Adaptation - Wild Winter | Full episode | Nature documentary - video Dailymotion

Wildlife Telecast

Discover how animals adapt to survive a long, cold winter.  Explore diverse ecosystems, witness the behavior of magnificent creatures, and gain insight into conservation efforts around the globe.   Whether you're a nature enthusiast or simply curious about the wonders of wildlife, these expertly crafted documentaries promise to educate, inspire, and entertain.  Follow now and embark on a journey to discover the beauty and complexity of our planet’s natural heritage.   : #wildanimals #nature #documentary #wildlifetelecast    :  Animals, Wild animals, Wildlife, Nature, Documentary, Wildlife documentary, Nature documentary, Free documentary, Documentaries, Wildlife documentaries, Nature documentaries, Nature documentary in English, Wildlife documentary in English 4k, Wild animals documentary, Documentary in English, Wild cat documentary, Wild africa documentary, Wild documentary, Wildlife documentary netflix, African animal documentaries, African wildlife documentary,  Animal documentary, Discovery channel, Discovery, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, NatGeo, National geographic nature documentaries, Nat geo, National geographic, Lion, Tiger, Elephant, Shark, Panda, Dolphin, Crocodile, Giraffe, Penguin, Wolf, Parrot, Eagle, Horse, Snake, Leopard, Zebra, Kangaroo, Bear, Koala, Owl, Cheetah, Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Hippopotamus, Rhino, Orca (Killer Whale), Octopus, Bald Eagle, Flamingo, Raccoon, Sloth, Bat, Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear, Komodo Dragon, Python, Cobra, Iguana, Tortoise, Gecko, Monitor Lizard, Peacock, Toucan, Falcon, Hummingbird, Pelican, Jellyfish, Snow Leopard, Free documentary Nature, Wildlife Telecast English, 4k ultra hd   • Wildlife is suffering. Wildlife on planet Earth is under siege from all sides, facing down habitat loss and the impact of climate change. Some of the biggest threats to wildlife include illegal wildlife trade, habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, and climate change.    •  Website  https://www.wildlifetelecast.com  Instagram • https://www.instagram.com/WildlifeTelecast  Facebook • https://www.facebook.com/WildlifeTelecast4k  Twitter • https://www.twitter.com/WildlifeTelecst  YouTube • https://youtube.com/@WildlifeTelecast4k

Transcript

00:00Late September in the polar north, and as the earth turns away from the sun, an autumnal

00:19twilight sets in.

00:31By mid-October, the tip of the globe will be in total darkness, and most of the Arctic

00:37Circle will see only glimpses of light.

00:53In northern Canada, the coastal landscape has frozen into a jagged ice-scape.

01:01Soon the temperature could plummet to minus 40 degrees Celsius.

01:09Yet polar bears like this young mother are on the move, in a relentless hunt for seals.

01:19She and her adolescent cubs will trek approximately 30 kilometres today in search of food.

01:35Just metres beneath the family's feet is the prey they depend on for survival.

01:45Arctic seals have adapted to stay underwater for up to 45 minutes, because to surface is

01:53to become vulnerable.

01:57But eventually they need to come up for air.

02:01Who will see the other first?

02:05This is a game many thousands of years in the making.

02:12The bear waits.

02:17The seal holds onto what could be its final breath.

02:30But the bear and the seal are not alone.

02:39An arctic fox trails the polar bear, in the hope of scavenging some of her leftovers.

02:49For the fox tagging along, it's a gamble worth taking.

03:02But unsurprisingly, it's not welcome.

03:12The harsh arctic winter binds the fates of these three animals together.

03:29But the polar bear is this region's ruler.

03:35Little about the weather or wildlife affects her.

03:39To survive and thrive here, she has adapted from head to toe.

03:45Her double-layered fur coat keeps her warm and dry, blanketing her head, her body and legs.

03:58Even her huge dinner plate-sized paws.

04:05These hairy feet of hers have adapted to act like snowshoes, distributing her weight as

04:12she walks and preventing her from slipping or falling through the ice as she stalks the

04:19frozen ocean.

04:22Such hollow hair on her coat is a clear cylindrical tube that reflects ambient light, capturing

04:36and storing warm air close to her skin, preserving precious heat.

04:48And creating the artful white camouflage that serves her well when stalking prey.

05:07Spotting a seal emerging for air, the bear's approach needs to be stealthy.

05:17Her camouflage, an advantage.

05:26But the seal is not on the ice for long and quickly escapes back into the water.

05:34The bear will continue wandering the ice on her hunt for food.

05:42But the bigger loser is the little Arctic fox.

05:48For all the energy he's spent keeping pace with the polar bear, there's no reward.

05:56And he's left out in the cold.

06:08Winter in the Earth's high northern latitudes has many guises.

06:16Two thousand kilometres north of Norway is the spectacular Svalbard Archipelago.

06:26Cold Arctic Ocean currents mix with the warmer currents that flow from the Atlantic, resulting

06:33in a partially ice-covered ocean during winter.

06:44Battered by the winds of the Arctic Circle, a mother walrus and her calf huddle together.

06:53Resting on floating sea ice is usually a colder environment for them than the ocean waters

06:59below.

07:03But it's a safer place to be.

07:08The large walrus only has two predators, polar bears and killer whales.

07:17And in winter, killer whales stalk the northern oceans in large, deadly pods.

07:28To avoid starvation, walrus must risk potential encounters with the killer whales and take

07:35to the ocean.

07:37Because this is where they will find the shellfish that will sustain them through winter.

07:45Despite the risks, walruses spend the majority of their lives hunting in water.

07:54Returning to the exposed chill of the ice to rest.

08:02But they are perfectly adapted to these conditions.

08:14Their bodies are swathed in insulating blubber that can be up to 15 centimetres thick.

08:23Their ears are just small holes.

08:27Having no external appendage helps conserve heat.

08:32Underwater, their torpedo-like shape is a lifesaver.

08:39They swim swiftly and, if threatened, can escape at speeds of up to 35 kilometres per

08:47hour.

08:52Their long and strong tusks allow the walrus to break breathing holes in the ice.

09:14They will haul their massive bodies onto drier land.

09:28Which, between feeding bouts, is where they'll safely rest.

09:44When the oceans of the Arctic Circle freeze, the marine animals that remain here all face

09:52the same harsh challenge.

09:55Ice.

09:57But they have each developed individual ways of coping with the struggle of life in these

10:04conditions.

10:09Here, in the winter waters between Canada and western Greenland, the sea ice is hardening

10:18and thickening.

10:21For these narwhals, pack ice can be deadly.

10:30Narwhals need to regularly surface for air.

10:34But if they can't find a gap in the frozen block, they will become trapped underwater,

10:41unable to breathe.

10:51That's why these male's distinctive spiral tusks are such a vital adaptation.

11:02Sometimes referred to as the unicorns of the sea, scientists have discovered the narwhal's

11:09tusk is actually a supremely sensitive tooth with 10 million nerve endings.

11:20But this tooth is not for eating.

11:23Instead, it's believed the three-metre-long tusk is used as a sensor to read the saltiness

11:31and temperature of the ocean, making it possible for these fairy-tale-like creatures to surface

11:40effortlessly.

11:54The narwhal's near relative is the equally intriguing beluga whale.

12:06Neither the narwhal nor the beluga have fins on their backs.

12:13This means their bodies have reduced surface area, helping prevent heat loss.

12:20And without such an obstacle, they can travel closely under the ice sheets, giving easy

12:27access to breathing holes.

12:34These beluga whales have camouflage on their side too.

12:40While the male narwhal can be easily spotted on the surface, beluga whales are camouflaged

12:48against the Arctic ice.

12:56In the years since they were born, their skin has turned from grey to gleaming white.

13:06A highly effective adaptation to fall predators.

13:14As they dive and reappear, beluga whales' bodies are easily mistaken for small ice flow

13:22bobbing up and down.

13:29In some deeper water regions of the Arctic Circle, the winter ice cover can be up to

13:3710 metres thick.

13:40Beneath it, there is total darkness, with no warmth from sunlight.

13:48But for this 100-year-old Greenland shark, the water temperature is positively invigorating.

13:58Typically, these bottom dwellers spend much of their time in depths up to 2 kilometres

14:04beneath the surface.

14:08No other shark can tolerate such freezing Arctic waters all year round.

14:16In fact, Greenland sharks purposely migrate to the ocean's coldest parts even during

14:23winter.

14:27They thrive here in this quiet, almost lifeless environment.

14:34And a slow metabolism conserves their energy.

14:41To stay warm in these frigid currents, the shark's body contains a special chemical compound

14:48that acts like an antifreeze, preventing ice crystals forming.

14:55No other vertebrate has a lifespan as long as this species, with some scientists suggesting

15:02they can live for 500 years.

15:09Despite this, Greenland shark populations are thought to have declined, and they are

15:15currently listed as vulnerable.

15:23But with no known predators in the wild, slow and steady is how this fantastic and fearsome

15:31old fish will see out his days.

15:36Deep down in the ocean, very little changes visually, regardless of day or night.

16:01However, back on land, twilight signals the end of another short day.

16:12And complete darkness is where the polar north shows its true colours.

16:21The aurora borealis.

16:27Dancing ribbons of light that shimmer and pulse across the sky, caused by the sun's

16:35energy interacting with the Earth's magnetic field.

16:42This dazzling display is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

16:52Few natural phenomena are as spectacular as the northern lights.

17:09And as a new day breaks across the freezing tundra of the Canadian archipelago.

17:20Herds of muskoxen make a meal of the lichen and fungi growing under the snowy surface.

17:37These beasts are living examples of evolution at its finest.

17:44After all, they are one of the few species to have survived the last ice age.

17:57Muskoxen bodies are shielded by their billowing hair.

18:02The outer hairs measuring up to one metre in length.

18:06The longest fur of any wild animal.

18:14And they have a second line of insulating defence.

18:18A warm woollen undercoat that's 10 centimetres thick.

18:26And as for their unusual box-like shape, it's a simple evolutionary formula to battle

18:33the blizzards.

18:41And this is what will help them live to fight another day.

18:47On the barren flats of the Arctic tundra.

19:05Winter winters are, by their very geography, the most extreme winters on Earth.

19:18But there are other places where winters are less harsh and more of a beauty to behold.

19:31Winter in Switzerland, just over 2,000 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, often brings clear

19:38skies and crisp air, even during the coldest winter months.

19:50Of the many animals that have developed foraging strategies and thick coats to see them through

19:56this time of year, the Eurasian otter has to also endure being cold and wet simultaneously.

20:19Otters are homeotherms, which means it's a juggling act to regulate their body temperature,

20:25to balance the heat they lose in the water with the heat produced internally.

20:32So plunging into the freezing cold water beneath the ice could cause their core temperature

20:38to drop dangerously low.

20:46If it weren't for their sophisticated, waterproof coat.

21:00The outer layer is a dense weave of interlinked hairs, and the thick undercoat traps an insulating

21:11layer of air so their skin stays dry.

21:20The otter dives to hunt for food, staying warm and dry for up to five minutes underwater.

21:32And when they're not hunting or swimming, they spend a lot of their time preening, not

21:38to look good, but for protection.

21:44Because if their fur becomes dirty, their coat won't absorb the air that insulates them,

21:52putting these otherwise hearty animals at risk of hypothermia.

22:06With the Swiss Alps towering over the lowlands, during winter cold air from the north and

22:13moist air from the west rises above the iconic range, generating dense snowfall cloaking

22:23the trees and ground.

22:28And in the dim forest light, the sight of this lone lynx in the Alps is cause for celebration

22:36for conservationists the world over.

22:43Just 50 years ago, this species was extinct here.

22:50But the cold climate cats have bounced back, thanks to a Swiss reintroduction programme

23:00and a nationwide hunting ban.

23:05Today, this adult lynx is more at home than ever.

23:13Despite incessant snowfall and an air temperature of minus 10 degrees, the conditions are considered

23:20relatively cosy for such a fully adapted feline.

23:27His coat is long and soft for warmth.

23:32His big cat tail is small to help conserve heat.

23:40And this may allow him to manoeuvre quickly through dense forest without getting caught

23:45or hindered.

23:54And his wide, furry feet provide traction and can support twice as much weight on the

24:00snow, meaning he is able to stalk his prey with ease.

24:16Hunting, travelling and living alone, this forest dweller's winter adaptations have

24:30created one of Eurasia's stealthiest predators.

24:40No matter the animal or their habitat, winter tests all evolutionary abilities.

24:50The capability to conserve energy, maintain body temperature and secure food sources.

25:03In Scandinavia, the reindeers in this herd have grown smart seasonal coats to withstand

25:10the minus 20 degree temperatures that are not uncommon.

25:18The coat has two layers, a warm and woolly undercoat and a hairy top layer.

25:28And like the polar bear, the outer layer hairs are in fact hollow, creating a very

25:35effective insulation.

25:40So effective that a reindeer can lie down without melting the snow under it.

25:53When seen through thermal imaging, the purple areas of its coat are giving off barely any

25:59warmth whatsoever, minimising heat loss from their core body.

26:07The areas of white and orange are the most exposed in terms of heat loss.

26:16Reindeer possess something called a counter-current heat exchange.

26:21This allows them to recycle heat so the heart doesn't need to work as hard.

26:27Like many animals, reindeer have a layer of tissue behind the retina that reflects light,

26:34enhancing their night vision.

26:37They also have an adaptation that's never been observed in any other mammal, the changing

26:43of eye colour in sync with the seasons.

26:47In summer, reindeer's eyes are gold, but in winter the colour changes to a deep blue.

26:56This colour change reduces the amount of light reflected out of the eye, meaning reindeer

27:03can quite literally see in the dark.

27:07An advantage when it comes to spotting predators in the low light of winter.

27:13For all their superb adaptations, reindeer are highly dependent on the health and heartiness

27:21of the great swathes of conifer forest, mainly as a food source, but also for protection

27:29from the harsh winds and the freezing cold winter temperatures.

27:35High up in the trees themselves, there are a whole new set of winter residents also managing

27:43to combat the cold.

27:47Very few birds remain in the north during winter, but those that do are hardy.

28:01Colourful pine groesbeaks live year-round in the woodlands in northern America and the

28:07evergreen forests of Eurasia.

28:15Like many birds that live in the forests in winter, their constant shivering and movement

28:22generates heat to withstand the freezing temperatures.

28:29Though they will travel long distances for food, pine groesbeaks are a non-migratory

28:36bird, living off seeds, fruit, buds and berries, scarcer during winter.

28:46A remarkably similar looking bird to the pine groesbeak, though not related, is the robin.

28:58Like pine groesbeaks, many robins also stay put during the winter months.

29:09They fluff up their feathers to trap warm air close to their little bodies.

29:18And they can digest the often unpalatable waxy berry coatings, so they gorge happily

29:25on any food they can find at this time of year.

29:33An extendable esophagus also means they can feast on the berries for as long as they are

29:39available, storing the fruit there until they settle in for the night.

29:51The boreal forests that are home to these songbirds are also home to spruce, fir and

29:58pine trees, collectively known as conifers.

30:05And these majestic forests of conifers are as rich and resilient throughout the winter

30:12as they are in the summer.

30:18Unlike other trees that shed their leaves when the temperature drops, conifers are evergreens.

30:32Often the branches are hidden under a heavy blanket of snow, or sometimes covered with

30:38delicate ice crystals, depending on the extremely unpredictable winter weather.

30:48To combat this weather, conifers enter a type of hibernation.

30:53They stop growing in the coldest months, conserving their moisture when there's surprisingly

31:07little life-giving rainfall.

31:16Their small and waxy needles have adapted to prevent water evaporating into the atmosphere,

31:26a variation that helps keep them hydrated through even the bleakest cold season.

31:46Living deep within the freezing forests of Finland is the brown bear.

31:59During winter, the brown bear's food sources are significantly depleted.

32:09So to avoid the cold weather and lack of food, they hibernate.

32:21This brown bear is pregnant, and in a matter of months, she'll give birth to two or three

32:29cubs.

32:37During autumn, she ate to excess to build up her fat stores, built her maternity den,

32:47and is now resting peacefully in it.

32:55Her fat stores will give her enough energy to live through the winter, and to deliver

33:01her cubs.

33:05This shelter will be her hideout for the next six or seven months, and it's where her babies

33:13will be born.

33:16Settled inside, she enters a light hibernation, or torpo state, where she will doze on and

33:23off.

33:27She won't eat, drink, or pass waste.

33:34Her pulse rate, breathing, and body temperature will drop to help her conserve energy.

33:45But she'll be on high alert, ready to defend herself and her unborn or her newborn cubs

33:54if necessary.

33:57These are the species of bear that's evolved superbly to survive these long, harsh northern

34:05winters.

34:06Her strategy, doing as little as possible.

34:15And the low-lying forests of Finland, now in nightfall.

34:28Far to the east, in the Himalayas, the sun soon dawns on an entirely different kind of

34:38winter's day for its high-altitude inhabitants.

34:52Like the polar bear is to the Arctic Circle, here, 5,000 meters above sea level, the snow

34:59leopard is the top of the food chain.

35:08But when it comes to its prey, it faces competition from wolves and Himalayan brown bears.

35:21Known to locals as the ghosts of the mountains, adult snow leopards live a solitary existence,

35:32prowling the steepest and rockiest ridges of the Himalayan slopes.

35:43But they're never troubled by the thin air of this ultra-high altitude.

35:53Thanks to their broad, muscular chest, they can take breaths deep enough to absorb plenty

35:59of oxygen.

36:04As the air passes into their wide nose, the nasal cavity warms it before it hits their

36:10lungs.

36:16The dense, spotted coat offers excellent camouflage and insulation against the cold.

36:24And the unusually long, thick tail is insulating, too.

36:39The snow leopard's adaptations do the trick, largely unaffected by the wild weather of

36:47their mountain domain, until the comfort of a meal brightens the end of another winter's

36:53day in the high Himalayan mountains.

37:03As the days start to get longer in the northern hemisphere, and winter begins its transition

37:10into spring and eventually summer, below the Earth's equator, the seasons of the southern

37:21hemisphere are changing also.

37:26In the far South Pacific, the temperate coasts and snow-capped peaks of New Zealand have

37:33fallen into their own winter season for another year.

37:41And in the alpine country of the South Island, a kea is making the most of its winter's day.

37:52A very social bird, keas often gather in groups at this time of year, calling out to each

37:59other as a way of strengthening social bonds.

38:05Listed as nationally endangered, the kea is the world's only alpine parrot.

38:14As ground-nesting birds, keas are especially vulnerable to attacks from human-introduced

38:21species such as possums and feral cats.

38:29This intelligent little bird, called the clever clown of the Alps, exhibits the problem-solving

38:36skills of a four-year-old child, and are known for their mischievous and destructive habits.

38:52Despite these antics, they are much-loved by locals, and easily spotted by the orange

39:05colour of their inner wings.

39:08Their olive-coloured outer feathers keep them warm during the cold New Zealand winters.

39:22The far South Pacific is as rugged as it is beautiful, especially during winter.

39:35But for the animals who inhabit the sub-Antarctic islands, it's also a time of wild seas and

39:46wilder winds.

39:55One animal that's perfectly adapted to make the most of winter's intense weather is the

40:01albatross.

40:09Over the coming few months of bitter cold, this adult female will need to withstand the

40:16blustery winds.

40:22Unable to consistently flap their wings, they use their three-and-a-half-metre wingspan

40:30to catch the currents.

40:33A sheet of tendon around their shoulders locks their wings into place, helping them glide

40:41gracefully without expending excess energy.

40:48If the breeze is up, they'll be absent and airborne for up to nine days, during which

40:56time they can fly up to 5,000 kilometres with ease.

41:04When the winds don't blow, they take time out to rest on the ocean surface and quench

41:14their thirst with seawater.

41:20This is the ultimate adaptation.

41:24These brilliant birds have a salt gland near their nasal passage that filters salt from

41:32the seawater, keeping them hydrated and ready to continue their wanderings as they

41:44ride the winds of the great southern ocean.

41:56Winter in the southern hemisphere, also known as the austral winter, is at its most severe

42:04in the world's southernmost continent, Antarctica, where the ocean is transformed into a place

42:15of ice and snow.

42:21Winter in the polar south is extreme, but awe-inspiring.

42:33And so are the animals that live here.

42:39Standing at over a metre tall, the giants of the penguin world, the emperor penguin,

42:46eats, sleeps and breeds only on the southern sea ice.

42:57They rarely step onto the solid ground, as their colonies are on sea ice.

43:05Waddling rather than walking, this one's well-dressed for the world's most extreme cold.

43:15Their tuxedo-looking feathers form an effective windbreak.

43:21Two layers of plumage, soft down close to the skin and shorter outer feathers, are especially

43:31useful when the wind gusts at more than 100 kilometres an hour.

43:41And despite being an aquatic bird that gets wet often, the penguin's feathers never freeze.

43:52They preen regularly to spread oil from a gland near their tail, creating a simple but

43:59practical waterproof shield.

44:11That big belly isn't just a convenient way to get around.

44:19This emperor is carrying a bulk of blubber.

44:25And although the largest penguin species, proportionately they have smaller beaks and

44:33flippers than other penguins, to help prevent heat loss.

44:39With feathers on their legs to keep their ankles warm, their happy feet are also a miracle of movement.

44:53Fat stalls in the soles prevent them icing over.

44:59Even when the temperature's at a bone-chilling minus 50 degrees.

45:07This wondrous creature benefits from inbuilt thermals and frostbite-free feet.

45:25From the penguins of the polar south to the polar bears of the Arctic.

45:37What all these cold-weather birds, mammals and fish have in common is the wonder of evolution.

45:49With smart and sophisticated safeguards or protections that are surprisingly simple,

45:57the animals of these punishing environments endure and excel.

46:05Despite the cold, the wind and the darkness.

46:11Their bodies have developed in ways that often seem inconceivable.

46:17But without their amazing adaptations, none would ever survive the extremes of the wild winter.

Adaptation - Wild Winter | Full episode | Nature documentary

Category

Transcript

Recommended