestly, its roar has a lot in common with the natural sounds that this monster could

01:06:09make.

01:06:10Thanks to modern technologies and well-preserved remains, scientists managed to simulate the

01:06:15voice of these ancient animals.

01:06:18Imagine you're uploading data about a T. rex into a program and preparing to hear an

01:06:22intimidating roar.

01:06:24You press play, and… it sounds like a bee.

01:06:28Tyrannosaurus rex's scream was similar to birds, not mammals.

01:06:32But it wasn't just a bee.

01:06:34It used nostrils to scream, not a mouth.

01:06:37The hum came from the chest and resembled a siren with low bass.

01:06:41Maybe it sounded a lot more intimidating than what we saw in the movies.

01:06:45It was louder than all the trumpets of the symphony orchestra, and it did it only with

01:06:49the help of its nose.

01:06:51It's not known for sure whether it could growl through the mouth.

01:06:55You could also hear how long-necked dinosaurs sounded in the movies.

01:07:00Their calls were similar to those of elephants, something between a saxophone and a car horn.

01:07:05But in fact, these tall creatures whispered.

01:07:09Almost all mammals make sounds thanks to the laryngeal nerve.

01:07:13This nerve runs down along the neck, then goes around the blood vessels of the chest

01:07:18and comes back to the larynx.

01:07:19In short, the brain gives a signal, and it passes twice the distance along the body before

01:07:25the sound is released from the mouth.

01:07:27Now, remember those long necks of dinosaurs?

01:07:31This was the height of a 5-story building, but the voice signal had to run a distance

01:07:35of 10 floors.

01:07:37It took too long to make this long trip, and this affected the dinosaurs' roar.

01:07:42So when they wanted to make a sound, they just hissed.

01:07:46And it was probably similar to the sound of a giant viper.

01:07:50But the most detailed sounds scientists have managed to get belongs to the Parasaurolophus.

01:07:56You know this herbivorous dinosaur thanks to the long crest on the back of its head.

01:08:01We saw the dinosaur using it in movies and documentaries to fight opponents and enemies.

01:08:06Some scientists believed it also used the comb to drop fruits and leaves from trees.

01:08:11Others thought the dinosaur used it to improve its sense of smell.

01:08:15But it turned out that, in addition to self-defense and fighting, they used the comb to make loud

01:08:20and scary sounds in different keys.

01:08:24Scientists replicated this with fantastic accuracy, thanks to the structure of its hard

01:08:28tissues.

01:08:29Almost all living beings with a voice use soft organs to make sounds.

01:08:34And these soft tissues decompose quickly.

01:08:37Parasaurolophus had solid ones.

01:08:39They noticed tubes leading from the nostrils to the crest and back to the nostrils when

01:08:44they found the skull.

01:08:45It was like a kromhorn, a curved musical wind instrument.

01:08:50This proved the dinosaur used the crest on the back of its head to make the sounds louder.

01:08:55The comb allowed it to trumpet, so its relatives could hear it in the forest.

01:09:00They made humming sounds with low and high notes.

01:09:03Mix a saxophone and trumpet with a goose hum, car horns, and low frequencies, then increase

01:09:08the volume several times.

01:09:10That's what Parasaurolophus sounded like.

01:09:13That's also what my 4th grade band sounded like.

01:09:16But I digress.

01:09:17You can listen to different shades and timbres of this dinosaur on the Internet.

01:09:22It used noises with different tones to create complex social connections.

01:09:26They could communicate, identify each other, trumpet danger, or conversely, signal their

01:09:31friendly intentions.

01:09:32Alright, we've just heard how some ancient reptiles sounded.

01:09:37But what about ancient insects?

01:09:39They didn't have vocal cords, of course.

01:09:41Instead, they used friction between body parts.

01:09:44Look at modern crickets chirping with their wings.

01:09:47One wing has tiny notches.

01:09:49The second has the shape of a mediator.

01:09:52Take a simple plastic comb and run your fingertip over its teeth.

01:09:56Crickets make their sounds by the same principle.

01:09:58Their wings vibrate and release a series of sound waves into the air.

01:10:02But the clicking of an ancient bush cricket was very different from modern insects since

01:10:07they were much noisier.

01:10:09The sounds of these clicks were like a whistle.

01:10:12With the help of high-frequency waves, they could also communicate secretly as if they

01:10:16were doing it through a closed radio channel.

01:10:19If you heard this, you would hardly be able to fall asleep to it.

01:10:23Now, modern crickets are not so loud, as they began to add more high frequencies to their

01:10:29sounds.

01:10:30Higher pitch waves don't spread as far, reducing the risk that a bat will hear the

01:10:34insects.

01:10:35Just imagine how the jungle of that time sounded.

01:10:38The loud chirping of crickets hurts the ears.

01:10:42Then you hear a brachiosaurus hissing.

01:10:44The clicks of pterodactyls shake the sky like thunderclaps.

01:10:49Then you hear the trumpet sounds of different tones somewhere in the jungle.

01:10:53These are Parasaurolophus communicating with each other.

01:10:56And then you get scared by a loud Tyrannosaurus siren.

01:11:00What a racket!

01:11:01You'd probably not find peace in such conditions.

01:11:05Fortunately, humans appeared millions of years later.

01:11:08By the way, scientists have managed to find out and understand what our distant ancestors

01:11:13sounded like.

01:11:14They carefully examined the insert function of the mouth, nose, and throat on the Neanderthal

01:11:19skeleton.

01:11:21Their voices were similar to ours, but the phonetic range of an adult Neanderthal was

01:11:26the same as if they were 2 to 3 years old.

01:11:29It was like mumbling without consonant sounds.

01:11:32The study of the skull couldn't recreate precisely the sound of Neanderthals.

01:11:36But in 2007, scientists extracted DNA samples from their bones.

01:11:41They found a variation of the gene that responds to human speech.

01:11:45Scientists believe that Neanderthals fought with Homo sapiens, you know, our family tree.

01:11:51As a result of this conflict, their kind became extinct.

01:11:55But the found gene points they could have had other connections with each other.

01:12:00Perhaps Neanderthals could understand their language and even pronounce some words.

01:12:06It's just a regular day.

01:12:08As usual, you're taking a shower before starting to get ready for work.

01:12:12Everything is going as planned.

01:12:14Until it isn't.

01:12:16One clumsy move, some water spilled on the floor, and you're flapping your arms in the

01:12:20air, your body nearing the floor with frightening speed.

01:12:24Everything goes black.

01:12:27First thing you hear is a high-pitched whining in your head.

01:12:30Ouch, your head.

01:12:34You carefully get up.

01:12:35There's no blood, and that's good.

01:12:38An even better thing is that the annoying noise stops abruptly.

01:12:42Holding your head, you leave the bathroom and almost stumble over your cat, Milo.

01:12:48He hisses, and then a clear voice in your head says,

01:12:52Clumsy loser.

01:12:53Huh?

01:12:54You whip your head around in fear, but you see no one.

01:12:58It's just you and Milo.

01:13:01You've probably hit your head more than you thought.

01:13:04You shrug and make your way to the kitchen.

01:13:07Milo follows you.

01:13:09You hear ceaseless grumbling.

01:13:11Why can't he sleep in the bedroom, and I'm banned from there?

01:13:14Why haven't I gotten my meal yet?

01:13:16This leather creature is too lazy.

01:13:18Shall I scratch the sofa or leave a mouse on his pillow?

01:13:23The first thought that comes to your mind is, we have mice in the house?

01:13:27The second is more relevant.

01:13:29I'm losing my marbles.

01:13:31Great!

01:13:33Acting on autopilot, you pour some milk into Milo's bowl and fill another one up with some

01:13:38dry food.

01:13:39The cat doesn't seem to be satisfied with how fast you are, if his, oh for goodness

01:13:44sake, move it, man, is anything to go by.

01:13:48Okay, now you'll have to live with the knowledge that your beloved cat, Milo, actually has

01:13:54the personality of a grumpy old man.

01:13:57Duh.

01:13:58You decide to lock yourself in the bathroom again, because you're starting to get overwhelmed.

01:14:03You sit down heavily on the toilet lid, and almost jump a foot in the air when you hear

01:14:08someone arguing loudly.

01:14:11After looking around, you find out that, apparently, there are not only mice, but also cockroaches

01:14:18in your house.

01:14:19Just great.

01:14:21At the moment, you're staring at a couple of these insects, which seem to be having

01:14:25a fight.

01:14:26At least, one of them is accusing the other of, wait, what?

01:14:31Cheating?

01:14:32You've heard enough.

01:14:33You're about to dash out of the bathroom when you hear a bang.

01:14:38In the living room, you find your cat on the floor under a smashed flowerpot.

01:14:43The worst thing?

01:14:44He seems to be really hurt.

01:14:47He won't stop whimpering and meowing.

01:14:49Ugh, it hurts, it hurts, my paw, ouch, ouch.

01:14:55The sofa can't remain unscratched today.

01:14:59You grab Milo, shove him into the carrier, and head for the clinic.

01:15:06On the way, you have to concentrate hard to block out the noise of countless voices assaulting

01:15:11you.

01:15:12The waiting area at the vet is full.

01:15:14Uh-oh, you're in for a long wait.

01:15:17Half an hour later, your head is ready to explode.

01:15:22You found out that that yellow python is suspiciously interested in the hamster a girl in the corner

01:15:28is clutching to her chest.

01:15:30So fat, so pretty.

01:15:35The hamster's worried about his stash of nuts.

01:15:37Where did I hide them?

01:15:39Where, where, where?

01:15:40A tiny dog that has come with an elderly lady is anxious about needles.

01:15:45If that shop thingy comes near me once again, they'll regret it.

01:15:48I'll destroy everyone on my way.

01:15:52Finally, it's your turn.

01:15:54The vet invites you to her office, and you bend to pick up Milo when a desperate-looking

01:15:59young man bursts into the room.

01:16:01My puppy, what's wrong with him?

01:16:04The vet looks at you apologetically, but you're focused on the puppy.

01:16:08It looks weak, but you manage to figure out the words, chocolate, yum.

01:16:13When you tell the vet and the anxious owner that the pooch has eaten some chocolate, which

01:16:18is basically poison for dogs, they give you a funny look and disappear into the doctor's

01:16:24office.

01:16:25Some time later, the guy exits, holding the dog that looks way better than before.

01:16:30When they leave, the vet turns to you.

01:16:33How did you figure out the dog had eaten chocolate?

01:16:37Uh-oh, here it comes.

01:16:40You decide that honesty is the best strategy, and tell the vet that you can understand what

01:16:46animals say.

01:16:47Of course she doesn't believe you.

01:16:49You have to try hard to persuade her, but with the help of two other dogs, Milo and

01:16:55an elderly squirrel, you manage to make her believe you.

01:17:00When you get back home, your head is spinning, and you're pretty hungry.

01:17:05All you can think about is some fried eggs and bacon.

01:17:08Yum.

01:17:09Wait, bacon?

01:17:12But it's...

01:17:13Uh-oh.

01:17:14Apparently, starting today, you're a vegan.

01:17:19Anyway, that's when it starts.

01:17:21You don't know how it happens, but you become famous overnight.

01:17:25The next morning, a loud noise wakes you up, and it doesn't sound like animals talking

01:17:30to you.

01:17:31You look out of the window and see crowds of people gathered around your house.

01:17:36Some of them are reporters, but others are pet owners that have come to ask you for help.

01:17:42Milo is not happy.

01:17:45While grumbling non-stop and calling your names, he bites your leg and retreats under

01:17:50the stairs.

01:17:51And you go out of your house to talk to people and answer the reporters' questions.

01:17:57In the evening, you're exhausted but also happy.

01:18:00You've saved several animals today.

01:18:02They had serious health and psychological problems their owners couldn't figure out

01:18:07on their own.

01:18:08Lying in bed in the dark, you think of how you can use your ability.

01:18:12That's when your plan takes shape.

01:18:15Soon, you become the most renowned animal care specialist in the world.

01:18:21You listen to animals talking about their problems, talk them out of depression, and

01:18:26help them resolve misunderstandings with their owners.

01:18:29TV shows invite you for interviews.

01:18:33Your YouTube channel is growing every day.

01:18:35People recognize you on the street and ask you to take pictures with them.

01:18:39You travel the world, help endangered species, and give lectures.

01:18:43You open vet clinics all over the globe and invite the best professionals to work there.

01:18:50You never feel lonely.

01:18:52There's always someone to talk to or listen to, at least some birds when you're walking

01:18:57in the park or some fish when you're having a rare moment of rest on the beach.

01:19:03At the same time, you've come to realize how many animals are begging for help, but no

01:19:08one can hear them.

01:19:10You decide to take up the role of their speaker.

01:19:13It turns out you're now famous not only in the human world, but also in the world of

01:19:18animals.

01:19:19They're grateful, and in return, they start informing you of different natural disasters

01:19:24that are about to happen on the planet.

01:19:28You've heard that animals can predict earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, and if before, people

01:19:34had to try hard to notice some unusual behavior of certain species, now animals just pass

01:19:40you information about what's going to happen and where.

01:19:45With time, you notice that you spend less time among people and more time with animals.

01:19:51Together, you plan campaigns against zoos, circuses, and other places where animals are

01:19:57kept against their will.

01:19:59And then, one day, the unthinkable happens.

01:20:04You're returning home when a black van stops next to you.

01:20:08A few big masked guys grab you and push you inside.

01:20:11The doors close behind your back.

01:20:14Inside, you find out that several influential people aren't happy with your activity.

01:20:20You realize that this trip isn't going to end well.

01:20:25The guys blindfold you and lead you somewhere, but at one moment, you lose your footing and

01:20:31hit your head on something hard.

01:20:35You open your eyes.

01:20:37Milo is standing over you, looking at your lying body rather indifferently.

01:20:41And then, the most terrible thing happens.

01:20:44He meows what sounds like a whole sentence, turns away, and walks out of the bathroom.

01:20:51And you don't understand a meow of what he's saying.

01:20:55Is it all just a dream?

01:21:01I have news for you!

01:21:03Rats are ticklish.

01:21:04Well, I thought it was news.

01:21:06Anyway, they have a so-called laugh center in their midbrain, and it activates when someone

01:21:11tickles the animals or when they engage in some fun and playful activities.

01:21:16Scientists discovered this in 2016 after tickling the rodents on their bellies and listening

01:21:21to their squeaky giggles.

01:21:23Walking birds are the only birds we know about that can fly backward.

01:21:27They mostly do it when they want to move away from flowers.

01:21:31And here's an animal that can't go backward, a kangaroo.

01:21:34They can hop around and cross great distances, but the structure of their strong rear feet

01:21:39and big tails prevent them from walking backwards.

01:21:46Narwhals are those weird creatures that look like some sort of sea unicorns.

01:21:51That horn on their head is not a tusk.

01:21:53It's a giant tooth that sticks out through the upper lip of male narwhals.

01:21:58This tooth is probably one of the tools that plays a role in attracting ladies.

01:22:05Flamingos are not actually pink.

01:22:07They're born gray, but throughout their life, they eat lots of algae and other foods that

01:22:12contain a red-orange pigment we know as beta carotene, like in carrots.

01:22:16This pigment gets broken down and ends up in their skin and feathers, which is what

01:22:21makes them pink.

01:22:22They need to eat a lot of such food to stay like that, though.

01:22:26If we humans wanted to change our skin color, we wouldn't be able to eat enough food rich

01:22:30in beta carotene to really turn pink, or in our case, maybe even orange.

01:22:39Sloths are really slow.

01:22:41All the jokes and memes about them are true, but they're also very skilled swimmers, and

01:22:46they move in the water around 3-4 times quicker than on land.

01:22:51They can do breaststroke just like people, and it's an important skill for them to have

01:22:54because they're tropical animals that mostly live in jungles, and those areas are often

01:22:59flooded.

01:23:01Tigers are the biggest members of the feline family, yep, even bigger than lions.

01:23:06And no tiger has the same set of stripes.

01:23:09Their coat is actually a camouflage that comes in handy when they need to find a good spot

01:23:14where their prey won't see them.

01:23:16Interestingly, their skin is striped too, not just the coat.

01:23:20Their stripes are as unique as our fingerprints.

01:23:25Even though they look kind of funny and innocent, you wouldn't want to bother a platypus.

01:23:30These wild animals are some of the few mammal species that can poison you.

01:23:35They have spurs on the tips of their back feet that can release venom.

01:23:38It's not potent enough to pose a life threat, but the sting can still be very painful and

01:23:44can cause swelling and other issues.

01:23:47When a ladybug needs to defend itself against potential predators, it starts bleeding from

01:23:52its knees.

01:23:53Now, it's not actual blood coming out of its joints.

01:23:56It's a certain chemical that smells bad and, therefore, repels predators.

01:24:01They have another mechanism that helps them survive in the harsh animal kingdom – their

01:24:05specific color.

01:24:07Predators really don't like the combinations of bright colors, such as red, orange, and

01:24:12because they know that creatures colored this way can taste awful.

01:24:19Roosters can get extremely noisy in the morning, but they don't go deaf because they don't

01:24:23even hear how loud their crowing can be.

01:24:26What keeps them safe is special built-in noise protection plugs.

01:24:30Hens have the same system that reduces the risk of hearing loss too.

01:24:34Not only do they have this protection, but they can also regrow cochlear hair ears if

01:24:39they get damaged in only a couple of days.

01:24:43Owls don't have eyeballs.

01:24:45They have something that's more like eye tubes.

01:24:48And they can't move them back and forth like we do with our eyeballs.

01:24:51Which is why these birds have incredibly flexible necks.

01:24:54They're able to rotate their heads 270 degrees.

01:24:58For comparison, humans can only manage 180.

01:25:02That's why owls have a specific system of blood vessels in their heads.

01:25:06It delivers fresh blood to the brain if the bird turns its head too quickly and cuts off

01:25:11circulation.

01:25:14Just keep swimming!

01:25:16You may remember how Dory the Blue Tang sang this in Finding Nemo.

01:25:20Dory wasn't a shark, but that's a message some shark species need to take literally.

01:25:26Mako sharks, great whites, whale sharks, and some other kinds need to keep swimming.

01:25:31Otherwise, they'll stop breathing.

01:25:34We use our lungs for breathing, and some sharks use a method called buko pumping.

01:25:38This means they swim with their mouths open.

01:25:41That way, they allow water to flow through their gills and thus extract oxygen.

01:25:49The most dangerous animal on our planet isn't a bear, a shark, or some toothy tiger.

01:25:54It's something way smaller – the mosquito.

01:25:57Not only is it extremely irritating, but it also transfers serious diseases such as yellow

01:26:03fever, malaria, or dengue fever.

01:26:06Annually, hundreds of thousands of people don't survive the battle with those diseases.

01:26:11Mosquitoes also outnumber every other creature across the globe, apart from termites and

01:26:16ants.

01:26:19Grizzly bears are incredibly strong animals with a bite powerful enough to crush a bowling

01:26:24ball.

01:26:25That's why you won't see them aloud in bowling alleys.

01:26:28Despite that, they're mostly light eaters.

01:26:30They're strong enough to make a meal out of whatever they come across, including a

01:26:34bison, moose, or elk.

01:26:37But they still like to munch on their fruits, nuts, berries, and even a small unfortunate

01:26:42mouse that gets lost and ends up in the predator's mouth.

01:26:47The Inland Taipan is the most venomous snake on the planet.

01:26:51We know it as the Western Taipan.

01:26:53It lives in Australia.

01:26:54Just one bite has enough venom to turn out fatal for at least 100 fully grown humans.

01:27:00And they can also do the job within only half an hour if you don't have anything to treat

01:27:04the bite right away.

01:27:06They say these snakes are mostly shy, and they mind their own business.

01:27:10But like other animals, they will attack if they feel threatened or provoked.

01:27:17There's a kind of turtle that can stay alive for months under the ice by breathing through

01:27:21its behind.

01:27:23When it gets colder, some animals can't find safe places to stay, so they must survive

01:27:28harsh winter conditions wherever they are.

01:27:31And while bees get cozy in their nests, and bears sleep in caves, painted turtles stay

01:27:36in their ponds that freeze over.

01:27:38Since the ice limits their access to air, they extract oxygen directly from the water

01:27:43and breathe through their behinds.

01:27:45Yes, that would be handy.

01:27:48It's well known that ravens are incredibly intelligent animals.

01:27:52They're excellent at solving problems.

01:27:54But it seems they also have impressive social intelligence.

01:27:58They're very in tune with their feelings as well as the emotions of their mates.

01:28:02If one raven in the group feels pessimistic, it's likely to bring the others down too.

01:28:07A real buzzkill!

01:28:09When they see a bird that doesn't like certain food and expresses it in a very vivid way,

01:28:14they lose interest in their own food as well.

01:28:19The pistol shrimp is one of the loudest animals in the world, even though it's tiny, only

01:28:24about 3 quarters of an inch long.

01:28:26When it senses food, it opens its large claw that can grow as long as half its body length

01:28:32and lets some water in.

01:28:33Then it snaps the claw shut extremely fast, which shoots out a very strong jet of bubbles.

01:28:39These bubbles can stun or even finish the prey the shrimp is trying to catch.

01:28:44And when the bubbles pop, it produces a snapping sound, louder than anyone would expect.

01:28:50Crocodiles are even scarier than we thought, because many of them can gallop like horses.

01:28:55They probably inherited this ability from their ancient ancestors, who were as small

01:29:00as cats, had long legs, and could run at speeds of about 11 miles per hour.

01:29:06Smaller crocodiles probably gallop when something's after them.

01:29:09But caimans and alligators obviously don't need to use this skill.

01:29:13It's you who's more likely to gallop away when you see them!

01:29:19Okay, let's face it, we humans are pretty ordinary.

01:29:28I mean, we're no superheroes with superpowers, right?

01:29:31What, you didn't get the memo?

01:29:33But the animal world has a bunch of superheroes.

01:29:36Some creatures live forever, and those who seem to not care about the laws of gravity,

01:29:41critters that are immune to venom, and those that can run on water.

01:29:45And some of them will send shivers down your spine.

01:29:48So the first superpower on the list is the ability to live without water.

01:29:53Kangaroo rats can get by without water for years.

01:29:56They actually don't mind living without any water.

01:29:59Humans, on the other hand, can only survive 3 days without water.

01:30:04Humans 0, kangaroo rats 1.

01:30:06These little buddies live in extremely arid desert areas, and have to get water from the

01:30:11seeds and plants they eat.

01:30:12And although it may sound a bit disturbing, kangaroo rats also know how to extract water

01:30:18from their urine before they set off on a bathroom trip.

01:30:22This way, they don't waste a single drop of precious moisture.

01:30:26Well, that would come in handy at sporting events!

01:30:29Now let me introduce you to the Peter Parker of the animal world.

01:30:33Yep, seems like Spider-Man is real, but not human.

01:30:37Meet a gecko lizard, or simply gecko.

01:30:40This critter has a marvelous ability to climb up all kinds of vertical surfaces and can

01:30:45even go for a walk on the ceiling.

01:30:47This gravity-defying feat is possible thanks to the lizard's unique foot pads covered

01:30:52with tiny hairs.

01:30:54They can cling to almost any kind of surface, no matter whether it's smooth, hard, rough,

01:30:59or soft.

01:31:00One more fun fact about these guys is that they lack eyelids.

01:31:04So they always keep an eye wide open for what's going on around them.

01:31:09If you wonder how they keep their eyes protected, here's the answer.

01:31:12Their eyes are covered with a transparent membrane, the cornea.

01:31:16Sure thing they can't close their eyes, and if they have something in their eye, they

01:31:20simply lick it off.

01:31:22Right, they clean their eyeballs by licking them.

01:31:25I guess that's another superpower.

01:31:28Any supersonic superpowers here?

01:31:31Sure!

01:31:32A 1-inch long subtropical shrimp disorients its prey with a sonic boom.

01:31:38Despite its modest size, the pistol shrimp is one of the loudest marine animals.

01:31:43When the shrimp snaps its claws, it creates a sound as loud as a sonic boom.

01:31:48Naturally, this sound stuns the prey, and the shrimp can catch it without too much effort.

01:31:55In the comic world, there's venom.

01:31:57In the animal world, there's a guy that can be called anti-venom.

01:32:01Opossums are known for their handy trick of pretending to have passed away when a predator

01:32:06attacks them.

01:32:07But that's not the end of the story.

01:32:09These guys are also immune to rattlesnake and pit viper venom.

01:32:13The secret is a peptide that helps opossums neutralize dangerous chemicals.

01:32:18This is the reason why snakes are a favorite treat on opossums' diet.

01:32:22There's one curious thing they have on their diet – ticks.

01:32:26One opossum can hoover up about 5,000 ticks per season, and most of them are picked off

01:32:31their own bodies.

01:32:33Now imagine a fish that is so notorious that it's called a dangerous fish.

01:32:38It's Mabenga, and it literally translates to dangerous fish in Swahili.

01:32:43This monster lives in freshwater and doesn't mind having a crocodile for lunch.

01:32:49Not a whole crocodile, but Mabenga can take a bite out of them.

01:32:52But to be honest, these guys are intimidated by the crocodiles, the same way the crocs

01:32:57are intimidated by them.

01:33:00Now you're watching this video on some gadget, right?

01:33:02Well, we all owe the gadgets we have to the electric eels in some way.

01:33:08I mean, all gadgets have batteries, and eels contributed a lot to the invention of an electric

01:33:13battery back in 1800.

01:33:15I know, I know, the batteries have unrecognizably changed since then, but still, the first electric

01:33:21battery ever was invented thanks to electric eels.

01:33:25Anyway, if you see one of them and want to thank them for their magnificent invention,

01:33:30don't do that.

01:33:31Thing is, they can deliver shocks up to 860 volts.

01:33:36You don't want to experience that.

01:33:39Now let's talk about the Count Dracula of the animal kingdom.

01:33:42Nope, I'm not talking about bats, I'm talking about the fanged vampire fish.

01:33:48These fish are known as payara and have two long fangs protruding from their lower jaw.

01:33:53Here's why some people associate them with vampires.

01:33:57Hippos are the beauty gurus since they know how to save a fortune on skin care.

01:34:03Even under the harsh African sun, these animals secrete a sweat-like red oily substance that

01:34:09evaporates and keeps the animals' bodies cool.

01:34:12Besides, the fluid works as a moisturizer, sunscreen, and antibiotic all in one.

01:34:18But they're not the only ones with such a superpower.

01:34:21Mantis shrimp know how to produce natural sunscreen too, but they use it for eye protection.

01:34:27It's all about amino acid pigments, and these pigments act as special filters that contribute

01:34:33to their sharp vision too.

01:34:34That's what I call multitasking.

01:34:38Meerkats have dark patches around their eyes which make them look even cuter.

01:34:43But these black circles aren't there just to make these buddies more adorable.

01:34:47They also function as built-in sunglasses.

01:34:50The dark fur on the patches blocks the blazing sun, and as a result, meerkats can gaze directly

01:34:56at the sky.

01:34:58On top of that, the sentry, a meerkat that watches out for birds and other predators,

01:35:03can easily see danger coming and alert its mates.

01:35:07Wild goats are famous for their climbing skills, but the Alpine Ibex from Northern Italy is

01:35:13the champion.

01:35:14This critter can climb nearly any vertical surface, defying several physical laws in

01:35:19the process.

01:35:20Interestingly, the animals that do walk on the steepest cliff walls are typically mother

01:35:25goats with their little ones.

01:35:27Large males prefer to keep their distance and use flat horizontal surfaces.

01:35:32Smart guys.

01:35:34Some animals protect themselves with venom or nasty bites, while others use chemical

01:35:40tricks for protection.

01:35:41Listen to this.

01:35:43Some species of millipedes produce hydrogen cyanide and exude it when they feel threatened.

01:35:49Hydrogen cyanide is odorless but highly toxic.

01:35:53One little millipede can't seriously hurt you, but you may have burns or even blisters

01:35:58if your skin is sensitive.

01:36:00Plus, to make the picture even scarier, some millipedes glow in the dark.

01:36:05So watch out, and if you see a crawling spot of light at night, run away as fast as you

01:36:10can.

01:36:12When the bombardier beetle feels threatened, it sprays scorching liquid from the tip of

01:36:17its abdomen with a loud popping sound.

01:36:20As soon as the beetle senses danger, a chemical reaction starts in special reservoirs in its

01:36:25abdomen.

01:36:26The heat from this process nearly reaches the boiling point and also produces special

01:36:31gas that triggers the ejection.

01:36:33This super protection is usually fatal for the attacking insects.

01:36:37I guess so.

01:36:39Plumed basculus lizards have an uncanny ability to run on water.

01:36:44First of all, their hind feet are equipped with long toes which have fringes of skin

01:36:49that can spread out in the water.

01:36:51As a result, a bigger surface of the lizard's foot comes into contact with water.

01:36:56Then when it runs on water, it pumps its legs incredibly fast.

01:37:00This creates little pockets of air that prevent the animal from drowning by keeping it on

01:37:05the surface.

01:37:07Fleas can be annoying, but it doesn't make them any less amazing.

01:37:11These tiny critters can leap about 50 times their body length.

01:37:15If people could do the same, we would be jumping about a quarter of a mile into the

01:37:19air.

01:37:20Well, let's try it!

01:37:22The most curious thing about fleas' astonishing ability is that they take most of the power

01:37:27for leaps from their toes, not knees.

01:37:30So what's your favorite animal superpower?

01:37:33I vote for the kangaroo rat.

01:37:36I don't like standing in lines for the bathroom.

01:37:41It turns out, starfish don't have a head.

01:37:43They are the head!

01:37:45When you first look at a starfish, you think it's got five arms.

01:37:49Scientists have always been curious about why starfish look like this, and in particular,

01:37:54where their heads are.

01:37:56Most animals, including us, have bodies that are bilaterally symmetrical, meaning you can

01:38:00split them down the middle and get two matching sides.

01:38:03But starfish, along with sand dollars and sea anemones, are different.

01:38:08They're radially symmetrical, meaning their bodies have identical parts spread out from

01:38:12the center.

01:38:14Starfish, or sea stars, are special because they have this five-way symmetry, and you

01:38:18can divide them into five equal parts.

01:38:22To make this discovery, scientists used a technique called RNA tomography, which helps

01:38:26study genes.

01:38:28They focused on the genes controlling the outer layer, including the nervous system.

01:38:32Surprisingly, the genes associated with the head were active in the starfish's head and

01:38:37its arms.

01:38:38Yet, genes linked to the body trunk were hardly active.

01:38:43This suggests that starfish have a unique separation between their head and body.

01:38:47The study sparked new questions about how these creatures evolved and what their ancestors

01:38:51with trunks might have been like, based on their fossil records.

01:38:56It also showed that genes active in the head of an acorn worm were also active in a starfish's

01:39:02skin, covering its entire body.

01:39:05These genes are the most active at the center of each arm, changing towards the arm's end

01:39:10to resemble genes found in the rear of other animals.

01:39:14Starfish lack genes for a torso.

01:39:17All this challenges traditional views on starfish anatomy.

01:39:24There's a rumor about Paul McCartney recording an ultrasonic whistle for his Shetland sheepdog

01:39:29at the end of the Beatles song, A Day in the Life.

01:39:33Dogs can hear ultrasonic sounds since their hearing ability is incredible.

01:39:37To move just one of their ears, dogs need to involve 18 muscles.

01:39:41It allows them to swiftly locate the origin of sounds, and it's another skill where they

01:39:45outshine us.

01:39:47Their awesome ears sometimes shadow their noses.

01:39:51Dogs' sense of smell is up to 100,000 times more acute than that of humans.

01:39:56While humans have around 5 million scent receptors, a bloodhound boasts up to 300 million!

01:40:06Another study proves that dogs and bottlenose dolphins may share a fascinating similarity

01:40:11with humans.

01:40:12They call out the names of loved ones when they become separated.

01:40:16This makes them the first non-human animals to do so.

01:40:19The research has uncovered that dolphins copy one another's signature whistles when they're

01:40:23separated from close pals.

01:40:26In the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program recordings, pairs of dolphins were held in separate nets,

01:40:32but they could still communicate with each other.

01:40:34Turns out some of their chit-chats were mimicking the unique whistles of their dolphin buddies!

01:40:42Next up, we have flamingos with their peculiar dining habits.

01:40:45You often see them feeding with their heads positioned upside down.

01:40:49This distinctive behavior is linked to the anatomy of their mouths and the mechanics

01:40:53of maneuvering their long, elegant necks into the water.

01:40:57These birds are skilled filter feeders, employing their tongues as effective sieves to capture

01:41:02food.

01:41:03When a flamingo lowers its neck beneath the water, it positions its mouth essentially

01:41:08upside down.

01:41:09Then, the bird closes its mouth and skillfully propels water through comb-like extensions

01:41:14on its beak.

01:41:15It also utilizes its tongue to expel the water while retaining all the gathered food.

01:41:23If you've watched the movie, My Octopus Teacher on Netflix, you might already know that octopuses

01:41:28can bond with humans.

01:41:30But this time, we'll only focus on the anatomy of this creature.

01:41:34Octopuses have three hearts.

01:41:35One heart pumps blood throughout the body, and the other two tag-teams send that blood

01:41:40to the animal's gills.

01:41:42Octopuses also have nine brains.

01:41:45Each of their eight tentacles has its very own mini-brain.

01:41:48These mini-brains allow each tentacle to move independently at lightning speed.

01:41:53There's a ninth brain in the mix, and this one oversees the entire octo-nervous system.

01:42:02Opossums are intelligent, in a way, too.

01:42:04They're known for pretending to pass away when their life is threatened.

01:42:08When they face predators, opossums attempt to intimidate their foes by showing their

01:42:12teeth, hissing, and growling.

01:42:14Yet, when these tactics fall short, opossums resort to shutting their eyes, collapsing

01:42:19onto their side, and pretending to have passed away.

01:42:23To look more convincing, an opossum might drool, let its tongue hang out, and even excrete

01:42:28waste to enhance the illusion of a sudden demise.

01:42:31Remarkably, opossums can uphold this state for several hours, waiting until they're confident

01:42:36that the threat is gone.

01:42:39Monkeys can be loud when calling one another, but a howler monkey's shout can travel approximately

01:42:44three miles in specific situations.

01:42:47Males are usually louder than females.

01:42:49The thing is, the sound is created by pulling air through a space in an enlarged bone in

01:42:54the animal's throat.

01:42:56This bone is larger in males compared to females, and that's why males sound louder.

01:43:04Polar bears have black skin beneath all that fur.

01:43:07Their fluffy white coat is actually translucent.

01:43:11It only seems white because it bounces back visible light.

01:43:14The skin itself is jet black.

01:43:17These creatures are also impressive when it comes to swimming.

01:43:20They can hit speeds of up to six miles per hour in the water, which is pretty fast for

01:43:25such big creatures.

01:43:27They can swim for miles and keep going for hours.

01:43:30Their big paws are designed for swimming.

01:43:33They use them to paddle through the water while their back legs stay straight and act

01:43:37like a rudder, helping them steer.

01:43:40Since we visited polar bears, we might as well add a romantic fact about penguins here.

01:43:45Male Gentoo and Adelie penguins put themselves out there with proposals.

01:43:50They offer their potential mates precious pebbles, essential for building nests in the

01:43:54harsh Antarctic landscape.

01:43:57If the lady penguin accepts the pebble, they're in it for life, bonded and ready to mate.

01:44:03Another study has found that our adorable house cats share more than 95% of their genetic

01:44:08makeup with tigers.

01:44:10These little furballs also mimic many behaviors of their wild relatives, like marking territory

01:44:16with scents and the classic, stalking and pouncing during playtime.

01:44:21Biologically though, a cat's brain is kind of similar to a human's.

01:44:25We share identical emotional regions in our brains.

01:44:29Cats can also make up to a hundred different sounds.

01:44:36Owls have eye tubes or cylinders.

01:44:38Their rod-shaped eyes don't do the eyeball moving.

01:44:42Our eyes can move in almost all directions.

01:44:45Owls have to make a full body or full head turn to look around, all because of night

01:44:50vision.

01:44:52To master the art of seeing in the dark, they need large corneas that can scoop up every

01:44:57bit of light.

01:44:59Most nighttime critters, like slow lorises or tarsiers, have enormous eyes to get the

01:45:03job done.

01:45:06Owls have small skulls on their agenda, so those big eyes couldn't swell out.

01:45:14Cockroaches are notorious for their survival skills, and a key reason is their unique brain

01:45:19structure.

01:45:20They have two brains, one in their head and a more basic one near their abdomen.

01:45:24They're so hard to get because these critters are incredibly quick to react.

01:45:29They have tiny hairs on their rear end that can feel the slightest breeze.

01:45:33When these hairs twitch, the cockroach doesn't waste time.

01:45:36It instantly switches to escape mode.

01:45:40Research shows that a cockroach can react in just 1 20th of a second.

01:45:45So by the time we turn on the light or grab something to target it, the cockroach is already

01:45:49speeding off.

01:45:51Cats can have dreams.

01:45:54Sometimes you can see your cat's whiskers twitching or its legs kicking while it's sleeping.

01:45:58This doesn't necessarily mean your pet is having a nightmare.

01:46:01We can look at human sleep to get a clue about what's happening with our feline friends.

01:46:07During REM sleep, our brains get super active, almost like when we're awake.

01:46:11That's also the prime time for dreaming.

01:46:14REM sleep is named this way because of the quick movements the eyes make under the eyelids.

01:46:19But while our eyes might be moving, the rest of our body stays still.

01:46:23The focus is on what's going on in our minds.

01:46:27This is true for cats too.

01:46:28Besides an occasional twitch, cats usually don't move much when they're asleep.

01:46:59On that note, let's venture into the world of animal hearing and try to imagine what

01:47:05life sounds like for other creatures.

01:47:08Look, we humans are pretty great.

01:47:12We've got all kinds of talents.

01:47:14But when it comes to the auditory olympics, we're not even in the running.

01:47:17Put us next to a cat or a bat and our ears look kind of basic.

01:47:21Take elephants for instance.

01:47:23They are big animals and so are their ears.

01:47:26Their auditory organs are capable of capturing infrasound waves.

01:47:31Now, these are not your run-of-the-mill sound waves.

01:47:34They're low frequency, rumbling whispers that we humans can't hear.

01:47:39This means elephants can pick up on things like rain clouds on the move.

01:47:43Not only that, but these massive mammals have a pretty clever way of communicating too.

01:47:48They stomp the ground, creating vibrations barely noticeable to us.

01:47:53To elephants, these vibrations are the equivalent of a long-distance phone call.

01:47:58The messages are received through their feet and ear bones, even when they're miles apart.

01:48:04Talk about having a good reception.

01:48:10Moving on to bats.

01:48:13They are the masters of night navigation, thanks to their use of echolocation.

01:48:18These animals emit high-frequency sounds, which bounce back after hitting objects.

01:48:23This echo helps bats create a mental map, allowing them to sway flawlessly in the dark.

01:48:30Just when we thought bats couldn't get any cooler, scientists discovered their hearing

01:48:34capabilities extend to their wings.

01:48:38Special hairs called Merkel hairs sense air movements, helping the bats detect upcoming objects.

01:48:44It's not the traditional hearing we're used to, but it's a fantastic adaptation to their

01:48:48environment.

01:48:52Dolphins, on the other hand, are masters of watery acoustics.

01:48:57For starters, you might think that being underwater would put a damper on hearing.

01:49:01But dolphins have turned this challenge into an advantage.

01:49:05They've got their own version of echolocation, emitting sonic pulses from their foreheads.

01:49:11These sounds bounce off objects and are picked up by the dolphin's jaw before being sent

01:49:15to the brain via highly developed auditory nerves.

01:49:19Their ears, though present, don't play a central role in hearing like ours do.

01:49:24Instead, dolphins have found innovative ways to listen, proving yet again how awesome animals are.

01:49:32Don't let their domestic status fool you.

01:49:35Your pet cats and dogs are auditory champs.

01:49:38Cats' ears are designed to catch high-frequency sounds from up to 160 feet away.

01:49:44Handy for catching mice, don't you think?

01:49:47Dogs, on the other hand, are pros at localizing sounds, thanks to the muscles around their ears.

01:49:53Ever seen your pooch perk up their ears when they hear something suspicious?

01:49:57That's their sharp hearing at work.

01:50:03Even the tiniest critters buzzing around us, like insects, can actually listen to the world.

01:50:10In fact, some insects have something akin to our human eardrums.

01:50:14It's a delicate little membrane, given the name tympani.

01:50:18Our eardrums jiggle with the sound waves.

01:50:21That shaking is then turned into a signal our brain would understand.

01:50:25Now, you've surely heard the nightly serenade of crickets or the rhythmic song of cicadas

01:50:31in the summer.

01:50:32These little symphony masters use exactly this kind of setup to listen to their world.

01:50:38That's not all, though.

01:50:40Some bugs take a different approach to eavesdropping on their surroundings.

01:50:44They've got these sensory cells right in the middle of their antennae.

01:50:48This structure is called the Johnston's organ.

01:50:51Take mosquitoes, for instance, or bees, or even fruit flies.

01:50:55They use their antennae not just to feel their way around, but to listen in on the world, too.

01:51:02It gets even wilder.

01:51:03Rock moths, some dusky, nocturnal creatures, have this unique organ nestled right in their

01:51:09mouths.

01:51:10It's like a superpower that lets them hear ultrasonic sounds.

01:51:15With this, they can dodge the dangerous dives of bats out on the hunt.

01:51:23When it comes to the ultimate hearing trophy, the animal kingdom has a completely unique

01:51:28winner.

01:51:29It's actually a moth.

01:51:31Not just any moth, though.

01:51:33It's the greater wax moth, discovered by the scientists based in Glasgow, Scotland.

01:51:38They've got some fascinating insights about these moths that make our ears want to stand

01:51:43up and listen.

01:51:46Just to give you some context, the greater wax moth does not stand out when it comes

01:51:50to its appearance.

01:51:51I mean, it's brown.

01:51:55As for its daily activities, it loves nibbling on honeycomb.

01:52:00Despite blending in seamlessly in the animal kingdom, it's got a serious set of ears.

01:52:05How good is its hearing, you ask?

01:52:08Well, it's been found that this tiny creature can pick up on sounds at frequencies up to

01:52:13300 kilohertz.

01:52:15By comparison, our human ears can only detect sounds up to around 20 kilohertz.

01:52:21This already unimpressive ability drops to about 15 kilohertz as we grow older.

01:52:27I mean, not even dolphins can compete.

01:52:30They can only hear sounds up to about 160 kilohertz.

01:52:37You're probably wondering, why would a moth need such super hearing?

01:52:42Scientists explain that the reason behind this extraordinary hearing lies in a survival

01:52:46instinct.

01:52:47Predation, to be precise.

01:52:50Bats use high-frequency echolocation calls to find their tasty moth meals, amongst other

01:52:55insects.

01:52:57If these clever little moths have evolved to pick up frequencies even bats might not

01:53:01hit.

01:53:04Despite this reasoning, it was a bit of a mystery as to why these moths would even need

01:53:08to hear such high frequencies.

01:53:11During the research, specialists discovered that their recording at high-frequency ultrasound

01:53:16is tricky business.

01:53:18So there's a chance that bats might actually be capable of emitting calls at these super

01:53:23high frequencies that the moths can hear.

01:53:26To uncover all this, scientists used a specially designed ultrasonic device.

01:53:31It emitted these crazy high frequencies and they then looked at the moths' reactions

01:53:36using electrodes to measure their neural responses.

01:53:43The practical implications of this research could be far-reaching.

01:53:47Understanding the inner workings of the greater wax moth's ear could have a big impact on

01:53:52the world of technology.

01:53:54This knowledge could help researchers build super tiny microphones, for example.

01:54:00We know that all sorts of critters, from the tiny creatures scuttling on the ground to

01:54:05the gigantic ones swimming in the ocean, can pick up on certain sound frequencies that

01:54:09our human ears just can't.

01:54:12However, scientists have made a fascinating discovery.

01:54:16They've shown, for the first time, that our ability to pick up on tiny differences in

01:54:21sound frequencies might just be superior to that of animals, thanks to our individual

01:54:26neurons.

01:54:29How did they prove this, you ask?

01:54:31Well, they took advantage of a unique technique that lets them record what single neurons

01:54:36are up to in the auditory cortex.

01:54:38That's the part of our brain that's a major player in processing sounds, when we're exposed

01:54:42to various noises.

01:54:46You see, most of what we know about the auditory cortex was unearthed from past research that

01:54:52studied how animals' neural activity reacts to sound.

01:54:56Those studies were super useful in giving us a peek into how sounds are processed in

01:55:00our auditory system.

01:55:02But they didn't really let us know what sets us humans apart in the way we perceive sounds.

01:55:10When scientists tested how we respond to made-up sounds, they found out that our neurons in

01:55:15the auditory cortex responded with a surprising level of accuracy to specific frequencies.

01:55:21They could even pick up differences as tiny as a quarter of a tone just by looking at

01:55:25the reactions of individual neurons.

01:55:30That's a level of detail that you wouldn't typically find in the auditory cortex of other

01:55:35mammals.

01:55:36The one exception might be bats, who use their hearing in pretty unique ways.

01:55:41But this could explain why we humans can distinguish between frequencies better than animals.

01:55:47It seems like the way our brains process sound frequencies has some special features to it.

01:55:53When they played more natural sounds like conversations, music, and everyday noise,

01:55:58the neurons showed complex activity patterns.

01:56:02These patterns couldn't be fully explained just by the neurons' frequency selectivity.

01:56:07Several studies have shown similar phenomena, but it's the first time we've seen this in

01:56:11humans.

01:56:15Take a look at these animals.

01:56:17There's a deer, a dolphin, a squirrel, and a dinosaur?

01:56:22You've already figured out, I'm about to ask you what they all have in common, right?

01:56:27The boring answer is they've all lived on this planet at a certain point in time, blah

01:56:32blah blah, sure.

01:56:34What's even more surprising about their common features is their coloration.

01:56:40On that note, let me tell you about Abbott Thayer and his amazing theories on animal

01:56:45coloration.

01:56:47He was a portrait painter extraordinaire, but he also had a thing for the colors of

01:56:51the natural world.

01:56:54He came up with some pretty cool ideas about how animals can stay hidden from predators

01:56:59or prey, and they're still relevant today.

01:57:03One of his most famous theories is called countershading.

01:57:07Basically, animals are painted by nature so that the parts that get the most light from

01:57:12the sky are the darkest, and vice versa.

01:57:17It's like they're wearing the perfect outfit to match their environment.

01:57:20And let me tell you, this technique is not just for fashion-savvy animals.

01:57:25It's also used by ships to avoid detection.

01:57:29Thayer and his friend even got a patent for it!

01:57:34Thayer also came up with the idea of background blending, which is when an animal or object

01:57:39is painted to match the colors of its surroundings.

01:57:43Think of it as a natural camouflage suit.

01:57:46Thayer didn't stop there, though.

01:57:48He also proposed a theory on something called disruptive or dazzle camouflage.

01:57:54This is when an object is painted with a crazy pattern to make it harder to judge its distance

01:57:59or speed.

01:58:01It's like when you're trying to hit a piñata that's moving all over the place and you can't

01:58:05quite get your timing right.

01:58:08Think about it.

01:58:09If you're a shark swimming beneath the surface of the ocean and you look up, you're going

01:58:14to see the bright sky and the lighter-colored ocean surface.

01:58:19If you're a prey animal swimming on the surface, your lighter belly will blend in with the

01:58:23bright sky, while your darker back will blend in with the deeper water.

01:58:29It's not just aquatic animals that use countershading to their advantage.

01:58:34Land animals like deer and rabbits have lighter bellies and darker backs, which helps them

01:58:39blend in with the dappled light of the forest floor.

01:58:43And let's not forget about birds.

01:58:46Many birds have countershading on their feathers, which helps them blend in with the sky when

01:58:50seen from below and the ground when seen from above.

01:58:55Some creatures out there have a way of warning others that they're not to be messed with.

01:59:00Yeah, it's called opposematism, a fancy word for using bright colors or markings to let

01:59:06predators know that they're toxic or just downright unappetizing.

01:59:12Take the skunk, for example.

01:59:15That broad white stripe on its back is like a neon sign that says, don't get too close

01:59:20or else you'll regret it.

01:59:23And those yellow-banded poison dart frogs?

01:59:26They're walking billboards for their own poison with their bright and graphic colors, letting

01:59:30everyone know that they're not to be fooled with.

01:59:35Even wasps use the power of bright colors to signal to potential threats that they're packing

01:59:39a sting.

01:59:42And you know those cute little ladybugs?

01:59:44The brighter they are, the more toxic they can be.

01:59:47Who knew that something so adorable could be so deadly?

01:59:53It turns out that white, yellow, red, and black are the most effective warning colors

01:59:59in the animal kingdom.

02:00:01Just like how traffic signs caution drivers, these bright markings are nature's way of

02:00:05saying, watch out, buddy!

02:00:08If you ever come across a critter with some serious bling, just remember they're not trying

02:00:12to be fashionable.

02:00:15But how come some animals have evolved to use bright colors and others didn't?

02:00:21It's a question that's been baffling scientists for a long time.

02:00:26Thankfully, one theory coming from a team of researchers at the University of Arizona

02:00:31has uncovered some interesting insights into this colorful mystery.

02:00:37It turns out that the function of an animal's vibrant coloring is strongly linked to the

02:00:41activity patterns of its evolutionary ancestors.

02:00:46So species that use their bright colors to attract mates are usually descended from ancestors

02:00:51that were active during the day.

02:00:54Meanwhile, those that use their colors to ward off predators usually had ancestors that

02:01:00were active at night.

02:01:02It seems that animals have evolved to use their colors in the most advantageous way

02:01:07possible.

02:01:09Now you may be wondering how vivid coloration even came to be in the first place.

02:01:16Well it seems that early in their evolution, most species started out pretty plain and

02:01:21drab.

02:01:22But over time, bright colors evolved across many different lineages because they helped

02:01:28animals survive and reproduce.

02:01:32But not all bright colors are created equal.

02:01:36The researchers found that vividly colored lizards and birds usually use their coloring

02:01:41as a mating signal to attract partners, while colorful amphibians and snakes often wear

02:01:47their colors as a warning sign for predators.

02:01:51And get this, many of these amphibians and snakes are diurnal now or active during the

02:01:56day, but their ancestors were actually nocturnal, active at night.

02:02:02So there's no clear connection between warning colors and present day activity patterns.

02:02:09Mother nature sure is creative when it comes to helping animals adapt and survive in the

02:02:14wild.

02:02:16But there are some creatures out there that could take the award for the weirdest animals

02:02:20any day.

02:02:22Have you ever stopped to think about what it would be like if we could see through all

02:02:26the layers that protect our internal organs?

02:02:29Because that's exactly what has happened with the glass frog.

02:02:35Imagine you're strolling through the lush rainforest of Central and South America, and

02:02:40you come across a tiny little frog perched on a leaf.

02:02:45From above, it looks like your average run-of-the-mill frog, but if you flip it over, you'll see

02:02:50all its organs on display, heart, intestines, and all.

02:02:55You might be wondering, why on earth these frogs have evolved to be see-through?

02:03:00It turns out that their super-thin, translucent skin actually helps them blend in with their

02:03:05surroundings too.

02:03:07When light shines on them from above, their silhouette becomes all jumbled up and difficult

02:03:12for predators to decipher.

02:03:15And let's face it, when you're surrounded by vibrant greenery, a green topcoat is a

02:03:19perfect camouflage.

02:03:22But what about those transparent legs?

02:03:25Well, they help to blur the outlines of the frog's body, making it even tougher for predators

02:03:31to recognize their shape.

02:03:34I for one had no idea penguins also came in yellow!

02:03:40One wildlife photographer stumbled upon a sight that left him gobsmacked on a remote

02:03:45island in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

02:03:49He captured some amazing images of a yellow king penguin that had everyone on the beach

02:03:54flapping with excitement.

02:03:57There were 120,000 birds on that beach, and this was the only yellow one there!

02:04:05Scientists are scratching their heads as to how this coloration happened naturally.

02:04:10They think it's a form of leucism, which is basically an animal's inability to produce

02:04:14the proper pigments for its natural coloration.

02:04:18But they're not entirely sure.

02:04:20All king penguins produce small amounts of this yellow pigment naturally.

02:04:24But in this particular bird, it seems to be the only pigment the animal could produce.

02:04:29Talk about standing out from the crowd, am I right?

02:04:34There are some colors, though, you'll rarely find in the animal kingdom.

02:04:39According to some polls, blue is one of, if not the most popular colors amongst people.

02:04:46Most animals, however, have a tough time sporting this shade.

02:04:50Some animals get their pigment from the food they eat, like how flamingos turn pink from

02:04:54eating shrimp, or how goldfish can alter their golden hue based on their diet.

02:05:01But unfortunately, there's no true blue pigments in plants, so animals can't turn blue through

02:05:06their food.

02:05:08Instead, they have to get creative.

02:05:11For instance, some animals make structures that change the wavelength of light to appear

02:05:16blue.

02:05:17The Blue Morpho butterfly is a great example of this.

02:05:21Its wing scales are shaped in ridges that cause light to blend in such a way that it

02:05:26reflects only the blue color.

02:05:29If the scales were shaped differently, the butterfly would lose its beautiful blue color.

02:05:37That's it for today!

02:05:38So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your

02:05:43friends!

02:05:44And if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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