Secret Brazil: amazing aquatic wildlife | Animal documentary - Part 2/2

A remote water desert hides an incredible variety of

amazing

animal

s where all creatures dance to the rhythm of the water Every year epic floods drown the scorching drought forcing conditions so extreme that survival is at risk and the winners become losers giant otters of river risk their lives to protect their babies as the alligators turn towards theirs, the night has a thousand eyes and the thousand eyes belong to what may be the largest concentration of alligators on earth, ten million of these scaly beasts inhabit The Pontanal, one of the largest wetlands in the world, have survived another dry season. to delight in the coming rains it is time for the males to show who is boss from the depths of their eight-foot body arrives sound waves too quiet for the human ear impress the females alarm the rivals two of the largest males Face the winner will attract new mates but it's free for all Alligators of both sexes swim together, rub each other's backs and share touch It's a reptile orgy as both males and females enjoy multiple

part

ners shortly after mating They will disperse as the waters rewrite the map of the pontanal in their favor and a new generation will soon be on the way.

Brazil's Pantanal is about to show why it deserves its title as the world's largest undisturbed wetland. The flood-prone basin is 10 times the size of the Florida Everglades streams and rivers meander across its flat plain sanctuary for thousands of species of exotic plants and

animal

s and now it is about to undergo a surprising transformation the annual deluge begins in the coming months nearly five feet of water can fall rivers rise their levels rise up to 16 feet an area the size of Pennsylvania drowns in its place a vast Labyrinths form swamps, banks, waters and lakes, all united in just two weeks.

The rains double the size of the legumes. The alligators have fled to look for prey elsewhere. The fields are flooded and the fish spread far and wide. More than 250 different species now swim. They were only a few days before land. curried animals their new freedom takes them out of the reach of predators and makes them harder to find these are difficult times for giant river otters the pantanal is home to entire families of these rare creatures the largest otters in the world the floods disperse their food the mud of the water forces them to use their ears, smell and touch, as well as their eyes, to find something to eat this family must feed their young they return to the precarious shelter with empty hands and vulnerable to the predators burrows dug in summer Giant otters need to eat frequently to fuel their active lifestyle.

Up to nine pounds of fish per day. Soon, older, single family members will be able to follow the spreading fish. The Pantanal Basin may be your chance to leave and start your own families The fish have fled for a reason The mass exodus is an annual spectacle Karimbas and Parapatangas are moving upstream to reproduce like salmon The largest species will travel up to 300 miles Pacu and dorado abandoned the narrow confines of the river bed to spread more widely the fields offer new hiding places safe shallow water and fresh grass for many fish the smaller rivers often end in warm pools many fish settle in these dead ends to spawn scrape In a house on the river bed, some parents protect their young from other predatory fish.

Catfish dig nests in the sand to store their eggs, but the many species of piranha are looking for any opportunity to eat the protein-rich eggs. The armored catfish is injured now. she risks being outnumbered and can only abandon her eggs the ferocious piranhas attack the sick, wounded and weak the piranhas also have eggs now is the time for the thief to protect his own offspring a few weeks here will produce a boiling crop of new young piranhas the The wetter months in Pontanau force the tides to change. Luck reverses. Even the most dangerous creatures must adapt or die.

The anaconda has spread widely in floods. The giant snake must leave the water to look for something new to eat if it finds a large one. animal may survive the difficult months ahead smells something lives in a carefully constructed nest above flood level with nothing moving nearby worth investigating but the risk even for this super snake is deadly mother alligators are fiercely protective there is no chance for the ambusher to notice that the anaconda is moving in search of an easier meal the flood shows no signs of abating the giant river otters are traveling great distances in search of food their dens are flooded and when suddenly one detects a danger they have nowhere to hide they raised the alarm a hungry jaguar could make a meal of an otter the jaguar watches how their chances disappear this time they hurry away a long and exhausting bath takes the otters to a lagoon sometimes they travel to 10 miles to find food trapped inside a dead end that their prey can't finally escape the otters find something they can catch in their mouths they corral the fish in the shallow water and scour the bottom to find more uh the stripes of the flood reaches the chains that limit the plains the mountains border the flat basin of the pontanau here the mountain waterfalls join the waters of the lower basin below the surface the springs feed the streams the fish thrive in the nutrient-rich ponds one species here is especially unusual the parapatanga the pirapatangas practice an ingenious trick they jump from swollen streams to flood low branches hanging well above the safe flood level in their nest the caiman eggs are beginning to hatch if the leaves have kept them warm they will be mainly males if the nest is cooler they will be mainly females they make a sound to call their mom eh the mother is very attached to them she has taken care of them for 10 weeks she won't leave them now she won't eat them but she will help them so gently As best she can, her jaws can tear off limbs, but now she takes the babies out of their shell, she takes them to the nearest place, water, one by one, she has almost 40 eggs, so this labor of love takes her all night, the first days of her babies' life are the worst, the little alligators are born hunters but while they are small many animals want to eat them the next morning peccaries the wild pigs of the pantanal go down to the water to drink they will eat almost anything this mother will not let danger get close to her babies if she can avoid it she can keep an eye on those who stay close but some escape to explore and the giant the storks take their opportunity curiosity kills the crocodile almost all young alligators die before they are one year old that is why alligators have so many eggs the drop in level of water makes the anaconda return to the streams it prefers.

It can hunt the hordes of fish when they return or the animals that come to the banks to drink a good meal that will last for days or even months if the prey is of considerable size. Air sacs hidden by its lungs allow it to stay below the surface for 10 minutes at a time. He feels vibrations in the bed of the stream he has. He hasn't eaten for weeks and will take on the alligator if he gets the chance. The giant snake only needs to get close enough for an ambush. He hasn't given up yet. So many fish in the rivers mean good times for those who depend on them for food like otters and alligators, any animal that relaxes its guard will pay with its life crocodile vs giant constrictor is a battle that has raged for 60 million years after four months the flood is finally receding there is a mass exodus from distant ponds the fish begin to travel Back to their rivers and lagoons of origin, now the branches are too high for the jumping fish to jump.

Instead, they found an ingenious way to get the fruit to them by following the monkeys. Capuchins are messy eaters. The barapatanga track the troops to devour whatever it takes. fall, but they must be careful of the prowling golden dorado; will catch a small fish if it can, and the fry should also be wary of another ancient predator isolated from its oceanic relatives more than 20 million years ago, when rivers ran west of the sea before mountains rose (the pontanal ray). has evolved on its own in fresh water isolated from its sea relatives who pass by respect its deadly sting and leave it alone a pair of oscars know that they must carefully monitor their neighbors if they want their eggs to survive, caution is especially valuable For a catfish, if the neighbors are piranhas, they turn their backs on you and will gang up on you.

They prefer to eat other fish and don't care what pieces. If provoked or starved, they will turn into anything. They have voracious appetites. Their sharp triangular teeth. They intertwine to cut meat their feeding frenzy can strip even large prey in a matter of minutes the shrinking waters concentrate the fish in narrower streams and ponds once again the luck is reversed now the mast dam turns the birds In winners in the lottery of life in the panthenal they will even hunt with the otters pushing the fish against each other. The giant otters are enjoying winning streaks. Now, surprisingly, less water means more fish to eat.

Otters can find them more easily in rivers. that when their prey was scattered everywhere in the flood, the swift hunters mainly eat fish they catch during the day and even when they are away from home, the familiar otter etiquette is to wait until everyone has finished eating before continuing once the young have been fed. They have plenty of energy to play the banks of the river reappear as the level drops the parents can dig new dens for the family an order to connect tunnels and chambers with several entrances and exits they need a safe place for the new babies soon the temperatures will rise and even enjoy some time of rest the storks and alligators are returning to normal they also benefit from the large number of returning fish, born in the ponds distant from the flood season the murky conditions are ideal for ambushes the alligators cannot chew but they can bite and swallow and they are determined not to let any stroke of luck escape them the increasing hours of sunshine recharge the batteries of the alligators who sunbathe on the shore to warm themselves when they are too hot they open their mouths to cool off while leeches and bloodsuckers get a free ride and a drink in the shadow of their jaws the flood is a distant memory where the fish swam just a few weeks before now it's dry land an anteater searches for termites this anaconda just left the stream every time smaller in search of better hunting grounds to find safety before the sun turns it into a snake's skin.

The journey of the giant snake takes it to where a short time ago fish swam, now it is the domain of kings and other animals. terrestrial animals like the anteater the anaconda would be happier to find animals it is used to encountering and eating the anteater seems comical, but it has sharp claws like the snake, has very poor eyesight and will not see a threat until it is very close, the The snake can sense its presence through vibrations in the ground and notice any movement the anteater makes. catch a glimpse of the snake when it is nearby avoid a mistaken confrontation that could endanger either of them the snake continues its search for water or prey the anteater is on its way to its own food a termite nest may not have teeth but it does have its sticky tongue can eliminate thousands of termites in minutes almost five months after the flood the fish are confined to areas of rapidly drying land there is no escape anyone who has not returned to the river beds is now trapped the vultures will clean up for the losers only the widest water remains the courses survive they give shelter to the animals that are lucky enough to find them the giant otters have settled here they have dug several dens in which they can retreat they hide their new cubs safely inside they mark their presence to warn others not to approach the wooden railings they eat any fish scraps the white rivers still contain valuable fish stalks the otters will attack any other family of otters that try to poach their territory after they have fed The parents send the pups to the river.

They are only a few weeks old but it's time for a swimming lesson. The newbies stay near the bank for now, but the parents aren't the only ones keeping an eye on the pups. The otters see the woody attacker, let him know that he is not welcome, and warn the others. Parents quickly howlto the puppies to return to a safe place. This time the big cat has lost the advantage of surprise, but may return rather than risk the jaguar's return. The other parents abandoned this den and will take their precious cubs to the bank of a river where they will have another home along the way, a baby loses.

His mother cries for help. It will be up to five months before he is weaned, but he will hunt on his own before a year passes. The otters continue to live with his family for at least a year and a half. For now, he is simply helpless. The heat continues to rise. up to 90 degrees alligators crouch wherever they can find moisture prefer not to waste energy moving to stay cool they would normally move to the shade and deep water here there is no shade and little water they fight in the thickest mud as the heat increases they risk fatally overheating hunger makes an otter dare to look for something to eat dead or alive even a small carcass of an alligator will suddenly do the trick the hunter is hunted desperation drives animals to extreme acts planes once flooded extend their now arid expanses into all directions Alligators and turtles risk their lives as they undertake long journeys over land in eager search of water.

Alligators crowd the few oases that jealously protect them. There are few fish left, but personal survival may outweigh the preservation of a future generation. Hunger is what motivates them now. and a hungry alligator can become cannibalistic predators they cannot afford to miss any opportunity in one of their other dens the giant otters are relaxing they are playing with their young from their vantage point on the shore the jaguar sniffs out family life their goal is to catch them guard this time the otters go on the offensive the locals call them water jaguars they form a fearsome team and their jaws and teeth are sharp enough to cut through thick fish The bones are so aggressive that even the Pantanal's main predator would prefer to back away and keep them away from the remaining rivers.

Both the land itself and the alligators are suffering. The conditions are so harsh. The alligators are forced to perform their last trick. They go into suspended animation. for up to five months the heat and exhaustion silence the normally noisy capybaras, any movement is an effort the merciless winter sun claims more and more victims until when can it continue like this the worms are the winners now the earth is fried in the heat the foliage dry lights up in the sun Forest fires break out just when all creatures are on the brink signs of hope it rains a drenching is welcome rain once again waters the fields begets births flowers and quenches thirst ironically rising waters make otters losers the banks soon overflow floods of water their lair they take refuge under the trees once again their prey will disperse and soon they will be forced to move before the flood reopens

aquatic

roads towards the panthanal their vital blood recharges the arteries that connect to their rapid heart the alligators returned to congregate in revitalized numbers they return to procreation with renewed strength they will soon spawn a new generation now the pantanal comes to life as the year begins anew forcing the fate of the entire wetland a unique alchemy of burning sun and ferocious blood transformed the extraordinary

secret

aquatic

world of

brazil

you