1 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,560 HOWLING 2 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,000 This display of raw power and aggression... 3 00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:47,720 ..is the way by which a male chimpanzee 4 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,480 proclaims his high status. 5 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:54,400 SCREECHING 6 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,520 He is willing to fight anyone if necessary. 7 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:10,920 Male chimpanzees may become dominant in their 20s, and high rank brings 8 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,360 great privileges, such as the right to mate. 9 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,120 But not every male chimp is in the same position. 10 00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:30,520 Damien, so named by the researchers observing him, is 14 years of age 11 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,200 and not yet old enough to be dominant. 12 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:38,640 Adolescence is a testing time in a chimp's life. 13 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,040 This is when he must decide if and how he will stand out 14 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:44,680 from other young males. 15 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:01,360 The chimpanzees of Ngogo in Uganda live in the largest chimp society 16 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:02,760 known to science. 17 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:11,960 And thanks to the year-round abundance of food, there are nearly 18 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,720 always females ready to mate. 19 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,600 Some years, more than 20 babies are born here. 20 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,960 But the majority of them are fathered by the most dominant males. 21 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,600 The females usually have little say in the matter. 22 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,680 Coercion is common. 23 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:51,640 In time, Damien may become dominant, and then he too may use his rank 24 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:54,360 and strength to gain access to females. 25 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,560 For now, though, he's always respectful to his superiors 26 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:05,760 and shows that by taking his turn to groom them. 27 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,440 He lacks the physical strength of the dominant males, 28 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:14,480 but he's old enough to mate, so he's found a different way 29 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,400 of getting close to a female. 30 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:20,120 This is Penelope. 31 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,800 She's a friend of Damien's, and he is regularly 32 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,880 beside her when she needs a scratch. 33 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,600 This is Sabin. 34 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,040 She, too, is a friend of Damien's. 35 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,760 Then there's Maya and Anna. 36 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,640 Damien may not be the biggest or the strongest, 37 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:49,440 but he's a popular chimp. 38 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,440 And it's not just a grooming service he offers. 39 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,960 As any mother of two will tell you, offering to play with the kids 40 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:06,640 while she has a break is a sure-fire way of ingratiating yourself. 41 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,520 These are not his offspring, but Damien often spends time 42 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:19,000 with Anna and her infants, on hand for a spot of childcare. 43 00:04:21,840 --> 00:04:25,560 And that has led to the two of them having a special bond. 44 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:34,440 But now Anna has come into oestrus - her most fertile time. 45 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:39,800 And an older male knows that she has. 46 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,520 Damien gives him a wide berth. 47 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:01,120 For now, all he can do is to watch from the sidelines. 48 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,760 A female who's already proved herself to be a capable mother 49 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,240 is always in high demand when she becomes ready to mate again. 50 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:22,000 Shaking branches signals the older males desire to mate. 51 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,080 HOWLING 52 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,280 She is clearly nervous. 53 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:37,680 SCREECHING 54 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:42,720 And before he gets a chance to get really close, her calls alert 55 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:44,680 the other heavyweight males. 56 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,760 They will be prepared to fight for a chance to mate. 57 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:57,960 SCREECHING 58 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,360 Damien knows he would stand no chance against them. 59 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,000 SCREECHING 60 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:18,960 SCREECHING 61 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:29,320 Despite their bravado, in the chaos, none of them succeeds 62 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:30,640 in mating with Anna. 63 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,280 After, the males are keen to repair their friendships... 64 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,080 ..and Anna slips away. 65 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,320 With the threat of violence gone for the moment and being slightly 66 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,120 away from the dominant group... 67 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,600 ..Damien finally gets close to Anna while she's still fertile. 68 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,600 It's not uncommon for males to develop close friendships 69 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,840 with females in order to mate. 70 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:17,000 And Damien has clearly got a talent for doing just that because, 71 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,400 two years ago, he became the youngest father in the history 72 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:22,760 of the Ngogo group... 73 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,240 ..which proves that a little charm can go a long way. 74 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:42,200 Jungles cover just 2% of the planet, but they're home to 80% of all 75 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,280 land-living animal species. 76 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,440 To win the mating game in these dense forests, 77 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:54,400 you need to find a way to stand out, and some male animals 78 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:59,280 spend their entire lives honing their seduction techniques. 79 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:07,160 In the remote valleys of New Guinea, there are strange sounds... 80 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:08,680 CHIRPING 81 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,920 ..and the most curious constructions 82 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,000 that mystified the first European explorers. 83 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,040 Some believed these structures had been made by the local people 84 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:20,760 in their tribal rituals. 85 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:26,800 They're ringed with moss and littered with seeds. 86 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,480 Strange decorations hang from the branches nearby. 87 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:40,440 But, in fact, this 60 centimetre tall construction has been built 88 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,480 by a bird no bigger than a thrush... 89 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,160 ..a male MacGregor's bowerbird. 90 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,160 He has built this tower with hundreds of sticks, 91 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,240 and he maintains it year after year. 92 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,880 It has one purpose and one purpose only... 93 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,440 ..to impress females. 94 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,680 It requires constant maintenance. 95 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:29,720 What's that stick doing there? 96 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,000 That won't do! 97 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:45,920 But now this. 98 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:50,920 Perfect! 99 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,480 This construction, his bower, dominates his life. 100 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:06,840 With maintenance done for the day, it's time to renew the decorations. 101 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:13,280 Rotting berries and... 102 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:17,960 ..caterpillar droppings. 103 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:23,320 Delightful! 104 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:36,400 A female assesses his construction, and now he sings to her. 105 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:37,880 CHIRPING 106 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,640 CHIRPING 107 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,880 As a younger bird, before he started gathering sticks... 108 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,240 ..he collected sounds... 109 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:57,000 CHIRPING 110 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:03,000 ..and now, to entice her closer, he reproduces some of them. 111 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:08,680 CHIRPING 112 00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:12,560 Some are songs he has heard elsewhere in the forest... 113 00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:15,160 HE SINGS 114 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,440 ..the calls of other kinds of birds. 115 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,320 Others are harder to identify. 116 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,000 HE CHIRPS, SINGS 117 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:28,560 Chopping wood, perhaps. 118 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,920 A barking dog. HE BARKS 119 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:40,000 HE SQUAWKS 120 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,800 Even the sound of children playing... 121 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:46,880 HE EXCLAIMS 122 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:48,560 ..and their frustrated parents. 123 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:56,360 The range of his mimicry, it seems, like his bower, is also a way 124 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:57,640 of impressing her. 125 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,240 CHIRPING 126 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:04,880 CHIRPING 127 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:06,960 She seems to be listening attentively. 128 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,520 Now they begin to dance around their maypole. 129 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,280 He's careful not to completely reveal himself. 130 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:36,440 Excitement mounts. 131 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,360 And now he goes for it. 132 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:53,640 Was it too soon? 133 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,160 She's back... 134 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:00,360 ..still interested. 135 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:19,600 Their union is brief. 136 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:26,000 She will now return to her nest, lay her eggs and raise her young... 137 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,360 ..while he stays beside his maypole, 138 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,240 keeping it in good repair, 139 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,280 ready for more females. 140 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,440 On Kenya's forested mountain slopes... 141 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,760 ..another male will also have to seek the approval of a female 142 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:53,840 if they are to mate... 143 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,080 ..a Jackson's chameleon. 144 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,680 He lives high in the trees, camouflaged among the foliage. 145 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,640 A loner, he rarely ventures to lower levels. 146 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,240 One thing, however, will entice him down. 147 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:27,320 Females usually stay at lower levels in the vegetation. 148 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:37,800 But despite his panoramic vision, looking for a partner can be tricky 149 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:42,120 when your potential mate matches her surroundings so closely. 150 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:45,720 Leaf... 151 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:50,280 ..or partner? 152 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:59,120 To him, it seems she's perfect and, from now on, 153 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,480 he's only got eyes for her. 154 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,600 She is less interested... 155 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,360 ..but she's keeping an eye on him. 156 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:15,960 He could be a mate. 157 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:25,480 He's able to change the spacing between pigment cells in his skin 158 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:27,920 and so emphasise different colours. 159 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,440 And this is how they communicate... 160 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,360 ..and how he hopes to court her. 161 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,040 His opening gambit is to turn bright green... 162 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,880 ..and then to flare his neck to signal his desire. 163 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:05,560 Next, his signature move - a sort of staccato quickstep. 164 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:14,520 It's got her interested. 165 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:19,120 Then a bit of sidestepping. 166 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:27,080 And, lastly, a brandish of his magnificent trio of horns. 167 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,600 She casts a critical eye over him. 168 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:46,520 If she then turns bright green herself, he's probably 169 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:47,520 onto a winner. 170 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:51,880 Oh, dear. 171 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:55,680 She's going darker. 172 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,600 Just so she makes herself clear, 173 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:05,480 it's a definite no. 174 00:17:12,120 --> 00:17:13,120 What now? 175 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,320 If he stays around, she may be more receptive 176 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:19,680 in a few days' time. 177 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:25,080 But he's not the only male on the lookout for a female. 178 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:37,920 This new male displaying his bright green isn't flirting. 179 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:46,080 Bold colours shown to the same sex are a sign of aggression. 180 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:54,440 And showing his flank means that this is only going one way. 181 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:14,480 His aim is to unbalance his opponent until he concedes defeat 182 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:15,800 by going darker. 183 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,200 And that's what's happened. 184 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:32,360 It's all over. 185 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:48,400 And now that his competitor has been seen off, perhaps 186 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,400 she's had a change of heart... 187 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:53,520 ..and colour. 188 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:17,200 Alas, it's still clearly a no. 189 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:27,480 Changing colour among chameleons brings a swift end to conflict. 190 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,960 And when mating competition could be really violent, colour 191 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,440 can help to reduce the chance of coming to blows. 192 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:44,080 The jungles of Gabon in West Africa are home to the most 193 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:45,800 brightly coloured of all mammals... 194 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:50,160 ..mandrills. 195 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:05,040 The males are also the heaviest monkeys in the world - over three 196 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,000 times heavier than the females. 197 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:17,520 This alpha male's brilliant patches of skin colour helps him 198 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:19,520 to stand out from the crowd... 199 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:21,160 HE ROARS 200 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:22,800 ..whether he's advancing... 201 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,160 ..or walking away. 202 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:33,160 The intensity of the colour is an indication 203 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,640 of the levels of testosterone in his body... 204 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,800 ..and that is both a come-on to females 205 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:43,560 and a warning to males. 206 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,320 Only the brightest get to mate. 207 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,640 HE ROARS 208 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,080 And he has been dominant all year. 209 00:20:57,400 --> 00:20:59,400 But challengers have arrived... 210 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:04,640 ..also hoping that their colours will impress the females. 211 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:05,640 HE ROARS 212 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,640 The alpha male will have his work cut out to deal 213 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:10,960 with these newcomers. 214 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,200 He keeps as close as he can to the fertile females. 215 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,000 But a rival... 216 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:29,400 ..is never far away. 217 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,600 The alpha assesses his opponents by their colour. 218 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,200 Only if a rival is really bright 219 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,080 will he be considered a threat. 220 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:46,120 But this one... 221 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:48,720 ..is just that. 222 00:21:57,880 --> 00:21:58,880 HE ROARS 223 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:05,400 The alpha proclaims his authority with a head jerk. 224 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,800 Grinding his teeth shows just how tense and stressed he is. 225 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,320 With his opponent refusing to back down, 226 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:25,000 it'll take more than body language to decide 227 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,360 who has this year's mating rights. 228 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:45,720 BARKING 229 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:07,320 In just a matter of seconds, the alpha has lost his crown... 230 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,120 ..and been badly wounded. 231 00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:12,120 ROARING 232 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,280 His reign is over. 233 00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:24,520 The victor will have a rush of testosterone, 234 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,760 making his future bright. 235 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,400 The deposed alpha's colour, however, will fade... 236 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,520 ..and, with it, his chance of mating again. 237 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:49,920 Rivalry is often dangerous, but in some cases it's the potential 238 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,520 mate herself who is the real threat. 239 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:02,440 If a male Australian tree-running mantis is to stand any chance 240 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:06,160 of mating, he must approach the female from behind. 241 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,600 And he must do so cautiously. 242 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:20,400 Something she appears keen to prevent, and that leads to a lot 243 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,920 of false starts and a lot of running around trees. 244 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:32,680 A whole new approach to speed dating. 245 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:40,320 So close... 246 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:45,840 ..and yet so far. 247 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,840 Giving him the runaround tests his fitness. 248 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:07,520 A stealthy approach will show whether he is a capable hunter... 249 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,120 ..an important skill to pass on to her offspring. 250 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,560 Or he could just be a cautious male 251 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:22,120 who knows that it's best not to approach any predator head on. 252 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:30,200 The thing about trying to get cosy with killers is that it's often best 253 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,560 to do it when they have their hands full. 254 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,000 Even then... 255 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,200 ..it's prudent to approach from the rear. 256 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:50,880 But not all male praying mantis appear to take the same approach. 257 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:01,600 A male false garden mantis has also detected the scent 258 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,240 of a female. She's close. 259 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,240 She's attracting him with her seductive pheromones. 260 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:22,840 She's also much larger and heavily armed. 261 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,320 But to him, she smells so good. 262 00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:32,120 To her, though... 263 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:36,600 ..he looks good enough to eat. 264 00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:54,360 The female of this species consumes her partner's head first. 265 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:59,200 His struggles are not an attempt to flee. 266 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:03,400 He's just trying to position himself properly. 267 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:11,360 He has lost his head, but he hasn't given up on mating. 268 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,440 Amazingly, his body, though headless, is able to find and 269 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:19,960 latch on to the female. 270 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:27,160 His abdomen will continue mating with her for several hours 271 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,760 before all signs of life disappear. 272 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:36,440 The strategy may seem macabre, but it gives the female 273 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:39,880 a large quantity of protein with which she can produce 274 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,440 even more eggs. 275 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,040 So, in spite of losing his head, 276 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,280 this male fathers posthumous offspring. 277 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,680 When a potential mate really is deadly, it's best to keep 278 00:27:58,680 --> 00:27:59,680 a low profile. 279 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,760 But if that's not an option, expect to get eaten. 280 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:18,600 For others, the mating game appears to be more romantic. 281 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:30,160 Once the sun sets in the coastal forests of Malaysia, one of nature's 282 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,120 most magical spectacles begins. 283 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,680 The fading light rouses a male beetle. 284 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,360 For this tiny creature, just five millimetres long, 285 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,800 successful courtship depends on cooperation 286 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,120 with literally thousands of others. 287 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:01,640 It's time to get lit up. 288 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:10,080 His bioluminescent flash carries a simple message... 289 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,240 ..I am here and ready to mate. 290 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:24,800 But he's not alone. 291 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,720 More fireflies begin to show their lights. 292 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:39,440 And before long, their entire tree is illuminated. 293 00:29:55,200 --> 00:30:00,760 And then patterns in the flashing begin to emerge. 294 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,720 The fireflies are synchronising their display. 295 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:18,600 One moment, the light show appears as a repeated simultaneous flash... 296 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:21,960 ..and the next... 297 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,480 ..waves of light ripple along the river bank. 298 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,720 By the time the night is at its darkest, the forest edge 299 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,160 is throbbing with living light. 300 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:51,320 Alone, an individual male's flash will not travel very far... 301 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,560 ..but by flashing at the same time as other males... 302 00:30:57,440 --> 00:30:59,920 ..his light is that much brighter... 303 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:09,160 ..carrying his signal to females far and wide. 304 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:15,040 It's believed the gaps in the synchronous flashing provide 305 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:19,360 moments in which the females can respond with flashes 306 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:20,360 of their own. 307 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:25,680 It's all the encouragement he needs. 308 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:35,320 But her continual movements as he mounts suggests that she is yet 309 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:36,560 to be convinced. 310 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,440 He isn't attempting to mate yet. 311 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:49,080 He is contorting his body so that his lantern 312 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:52,000 is over her face, dazzling her. 313 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:59,720 It may be that he's trying to prevent her from seeing other males. 314 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:05,320 He doesn't want her catching a flash from someone brighter. 315 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:13,000 Most species of fireflies stop displaying once they've attracted 316 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:18,760 a female, but he continues. It seems his cooperation 317 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:20,360 has become a con. 318 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:26,760 His continual flashes trick his rivals into believing 319 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,640 he's still on the lookout with the rest of them. 320 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:40,960 She has now accepted him while his former collaborators 321 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:43,120 flash away, none the wiser. 322 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:58,720 But the fact is that many jungle courtship rituals 323 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,160 are still not properly understood. 324 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:10,160 The rainforests of Southeast Asia are the home of a bird that produces 325 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:15,560 one of the most dramatic and barely studied of all courtship displays. 326 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:20,200 HOOTING 327 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:25,880 Even many local people only know of its existence from the loud calls 328 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:28,600 that sometimes echo through the forest. 329 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,840 The great argus pheasant. 330 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:43,520 HOOTING, WAILING 331 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:47,560 HOOTING, WAILING 332 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,840 A male is calling to attract a female. 333 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:04,120 He's created a wide clearing in the forest to serve as the arena 334 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,760 in which he will dance. 335 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:13,000 He keeps it immaculately tidy. 336 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:25,840 Though why he should choose to remove one leaf rather than another 337 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:27,000 is often not clear. 338 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:35,760 It's a time-consuming job, but he also has a special technique... 339 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:40,640 ..for removing leaves wholesale. 340 00:34:45,720 --> 00:34:48,960 Who needs a leaf blower when you have a wingspan 341 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:50,440 of more than a metre? 342 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,680 Sticks, however, still have to be removed one by one. 343 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:04,560 He must also, it seems, loosen up his feathers 344 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:08,960 and extend his gigantic wings before a female arrives. 345 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:18,120 Now he chooses a particular stick as the focus for a full workout. 346 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,760 He hopes to use the pattern on his splayed wings 347 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:31,560 to beguile a female. 348 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:34,680 They transform him. 349 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:47,440 There's a sound of something approaching. 350 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:51,120 Oh, dear. 351 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:53,080 A monkey. 352 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:55,200 Not who he was waiting for. 353 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:02,400 GRUNTING 354 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,600 And now there's a wild pig. 355 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:13,080 GRUNTING, SQUEALING 356 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:19,640 With all these interruptions, it's just as well 357 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:22,640 he's left plenty of time for rehearsals. 358 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:27,560 HE HOOTS 359 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:33,680 HE HOOTS 360 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:49,400 And there she is. 361 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:57,520 Now time for action. 362 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:08,360 One or two preliminary skirmishes. 363 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:20,400 And then... 364 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:24,600 ..a spectacle that has never been filmed in the wild before. 365 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:28,640 The full display. 366 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:47,920 The lines of eyespots along each of his wing feathers 367 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:49,960 astounded Charles Darwin. 368 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,200 Why should they be so detailed that they have 369 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:58,200 a three dimensional appearance? 370 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:05,640 He could only conclude that it particularly pleases females. 371 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:24,920 But not apparently this one. 372 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,560 And now the pigs are back. 373 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:39,840 GRUNTING 374 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,640 Even the most spectacular displays... 375 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:51,560 ..don't always do the trick. 376 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:02,200 On the Caribbean island of Dominica, another bird has found it takes 377 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:06,160 more than just pretty plumes to win over some females. 378 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:18,560 The male purple-throated carib is a hungry hummingbird. 379 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:33,880 Beating his wings around 20 times a second, he burns energy 380 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:35,640 at a phenomenal rate. 381 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:45,640 The sweet nectar produced by these flowering heliconias 382 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:49,800 is the energy-rich food he must have to keep him flying. 383 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:57,080 His species evolved in parallel with his source of food... 384 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,920 ..the heliconia's flowers, which he pollinates as he moves 385 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:05,560 from bloom to bloom. 386 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:12,120 And now, as a result, the heliconias 387 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:16,120 produce their flowers at exactly the same time as the birds 388 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:17,120 begin to mate. 389 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,320 While he's busy fuelling up, 390 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:26,520 a female is also making her preparations. 391 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,280 She is collecting spider silk. 392 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:41,320 She uses it as an adhesive in making her tiny nest. 393 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:50,680 And now all she needs is a mate. 394 00:40:55,640 --> 00:41:00,360 The male needs a way to ensure he is the one for her. 395 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,280 His way of doing so is simple. 396 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:11,440 Within his territory, he has five times more nectar-producing flowers 397 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:13,240 than he himself needs. 398 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:22,880 But those he doesn't drink from himself will attract females. 399 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:29,000 His problem is that it's not only hummingbirds that have a taste 400 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:30,440 for the sweet stuff. 401 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:39,800 So have bananaquits, and there's a flock of them. 402 00:41:43,240 --> 00:41:45,040 He has a constant battle... 403 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:49,600 ..trying to prevent them drinking his flowers dry. 404 00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:02,640 The sheer size of his territory and the large number of flowers 405 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:05,400 it contains makes his job never ending. 406 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:19,560 During a rare respite in his guard duties, the female arrives to see 407 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:20,680 what he has on offer. 408 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:27,240 Not so fast. 409 00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:30,360 He's no pushover. 410 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:33,760 He's not going to let any bird drink his nectar. 411 00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:38,640 Chasing her away, however, is part of his strategy. 412 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:45,000 He does so repeatedly until he's certain that she really wants 413 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:46,320 to be in his territory. 414 00:42:57,040 --> 00:42:58,040 And only then... 415 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:02,440 ..does he allow her to feed. 416 00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:17,080 As she flits from flower to flower, he shows her his true colours. 417 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:41,880 He's given her flowers and impressed her with his aerobatics. 418 00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,240 They are now a pair. 419 00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:03,520 Food is available the year round in jungles, and this enables 420 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:07,440 many species to have mating seasons that last for months. 421 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:18,040 Some, however, must wait all year for one special night. 422 00:44:21,720 --> 00:44:26,800 Some frogs in French Guiana need more water in which to breed 423 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:31,040 than even the humid rainforest air can provide. 424 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:34,680 THUNDER RUMBLES 425 00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:46,760 But at the very wettest time of year... 426 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:51,400 ..pools appear on the forest floor. 427 00:44:55,640 --> 00:44:59,680 Horned frogs spend much of their time hidden, 428 00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:02,760 but the moment for action has arrived. 429 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:17,120 The rain has stopped, but this is the calm before the storm. 430 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:25,360 A pair of tree frogs in the foliage above the pool. 431 00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:30,880 They need to find a leaf in a particular position, 432 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:32,240 and this will do nicely. 433 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:42,920 They lay their eggs in a sticky jelly on a leaf 434 00:45:42,920 --> 00:45:44,920 above the newly formed pool. 435 00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:53,120 Below, the horned frog takes a more direct route. 436 00:45:56,720 --> 00:45:58,240 He heads straight in. 437 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:04,800 CROAKING 438 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:07,360 Other males have already started calling. 439 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:14,960 And before long, several species up in the treetops are also doing so. 440 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:16,400 CROAKING 441 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:21,080 All of them need pools as nurseries for their tadpoles. 442 00:46:21,080 --> 00:46:28,480 CROAKING 443 00:46:29,720 --> 00:46:32,920 Frogs, that for most of the year are rarely seen, 444 00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:34,920 come down from the tree canopy. 445 00:46:38,440 --> 00:46:42,000 Golden-eyed tree frogs take the short cut down. 446 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:46,920 CROAKING 447 00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:50,160 The throat sacs that bulge out on either side of their head 448 00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:51,640 amplify their calls. 449 00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:58,200 Different species of males jostle for a position in the water. 450 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:04,080 LOUD CROAKING 451 00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:07,080 Thousands of frogs are now calling as loudly... 452 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:08,560 LOUD CROAKING 453 00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:10,720 ..and as frequently as they can. 454 00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:18,680 LOUD CROAKING 455 00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:26,400 But what makes this place unlike anywhere else in the world 456 00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:30,040 is that as many as ten different species are trying 457 00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:32,040 to mate simultaneously. 458 00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:42,560 As each male endeavours to call louder than his rivals... 459 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,160 LOUD CROAKING 460 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:46,400 ..the chorus becomes almost deafening. 461 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:49,320 LOUD CROAKING 462 00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:50,960 Things are becoming chaotic. 463 00:47:53,240 --> 00:47:56,720 Some males in the confusion are attempting to mate 464 00:47:56,720 --> 00:47:59,040 with the females of a different species. 465 00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:05,960 The winner is the one with the tightest grip 466 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:07,600 and the strongest kick. 467 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:13,120 The strategy is simple - find a female quickly... 468 00:48:15,360 --> 00:48:16,920 ..and cling on tight. 469 00:48:18,520 --> 00:48:20,320 But make sure she's your type. 470 00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:25,480 And in less than 12 hours... 471 00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:28,880 ..it's all over. 472 00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:39,680 Left behind - a soup of mixed spawn, a future for at least ten different 473 00:48:39,680 --> 00:48:40,880 species of frog. 474 00:48:43,600 --> 00:48:48,480 And it's time for those dangling tadpoles to join the crowds below. 475 00:48:53,120 --> 00:48:57,520 Millions of frogs, some of which will be back next year, 476 00:48:57,520 --> 00:49:02,120 doing their best once again to contribute to the next generation. 477 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:12,680 It is exactly because jungles are so crowded with life that animals 478 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:16,120 have to have so many complex strategies 479 00:49:16,120 --> 00:49:19,520 if they're all to win the mating game. 480 00:49:32,280 --> 00:49:35,400 To film courting animals in jungles around the world 481 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:37,480 took determination... 482 00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:39,080 Into the forest again. 483 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:41,400 ..grit... 484 00:49:43,320 --> 00:49:45,440 ..and a sense of humour. 485 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:47,440 It's definitely going to be a nightmare. 486 00:49:55,520 --> 00:49:56,520 Argh! 487 00:49:57,560 --> 00:49:59,520 THEY LAUGH 488 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:00,760 You can't leave me there! 489 00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:04,640 We're in this together. 490 00:50:04,640 --> 00:50:09,080 A minute ago, it was too much water, now it's too much mud. 491 00:50:09,080 --> 00:50:10,280 Oh, wow! 492 00:50:10,280 --> 00:50:12,600 You're well and truly stuck there, aren't you? 493 00:50:12,600 --> 00:50:13,640 SHE LAUGHS 494 00:50:13,640 --> 00:50:14,840 Sorry. 495 00:50:14,840 --> 00:50:17,760 But there was one story in particular which posed 496 00:50:17,760 --> 00:50:19,120 a unique challenge... 497 00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:25,920 ..filming explosive breeding in rainforest frogs in French Guiana. 498 00:50:27,640 --> 00:50:31,920 Walter Hodl, the team's guide, is a herpetologist who's spent 499 00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:38,280 over 25 years studying frogs in French Guiana. Explosive breeding 500 00:50:38,280 --> 00:50:40,120 is a fascinating thing. 501 00:50:40,120 --> 00:50:45,680 On one single day in the year, thousands of frogs homing in 502 00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:49,000 on a little pond, and they are coming from the canopy, 503 00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:51,360 where you never have access to, or they're coming 504 00:50:51,360 --> 00:50:52,640 from the leaf litter. 505 00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:54,960 You never look under the leaf litter, 506 00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:57,720 and there they live all year, 507 00:50:57,720 --> 00:51:03,040 and only on one or two days you see them out there in the pond breeding. 508 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:07,640 And that's what we call the explosive breeding event. 509 00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:12,120 The phenomenon the crew were hoping to film happens on just one night 510 00:51:12,120 --> 00:51:14,240 between November and February. 511 00:51:18,360 --> 00:51:23,760 The team have chosen a four-week period over Christmas and New Year. 512 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:27,520 Cameraman Philipp Klein and Jack Hynes wait for a temporary 513 00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:28,680 pond to form... 514 00:51:30,120 --> 00:51:32,520 ..without which the frogs won't breed. 515 00:51:35,080 --> 00:51:38,040 THUNDER RUMBLES 516 00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:43,080 The heavy rain begins. 517 00:51:54,400 --> 00:51:56,600 It's raining! It's raining. 518 00:51:57,880 --> 00:52:00,800 We've been waiting two weeks for this rain, and hopefully 519 00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:04,720 it's going to stay and, you know, properly flood the forest. 520 00:52:04,720 --> 00:52:11,480 Well, this is definitely good news, but it has to keep on going. 521 00:52:11,480 --> 00:52:17,160 The rain started a few minutes ago, and it should rain for hours. 522 00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:19,360 This is what the frogs and we like. 523 00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:26,880 In the previously dry area of the forest, a new pond has formed - 524 00:52:26,880 --> 00:52:28,760 an excellent frog nursery. 525 00:52:30,280 --> 00:52:31,840 You can go underneath. 526 00:52:34,200 --> 00:52:35,400 Stay there! 527 00:52:35,400 --> 00:52:37,120 Things are looking good. 528 00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:42,480 When we came here this afternoon, this was completely dry, 529 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:46,200 and it has rained all afternoon and all night. 530 00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:48,920 And now we have got our pool of water. 531 00:52:53,840 --> 00:52:58,520 Despite a promising start, the heavy rains stop and the frogs have yet 532 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:04,200 to make an appearance, but Christmas provides a welcome distraction. 533 00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:09,920 It's Christmas Eve today, and we've got a lot of new visitors 534 00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:15,160 coming to celebrate Christmas with us. And even Father Christmas 535 00:53:15,160 --> 00:53:16,320 makes it to the jungle. 536 00:53:19,080 --> 00:53:20,080 Whoo! 537 00:53:21,280 --> 00:53:23,160 Explosive night in French Guiana. 538 00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:33,520 We were just getting settled in for the night. 539 00:53:33,520 --> 00:53:36,560 They're cooking a big, big, nice Christmas dinner, 540 00:53:36,560 --> 00:53:38,440 and then it's just started heavily raining. 541 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:41,000 So we've come out to see how the ponds are looking, 542 00:53:41,000 --> 00:53:44,640 and would be a bit of a Christmas miracle if it happens this evening. 543 00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:50,880 Oh, my God! 544 00:53:50,880 --> 00:53:55,640 And this is going to be a pool full of frogs. 545 00:53:55,640 --> 00:53:57,640 What's happening, Jack? 546 00:53:57,640 --> 00:54:01,560 It's Christmas Day, and we have just found out that the frogs 547 00:54:01,560 --> 00:54:03,640 have started to explosively breed. 548 00:54:03,640 --> 00:54:07,080 So it's all systems go. 549 00:54:07,080 --> 00:54:10,440 Well, I think this is a good, good Christmas present. 550 00:54:10,440 --> 00:54:13,040 There are hundreds of frogs there, 551 00:54:13,040 --> 00:54:16,040 so it will be a fantastic night tonight. 552 00:54:18,640 --> 00:54:19,720 You ready? I'm ready. 553 00:54:21,440 --> 00:54:22,440 Let's go! 554 00:54:24,080 --> 00:54:30,800 CROAKING 555 00:54:30,800 --> 00:54:34,360 Thousands of frogs from several different species descend 556 00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:35,360 upon the pond. 557 00:54:39,320 --> 00:54:43,240 It's impossible to be near the pond without wearing earplugs. 558 00:54:43,240 --> 00:54:45,760 The noise of the frogs calling is deafening. 559 00:54:48,360 --> 00:54:49,480 Crazy! 560 00:54:51,960 --> 00:54:56,400 LOUD CROAKING 561 00:55:00,400 --> 00:55:02,760 Can you hear the noise? I mean, you can hear it! 562 00:55:02,760 --> 00:55:04,520 It's quite a sound back there. 563 00:55:04,520 --> 00:55:08,360 And we're still about 50 metres away from the real site. 564 00:55:08,360 --> 00:55:09,880 How's it looking, Jack? 565 00:55:09,880 --> 00:55:12,920 It's looking crazy out there - so unbelievably noisy. 566 00:55:17,200 --> 00:55:22,360 I mean, this is really explosive breeding at its best, 567 00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:26,360 and especially also from the acoustic point of view, it sounds 568 00:55:26,360 --> 00:55:28,120 like fighter planes coming. 569 00:55:28,120 --> 00:55:30,880 It's a roaring sound in the background. 570 00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:35,120 You have high-pitched frogs calling, little ones, and you have also 571 00:55:35,120 --> 00:55:37,200 the "grrr" frog. 572 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:40,440 So you do have a great mix, and you can hear it. 573 00:55:40,440 --> 00:55:43,800 It's unbelievable what's happening here in this forest. 574 00:55:46,400 --> 00:55:50,200 The crew film continuously for over ten hours. 575 00:56:09,400 --> 00:56:11,200 It's a new dawn. 576 00:56:11,200 --> 00:56:13,400 It's a new day. We missed Christmas! 577 00:56:14,600 --> 00:56:17,760 Maybe they left... Maybe they left us some dinner. 578 00:56:17,760 --> 00:56:21,000 Hopefully. But I realised we didn't eat. No. 579 00:56:25,440 --> 00:56:26,880 It is almost spooky. 580 00:56:27,960 --> 00:56:31,080 There's nothing - you don't see a frog. 581 00:56:31,080 --> 00:56:32,640 It is silent. 582 00:56:32,640 --> 00:56:34,080 It's unbelievable. 583 00:56:34,080 --> 00:56:35,360 But that's what it is. 584 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:37,600 That's what explosive breeding is all about. 585 00:56:37,600 --> 00:56:39,600 It happens and then it's gone. 586 00:56:42,120 --> 00:56:45,920 Throughout production of The Mating Game, the team were reliant 587 00:56:45,920 --> 00:56:49,320 on expert help to be in the right place at the right time. 588 00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:55,840 Thanks to Walter's knowledge and a bit of luck, the crew timed 589 00:56:55,840 --> 00:56:59,760 it right for the best Christmas present they could have hoped for. 590 00:57:04,280 --> 00:57:08,280 Next time, it is the most fleeting of habitats... 591 00:57:08,280 --> 00:57:09,600 ..fresh water. 592 00:57:11,080 --> 00:57:16,240 Animals that rely on it to breed must time their mating strategies 593 00:57:16,240 --> 00:57:17,240 to perfection. 594 00:57:18,440 --> 00:57:23,680 When they do, the results can be spectacular.