1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:13,280 [Danielle] The Arctic and Subarctic. It doesn't get much colder than this. 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:17,880 To say it's a challenge to live this far north is a massive understatement. 5 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:21,000 Few animals have what it takes to survive here. 6 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,000 The region's ecosystems are defined by their snow, ice, and tundras. 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,120 The earth here is frozen, and 8 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,120 food is scarce, especially during the frigid winters. 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:36,080 For most mammals 10 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,360 , living in such extreme conditions is simply impossible. 11 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:40,400 But those that do live here, 12 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:45,560 live dangerously. 13 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:46,360 [soft squeaking] 14 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:47,760 [sniffing] 15 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,880 They 16 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,520 're at constant risk of starvation, hypothermia, and being eaten by predators. 17 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:58,080 It's a non-s 18 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,120 top struggle. Amazingly, a handf 19 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,560 ul of species have managed to makea life in this inhospitable environment, 20 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,800 and it's all thanks to millions of years 21 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:09,560 of evolution. 22 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:14,680 They had to adapt or die, and those who have survived 23 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,880 did so in some of the most amazing ways 24 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:20,920 in the natural world. 25 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:22,640 ♪ 26 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,400 I'm Danielle Dufault, a wildlife expert at Animalogic, 27 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,040 and a scientific illustrator. 28 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,880 Oop, I got you! 29 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:37,880 He's so heavy! [laughs] 30 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:39,680 I just got knocked over by a baby wombat. 31 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,120 Growing up in northern 32 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,720 Quebec, I've always been fascinated by the animals 33 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:47,360 that are able to thrive in harsh winters. 34 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:52,840 To understand the science behind how these animals 35 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,480 cope with the cold, I'm travelling around the world 36 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,440 to see them up close. 37 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,960 So, what is it that gi 38 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,640 ves these special species a shot at survival? 39 00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:12,440 Take the Arctic fox. It has all of usual features of cold-weather land mammals: compact limbs, 40 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,840 a thick fur coat, and very little exposed skin. 41 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:19,040 But what really 42 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,600 sets them apart is that internal chemistry. 43 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:22,720 They have the biological equivalent 44 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:24,160 of antifreeze blood. 45 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:28,840 Today, we're in Churchill, Manitoba, 46 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,440 home of the polar bear, 47 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,000 looking for its unlikely occasional companion, 48 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,800 the Arctic fox. 49 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,920 This frigid landscape, 50 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:40,760 on the west side of Canada's Hudson Bay, 51 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:41,880 has an average winter temperature of -25°C 52 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,080 with some days getting as cold 53 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:48,320 as -45 degrees. 54 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,400 It is no home for the weak. 55 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,920 Without proper gear, a person 56 00:02:56,920 --> 00:02:59,400 could develop hypothermia in as little as five minutes. 57 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:07,000 Welcome to the set of Animalogic. 58 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,440 [sprightly music] 59 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,720 Today, we are blessed by the presence 60 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,080 of this beautiful Arctic fox. 61 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:21,560 These canids are relatively small, 62 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,000 at about 60 cm in length, 63 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,880 and weighing just over three kg. 64 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,560 They're just s 65 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:33,120 lightly larger than a chihuahua. 66 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:33,600 And yet, they can survive in the expanse of the arctic. 67 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:38,360 ♪ 68 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,840 So, how do they survive in one of the coldest 69 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,120 and most unforgiving climates on Earth? 70 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,280 Well, through a multi-pronged survival strategy. 71 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,880 The first, an 72 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:51,280 d most crucial part, is being really, really, really good at withstanding the cold. 73 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:00,520 Even at extreme temperatures, Arctic foxes can keep 74 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,160 warm due to their multilayered pelage. 75 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,320 About 70% of it 76 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,400 is a fine underfur that acts similar to down on birds. 77 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,880 Even the pads on their toes are covered in fur, 78 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:14,040 a feature that gives them a rabbit-like appearance. 79 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,640 Their scientific name, vulpes lagopus, means hare-footed fox, 80 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:23,200 as this furry pad adaptation is unique among canids. 81 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:31,560 Fur alone doesn't keep you warm, and usually heat 82 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,720 gets lost through the skinniest parts of your body. 83 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:35,280 To avoid this, Arctic foxes have short snouts, ears, 84 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,280 legs, and tails. 85 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:43,640 You can see that her ears are actually v 86 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,240 ery short and round, and that's one of the key adaptations 87 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,280 that helps her hold on to her heat. 88 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:51,520 Long ears are a little too good at radiating heat 89 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,680 outwards, so if they're shorter and rounder, 90 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:56,640 they help her hold on to that heat closer to her body. 91 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:02,520 Her le 92 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,920 gs are also a lot shorter than other species of foxes, which again, helps retain the heat 93 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,600 close to her body. 94 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:12,520 During cold snaps, they basically roll themselves 95 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,360 into a ball to minimize heat loss. 96 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,760 But the Arctic fox's coo 97 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:22,200 lest cold-fighting adaptation is something called 98 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:23,960 countercurrent blood circulation. 99 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:25,960 This is basically a mechanism that keeps 100 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,040 the fox's paws at a lower temperature than its core. 101 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,200 Blood entering the paws is u 102 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,440 sed to heat up the blood that's leaving, which prevents the fox's core 103 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,040 from being cooled down by losing 104 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:39,000 heat out of its extremities. 105 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:44,120 But just like Thanos, extreme cold in the arctic 106 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:48,440 is... inevitable. 107 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:49,080 But Arctic foxes can withstand it like nobody else. 108 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:55,240 Their metabolic ra 109 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,240 te doesn't go up until it's -50, and they don't even start shivering 110 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,800 until it's -70°C, 111 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,000 which is as cold as it gets in the Arctic. 112 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,760 Only the barren plateaus of Antarctica get colder than this. 113 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,760 By s 114 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,400 lowing down their metabolic rate in the cold,their food will digest slower and their bodies 115 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,360 will store sugars and fats longer. 116 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,400 But it's no guarantee they won't starve. 117 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:23,920 Food is scarce in a harsh Arctic winter. 118 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,240 All of this sounds l 119 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,040 ike problems that other animals would solve by being bigger, 120 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,480 but being large is energetically expensive, 121 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,520 and for most of the year, 122 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:38,400 there isn't much to eat around here. 123 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:43,760 During the summer, when their fur turns brown to help 124 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,640 them blend in with their environment, 125 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:48,360 the pressure is on to eat as much as possible. 126 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,760 On an average day, an Arctic fox wi 127 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,400 ll patrol the beach during low tide to hunt for fish 128 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:56,600 and invertebrates caught in tide pools. 129 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,720 [squawking] 130 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:02,840 Waterfowl provide ample feeding opportunities. 131 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:06,160 Nesting birds and their eggs are taken with such gusto 132 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,000 that a single Arctic fox can consume over 1,000 eggs 133 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,880 in a single season. 134 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,920 Voles and lemmings are also heavily consumed 135 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,520 when available, but these species go through 136 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,760 boom and bust periods, and are usually only readily 137 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:27,520 available every three to four years. 138 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,320 But when they're abundant, they make up to 70% 139 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,600 of the fox's diet. 140 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,600 Arctic fox's ears 141 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,760 are adapted to hear the frequencyof their prey's chirps and steps under the snow, 142 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,880 and then, they strike, 143 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:43,160 diving headfirst into the snow to ambush their prey. 144 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:50,560 Foxes are universally known as being smart and resourceful. 145 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:55,240 Arctic foxes are no exception. 146 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,480 They figured out that by living in the Subarctic, 147 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,480 they can refrigerate their food by simply burying it 148 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,080 in the snow! 149 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,120 Saving foo 150 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,920 d for the lean months can be a literal lifesaver. 151 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:08,520 Some of the caches are huge 152 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:10,960 and in some cases they can 153 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:12,120 hold over a 100 birds, most commonly petrels and auklets. 154 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,960 By the end of fall, they 155 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,160 will have increased their weight by up to 50%, but that doesn't mean they 156 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,280 can just wait it out until spring. 157 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,800 Even when they have food stashes, finding food is a year-round challenge. 158 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,160 But everything is much harder in the winter. 159 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:34,720 In the northern part 160 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:36,240 of their range, the sun sets in late November and doesn't rise again until January. 161 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:42,600 During those long, dark days, 162 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:44,480 temperatures dip into the -40s. 163 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:49,160 If they ca 164 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:50,160 n't find anything to eat, they won't see the sun rise again and they will die in the dark. 165 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:55,880 One of their survival strategies is to follow 166 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,000 this ecosystem's apex predator, 167 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:00,480 and hope to eat its leftovers. 168 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:05,200 Polar bears are seal specialists, 169 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,160 and once they catch one, 170 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:09,520 they make sure to eat all the fat, 171 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,960 which is premium bear fuel. 172 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,160 Muscles and other soft tissues are sometimes 173 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:15,120 left behind, and that's when Arctic foxes come in. 174 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,960 It's sort of a free meal, 175 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:24,720 but it means travelling vast distances. 176 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,680 They've been seen as far as 800 km away 177 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:30,200 from the nearest landmass, 178 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,360 and about 150 km from the North Pole. 179 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,480 And beyond that, it means being exposed to lots 180 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,280 of predators such as wolves, wolverines, eagles, 181 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,600 owls, and even domestic dogs. 182 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,560 [barking] 183 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:47,560 Unfortunately, three out of four Arctic foxes 184 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:49,920 don't make it past their first winter, and in adults, 185 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:51,600 the mortality rate is still very high at about 33%. 186 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:58,240 Thos 187 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,000 e who do survive the winter go back to theirhome ranges for the most beautiful time of the year: 188 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,920 mating season! 189 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,800 Foxes are monogamous an 190 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,880 d live in labyrinthine dens and tunnels, which can be up to 1,000 square metres. 191 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,880 Dens are reused every year, and some have been 192 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,320 reported to be over 100 years old. 193 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,120 The largest ones have dozens of chambers 194 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,720 and close to 100 entrances. 195 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:26,120 These furry real estate m 196 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:30,000 oguls are usually monogamous, but sometimes live with extended family groups. 197 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,520 This is most common in the southern part 198 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:33,640 of their range, where food is more abundant. 199 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:37,560 Becaus 200 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:39,440 e of their high mortality rate, these cuties produce a fox-ton of babies. 201 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:44,040 The record for bigg 202 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:45,080 est litter is 22, which is one of the largest of all mammals. 203 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,520 ♪ 204 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,280 Parents feed them until summer, but after that, 205 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,000 they're forced to go out and become independent. 206 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,760 Females sometimes stay nearby, 207 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,680 but males have to go far away, sometimes up to 200 km away 208 00:11:01,680 --> 00:11:04,440 from their native range. 209 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,440 Males defend their territory aggressively and mark it with bodily fluids on conspicuous places, 210 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,320 such as mounds of polar bear poo, 211 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:15,960 an unorthodox but effective pedestal. 212 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:21,400 Another of their unique features 213 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,320 is their colour-changing fur, which is chocolate 214 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,920 in the summer and vanilla in the late fall. 215 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:29,640 The colour changes 216 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,920 help them camouflage better, be it on the brown tundra, or on the white ice. 217 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:36,240 But unfortunately, 218 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,800 all of these adaptations made their fur too desirable. 219 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:40,320 As recently as the late '70s, over 40,000 Arctic foxes 220 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,920 were being taken every year. 221 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:52,520 This, combined with climate change, and diseases,such as rabies, have led to dwindling numbers. 222 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:57,120 As the permafrost melts, 223 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:01,320 red foxes, which are twice as big as their northern cousins, are also moving 224 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,280 northward and taking over the Arctic fox's domain. 225 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:08,400 Bu 226 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:10,920 t thankfully, their range is enormous, and because they reproduce so quickly, 227 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,960 there are still enough foxes 228 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:14,680 to consider them a species of least concern. 229 00:12:18,680 --> 00:12:21,000 The Arctic fox's layered pelage is vital 230 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,440 to its survival in the cold. 231 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,400 But what about animals who weren't blessed 232 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:28,400 with a luxurious fur coat? 233 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,560 How can they kee 234 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:35,240 p warm and fashionable? In a stunning case of convergent evolution, 235 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,560 these birds have evolved most of the adaptations 236 00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:41,200 that keep mammals safe, 237 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:41,800 and with some stylish boots to match. 238 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,160 [squawking] 239 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,840 [Danielle] Driving around the frigid tundra, 240 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:52,920 you're bound to find cold weather specialists: 241 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:57,320 Arctic hares 242 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:58,160 with their thick coats and almost perfectly spherical shape. 243 00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:04,000 Marmots working on their dens, where they wait out the winter. 244 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:05,880 Majestic snowy owls qu 245 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:06,440 ietly searching for their next meal. 246 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:11,960 But the weirdest 247 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:14,440 of them all is a little birdwith the oddest legs in the Arctic. 248 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,240 These strange 249 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:18,360 birds are a staple of the Canadian Subarctic. 250 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,400 When 251 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:23,600 we're out filming wildlife,I love scoping out local birds. 252 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,160 And being here, I couldn't miss seeing 253 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:27,040 the infamous mammal-legged bird, the ptarmigan. 254 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,240 Ptarmigans belong to the same family as chickens, though they're more closely related to grouse. 255 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,160 There are only three types of ptarmigans: 256 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,520 the white-tailed ptarmigan, 257 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:44,360 found only in the western part of North America, 258 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,360 and the widespread willow and rock ptarmigan, 259 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,560 which live in the northern parts 260 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:50,600 of Eurasia and North America. 261 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:54,720 Bu 262 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:56,920 t we're in the home of the transformers of the bird world, the willow and rock ptarmigans. 263 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,720 This a 264 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,520 rea, with freezing cold temperatures that reach -40°C, 265 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,280 snow that could be several feet deep, 266 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:09,040 enough to cover them several times over, 267 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,560 and thriving with Arctic foxes, 268 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:14,320 is a dangerous place to live. 269 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,200 Ptarmigans have to adapt to give themselves 270 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,040 a chance at survival. 271 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,680 Below their cuddly snow 272 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:23,680 -ball-like appearance hides a crafty animal with a ferocious roar. 273 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:29,320 [burp-like squawking] 274 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:33,760 Yeah, maybe it's not as ferocious as we thought. 275 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:38,960 [incessant squawking] 276 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,120 These ptarmigans are making all kinds of noises. 277 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,280 [deep chittering] 278 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:53,200 [chuckles] Oh! There's one that sounds like Wario. 279 00:14:55,200 --> 00:15:00,160 Hilarious calls aside, these litt 280 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:04,200 le guys prepare for winter in truly dramatic ways. 281 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,400 The most obvious is their change 282 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,720 of colouration. These ptarmiga 283 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:14,160 ns behind me are just about done transitioning from their summer plumage, 284 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:15,680 which is a rusty brown, to their stark white, 285 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:19,560 beautiful feathers. 286 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:21,080 And you can see some of them are still a little bit spotty. 287 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:25,520 Their feather co 288 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:29,480 louration, like the Arctic fox's fur, is an adaptation for camouflage. 289 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,080 In the summer, their colour helps them blend 290 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,280 in with the dirt and the vegetation 291 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,560 of their northern habitat. 292 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:37,720 While in the winter, they turn the colour of snow 293 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,320 to hide from predators. 294 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,920 Sometimes, temperature 295 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,360 s drop enough to trigger their transformation before the snow falls. 296 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,960 This makes them danger 297 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:50,600 ously conspicuous, but it also makes it easier for us to see their most 298 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,960 amazing biological feature, 299 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,160 the mammalification of their feet. 300 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,440 And yes, I just made that word up. 301 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:00,240 But you'll see what I mean. 302 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,760 In the win 303 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,920 ter, their feet grow a thick layer of feathers that act as a fur coat. 304 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,040 Their claws grow to increase the surface area 305 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:12,760 of their feet and give them, essentially, 306 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:13,920 furry winter boots. 307 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:19,480 [chirping] 308 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:20,600 [whimsical classical music] 309 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:31,080 Their claws will also be essential for digging burrows 310 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:32,440 to shelter during the harshest months of the year. 311 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:38,960 The willow ptarmigan's scientific name 312 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:39,760 is Lagopus lagopus, which means hair-footed, twice. 313 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:46,680 This is an 314 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:47,160 apt comparison, as many of their body parts have adapted to look the same. 315 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:51,200 Because th 316 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,520 is is a hare's foot, 317 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:55,400 and this is a willow ptarmigan foot. 318 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:01,880 Looks very similar.It's almost like everything out here is trying 319 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:02,840 to be a hare, or at least, a white, fuzzy orb. 320 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:08,000 Now, 321 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,880 they might be the hare-footed bird, but they also kind of look like hares. 322 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:11,440 From a distance, they share a very similar silhouette. 323 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:17,840 And they're not alone. Animals across Arctic climates tend to have 324 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:21,200 a very similar winter body. 325 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,840 A lot of the animals out here have evolv 326 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,200 ed along Allen's law, which is the idea that you reduce your surface 327 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,120 area to volume ratio in order to retain more heat. 328 00:17:29,120 --> 00:17:33,920 These ptarmi 329 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,120 gan are no exception. They've got a shorter beak, shorter legs and even 330 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:38,640 a shorter tail to get closer to that perfect orb form. 331 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:43,560 This adaptation is seen mostly 332 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:47,600 in the willow ptarmigan's northernmost populations. 333 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,240 In more temperate places like the British 334 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:51,560 isles, they keep their summer outfits throughout the year. 335 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:58,720 Arctic and Subarctic populationsare the buxom beauties of the family. 336 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:01,440 Of course, keeping warm is j 337 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,240 ust a part of surviving in the Arctic. 338 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:06,440 Finding food is another major problem. 339 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:11,000 Luckily for these snowbi 340 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,680 rds, they have adaptedto survive on extremely calorie-deficient food. 341 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,560 Twigs make up 342 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:18,440 the majority of their diet until the thaw. 343 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,320 This is also 344 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:24,120 when chicks are born. 345 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:25,640 Ptarmigan chicks will eat insects and young greens, 346 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,120 but as they grow up, they become completely herbivorous. 347 00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:32,360 Only the best for baby. 348 00:18:32,360 --> 00:18:34,880 A steady source of protein keeps ch 349 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:38,880 icks happy and gives them a fighting chance in a ruthless environment. 350 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,320 By the following winter, they will come back here 351 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:42,760 and congregate in groups of up to 2,000 birds. 352 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,120 This protects from predators such as foxes 353 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:53,000 and birds of prey. 354 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:53,840 Here, safety is in numbers. 355 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,080 So, you're an animal who's adapted to the cold. 356 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,440 Congratulations! You might not freeze to death. 357 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:04,720 But even if you survive, life probably isn't much fun. 358 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:11,000 The snow 359 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:12,320 , the ice, the wind. Until spring comes, you've got no choice bu 360 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:13,480 t to soldier on. 361 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:18,320 Unless you adapt 362 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:22,400 to external sources of heat. These are relatively ra 363 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,000 re in the wild, but for animals that learn to utilize them, 364 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:25,840 like Japanese macaques have, they're life savers. 365 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:35,240 [Danielle] Across the Pacific, 366 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,320 in the snowy mountains of Japan, 367 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,000 one primate species has found a novel way to keep 368 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,720 warm during the coldest days of the year. 369 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,880 Japanese macaques are amon 370 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,760 g the most mythologized animals in their native Japan. 371 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:51,400 In my ma 372 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,600 ny years as a wildlife expert, I've been fascinated by how animals developed culture, 373 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,000 and this has to be one of my favourite examples. 374 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,400 These monkeys are found on three of the four main 375 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:03,720 Japanese islands: Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. 376 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,440 They live in a variety of different habitats, 377 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:16,840 from evergreen and deciduous forests, 378 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,960 to sub-tropical lowlands, 379 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:20,480 to subalpine regions up to 1,500 metres high. 380 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,720 The monkeys are more comfortable in warm weather... But they've managed to adapt well to the freezing cold 381 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,160 and snowy winters of the Japanese Alps. 382 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:36,520 Temperatures here can 383 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:40,160 get to -15, which, for most primates, would lead to death in just a few minutes. 384 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,160 Most primate species don't survive 385 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,920 at anything under 5°C. 386 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:49,120 In fact, other than humans, 387 00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:52,200 they're the only primates that are able to survive that far north, 388 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,200 and in temperatures this low. 389 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,200 Which is why they're also 390 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,840 known as the snow monkey. 391 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,160 [percussive music] Japanese macaques are medium-sized monkeys, 392 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:05,280 with the males slightly larger than the females. 393 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,040 Macaques that live in colder climates tend 394 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:12,600 to be heavier than the southern ones. 395 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,320 The added we 396 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:19,480 ight helps them deal with the cold. 397 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,360 The macaques that live in colder climates have to deal 398 00:21:22,360 --> 00:21:24,880 with temperatures that go down 399 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,240 to -15°C. 400 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:31,600 Sure, they've got their extra-thick winter coats, 401 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,560 and they man 402 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:36,280 age to survive the nights by huddling together in trees. 403 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,800 But there's gotta be another way 404 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:43,760 to escape the freezing cold. 405 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:45,400 ♪ 406 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:51,520 How abou 407 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:56,480 t a dip in a hot spring? 408 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:57,920 The story goes that in the 1960s, a young snow monkey 409 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,000 living in the Nagano Mountains took an accidental bath 410 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:03,480 in a local hostel's hot spring heated by a nearby volcano. 411 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:09,440 ♪ 412 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,200 The other monkeys gradually started doing the same thing, 413 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,480 possibly inspired by watching the humans do it. 414 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:19,480 Soon, the humans got a little annoyed 415 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,480 that the macaques were interrupting their spa day. 416 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,200 After all, sharing ba 417 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,800 thwater with monkeys isn't the most hygienic practice. 418 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,760 So, the locals very 419 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,360 kindly built the macaques their own private hot springs. 420 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:38,040 Decades later, 421 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:38,760 macaque troops bathe in their personal pools 422 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:40,560 every single day. 423 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:44,600 [quirky music] 424 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:50,680 They warm up, 425 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:54,840 groom, 426 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:57,120 socialize, 427 00:22:58,400 --> 00:22:59,720 bond, and relax. 428 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,400 This modern adaptation has also become 429 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,400 a major tourist attraction. 430 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,400 The monkeys 431 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,440 don't seem to mind the curious humans. They're more concerned about soaking 432 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,400 away the stresses of their day. 433 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,160 These hot springs ar 434 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:25,400 e a relatively new adaptation,but these mo 435 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,800 nkeys have been adapting to the coldfor thousands of years. 436 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,120 The most important of these adapta 437 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:34,200 tions are their long, lush, grey-brown coats, which grow extra-thick 438 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,440 in the winter for insulation. 439 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:41,240 Their faces are naked and a pinkish red, with long 440 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:44,040 beards, giving them a human-like appearance. 441 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,520 Their red rump 442 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:52,280 matches their face. And they'r 443 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,760 e more than just a shiny cushion. The size and colour of the rump are thought to show 444 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,160 important information of the monkey's reproductive 445 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:58,160 and social status, and of their health. 446 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:05,800 The females spend a lot of time raising the young monkeys 447 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,520 and grooming, which includes getting rid 448 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:12,680 of tangles and combing out parasites. 449 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,840 Babies learn to groom their mo 450 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,560 ms at a young age. It's an important social skill that will help them 451 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:20,720 fit in with the group and keep the troupe healthy. 452 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,680 Well-groomed 453 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:26,240 monkeys have fewer parasitesand are better insulated against the cold. 454 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:35,520 Snow monkey troops are always on the move. 455 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:37,160 They're semi-terrestrial and in large swaths 456 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:38,520 of their range, females spend most of the time in trees. 457 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:45,680 Up here in northern Japan, climbing is less 458 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:46,880 of a necessity and more of a fun way to get around. 459 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,720 And they're really, really good at jumping around. 460 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,200 Parkour! 461 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,200 They're omnivores, and their favourite foods 462 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,960 are smaller animals and plants, mainly fruits, 463 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,440 berries, seeds, flowers, and young leaves. 464 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:15,240 In the winter, with 465 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:16,800 the little plant food to be found, they focus their attention on insects, crabs, and eggs. 466 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:26,080 Their opposable thumbs help them skillfully rummage through thick winter snow to find food. 467 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,640 If a winter snowfall is particularly heavy, 468 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,680 the monkeys rely on eating bark and buds. 469 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:39,040 And if the pickings are really 470 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,080 slim, they'll try scavenging fungi. 471 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:45,280 Ma 472 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:46,840 caques are equipped with large cheek pouches that can store food while they forage. 473 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:54,080 Before they eat, the monkeys like to wash their food, which is something only a few species do, 474 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,680 like us, and raccoons. 475 00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:00,000 Japanese macaques can 476 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:02,400 have a number of partners during mating season, 477 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:06,320 which lasts four or four months 478 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:07,720 between September and April. 479 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:11,440 Sometimes monkey 480 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,880 s fight over who gets to mate with who.The winner of the fight usually comes down 481 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:16,880 to which macaque can scream the loudest. 482 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:18,440 [high-pitched screaming] 483 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,360 But sometimes, a shouting match 484 00:26:27,360 --> 00:26:29,480 doesn't deescalate conflict. 485 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,200 And when things 486 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,120 get physical, their weapons of choice are their huge fangs. 487 00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:35,600 Wielded by the right monkey, they can be lethal weapons. 488 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,080 This most commonly happens during the mating season, when competition is high and tempers flare. 489 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:47,840 [screaming] 490 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,040 But after the fighting comes the loving, 491 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,280 and six months later, 492 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:58,400 in the spring or summer, a single baby is born. 493 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:03,040 The babies are very 494 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:04,840 dependent on their mothers, and will cling to her for the first two years 495 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,920 of their lives, 496 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:09,320 literally riding around on her back, hanging on to her 497 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,360 fur for dear life while she navigates 498 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:13,720 the treacherous, mountainous terrain that they call home. 499 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:19,360 ♪ 500 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,480 As they grow, the monkeys will learn to socialize 501 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,800 and to deal with freezing temperatures by mingling 502 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:32,600 in the hot springs and play-fighting in the snow. 503 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,960 They sound like a handful. 504 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:40,440 No wonder the mom has to unwind at the spa! 505 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:44,560 ♪ 506 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,040 Once they're weaned, the male monkeys will leave 507 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:51,000 their troops, and spend the rest of their lives 508 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,120 travelling between troupes and hoping to one day 509 00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:55,160 become a dominant male. 510 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,320 ♪ 511 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:04,080 Animals that live in the coldest corners of the Earth 512 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,400 are at the mercy of a harsh, hostile environment. 513 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:11,280 Many try to wa 514 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:12,720 it it out and hibernate.Others migrate to look for greener pastures. 515 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,720 But then there's the wolverine, 516 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:21,640 pure lust for life in animal form. 517 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,440 These fearless and ferocious 518 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:25,640 furballs grab winter by the snowballs. 519 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,560 They have adapted 520 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,880 to a life of high risk and high rewards, calorically speaking. 521 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:35,120 They run around searching for 522 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:38,800 prey or carrion at a time when most other animals are in dens, 523 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:40,840 waiting for warmer days to return. 524 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:42,880 The wolverine doesn't have time for that. 525 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,640 It's an adaptation that 526 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:47,800 keeps them alive in the dead of winter. 527 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:49,520 There's a good reason 528 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:50,160 they've been nicknamed the Devil Beast! 529 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:53,800 ♪ 530 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:59,360 [Danielle] Back in North Amer 531 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:02,360 ica, we go to the Yukon to search for the north's most tireless hunter. 532 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:06,040 A predator whose strange and counter 533 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:09,440 intuitive "all gas, no brakes" approach to life in the cold has turned 534 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,120 it into a surprisingly successful species. 535 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:15,360 Their feeding strategy 536 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:17,280 wouldn't work for most animals, 537 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:18,920 but this hellion has evolved tools to find prey, 538 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,040 hunt, and also locate carrion. 539 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:26,760 Today, I'm in Kluane National Park, 540 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,040 surrounded by beautiful snowy mountains and icy lakes. 541 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:35,600 Right now, I'm following some footprints 542 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,080 and I can only assume that those belong to a wolverine. 543 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:41,400 The footprints o 544 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,080 f a wolverine don't look anythinglike a coyote or a wolf. 545 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,960 They look a little 546 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:49,280 bit more like a bear print,@obviously a little bit smaller. 547 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,880 Yeah, you can see how 548 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,520 there's two-- two trails here. Now, I bet you anything that if this was a coyote 549 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,360 and a wolverine, the wolverine was probably 550 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,960 the one chasing the coyote. 551 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:03,120 I'd put my money on that. 552 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:10,440 At first glance, 553 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,240 you might mistake the wolverine for a small bear. 554 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,880 But really, they're more closely related to weasels. 555 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:18,320 They belong to the Mustelidae family, 556 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:20,200 alongside fellow cutthroat cuties like badgers, 557 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,360 otters, pine martens and ermines. 558 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,640 Much like ever 559 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,400 yone's favorite X-man, wolverines are native to Canada, 560 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,440 but they can also be found across boreal forests 561 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,720 and tundras of the US and Eurasia. 562 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,720 Which means they n 563 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:40,960 eed to survive freezing cold, high latitude temperatures. 564 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:46,560 And after millions of years of evolution, they're not just surviving, they're thriving! 565 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,080 Just look at those coats. 566 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:54,720 Their thick, oily fur is hydrophobic, 567 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:58,160 meaning it repels water. 568 00:30:58,160 --> 00:30:59,440 That's right, the Wolverine is waterproof! 569 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,360 Talk about a real superpower! 570 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,120 Without this ability, the snow or the blood 571 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:09,080 of their prey would wet their skin 572 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,680 and accelerate heat loss. 573 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:12,560 In the Arctic, moisture can be deadly. 574 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:17,200 Their paws are large 575 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,120 and furry and act as snow shoes to prevent them from sinking too far into the snow. 576 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:22,880 These murder-mittens are equipped 577 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,280 with semi-retractable claws 578 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,440 that they use for climbing, digging, 579 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:28,000 scaring away predators and the occasional villain. 580 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:34,240 Wolverines can hit speeds of almost 50 kms 581 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:37,680 per hour running across the snow. 582 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:39,920 If they ran that fast on a city road, 583 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:41,040 they'd likely get a ticket. 584 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:45,400 They're also great climbers, 585 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,120 and super strong for their size. 586 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:50,800 At over a metre long and 587 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,760 about as heavy as a German shepherd, the females are about 30% smaller 588 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:57,440 than the males, but equally as chaotic! 589 00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,000 These stocky mustelids weigh between 11 and 18 kgs. 590 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:07,400 Their fur is brown or black with a yellow 591 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:08,720 or gold stripe from their head to their tail. 592 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:13,680 The ma 593 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,280 rkings on their faces, necks, and chests are unique to each wolverine. 594 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:19,160 Kinda like hyper aggressive snowflakes. 595 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,800 And they are aggressive. 596 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:23,360 Like, really, really, capital 'A' Aggressive. 597 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,280 Wolverines are always on the prowl, only taking breaks for naps and mating. 598 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:35,160 The only thing these demon-ferrets li 599 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:36,360 ke more than eating its prey is killing it. 600 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:45,160 The wolverine's ferocity is so legendary that people living out on the land told me 601 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:46,640 that they'd rather run into a polar bear than a wolverine. 602 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:51,160 The wolverine actually 603 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:51,920 has an average bite force compared to its body size, but its teeth are razor sharp. 604 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:58,400 Like other mustelids, 605 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,680 their last upper molar is turned 90 degrees inwards, which gives their bites 606 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,760 even more power for holding onto prey, crunching bones 607 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:07,560 and tearing frozen flesh off of carcasses. 608 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:16,240 Combine the wolverine's bite, thick hide, and sharp claws with a large dash of brazen confidence, 609 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,960 and you've got one deadly predator. 610 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:25,680 The wolverine is so tenacious that it can take 611 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,160 down animals up to five times their own size. 612 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:32,480 The wolverine kills its prey 613 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:34,200 with a bite to the neck, which severs its tendons and crushes its throat. 614 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:40,800 Their scientific name is Gulo gulo, which is Latin 615 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:44,360 for glutton, and they live up to that. 616 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:46,320 They'll eat anything that they can get their paws on. 617 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:49,320 From berries and plants, to mice and rabbits, 618 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,080 to elk and moose, even carrion is on the menu. 619 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:57,160 Ah, de 620 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:01,000 licious carrion. All the yummy meat withoutthe pesky time and energy spent hunting. 621 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,160 Clever wolverines have been 622 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:07,480 known to drive away much larger animals such as wolves and cougars 623 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:11,440 and take over eating the carcass of their prey! 624 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,080 Sorry, but the wolverine isn't here to make friends. 625 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:18,440 Wolverines will defend their meals by any means 626 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,360 necessary, and whatever they can't finish in one sitting 627 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:23,960 is claimed by spraying it with a strong, stinky musk 628 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:28,480 and burying it for later. Yum! 629 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:31,520 They find food using their incredible sense of smell. 630 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:35,200 Wolverines have the ability to sniff out car 631 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:39,080 casses buried under 20 feet of snow. 632 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:41,400 With so much of their prey being killed in avalanches 633 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,280 every year, the wolverine's heightened sense 634 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:46,400 of smell is key to their survival. 635 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,840 While many speci 636 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:52,680 es in their range get through the winter by hibernating, 637 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:53,360 wolverines just don't care about the cold. 638 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:58,240 While 639 00:34:58,240 --> 00:34:59,640 everyone else is sleeping, the wolverine gets to hunting. 640 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,200 This is the other benef 641 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:05,880 it of being able to smell through the snow-- they can easily find animals 642 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:08,320 hibernating under the snow, and make sure they never 643 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:11,960 wake up again. 644 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:13,720 Don't work hard, work smart. 645 00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:17,720 It really doesn't matter if you're de 646 00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:18,320 ad or alive-- everything looks like a gourmet meal to a wolverine. 647 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:24,480 But even 648 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:26,040 the kings and queens of chaos aren't impervious to predators. 649 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:30,480 They have to watch out for wolves. 650 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:34,920 Wolverines can tak 651 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,560 e on one, two, even three wolves,but if they're ganged up on by a pack, 652 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:41,120 they can get themselves killed. 653 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,800 On the plus side, wolves kill other animals, 654 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:45,840 thereby creating yummy carrion for the wolverine. 655 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,640 They have a complicated 656 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,480 relationship, to say the least. 657 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:54,240 Wolverines are super solitary and extremely 658 00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:58,760 territorial. They're always on a solo quest for food, 659 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:00,600 and only ever stop munching to mate and raise kids. 660 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:04,800 Researchers aren't sur 661 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,920 e how many wolverines there are in the world. 662 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:09,320 They're so elusive and mysterious! 663 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:12,240 But their numbers took a big hit 664 00:36:12,240 --> 00:36:12,760 back when humans used to hunt them for their fur. 665 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:22,080 They're also threatened by global warming. Wolverines need deep mountain snows to den, 666 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:25,240 and scientists believe their habitats 667 00:36:25,240 --> 00:36:25,920 will shrink as temperatures rise. 668 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,160 Their intense, never-stop lifestyle 669 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,760 is high risk, high reward. 670 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:39,400 Other animals survive the cold by doing the exact opposite: 671 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:43,080 expending as little energy as humanly-- 672 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:46,400 or, ungulately possible. 673 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:48,800 Like the Siberian musk deer, a reserved little animal 674 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:51,320 with an irresistible scent desired all over the world. 675 00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:00,360 [Danielle] We now head to Siberia, 676 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,760 one of the most frigid areas 677 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:04,080 in the world, to meet an animal who has evolved 678 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,760 to survive the winter by eating 679 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:07,400 what most would consider inedible. 680 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,000 The Siberian musk deer is one 681 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:13,880 @of several species of musk deer 682 00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:15,640 in the Moschidae family. 683 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:18,760 They can 684 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:21,880 be found in the mountains and grasslands of Northeast Asia, 685 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:23,480 but they're most commonly found in the snowy mountain 686 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:24,640 forests of Siberia. Hence their name. 687 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:30,640 Their fangs are more like daggers, 688 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:32,040 which they use to protect their territories. 689 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,600 In this land 690 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:37,680 of frigid scarcity, controlling a productive plot of land 691 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,440 is the difference between life and death 692 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:40,280 in Siberia's dead cold of winter. 693 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:45,720 Despite being called deer, 694 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:47,600 they actually have more in common with animals 695 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:49,680 in the Bovidae family than the "true deer" 696 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:52,320 in the family Cervidae. 697 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:55,200 They are in their own family, 698 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,920 and are more closely related to antelopes, cows, sheep, and goats 699 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:00,640 than they are to reindeer, elk, red deer, and mooses. 700 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:06,200 Moose? Meese? Moose. 701 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:14,680 For one thing, male Siberian musk deer don't have antlers like their cervid friends. 702 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:16,960 Instead, they have a pair of tusks, which look like fangs. 703 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:21,640 They can reach about 10 cm long 704 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:23,440 and they never stop growing their whole lives. 705 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:25,840 Older males tend to have the largest tusks. 706 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:30,240 Cervids ha 707 00:38:30,240 --> 00:38:33,400 ve preorbital glands near their eyes,which they use to mark their scent, 708 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:35,040 communicate with other animals, 709 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:37,800 and spray pheromones. 710 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:38,880 But the musk deer's scent glands aren't on their faces. 711 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:41,560 They're all the way round back. 712 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:45,880 Yep! Rig 713 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:49,640 ht there! In a little golf ball-sized sack right in front of their genitals. 714 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:51,920 This musk gland is what makes them musk deer. 715 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:53,640 The males spray their musk to mark their territory 716 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:56,880 and attract females for mating. 717 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:58,560 And their odour is so, so strong. 718 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:04,000 Musk dee 719 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:06,080 r are ruminants, meaning they consumerelatively calorie-poor food that gets fermented 720 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:10,040 in their digestive tract 721 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:10,800 to extract all the available nutrients. 722 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:15,560 Despite their scary-looking fangs, 723 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:17,400 Siberian musk deer are herbivores. 724 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,360 But in the frozen hills of 725 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,640 Siberia, which can get to -70°C, 726 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:26,280 colder than the average temperature of Mars, 727 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:29,320 their isn't much to eat in the winter. 728 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:31,000 Their menu is limited to pine needles, leaves, bark, maple, 729 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:34,160 honeysuckle, shoots, but mostly lichen. 730 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:41,000 They forage for it at night, 731 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:42,840 sometimes travelling kilometres 732 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:44,600 at a time on well-worn tracks 733 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:45,640 they create and use over and over again. 734 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,920 In the cold winters, when food is scarce,the Siberian musk deer is able to survive 735 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:56,520 on lichens that grow on evergreen trees. 736 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:59,160 They make up to 99% of their winter diet. 737 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:03,040 Wow, they lichen it a lot. 738 00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:06,160 The great thing about lich 739 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:09,080 en is that it can extract nutrients from tree bark and even rocks. 740 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:12,560 And Siberian musk deer will nee 741 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:14,760 d all the nutrients they can get to survive the frigid winter months. 742 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:19,480 Musk deer find l 743 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:22,000 ichen by climbing bent tree trunks that can take them up to four metres into the air. 744 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,800 But don't worry, they're not afraid of he 745 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:27,360 ights. They can be found on steep mountainous slopes, 746 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:30,360 just like their goat cousins. 747 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:33,080 Siberian musk deer are sh 748 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:37,400 y and cautious animals, who are mostly active from dusk 'til dawn. 749 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,880 They're typically found by themselves or in small 750 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:42,200 groups of two or three. 751 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:44,760 And usually those groups 752 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:46,600 are a momma musk deer with her babies. 753 00:40:46,600 --> 00:40:48,600 The deer's small body helps it run fast and hide 754 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:51,680 from predators in tiny openings 755 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:54,600 in their rocky terrain. 756 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:56,280 Lynx, wolverines, and the yellow-throated marten 757 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,040 are greatest predators of this little ungulate. 758 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:02,760 And when they notice danger, 759 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:05,480 they raise their tails to helpfully alert the other members 760 00:41:05,480 --> 00:41:08,120 of the musk deer community. 761 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:09,560 Musk deer are migr 762 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:14,480 atory animals. 763 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:15,440 In the winter, they live on steep slopes covered with coniferous trees. 764 00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:21,720 While they can move easily on top of snow 765 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:24,440 because of their light weight, navigating deep, 766 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:27,400 loose snow can be difficult and dangerous. 767 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,720 When this kind of snow blocks their familiar paths 768 00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:32,120 for food, they must create new accessible winter paths. 769 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:41,280 This is an adaptation to find food in hard-to-reach places, 770 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:45,720 but also to escape predators, 771 00:41:45,720 --> 00:41:47,600 for whom musk deer might be the only available prey. 772 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,880 Death is always afoot 773 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:56,560 in this unforgiving land. 774 00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:01,160 [Danielle] There are many ways to die in the North. 775 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,520 Hunger, hypothermia and disease 776 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:06,520 are ever-present dangers. 777 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:08,800 But above them all, 778 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:09,640 the greatest danger is predation. 779 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:17,200 Siberia is home to giant predators,like tigers and wolves. 780 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,240 Though their main prey are not musk deer, 781 00:42:19,240 --> 00:42:21,320 they must be avoided at all costs. 782 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:23,720 And so, the musk dee 783 00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:28,800 r has learnt to live in the shadows. 784 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:29,840 During the spring and fall, 785 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:31,560 @Siberian musk deer use communal 786 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,200 toilets, which obviously 787 00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:36,000 produces very strong odours. 788 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:37,920 The deer use the scent of their feces 789 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:39,640 to communicate with one another. 790 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:42,640 They're not very vocal; 791 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:44,040 their call is just a soft hissing sound. 792 00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:46,400 Remember, very shy, very smelly! 793 00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:50,240 Not much is kn 794 00:42:50,240 --> 00:42:55,440 own about how Siberian musk deer mate. Mating season is Novem 795 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:58,680 ber and December. That's when young male deers deve 796 00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:01,560 lop their tusks, which threaten rival males and impress 797 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:03,240 members of the opposite sex. 798 00:43:03,240 --> 00:43:07,360 An 799 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:09,240 d don't forget about their musk glands, that secrete powerful, mate-attracting pheromones. 800 00:43:09,240 --> 00:43:12,960 After mating, it takes abou 801 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:16,800 t six months of gestation before one or two fawns are born in late spring. 802 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:21,000 Females give birth in special ar 803 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:24,560 eas: under dense shrubs, low branches of fir, or around fallen trees. 804 00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:28,680 The babies live with their 805 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:31,560 mothers until they're two, although they reach sexual maturity 806 00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:33,680 around 15 to 18 months old. 807 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:35,920 Siberian musk deer 808 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:41,080 live about ten to 20 years. Becaus 809 00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:44,360 e of illegal poaching and deforestation, musk deer populations are declining. 810 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:47,240 The species is considered vulnerable, 811 00:43:47,240 --> 00:43:48,240 and heading towards becoming endangered. 812 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:53,200 Hopefully, as we continue to work 813 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:55,440 towards preserving their ecosystems, 814 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:56,840 we'll give them a chance not only to survive, 815 00:43:56,840 --> 00:44:00,240 but also to thrive. 816 00:44:00,240 --> 00:44:00,560 This winter soldier won't go down without a fight! 817 00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:08,760 These animals have managed to adapt and make 818 00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:10,400 the most out of their unforgiving environments. 819 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:19,120 But evolution takes a while, and their adaptations occurred over incredibly long periods of time. 820 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:23,840 Unfortun 821 00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:27,400 ately, climate change has a disproportionate impact on polar regions. 822 00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:30,320 And Arctic and Subar 823 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:33,640 ctic environments are changing at an unprecedented rate, 824 00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:35,480 too fast for these animals to keep up. 825 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:41,920 Wolverines need deep snow to den, 826 00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:43,800 and as temperatures rise, that's no longer a guarantee. 827 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:48,160 As the Arctic gets warmer, 828 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:52,960 the red fox ventures further and further north. 829 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:54,760 For the Arctic fox, this means more competition 830 00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:56,760 for food, and the threat of being displaced. 831 00:44:56,760 --> 00:45:01,440 Ptarmigans and Sib 832 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:04,480 erian musk deers' habitats are also shrinking, and they're adapting 833 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:07,560 by following the cold and migrating 834 00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:08,160 to higher elevations and latitudes. 835 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:16,920 But it's not too late to take action. If we make the effort 836 00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:19,280 to manage our impact on our only planet, we can give them hope. 837 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:23,720 And they deserve it, with ho 838 00:45:23,720 --> 00:45:27,160 w hard they work to survive in the coldest corners of the world. 839 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:28,760 Keep warm, my little friends!