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(light music)

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You have the feeling you're by yourself

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in the forest and you have the strange sensation

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you're not alone.

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Your heart starts pounding and then, a squirrel.

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The forest is the original home of this little creature

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who makes every walk through the woods an adventure.

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Lively, nimble-footed squirrels enchant young

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and old alike.

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But what makes them different?

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What's their secret recipe?

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Let yourself be enchanted by the secret life

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of squirrels and their fascinating characters.

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(light music)

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In a mixed forest somewhere in central Europe,

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far above our heads something magical is taking place.

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A squirrel is becoming a mother.

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Like she does every spring, the female has built

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her nest in a protected tree trunk and has cushioned it

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with moss.

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The baby is born feet first.

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It's her third.

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Another one will follow.

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A female can have up to six young in one litter.

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The big wide world awaits four baby squirrels.

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And their world looks something like this,

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at least from a squirrel's eye view.

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Squirrels have conquered almost the entire earth.

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Maybe 280 different species live on four continents.

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Only Australia and Antarctica are squirrel free.

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The differences between them are as far apart

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as their ranges.

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(light music)

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Fall in North America.

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It's not only leaves that fall from the trees

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but also acorns.

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It's harvest time and it's raining food.

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This is a job for chipmunks.

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This is just what they've been waiting for.

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Chipmunks are probably the best known relatives

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of our native European squirrel and the sound

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of falling acorns brings them up to speed.

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Now begins the time of abundance.

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There's food all over the forest just waiting

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to be collected.

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But there's no time to hesitate since snow

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will soon cover everything.

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Chipmunks can't build up fat reserves

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so they have to squirrel away as many nuts as possible

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for their hibernation.

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Every acorn is tested for its preservability

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and makes it way into the big elastic cheek pouches.

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There's room in there for up to seven nuts.

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This saves running around and with so much energy at that.

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Countless trips are needed to fill up

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such an underground cache.

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(light music)

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The chipmunks hustle and bustle don't go unnoticed for long.

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His neighbor collects leaves for a cozy sleeping chamber.

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That takes time away from nut gathering.

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But why go long distances?

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The coast is clear.

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(suspenseful music)

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Leaves in, nuts out.

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A good exchange.

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Open doors make thieves of squirrels too.

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But woe to those who are caught.

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The underground nut stores are life insurance

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for chipmunks.

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Without them they couldn't survive the harsh winter.

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That's why the fun is over when it comes to nuts.

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(suspenseful music)

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Chipmunks are solitary creatures.

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Normally they'd ignore one another.

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For other kinds of squirrels, cooperation

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with others is essential to survival.

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(light music)

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On the treeless North American prairie,

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little mounds of earth are within site

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and hearing of one another.

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Prairie dogs are communication experts.

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Their calls roll across the endless plain

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like an acoustic Mexican wave.

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The guards confirm their vigilance with each other

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so individuals in the colony can go about

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their favorite business undeterred.

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For instance, digging.

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Or just sparring with a member of the family.

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Despite their name, prairie dogs are not dogs

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but get their names from their dog-like barking.

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Yet this isn't just meaningless yelping.

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It's a language.

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Prairie dogs have developed an individual warning call

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for each enemy, which everybody understands.

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They have to keep the grass short so they can see

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potential intruders.

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It's the only way they can keep an overview.

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Prairie dogs are rarely alone.

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Though the grassland looks deserted at first,

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unannounced visitors could always come by.

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That's why every prairie dweller is kept

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careful track of.

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(squeaking)

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If the squirrel guard spies a robber,

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he gives off an individual warning call.

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(squeaking)

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And automatically sets off the appropriate

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flight measures within the colony.

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The whistle sounds monotonous to the human ear.

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Yet to the prairie dog it's unmistakable.

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The sounds are so specific that the ground squirrels

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know exactly that they're dealing with a coyote,

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how far away it is, and which direction it's coming from.

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(suspenseful music)

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A danger foreseen is a danger avoided.

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The better prairie dogs communicate with each other,

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the better their chance for survival.

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(squeaking)

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A journey to the other side of the earth takes us

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to a very different world.

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(light music)

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Extensive tea plantations and thick evergreen woodlands.

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We're in southwest India.

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(light music)

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An area that despite all the people still shelters

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unique wildlife, like the lion-tailed macaque,

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one of the rarest primates in the world.

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(monkey squawking)

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A very special relative of our squirrel lives here,

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the Indian giant squirrel.

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Big as a monkey, it's a Goliath among squirrels.

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They live only in the treetops of the Indian rainforest

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and almost never need to frequent the ground.

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Their walkways are the canopies.

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(monkey squawking)

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Lion-tailed macaque's only a bit bigger

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than the giant squirrels, share the canopies with them.

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But encounters between the two are not

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necessarily desirable.

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A narrow squirrel road 20 meters off the ground.

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The squirrel doesn't give way voluntarily.

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They each have only one goal.

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Giant overripe jackfruit.

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These heavy fruits weighing up to 30 kilograms

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hang on tree trunks shortly before the rainy season.

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The forest is permeated by their smell.

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The giant squirrel effortlessly gnaws the hard shell open

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to get to the nutritious sticky fruit.

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For a short period of time, jackfruit are the main source

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of food for many forest dwellers.

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(light music)

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The best fruits are the hardest to reach.

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(light music)

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How nice would it be to have a fruit that's already open

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like this one.

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(suspenseful music)

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Much better.

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But the giant squirrel is not considering retreat.

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The Indian forest in June is full of fruit

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and yet they both got their eye on just

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this one specimen.

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Partly peeled ones are particularly highly prized.

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Neither wants to clear the field.

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(suspenseful music)

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Following some back and forth, the monkey finally gives up.

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No pain, no gain.

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He'll have to crack his next fruit himself.

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The giant squirrel's tenacity has paid off,

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another character trait that has helped

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all his cousins on their triumphal march through the world.

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Things are peaceful in our Eurasian red squirrel's tree.

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The young have grown quickly and at nearly six weeks,

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they already look like real squirrels.

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It's starting to get crowded in there.

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(upbeat music)

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Scuffles among the siblings can't be avoided

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in such a small place.

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(upbeat music)

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The young squirrels playfully test their agility

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and jumping power, improve their physical condition

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and develop their motor skills.

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Soon they'll leave the nest on their own

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and will have to prove their prowess as tree acrobats.

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(light music)

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Mid winter in the far north of America.

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Freezing cold and darkness are too extreme

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for many animals.

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And so they migrate south.

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(whimsical music)

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Yet there's secret life in this northern winter night.

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(whimsical music)

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As one of the few nocturnal squirrels, these little

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tree dwellers must stay permanently in motion

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so that they don't freeze.

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Lichens, tree fungi and small seeds are their only sources

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of energy at these latitudes.

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(owl hooting)

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Despite this extreme cold, these animals don't hibernate.

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They stay awake scurrying like miniature goblins

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up and down the tree trunks throughout the night.

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The trees that provide them with food are mostly set apart

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and the path across the snowy ground consumes

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far too much energy.

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And it's dangerous.

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But how to reach a goal that's outside squirrel

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jumping distance, with a special trick.

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A powerful jump and a flying squirrel sails

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through the night.

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A tiny flying carpet in the wintry forest.

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At nearly 30 kilometers per hour, flying squirrels

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glide up to 80 meters through the night

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aiming directly for food sources that are far apart.

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(owls hooting)

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(upbeat music)

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This special ability allows them to cover a lot of ground

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with a minimum of effort.

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And they're one of the few mammals to have conquered

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air space.

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(upbeat music)

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A fascinating evolutionary leap for our squirrel family.

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Which wouldn't work at all in the desert of Arizona.

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No flying squirrel would survive even one landing

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on forms like these.

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(light music)

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During the day, temperatures in the Sonoran Desert

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can reach over 45 degrees Celsius.

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The air burns and most desert dwellers spend the day

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in the shade.

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The coast is clear for a heat-loving squirrel.

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The Harris's antelope squirrel really gets going

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when the going gets hot.

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It can withstand temperatures of over 40 degrees,

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actually life-threatening for such a little mammal.

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But his inner clock tells him when a heat stroke threatens

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and he has to seek shade to cool off.

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His cousin, the round tailed ground squirrel

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doesn't leave his shadowy spot at all at mid day

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just to be safe.

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Cacti are nutritious but they know how

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to protect themselves from hungry mouths.

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Their thorny covering keeps enemies at a distance.

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But not the antelope squirrel.

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Centimeter long spikes are no hindrance to them.

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At least, not a major one.

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(light music)

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Like a (mumbles), the squirrel approaches the tangled thorns

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to reach the upper chutes.

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(light music)

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On the ground floor, things are more tranquil.

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The round tailed ground squirrel only dares

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to go out briefly into the harsh sunlight

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then cools off in the shade.

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As it does, its body temperature quickly falls

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to a bearable level.

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It's even harder to get past the thorns unscathed

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when you're upside down.

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Antelope squirrels are very skillful climbers.

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But how they survive running the gauntlet like this

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without being injured remains their secret.

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The squirrel hurries relentlessly from cactus to cactus.

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Its neighbor in the shade has a different strategy

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and this is, don't jump the gun and stay cool

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relaxing in a sand bath.

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But he always keeps his eye on the (mumbles) squirrel.

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(suspenseful music)

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The decisive moment approaches at the spiky peak

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of the cactus.

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The reward for all the climbing are the energy-rich seeds

269
00:22:58,340 --> 00:23:00,363
in the chutes of the cholla cactus.

270
00:23:06,350 --> 00:23:09,550
There are only dried branches down below, unless.

271
00:23:12,883 --> 00:23:15,466
(upbeat music)

272
00:23:26,470 --> 00:23:30,120
Now the shading squirrel gets his money's worth.

273
00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:32,610
Delicacies like this would otherwise be out

274
00:23:32,610 --> 00:23:33,573
of his reach.

275
00:23:40,010 --> 00:23:43,250
Two strategies, the same reward.

276
00:23:43,250 --> 00:23:47,913
Squirrels are inventive, especially when it comes to food.

277
00:23:49,181 --> 00:23:51,681
(light music)

278
00:23:56,120 --> 00:24:00,400
15,000 kilometers from Arizona lies the South African

279
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:01,633
Kalahari Desert.

280
00:24:08,540 --> 00:24:11,460
A relatively large amount of rain falls here.

281
00:24:11,460 --> 00:24:14,923
So calling this a desert is not intrinsically accurate.

282
00:24:16,576 --> 00:24:19,076
(light music)

283
00:24:25,700 --> 00:24:28,100
Meerkats benefit from the rainfall

284
00:24:28,100 --> 00:24:31,210
which causes the landscape to turn green regularly

285
00:24:31,210 --> 00:24:33,273
and the ground to swarm with insects.

286
00:24:38,810 --> 00:24:41,410
The Kalahari is a dry savanna.

287
00:24:41,410 --> 00:24:45,510
After every downpour, grass sprouts from the dry ground.

288
00:24:45,510 --> 00:24:47,690
But the chutes have no chance to grow longer

289
00:24:47,690 --> 00:24:49,750
than 10 centimeters here.

290
00:24:49,750 --> 00:24:53,080
An entire armada of large and small grazers

291
00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:54,745
make sure of that.

292
00:24:54,745 --> 00:24:57,245
(light music)

293
00:25:05,030 --> 00:25:08,110
Cape ground squirrels also feast immediately

294
00:25:08,110 --> 00:25:09,363
on the green chutes.

295
00:25:10,700 --> 00:25:13,550
It's not long before the South African sun

296
00:25:13,550 --> 00:25:15,433
burns mercilessly down again.

297
00:25:17,730 --> 00:25:20,483
It's good to have that built-in sunshade.

298
00:25:23,940 --> 00:25:26,600
Cape ground squirrels are born with a standard

299
00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:28,260
sun protection.

300
00:25:28,260 --> 00:25:30,530
When they look for food in the blazing sun,

301
00:25:30,530 --> 00:25:32,730
they hold their bushy tails over their bodies

302
00:25:32,730 --> 00:25:35,883
like umbrellas creating shade for themselves.

303
00:25:36,750 --> 00:25:38,890
This allows them to keep a cool head

304
00:25:38,890 --> 00:25:40,423
during the heat of the day.

305
00:25:45,670 --> 00:25:47,783
These squirrels live in colonies.

306
00:25:49,455 --> 00:25:51,600
After the rain there's a circus of food

307
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:53,710
so there's enough time for social contact

308
00:25:53,710 --> 00:25:54,943
and party games.

309
00:25:55,930 --> 00:25:59,050
The colonies visit each other and play boisterously

310
00:25:59,050 --> 00:26:01,132
across the green savanna.

311
00:26:01,132 --> 00:26:03,715
(upbeat music)

312
00:26:16,969 --> 00:26:19,969
(suspenseful music)

313
00:26:21,300 --> 00:26:24,530
So much activity has lured the cape cobra

314
00:26:24,530 --> 00:26:26,420
from its hiding place.

315
00:26:26,420 --> 00:26:29,010
The snake has its eye on the young squirrels

316
00:26:29,010 --> 00:26:30,460
in the burrows.

317
00:26:30,460 --> 00:26:32,600
It's bite could be deadly.

318
00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:34,933
But the cape ground squirrel doesn't run.

319
00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:39,770
Quite the opposite.

320
00:26:39,770 --> 00:26:41,843
It gets in the way of the cobra.

321
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,200
Like a protective shield, it holds its tail

322
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,100
in front of its body.

323
00:26:49,100 --> 00:26:52,223
The squirrel seems bigger irritating the snake.

324
00:26:56,540 --> 00:26:58,763
The combatants are soon discovered.

325
00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,750
All the squirrels in the colony come to the rescue.

326
00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:06,015
A dance of life and death begins.

327
00:27:06,015 --> 00:27:09,015
(suspenseful music)

328
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,230
The cobra is surrounded.

329
00:27:18,230 --> 00:27:20,013
Its bites are ineffective.

330
00:27:25,940 --> 00:27:29,030
The snake gave up long ago.

331
00:27:29,030 --> 00:27:31,283
It's time for the final attack.

332
00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:35,860
The tide has turned.

333
00:27:35,860 --> 00:27:38,133
The attacker is now the target.

334
00:27:40,683 --> 00:27:43,350
(snake hissing)

335
00:27:46,202 --> 00:27:48,430
And hurries off into the distance.

336
00:27:48,430 --> 00:27:51,003
Not one of its bites has hit its target.

337
00:27:58,620 --> 00:28:02,860
With courage, team spirit and a multifunctional tool,

338
00:28:02,860 --> 00:28:05,240
cape ground squirrels withstand the dangers

339
00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:06,323
in the Kalahari.

340
00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:19,300
Their tail also plays a big role in the lives

341
00:28:19,300 --> 00:28:21,163
of our Eurasian red squirrels.

342
00:28:23,300 --> 00:28:26,170
Like a rudder, it helps the flying acrobats

343
00:28:26,170 --> 00:28:28,300
to keep their balance.

344
00:28:28,300 --> 00:28:30,830
And when they take breakneck leaps off trunks

345
00:28:30,830 --> 00:28:34,510
and branches, their tails maintain their equilibrium.

346
00:28:34,510 --> 00:28:37,190
Their body is perfectly adapted to life

347
00:28:37,190 --> 00:28:38,764
in the treetops.

348
00:28:38,764 --> 00:28:41,347
(upbeat music)

349
00:28:44,340 --> 00:28:47,210
The squirrel is one of the most accomplished climbers

350
00:28:47,210 --> 00:28:48,558
among mammals.

351
00:28:48,558 --> 00:28:51,058
(light music)

352
00:28:58,285 --> 00:29:01,118
(water splashing)

353
00:29:17,540 --> 00:29:20,990
As perfectly as they may climb, they dislike

354
00:29:20,990 --> 00:29:22,610
going into water.

355
00:29:22,610 --> 00:29:25,213
Now it could do with some good advice.

356
00:29:27,890 --> 00:29:28,743
It's worth a try.

357
00:29:31,307 --> 00:29:32,140
Careful.

358
00:29:33,448 --> 00:29:35,948
(light music)

359
00:29:39,090 --> 00:29:41,523
The nut is too far from the shore.

360
00:29:46,350 --> 00:29:48,343
The squirrel needs a different tactic.

361
00:29:52,470 --> 00:29:54,133
Maybe from above.

362
00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:02,573
Foiled again.

363
00:30:03,930 --> 00:30:08,163
One more time, raccoon style.

364
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,280
Now using only one hand, the nut slides back

365
00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:17,603
into the depths again.

366
00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:24,970
Even though sparrow hawks don't hunt squirrels,

367
00:30:24,970 --> 00:30:27,890
this visit could not be more unwelcome.

368
00:30:27,890 --> 00:30:30,020
The little raptor is in the move to swim

369
00:30:30,020 --> 00:30:31,573
and take things slowly.

370
00:30:32,420 --> 00:30:35,253
First she takes her time checking the situation.

371
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:42,480
The squirrel is excited.

372
00:30:43,553 --> 00:30:45,750
But the first thing to do is keep distance

373
00:30:45,750 --> 00:30:46,943
just to make sure.

374
00:31:00,979 --> 00:31:04,250
Onward, the nut has not been forgotten.

375
00:31:04,250 --> 00:31:07,063
The path to the goal has been determined.

376
00:31:10,610 --> 00:31:11,783
Where were we again?

377
00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:16,837
And now two for the price of one.

378
00:31:18,590 --> 00:31:19,853
But one slips.

379
00:31:24,190 --> 00:31:26,393
A last final attempt.

380
00:31:32,610 --> 00:31:35,230
The raccoon method brings success.

381
00:31:35,230 --> 00:31:37,140
This squirrel has learned to get at nuts

382
00:31:37,140 --> 00:31:38,893
that nobody else can find.

383
00:31:48,349 --> 00:31:50,230
On the other end of the northern hemisphere

384
00:31:50,230 --> 00:31:53,913
a squirrel has also tapped into an unusual food source.

385
00:31:54,754 --> 00:31:57,254
(light music)

386
00:32:09,870 --> 00:32:12,860
Every summer millions of salmon swim along the coast

387
00:32:12,860 --> 00:32:14,473
of southwest Alaska.

388
00:32:15,330 --> 00:32:18,860
Fish plays a central role for all northern wildlife

389
00:32:18,860 --> 00:32:20,483
as it does for grizzlies.

390
00:32:21,530 --> 00:32:25,333
The bears eat almost only fish for weeks at a time.

391
00:32:27,162 --> 00:32:29,995
(birds squawking)

392
00:32:32,698 --> 00:32:36,531
(bear grunting and splashing)

393
00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,670
Much to the delight of the arctic ground squirrels

394
00:32:50,670 --> 00:32:54,180
which are otherwise also on the bear's menu.

395
00:32:54,180 --> 00:32:56,650
But when the salmon are migrating, they have

396
00:32:56,650 --> 00:32:58,470
nothing to fear.

397
00:32:58,470 --> 00:33:01,550
The grizzlies often eat only the filet pieces

398
00:33:01,550 --> 00:33:02,853
and leave the rest.

399
00:33:12,130 --> 00:33:14,483
Still the squirrels have to be alert.

400
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,090
Summer is the time of abundance in the far north.

401
00:33:19,100 --> 00:33:21,903
Friend and foe are constantly out and about.

402
00:33:29,150 --> 00:33:31,343
The fox smells something in the wind.

403
00:33:38,230 --> 00:33:39,800
But he's choosy.

404
00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:42,293
This fish is probably already too old.

405
00:33:45,666 --> 00:33:48,249
(upbeat music)

406
00:33:59,570 --> 00:34:02,773
But the salmon is just right for the squirrel.

407
00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:14,253
It's a lot of fish for a little squirrel.

408
00:34:20,620 --> 00:34:23,020
But the younger generation are on their feet

409
00:34:23,020 --> 00:34:24,173
right nearby.

410
00:34:25,039 --> 00:34:27,622
(upbeat music)

411
00:34:31,976 --> 00:34:34,726
And one of them is always hungry.

412
00:34:39,190 --> 00:34:41,930
The young animal has never seen a fish.

413
00:34:41,930 --> 00:34:43,853
He doesn't seem too convinced.

414
00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:58,030
Mother squirrel must first show junior

415
00:34:58,030 --> 00:34:59,323
the right opening.

416
00:35:12,970 --> 00:35:15,610
After a hesitant sampling, the young squirrel

417
00:35:15,610 --> 00:35:17,460
quickly develops a taste for it

418
00:35:17,460 --> 00:35:20,383
and discovers the grizzly in himself.

419
00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,760
The feast is discovered and the second offspring

420
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:35,313
doesn't hesitate for long.

421
00:35:36,460 --> 00:35:39,410
Food envy sets in and the two of them finally

422
00:35:39,410 --> 00:35:42,173
take turns satisfying their ravenous hunger.

423
00:35:43,196 --> 00:35:45,779
(upbeat music)

424
00:36:04,158 --> 00:36:08,000
Where food is rare, you can't afford to be picky,

425
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,110
a principle that safeguards the survival

426
00:36:10,110 --> 00:36:13,333
of many squirrel species in baron landscapes.

427
00:36:14,940 --> 00:36:17,440
(light music)

428
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:28,080
Several thousand kilometers further south

429
00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,370
along the west coast of California,

430
00:36:30,370 --> 00:36:32,460
the hills of the back country are lined

431
00:36:32,460 --> 00:36:33,693
with old oak trees.

432
00:36:39,110 --> 00:36:41,003
There's food here in abundance.

433
00:36:43,330 --> 00:36:44,453
For specialists.

434
00:36:50,300 --> 00:36:53,040
Acorn woodpeckers live in large family groups

435
00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:54,720
of up to a dozen.

436
00:36:54,720 --> 00:36:57,370
As their name indicates, they specialize

437
00:36:57,370 --> 00:36:58,833
in harvesting acorns.

438
00:37:10,340 --> 00:37:13,380
Each acorn is flow individually to a central spot

439
00:37:13,380 --> 00:37:14,343
in the territory.

440
00:37:16,140 --> 00:37:17,253
The granary tree.

441
00:37:18,180 --> 00:37:21,070
Winter food supplies are stored over generations

442
00:37:21,070 --> 00:37:22,638
in such a tree.

443
00:37:22,638 --> 00:37:25,138
(light music)

444
00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,500
Over the years, the woodpeckers have pecked away thousands

445
00:37:39,500 --> 00:37:41,730
of little holes into the trunk and filled them

446
00:37:41,730 --> 00:37:43,280
with acorns.

447
00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:45,570
The size and shape of the openings are trimmed

448
00:37:45,570 --> 00:37:47,973
to the precise size of the acorns.

449
00:37:54,238 --> 00:37:57,245
But not every acorn fits into every hole.

450
00:37:57,245 --> 00:37:59,912
(bird knocking)

451
00:38:12,681 --> 00:38:15,014
The birds are being watched.

452
00:38:31,989 --> 00:38:34,580
For California ground squirrels, a storage tree

453
00:38:34,580 --> 00:38:38,253
full of nuts like this is a table set for dining.

454
00:38:48,970 --> 00:38:50,963
But it's not so easy.

455
00:38:52,515 --> 00:38:55,265
(dramatic music)

456
00:39:08,290 --> 00:39:11,143
The woodpeckers have stationed a guard.

457
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,457
For now the intruder is kept off.

458
00:39:19,959 --> 00:39:23,317
But a squirrel doesn't give up quite so easily.

459
00:39:27,090 --> 00:39:31,077
Wait for a moment until the woodpecker is distracted and go.

460
00:39:34,956 --> 00:39:37,706
(dramatic music)

461
00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:44,770
The coast is still clear.

462
00:39:44,770 --> 00:39:46,883
It's time to get down to business.

463
00:39:48,010 --> 00:39:50,760
(dramatic music)

464
00:40:15,368 --> 00:40:17,393
Again, nothing.

465
00:40:19,030 --> 00:40:21,740
The woodpecker can quickly get rid of the traces

466
00:40:21,740 --> 00:40:22,713
of the attack.

467
00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:30,733
Now it's time to wait and look as innocent as possible.

468
00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:40,903
The next attempt starts in the woodpecker's blind spot.

469
00:40:42,530 --> 00:40:44,663
The guard hasn't spotted the squirrel.

470
00:40:47,297 --> 00:40:50,297
(suspenseful music)

471
00:41:01,341 --> 00:41:02,841
No rash movements.

472
00:41:03,828 --> 00:41:06,828
(suspenseful music)

473
00:41:19,930 --> 00:41:22,320
The tactic pays off.

474
00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:25,903
Quickly fill your cheeks before the woodpecker notices.

475
00:41:39,050 --> 00:41:41,287
Don't lose your cool now.

476
00:41:47,877 --> 00:41:52,294
(dramatic music and birds squawking)

477
00:42:01,009 --> 00:42:04,170
All you can do now is bear the pain, close your eyes

478
00:42:04,170 --> 00:42:05,270
and hope for the best.

479
00:42:23,570 --> 00:42:24,413
Made it.

480
00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:32,113
Thick fur also protects you from sharp beaks.

481
00:42:35,050 --> 00:42:38,050
A little cheeky, a little painful,

482
00:42:38,050 --> 00:42:39,713
but somehow you pulled through.

483
00:42:40,957 --> 00:42:43,457
(light music)

484
00:43:04,190 --> 00:43:05,580
The Alps.

485
00:43:05,580 --> 00:43:08,493
The meadows above the treeline are the home of marmots.

486
00:43:09,490 --> 00:43:11,193
They too are squirrels.

487
00:43:17,550 --> 00:43:20,470
Alpine marmots spend the summer days literally

488
00:43:20,470 --> 00:43:22,480
fattening themselves.

489
00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:26,600
The alpine pastures are their land of milk and honey.

490
00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:29,720
Good provisions are necessary, for here there will

491
00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:32,029
soon be meter-high snow.

492
00:43:32,029 --> 00:43:34,529
(light music)

493
00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:45,713
The most valuable tidbits are defended vehemently.

494
00:43:46,980 --> 00:43:49,730
(dramatic music)

495
00:44:01,570 --> 00:44:04,370
Layers of fat are good for the winter.

496
00:44:04,370 --> 00:44:07,570
But it does mean you get out of breath easily.

497
00:44:07,570 --> 00:44:09,690
Marmots don't like heat.

498
00:44:09,690 --> 00:44:13,690
Their comfort zone is the cool mountain region.

499
00:44:13,690 --> 00:44:16,320
They have few sweat glands and have a hard time

500
00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:18,303
getting rid of stored body heat.

501
00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:28,710
Marmots live close together so there are

502
00:44:28,710 --> 00:44:30,203
often skirmishes.

503
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:38,310
Then the slow-paced alpine residents turn

504
00:44:38,310 --> 00:44:40,915
into bear-like sumo wrestlers.

505
00:44:40,915 --> 00:44:43,915
(suspenseful music)

506
00:44:55,230 --> 00:44:58,213
They bite, scuffle and shove.

507
00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:02,010
If one starts, a pack quickly forms

508
00:45:02,010 --> 00:45:05,150
and then everyone fights each other.

509
00:45:05,150 --> 00:45:07,160
The opponents try to knock each other over

510
00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:08,763
with targeted attacks.

511
00:45:13,300 --> 00:45:16,500
With marmots as with real sumo wrestlers,

512
00:45:16,500 --> 00:45:18,296
big is beautiful.

513
00:45:18,296 --> 00:45:21,046
(dramatic music)

514
00:45:34,574 --> 00:45:39,250
A heavier dead weight has advantages when you're wrestling.

515
00:45:39,250 --> 00:45:42,293
Strength and agility take care of the rest.

516
00:45:43,390 --> 00:45:45,150
Fit and fat.

517
00:45:45,150 --> 00:45:47,930
For marmots, these attributes are not at odds

518
00:45:47,930 --> 00:45:48,763
with each other.

519
00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:56,836
The squirrels of the world are as different

520
00:45:56,836 --> 00:45:59,360
as they can be.

521
00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:02,580
But they all have one thing in common,

522
00:46:02,580 --> 00:46:05,083
astonishing adaptability.

523
00:46:06,240 --> 00:46:08,800
Some of it is hereditary.

524
00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:13,310
But much of it is learned or simply tried out.

525
00:46:13,310 --> 00:46:16,083
They learn about danger and how to find things

526
00:46:16,083 --> 00:46:19,550
that are edible early on from their mothers.

527
00:46:19,550 --> 00:46:23,763
But later too, they're clever and quick to learn.

528
00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:30,100
When the time comes to find new feeding grounds,

529
00:46:30,100 --> 00:46:31,523
they're second to none.

530
00:46:32,390 --> 00:46:35,320
They are true survival artists.

531
00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:38,653
Their shrewdness and cleverness are legendary.

532
00:46:39,510 --> 00:46:43,000
Squirrels have become one of the most successful animal

533
00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:47,373
families and live almost all over the world today.

534
00:46:48,477 --> 00:46:51,060
(upbeat music)

535
00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:09,250
Our Eurasian squirrels have also found new territories

536
00:47:09,250 --> 00:47:11,963
though they quickly reach their limits.

537
00:47:15,130 --> 00:47:20,130
Time to dare one last mighty jump into the world of people,

538
00:47:25,770 --> 00:47:27,133
into our cities.

539
00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:31,770
The asphalt jungle doesn't look like the optimal

540
00:47:31,770 --> 00:47:34,660
living space at first but squirrels are no

541
00:47:34,660 --> 00:47:36,660
big city neurotics.

542
00:47:36,660 --> 00:47:39,763
They take urban life from the practical side.

543
00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:50,063
And certainly appreciate being close to us humans.

544
00:48:02,590 --> 00:48:05,360
This is based on reciprocity.

545
00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:08,430
The little fellows are very popular in the nature poor

546
00:48:08,430 --> 00:48:10,570
world of big cities.

547
00:48:10,570 --> 00:48:13,530
More and more people set up feeding sites

548
00:48:13,530 --> 00:48:16,043
to have the comical vagrants nearby.

549
00:48:26,145 --> 00:48:28,645
(light music)

550
00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:38,370
Today squirrels have gotten used to life

551
00:48:38,370 --> 00:48:39,203
in the city.

552
00:48:42,380 --> 00:48:45,140
They are even less stressed than their fellows

553
00:48:45,140 --> 00:48:49,170
outside town despite the continuous disruptions

554
00:48:49,170 --> 00:48:50,453
and street noise.

555
00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:54,200
The city offers them plenty of food

556
00:48:54,200 --> 00:48:58,293
because where there are people, there is always food.

557
00:49:21,150 --> 00:49:25,460
And who knows, maybe their adaptability will soon lead

558
00:49:25,460 --> 00:49:28,750
to the evolution of a new ultra relaxed

559
00:49:28,750 --> 00:49:29,863
big city squirrel.

560
00:49:31,070 --> 00:49:34,268
At any rate, they're always full of surprises.

561
00:49:34,268 --> 00:49:36,768
(light music)