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Help kids learn and
grow with PBS Kids.

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Thank you for supporting
your PBS station.

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NARRATOR:
All around the planet,

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billions of animals
are on the move...

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...making incredible journeys.

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The most amazing of these
are the smallest.

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This series uses
the latest camera technology

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to follow six tiny animals

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on the biggest adventures
of their lives

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as they travel through
extraordinary landscapes...

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♪

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...where every little step
counts.

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♪

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♪

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The greatest adventures
are the smallest.

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♪

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♪

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♪

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♪

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Kirindy Forest, Madagascar.

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♪

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This tiny chameleon
is a few minutes old...

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...half the size
of a matchstick.

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She has spent seven months
underground,

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developing inside her egg.

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And now her own eggs
are already growing inside her.

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♪

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She's starting a journey
to find a male.

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These chameleons only live
for a matter of months.

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Her instincts
drive her to climb.

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♪

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Built for the ascent,
her feet can swivel...

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♪

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...helping her cling to cracks.

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She heaves her way upwards.

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The climb is 150 times
her body length,

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like a human scaling
the Empire State Building.

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16 feet up, she's in
a very different world...

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...a dense network of branches

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that give shade
and create aerial highways.

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[ Insects chirping,
birds calling ]

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She's hungry.

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[ Flies buzzing ]

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She has never eaten before,

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but she knows food
when she sees it--

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flies.

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[ Buzzing ]

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They have split-second reflexes,

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but she's born with
the skills of an assassin.

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Her eyes search
almost 360 degrees.

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A target.

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Both eyes lock on
with binocular vision.

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And she fires
her lightning-fast tongue.

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♪

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♪

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It's twice the length
of her body

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and as sticky as honey.

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♪

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♪

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She catches up to
100 flies a day.

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In just two weeks,
she's doubled in size.

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[ Flies buzzing ]

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[ Animals calling ]

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The fading light
and decreasing accuracy

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is her cue to get some sleep.

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Being light on her feet,

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she can reach places
where most predators can't.

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The thinnest branches
are the safest.

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Her pincer-like feet clamp
onto the branch.

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It's like sleeping
on a tightrope.

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♪

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♪

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A cat-eyed tree snake...

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♪

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...it's still light enough
to reach her.

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Deep in slumber, the chameleon
is at her most vulnerable.

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♪

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The snake's approach causes tiny
vibrations along the branch

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that the chameleon can sense,
even when asleep.

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♪

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And when the snake is too close,

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they wake her up.

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♪

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All she can do

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is let go.

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♪

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Her radical move is
a deliberate escape strategy.

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[ Owl hoots ]

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But it has put her right back
on the dangerous forest floor

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in the middle of the night.

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♪

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6,000 miles away,

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the Cairngorms of Scotland...

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...home to one of Britain's
shyest animals...

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...a water vole.

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This female is three months old

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and small enough to fit
in the palm of a human hand.

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She is busy preparing her small
territory by digging burrows,

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ready to raise a family.

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She must eat two-thirds
of her body weight every day

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to stay in prime condition.

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There's just a few weeks left
to mate and raise pups

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before the first signs
of winter.

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To attract a suitor,

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she strategically leaves
droppings around her territory.

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[ Insects chirping ]

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Today, she's got
some attention...

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...a vole's worst nightmare...

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♪

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...an invasive American mink.

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♪

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Its ultrasonic hearing
can detect the slightest squeak.

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To a water vole,
its odor is a trigger...

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to run.

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♪

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Just one mink could wipe out
every vole in this glen

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in just a few weeks.

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♪

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She's lost her riverbank home.

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♪

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♪

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She must now travel
into the unknown

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to find a new territory
in which to have her first pups.

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♪

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♪

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Two miles into the glen...

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...she's alone, homeless,
and exhausted.

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♪

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She needs a place to rest.

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A burrow.

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She could make it her new home.

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♪

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♪

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It's occupied.

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A pregnant water vole.

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This is her burrow,

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and she will fight to the death
to defend it.

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[ Voles squeaking ]

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♪

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Being less experienced,
the best option is to flee.

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[ Water lapping,
insects chirping ]

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But the path ahead...

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is blocked.

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♪

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Back in Madagascar,

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with her biological clock
rapidly ticking away,

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the chameleon is searching for
a way back up into the trees.

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♪

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♪

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♪

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♪

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She's unaware of the predators
that lurk in the dark.

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♪

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Her brown, mottled skin
helps her

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to blend into the leaf litter.

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♪

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♪

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♪

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Could this tiny twig
lead her up?

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♪

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♪

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No.

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It's a stick insect.

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♪

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♪

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As she travels,
her cover disappears.

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♪

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♪

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She's on a dirt track

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cut through the forest
by humans.

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♪

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♪

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♪

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♪

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Drawn towards a tree trunk,

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she hauls herself upwards

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with every ounce of energy
she has left.

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♪

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♪

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Finally,
she can get back to sleep.

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♪

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♪

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Dawn reveals a harsh reality.

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♪

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♪

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Once, there were trees
all the way to the horizon.

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[ Wind whooshing ]

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Now there is nothing.

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♪

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It's a long way back.

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♪

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♪

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♪

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♪

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Finally, in the safety
of a tree...

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...but she's facing
another problem.

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Being shaken off
is the last thing she needs.

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[ Leaves rustling,
animals calling ]

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Red-fronted lemurs.

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[ Lemurs grunting and calling ]

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Feeding on the fruit
in this neem tree,

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they've created a sticky mess...

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...a magnet for flies.

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[ Flies buzzing ]

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A chance to get her energy back

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before she continues her journey
to find a mate.

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Far away in Scotland,
the vole's search for a new home

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has taken her three miles
into the glen.

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Ahead of her lies water.

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She's spent her entire life
around streams.

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But with poor eyesight,

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she has misjudged
how far it is to the other side.

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[ Birds calling ]

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This loch is vast.

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♪

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In the cold waters beneath her,

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monsters lurk.

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Giant pike, four times her size,

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could swallow her whole...

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♪

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...if she doesn't drown first.

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She's never swum more than
a few feet from land before.

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♪

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The farther she swims
from shore,

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the more likely
she will be detected.

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♪

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Once a pike senses ripples...

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...most prey
don't stand a chance.

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♪

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♪

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But this water vole
has made it to the other side.

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♪

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♪

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For now, she's safe.

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♪

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Running water...

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...it's the sound of home.

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♪

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♪

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♪

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If she follows it,

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she might find the habitat
that she's looking for.

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The higher she climbs,

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the rockier it becomes.

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600 feet up, there's trouble.

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♪

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♪

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[ Bird screeches ]

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A golden eagle...

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30 times bigger
than a water vole.

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♪

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00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:18,920
With vision five times
more powerful than a human's,

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it could spot a vole
from more than a mile away.

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♪

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00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:39,440
♪

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♪

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00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:56,840
♪

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♪

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[ Eagle squawks ]

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She will have to
sleep here tonight.

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[ Insects buzzing,
birds calling ]

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In Madagascar,
four months have passed,

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and the chameleon has reached
a pivotal moment

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in her short life.

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She has undergone the most
extraordinary transformation.

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♪

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She has become an adult.

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♪

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♪

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♪

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Now as long as a human finger,

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her skin is
a kaleidoscope of color...

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♪

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...created by special
light-reflecting nanocrystals

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in her skin cells.

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A chameleon's color is primarily
used for communication,

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and it changes
with her mood.

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Her most important signal
is a crimson spot...

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...indicating that
she is ready to mate.

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Her eggs are fully grown
and visible through her skin.

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Now she needs to find a male
to fertilize them.

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She needs to secure an area
to show off her colors...

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...but every female
of her species

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is on the same
biological clock...

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...all vying for the attention
of a male.

286
00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,960
Already, she has competition.

287
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:27,480
♪

288
00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:37,000
♪

289
00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:40,640
Females can't risk damage
to their delicate eggs.

290
00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:46,960
They rarely make contact.

291
00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:53,280
♪

292
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:58,640
Instead, they rely on
elaborate warning displays.

293
00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:03,960
She attacks from below.

294
00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:05,960
[ Chameleon hissing ]

295
00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:15,280
♪

296
00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:17,760
Having forced her rival away...

297
00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:24,240
...she has claimed this area
as her own.

298
00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:33,960
♪

299
00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:40,480
♪

300
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,640
She can now dazzle her colors.

301
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:49,040
♪

302
00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:54,360
♪

303
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,360
[ Fly buzzes ]

304
00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:05,120
♪

305
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:13,840
♪

306
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:15,800
She's attracted a male.

307
00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:21,880
♪

308
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:27,720
♪

309
00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:29,560
There are two.

310
00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:34,760
They must prove their worth.

311
00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:41,000
♪

312
00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:44,480
They are twice her size

313
00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,000
and built for combat.

314
00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:54,160
The bigger the nose horn,
the more attractive the male...

315
00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,960
...and the taller
the head crest,

316
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,560
the more powerful
the bite.

317
00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:08,640
These two gladiators
are evenly matched.

318
00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:15,520
She monitors every movement
from a safe distance.

319
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:23,800
The most dominant male will
pass on the strongest genes.

320
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:31,320
♪

321
00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:38,880
♪

322
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:42,560
They must fight it out
to win her favor.

323
00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:44,720
[ Chameleon hisses ]

324
00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:49,520
[ Chameleons hissing ]

325
00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,760
Unlike females,
they don't hold back.

326
00:31:55,880 --> 00:32:01,000
♪

327
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:06,240
♪

328
00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,600
This could be the last battle
of their lives,

329
00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:11,360
before they die.

330
00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:19,200
♪

331
00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:27,080
♪

332
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:34,920
♪

333
00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,680
It will only end
when one backs down...

334
00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,560
[ Chameleon hisses ]

335
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:48,920
...and falls.

336
00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,200
She allows the victor
to approach.

337
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,920
After mating,

338
00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,680
they will never
see each other again.

339
00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,320
With her eggs fertilized,

340
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,400
there is only one more stage
of her journey to complete...

341
00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:56,360
...to find a safe place
to lay them,

342
00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,640
before her life
comes to an end.

343
00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:08,400
♪

344
00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:13,280
The water vole is now five miles
from her old riverbank home.

345
00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:19,160
♪

346
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:25,040
♪

347
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,120
Her search has
taken her to altitude.

348
00:34:28,240 --> 00:34:34,160
♪

349
00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:36,760
She's in alien territory...

350
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:44,360
♪

351
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,280
...but keeps climbing.

352
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:55,920
♪

353
00:34:56,040 --> 00:35:05,560
♪

354
00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:15,200
♪

355
00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:18,080
She's over 2,000 feet up.

356
00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,240
Before her lies a new frontier.

357
00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:35,160
♪

358
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,560
With the threat of the eagle,

359
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:39,680
she must move on quickly.

360
00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:48,840
♪

361
00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:57,920
♪

362
00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,080
[ Bee buzzing ]

363
00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,240
She's lost a lot of weight

364
00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,680
and is depleted of minerals.

365
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:17,720
She'll need more
than just grass,

366
00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:19,680
to get her strength back.

367
00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,000
[ Deer lowing ]

368
00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:32,840
Red deer.

369
00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:51,040
They may provide
just what she needs.

370
00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,880
An old stag's antler,

371
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,000
packed with minerals.

372
00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:13,200
A hundred times
more calcium than milk.

373
00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:18,400
She's not the first vole
to have taken a bite here.

374
00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:21,400
A few nibbles is all she needs.

375
00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:28,040
♪

376
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:34,600
♪

377
00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:38,320
And then an adder,

378
00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:41,360
the U.K.'s only venomous snake.

379
00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:51,040
♪

380
00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:55,600
Being cold-blooded, it's basking
in the sun to warm up.

381
00:37:55,720 --> 00:38:01,280
♪

382
00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,640
A bite from an adult
could kill.

383
00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:12,600
But, luckily for the water vole,
this one isn't yet fully grown.

384
00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:18,720
Neither vole nor snake
is a threat to the other.

385
00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:28,520
♪

386
00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:31,760
Finally reaching
the valley floor,

387
00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:35,480
she has entered prime
water-vole habitat...

388
00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:52,680
...and there's a burrow.

389
00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:57,360
She is wary.

390
00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:14,880
There is something here...

391
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:23,720
♪

392
00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:27,280
It's just a harmless toad
taking shelter.

393
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,680
[ Water vole squeaking ]

394
00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,400
With no sign of
a resident water vole,

395
00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:38,680
she's found a new home.

396
00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:45,440
If she can find a mate,

397
00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:48,680
she will still have time
to raise a family.

398
00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:54,240
With darkness falling,

399
00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:56,040
she can rest.

400
00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:11,120
♪

401
00:40:11,240 --> 00:40:16,640
Back in her forests,
the chameleon is 5 months old

402
00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,600
and has reached old age.

403
00:40:19,720 --> 00:40:27,880
♪

404
00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,520
Nearing the end of her journey,

405
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:34,280
she must find the perfect spot
to lay her eggs.

406
00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:42,000
♪

407
00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:46,080
She has no time to waste
on an approaching male.

408
00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:52,920
♪

409
00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:54,320
[ Chameleon hisses ]

410
00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:56,280
He's too late.

411
00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:58,280
[ Chameleon hisses,
screeches ]

412
00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:07,800
♪

413
00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:13,200
Puffing up her body
and expanding her skin cells,

414
00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:17,000
she turns from green to black...

415
00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:23,560
♪

416
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:30,080
♪

417
00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,640
...a clear signal to back off.

418
00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:45,320
♪

419
00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:49,000
Instinct drives her
towards the forest floor.

420
00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:55,880
♪

421
00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:02,840
♪

422
00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:09,720
♪

423
00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,680
Now a beacon of color,

424
00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:15,560
she stands out amongst
the leaf litter...

425
00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:23,280
♪

426
00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:25,240
...and is slower...

427
00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:30,640
...weighed down by eight eggs,

428
00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:33,080
a third of her body weight.

429
00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,360
She needs to head away
from tree roots,

430
00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:41,680
to a place
where she can dig...

431
00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:47,760
♪

432
00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:51,160
...and with just
the right amount of sunlight

433
00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:53,120
to incubate her eggs.

434
00:42:53,240 --> 00:43:01,080
♪

435
00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:05,680
With every step,
she could be spotted.

436
00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:14,600
♪

437
00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:18,000
A giant hognose snake,

438
00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:20,120
over six feet long.

439
00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:26,320
♪

440
00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:30,320
Her only defense
is to rock gently...

441
00:43:35,240 --> 00:43:38,040
...to try to look like
a leaf in the breeze.

442
00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:47,880
♪

443
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:57,760
♪

444
00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:07,600
♪

445
00:44:07,720 --> 00:44:10,840
This snake is an egg eater.

446
00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:20,320
♪

447
00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:24,200
The chameleon needs to wait
for the coast to be clear

448
00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:26,560
before she can start laying.

449
00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:36,320
She's found the perfect spot.

450
00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:43,560
♪

451
00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:49,080
♪

452
00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:54,200
Her whole short life has been
about getting to this moment...

453
00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:59,560
♪

454
00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:04,840
♪

455
00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:07,880
...and her time
has almost run out.

456
00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:13,240
♪

457
00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:18,640
♪

458
00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:21,600
With her last ounce of energy,

459
00:45:21,720 --> 00:45:23,560
she covers her eggs.

460
00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:31,640
♪

461
00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:35,880
Her life's journey
is now complete.

462
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:45,200
♪

463
00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:54,560
♪

464
00:45:54,680 --> 00:46:03,920
♪

465
00:46:04,040 --> 00:46:08,480
In her last moments,
her skin erupts with color...

466
00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:15,040
♪

467
00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:18,280
...as if uttering
her last words.

468
00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:28,280
♪

469
00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:38,280
♪

470
00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:48,240
♪

471
00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:49,840
She is not the only one

472
00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:52,720
to have made
such an incredible journey.

473
00:46:52,840 --> 00:46:54,880
[ Fly buzzing ]

474
00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:02,680
Every chameleon of her species
is now dead.

475
00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:23,520
[ Fly buzzing ]

476
00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:32,920
All that remains
are thousands of eggs,

477
00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:36,520
buried beneath the soil
of Kirindy Forest...

478
00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:45,600
...time capsules evolved to
survive the deadly dry season...

479
00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:51,160
...until they hatch, en-masse,

480
00:47:51,280 --> 00:47:55,320
when the wetter weather returns
in seven months' time.

481
00:47:58,240 --> 00:48:07,960
♪

482
00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:10,760
Having found perfect habitat,

483
00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:13,480
the water vole is scent-marking
the boundaries

484
00:48:13,600 --> 00:48:15,640
of her new territory...

485
00:48:25,680 --> 00:48:28,960
...but she needs to mate
within the next few days,

486
00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:32,120
to ensure any pups
survive the winter.

487
00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:39,920
300 feet from the burrow,

488
00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:42,800
she sniffs a distinctive odor.

489
00:48:46,920 --> 00:48:48,560
A latrine.

490
00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:53,560
[ Water vole sniffing ]

491
00:48:56,200 --> 00:48:58,440
There's a well-trodden path...

492
00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:07,240
♪

493
00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:10,320
...and the chopped-up
leftovers of a meal.

494
00:49:10,440 --> 00:49:18,920
♪

495
00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:27,520
♪

496
00:49:27,640 --> 00:49:36,280
♪

497
00:49:51,600 --> 00:49:54,840
At last, a male.

498
00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:08,520
The voles here
have lighter-colored fur...

499
00:50:10,720 --> 00:50:13,480
...a sign that they have
different ancestors.

500
00:50:13,600 --> 00:50:19,240
♪

501
00:50:19,360 --> 00:50:24,960
♪

502
00:50:25,080 --> 00:50:29,680
But attractiveness has little
to do with fur color.

503
00:50:32,600 --> 00:50:37,120
The most important thing to her
is his fitness...

504
00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:42,000
...crucial if her offspring
are to inherit genes

505
00:50:42,120 --> 00:50:44,760
essential for survival
in the highlands.

506
00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:49,880
♪

507
00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:55,000
♪

508
00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:59,080
A game of chase
is a good test of his stamina.

509
00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:05,720
♪

510
00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:12,360
♪

511
00:51:12,480 --> 00:51:15,160
She leads him to her new burrow.

512
00:51:15,280 --> 00:51:21,480
♪

513
00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:24,560
Her journey is complete.

514
00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:31,200
She's found a mate
and a new life,

515
00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:34,160
eight miles from
where she was born.

516
00:51:40,520 --> 00:51:44,800
Three weeks later,
and a new journey begins...

517
00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:51,600
♪

518
00:51:51,720 --> 00:51:58,360
♪

519
00:51:58,480 --> 00:52:00,200
...motherhood.

520
00:52:00,320 --> 00:52:06,240
♪

521
00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:12,400
♪

522
00:52:12,520 --> 00:52:18,200
♪

523
00:52:27,720 --> 00:52:37,120
♪

524
00:52:37,240 --> 00:52:46,680
♪

525
00:52:46,800 --> 00:52:56,000
♪

526
00:52:56,120 --> 00:52:57,720
♪

527
00:52:57,840 --> 00:53:01,760
♪

528
00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:09,440
♪