1 00:00:03,003 --> 00:00:07,307 In the animal kingdom, there are the mysterious, 2 00:00:07,307 --> 00:00:09,409 the majestic, 3 00:00:09,409 --> 00:00:11,745 the cuddly, 4 00:00:11,745 --> 00:00:15,616 and the downright handsome. 5 00:00:15,616 --> 00:00:17,918 Why then are creatures like the wolf eel 6 00:00:17,918 --> 00:00:20,754 so unattractive? 7 00:00:20,754 --> 00:00:23,523 These turtles won't win any beauty contest, 8 00:00:23,523 --> 00:00:28,395 so why do they clean up in the skills competition? 9 00:00:28,395 --> 00:00:30,797 Naked mole rats aren't super cute, 10 00:00:30,797 --> 00:00:35,035 but could they possess super powers? 11 00:00:35,035 --> 00:00:39,806 How did the nightmarish lamprey outlast the dinosaurs? 12 00:00:39,806 --> 00:00:43,977 And why is the Suriname toad flat as a pancake? 13 00:00:43,977 --> 00:00:47,547 When it comes to survival, could the big winners 14 00:00:47,547 --> 00:00:50,784 be the most distinct-looking creatures of them all? 15 00:00:50,784 --> 00:01:00,894 (♪♪♪) 16 00:01:00,894 --> 00:01:09,569 (♪♪♪) 17 00:01:09,569 --> 00:01:11,371 There are many strange-looking creatures 18 00:01:11,371 --> 00:01:15,776 in the Pacific Ocean. 19 00:01:15,776 --> 00:01:19,813 And the wolf eel is high on the list. 20 00:01:19,813 --> 00:01:22,382 It lives in a dark, dangerous world, 21 00:01:22,382 --> 00:01:27,254 where you'd expect only the strongest to survive. 22 00:01:27,254 --> 00:01:31,124 But success can come down to an unlikely love affair. 23 00:01:32,693 --> 00:01:37,431 This is the last place you'd expect to find romance. 24 00:01:37,431 --> 00:01:40,367 But a very curious boy-meets-girl-story 25 00:01:40,367 --> 00:01:43,270 plays out here 26 00:01:43,270 --> 00:01:47,407 and the unlikely star is the not-so-handsome wolf eel. 27 00:01:52,012 --> 00:01:55,582 It lives in the shadows baring its jagged teeth, 28 00:01:55,582 --> 00:01:58,051 slithering in and out of caves. 29 00:02:00,253 --> 00:02:04,424 It invokes nightmarish visions of mythical sea monsters; 30 00:02:05,692 --> 00:02:10,430 creepy, scary-looking, and aloof. 31 00:02:10,430 --> 00:02:14,167 But maybe it's ugly is only skin deep. 32 00:02:15,936 --> 00:02:19,272 Those small scales, a thick coating of slime, 33 00:02:19,272 --> 00:02:22,642 and a long body may give it the distinct leathery look 34 00:02:22,642 --> 00:02:25,078 of an eel. 35 00:02:25,078 --> 00:02:28,448 But the wolf eel is in fact not an eel at all. 36 00:02:30,517 --> 00:02:33,420 It's a fish. 37 00:02:33,420 --> 00:02:36,656 It can weigh as much as forty pounds 38 00:02:36,656 --> 00:02:40,994 and reach lengths of up to eight feet. 39 00:02:40,994 --> 00:02:43,697 Because of its snake-like shape, 40 00:02:43,697 --> 00:02:47,768 it can squeeze its large bulk into tight rocky spaces. 41 00:02:50,670 --> 00:02:53,807 But it must be careful, the slightest nick or scratch 42 00:02:53,807 --> 00:02:56,643 could release the scent of blood into the water 43 00:02:56,643 --> 00:03:00,080 and attract predators like sharks. 44 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:01,548 To protect its skin, 45 00:03:01,548 --> 00:03:04,351 the wolf eel produces a coating of mucous, 46 00:03:04,351 --> 00:03:07,721 which lets it slip and slide through tight spaces. 47 00:03:09,556 --> 00:03:11,458 One reason it looks so fierce 48 00:03:11,458 --> 00:03:14,261 is a set of strong jaws so powerful 49 00:03:14,261 --> 00:03:16,730 it can devour hard-shelled invertebrates 50 00:03:16,730 --> 00:03:20,067 like sea urchins, snails, and mussels. 51 00:03:22,135 --> 00:03:25,305 Yet these big, slimy, ugly-looking creatures 52 00:03:25,305 --> 00:03:28,475 feel the need to stick close to home. 53 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:37,117 For the wolf eel, its cave is its castle. 54 00:03:37,117 --> 00:03:39,419 Once it finds a narrow crevice it likes, 55 00:03:39,419 --> 00:03:40,954 it keeps it. 56 00:03:43,023 --> 00:03:45,058 Some have been known to stay in one cave 57 00:03:45,058 --> 00:03:47,327 for their entire lives. 58 00:03:47,327 --> 00:03:48,528 Maybe like some humans 59 00:03:48,528 --> 00:03:51,998 they have issues about their looks 60 00:03:51,998 --> 00:03:54,234 and don't want to be seen in public. 61 00:03:56,269 --> 00:04:01,308 But this monstrous-looking fish is not a lone wolf. 62 00:04:01,308 --> 00:04:05,145 It shares its cave with a single monogamous partner, 63 00:04:05,145 --> 00:04:06,947 a mate for life. 64 00:04:09,683 --> 00:04:12,586 "Come spend your life with me in my tiny crevice" 65 00:04:12,586 --> 00:04:16,156 is hardly the hallmark of a great romance, 66 00:04:16,156 --> 00:04:18,792 but the wolf eel makes it work. 67 00:04:18,792 --> 00:04:23,497 There's is the epic love story of beast and the beast. 68 00:04:24,898 --> 00:04:27,300 When they find a mister or missus right, 69 00:04:27,300 --> 00:04:29,302 they form a bond that usually lasts 70 00:04:29,302 --> 00:04:31,505 an entire lifetime. 71 00:04:31,505 --> 00:04:34,241 They move in together in the same tiny den, 72 00:04:34,241 --> 00:04:38,812 kind of like a human couple sharing a twin bed and a closet. 73 00:04:38,812 --> 00:04:42,883 But wolf eels like to be close and for good reason. 74 00:04:42,883 --> 00:04:45,886 Once a year, the female's belly becomes swollen 75 00:04:45,886 --> 00:04:49,189 with potential future baby wolf eels. 76 00:04:49,189 --> 00:04:51,892 The male is attentive, he nuzzles her gently 77 00:04:51,892 --> 00:04:55,729 until she releases the eggs into the water around them. 78 00:04:55,729 --> 00:04:58,665 Then the male asks the female to dance 79 00:04:58,665 --> 00:05:01,168 and they entwine in a passionate embrace 80 00:05:01,168 --> 00:05:04,838 until the male's sperm fertilizes the eggs 81 00:05:04,838 --> 00:05:06,907 and they stay together, 82 00:05:06,907 --> 00:05:08,875 aggressively defending their brood 83 00:05:08,875 --> 00:05:11,511 for 100 days or more. 84 00:05:11,511 --> 00:05:13,113 It's equal opportunity parenting 85 00:05:13,113 --> 00:05:16,550 as they take turns as one goes out to feed 86 00:05:16,550 --> 00:05:21,021 while the other stays home and vice versa. 87 00:05:21,021 --> 00:05:22,322 When the babies hatch, 88 00:05:22,322 --> 00:05:24,591 two proud parents watch them float out 89 00:05:24,591 --> 00:05:26,960 into the big blue sea. 90 00:05:29,829 --> 00:05:30,997 As juveniles, 91 00:05:30,997 --> 00:05:35,035 they look a little different for a while, almost cute. 92 00:05:35,035 --> 00:05:36,236 But within a few years, 93 00:05:36,236 --> 00:05:38,371 they end up looking just as distinctive 94 00:05:38,371 --> 00:05:40,207 as mom and dad. 95 00:05:40,207 --> 00:05:42,342 And the story repeats: 96 00:05:42,342 --> 00:05:45,579 Hideous boy meets homely girl, 97 00:05:45,579 --> 00:05:47,781 they settle down in a cave of their own 98 00:05:47,781 --> 00:05:50,984 and start working on unattractive offspring. 99 00:05:55,055 --> 00:05:56,289 For the wolf eel 100 00:05:56,289 --> 00:05:58,858 beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 101 00:05:58,858 --> 00:06:02,462 Look past the teeth, the slime, and strong jaw 102 00:06:02,462 --> 00:06:06,566 and you'll find a heart that is not ugly. 103 00:06:06,566 --> 00:06:16,142 (♪♪♪) 104 00:06:16,142 --> 00:06:18,044 There are many strange-looking turtles 105 00:06:18,044 --> 00:06:20,380 in the animal kingdom. 106 00:06:22,616 --> 00:06:24,484 But a special few might be considered 107 00:06:24,484 --> 00:06:27,587 the top three most odd ones in the world. 108 00:06:30,290 --> 00:06:33,526 They are all cold-blooded and live around or in water. 109 00:06:33,526 --> 00:06:40,667 (♪♪♪) 110 00:06:40,667 --> 00:06:42,002 Their main lines of defense 111 00:06:42,002 --> 00:06:46,506 are like an unusual design experiment. 112 00:06:46,506 --> 00:06:48,675 Turtle shells are constructed as if their ribs 113 00:06:48,675 --> 00:06:51,745 have been fused together on the outside of their body 114 00:06:51,745 --> 00:06:54,047 and made into a bony plate. 115 00:06:56,883 --> 00:06:58,818 Standing out among all turtles, 116 00:06:58,818 --> 00:07:01,021 these three have set themselves apart 117 00:07:01,021 --> 00:07:03,523 for their weird ways and looks. 118 00:07:08,061 --> 00:07:12,499 This is a face only a mother could love 119 00:07:12,499 --> 00:07:17,304 and even then she'd probably have to try pretty hard. 120 00:07:17,304 --> 00:07:20,607 At number three on the list are snapping turtles. 121 00:07:20,607 --> 00:07:24,110 The common snapping turtle is on the plain side 122 00:07:24,110 --> 00:07:27,247 and then there's the alligator snapping turtle, 123 00:07:27,247 --> 00:07:30,650 the heaviest freshwater turtle in the world. 124 00:07:30,650 --> 00:07:32,719 They can weigh several hundred pounds, 125 00:07:32,719 --> 00:07:34,187 have claws like a bear, 126 00:07:34,187 --> 00:07:38,458 can snap off a human finger with their powerful jaws. 127 00:07:38,458 --> 00:07:41,861 They're known as the dinosaurs of the turtle world, 128 00:07:41,861 --> 00:07:44,230 not only because they look prehistoric, 129 00:07:44,230 --> 00:07:46,132 but because they actually haven't changed 130 00:07:46,132 --> 00:07:47,901 all that much. 131 00:07:47,901 --> 00:07:50,704 Snapping turtles evolved 40 million years ago 132 00:07:50,704 --> 00:07:53,306 and aren't very different now from the most primitive turtles 133 00:07:53,306 --> 00:07:57,844 that were around 250 million years ago. 134 00:07:57,844 --> 00:07:59,045 At first glance, 135 00:07:59,045 --> 00:08:01,781 they look like mini dinosaurs too. 136 00:08:04,084 --> 00:08:06,219 Despite their aggressive nature, 137 00:08:06,219 --> 00:08:09,022 they're very slow sedentary creatures 138 00:08:09,022 --> 00:08:11,925 who spend their time hanging out on river bottoms 139 00:08:11,925 --> 00:08:14,661 covered in algae, waiting for food, 140 00:08:14,661 --> 00:08:19,032 using their worm-like tongue to bait in a fish. 141 00:08:19,032 --> 00:08:21,167 And when it's time to breathe, 142 00:08:21,167 --> 00:08:23,069 they stick their snorkel-like nose 143 00:08:23,069 --> 00:08:26,339 just out of the water to get the oxygen they need. 144 00:08:31,544 --> 00:08:36,116 At number two on the world's ugliest turtle list: 145 00:08:36,116 --> 00:08:40,086 the spiny softshell turtles also use their nose as a snorkel 146 00:08:40,086 --> 00:08:41,955 when they reach the surface. 147 00:08:44,023 --> 00:08:47,594 And they like to mix things up by breathing underwater. 148 00:08:49,362 --> 00:08:52,632 These turtles can absorb oxygen from the water around them 149 00:08:52,632 --> 00:08:54,234 through a membrane in their throat 150 00:08:54,234 --> 00:08:56,269 and through their skin. 151 00:08:56,269 --> 00:08:57,404 That's helpful, 152 00:08:57,404 --> 00:08:59,305 because they live in North America 153 00:08:59,305 --> 00:09:02,642 and for six months every year when the climate is colder, 154 00:09:02,642 --> 00:09:05,278 they go into a state of brumation, 155 00:09:05,278 --> 00:09:07,947 which is like a mild form of hibernation. 156 00:09:07,947 --> 00:09:10,183 They basically get very lethargic 157 00:09:10,183 --> 00:09:12,919 like a prolonged lazy Sunday. 158 00:09:14,788 --> 00:09:16,389 Just as their name suggests, 159 00:09:16,389 --> 00:09:19,526 the spiny softshell turtle is one of the few turtles 160 00:09:19,526 --> 00:09:22,762 with a soft flexible leathery shell, 161 00:09:22,762 --> 00:09:25,765 that actually allows them to behave more aggressively 162 00:09:25,765 --> 00:09:28,535 than other species of turtle if need be. 163 00:09:28,535 --> 00:09:30,503 Since they don't have the thick hard shell 164 00:09:30,503 --> 00:09:34,474 to protect them from predators like foxes or eagles. 165 00:09:34,474 --> 00:09:37,010 Instead they prefer to spend most of their time 166 00:09:37,010 --> 00:09:38,344 buried in sand 167 00:09:38,344 --> 00:09:40,713 with just their head and neck sticking out, 168 00:09:40,713 --> 00:09:42,449 perfect for helping them ambush prey 169 00:09:42,449 --> 00:09:46,219 without working too hard. 170 00:09:46,219 --> 00:09:50,056 With a true master of camouflage is a turtle so ugly 171 00:09:50,056 --> 00:09:53,560 it makes the snapping turtle look like a beauty queen. 172 00:09:54,694 --> 00:09:56,796 The mata mata from South America 173 00:09:56,796 --> 00:09:59,766 just looks like a log with warts. 174 00:10:02,402 --> 00:10:04,904 Its shell looks like tree bark, 175 00:10:04,904 --> 00:10:07,841 its head like fallen leaves. 176 00:10:07,841 --> 00:10:09,509 And it has special skin flaps 177 00:10:09,509 --> 00:10:12,278 that look like leaves or moss on its head 178 00:10:12,278 --> 00:10:15,348 and a neck that helps it blend in. 179 00:10:15,348 --> 00:10:19,285 Their name mata mata means "kill kill" in Spanish. 180 00:10:19,285 --> 00:10:23,356 And it's obvious that they're good at it. 181 00:10:23,356 --> 00:10:25,725 Mata matas can literally suck their prey 182 00:10:25,725 --> 00:10:27,293 right into their mouths, 183 00:10:27,293 --> 00:10:31,130 so don't get too close little fishy. 184 00:10:31,130 --> 00:10:32,732 And like most other turtles, 185 00:10:32,732 --> 00:10:36,302 they don't bask on rocks and they don't really swim. 186 00:10:36,302 --> 00:10:37,637 When they do move, 187 00:10:37,637 --> 00:10:40,406 they kind of shuffle along the bottom of the river. 188 00:10:40,406 --> 00:10:43,376 But mostly they're incredibly sedentary, 189 00:10:43,376 --> 00:10:46,813 only leaving the water to lay their eggs once a year. 190 00:10:46,813 --> 00:10:47,847 Other than that, 191 00:10:47,847 --> 00:10:49,849 they spend their days waiting for food 192 00:10:49,849 --> 00:10:51,651 to swim past them. 193 00:10:51,651 --> 00:10:52,986 Patience comes easy 194 00:10:52,986 --> 00:10:57,290 when you look like a rotten log in the bottom of the river. 195 00:10:57,290 --> 00:11:00,460 Turtles haven't evolved much in millions of years 196 00:11:00,460 --> 00:11:04,197 and not looking in the mirror all that time is apparent. 197 00:11:04,197 --> 00:11:06,199 But why change a winning formula 198 00:11:06,199 --> 00:11:09,135 when it's working for you in the survival department. 199 00:11:11,638 --> 00:11:15,808 Oh my, what happened to these rats? 200 00:11:15,808 --> 00:11:19,579 Have they been shaved for surgery, are they diseased? 201 00:11:19,579 --> 00:11:21,681 Are they an experiment? 202 00:11:21,681 --> 00:11:23,950 Why are they so ugly? 203 00:11:27,654 --> 00:11:31,624 Believe it or not, these rats are just fine, 204 00:11:31,624 --> 00:11:33,726 more than fine actually. 205 00:11:33,726 --> 00:11:35,662 These are naked mole rats 206 00:11:35,662 --> 00:11:38,231 and they are well-adapted creatures. 207 00:11:39,566 --> 00:11:44,504 They are 3 inches long, and they weigh 1 to 2.4 ounces. 208 00:11:45,805 --> 00:11:49,609 They have tiny little eyes, no external ears, 209 00:11:49,609 --> 00:11:51,945 and two large unsightly sets of teeth 210 00:11:51,945 --> 00:11:55,982 for digging, eating, and self-defense. 211 00:11:55,982 --> 00:11:57,617 They only wear their birthday suits, 212 00:11:57,617 --> 00:11:59,986 because in the wilds of eastern Africa, 213 00:11:59,986 --> 00:12:02,655 they live underground, so they don't need hair 214 00:12:02,655 --> 00:12:05,391 to protect them from the burning sun. 215 00:12:05,391 --> 00:12:08,895 And their tunnels can reach a toasty 86 degrees Fahrenheit, 216 00:12:08,895 --> 00:12:12,699 so a warm coat would bake them. 217 00:12:12,699 --> 00:12:17,203 Imagine colonies of up to 300 of these exhibitionist rodents 218 00:12:17,203 --> 00:12:19,772 wriggling through elaborate tunnel systems, 219 00:12:19,772 --> 00:12:23,042 some as large as six football fields. 220 00:12:24,877 --> 00:12:28,581 There is one queen who does all of the breeding. 221 00:12:28,581 --> 00:12:31,618 There are also soldiers and workers. 222 00:12:31,618 --> 00:12:33,353 It sounds more like an ant colony 223 00:12:33,353 --> 00:12:38,358 than a rat pack and that's because it is. 224 00:12:38,358 --> 00:12:41,894 Like ants or bees, naked mole rats are eusocial, 225 00:12:41,894 --> 00:12:43,296 meaning they have a queen 226 00:12:43,296 --> 00:12:46,733 and workers that serve that queen. 227 00:12:46,733 --> 00:12:49,135 They are only one of two mammal species 228 00:12:49,135 --> 00:12:51,437 that have this type of breeding structure. 229 00:12:51,437 --> 00:12:53,940 The other is a mole rate too. 230 00:12:53,940 --> 00:12:56,709 The queen spends her day being fed and fawned over 231 00:12:56,709 --> 00:12:59,212 by her harem of bald boy toys. 232 00:12:59,212 --> 00:13:02,682 The rest of the colony dig, forage for tubers, 233 00:13:02,682 --> 00:13:04,050 and defend against snakes 234 00:13:04,050 --> 00:13:07,186 that may penetrate their subterranean fortress. 235 00:13:11,124 --> 00:13:14,127 Incredibly, these little wrinkly balls of flesh 236 00:13:14,127 --> 00:13:17,597 can outlast their more familiar and urbanized rodent relatives 237 00:13:17,597 --> 00:13:19,966 by up to 28 years. 238 00:13:23,870 --> 00:13:26,372 Dig a little deeper and these stripped-down rats 239 00:13:26,372 --> 00:13:31,277 have even more extraordinary qualities. 240 00:13:31,277 --> 00:13:33,613 They live their entire lives underground 241 00:13:33,613 --> 00:13:34,881 in cave networks 242 00:13:34,881 --> 00:13:37,684 where carbon dioxide levels are high enough to irritate 243 00:13:37,684 --> 00:13:41,688 and even burn the skin and lungs of humans. 244 00:13:42,388 --> 00:13:44,891 In response, they have specifically evolved, 245 00:13:44,891 --> 00:13:49,295 so they do not feel that burning pain. 246 00:13:49,295 --> 00:13:52,298 Their skin has adapted to have more elasticity, 247 00:13:52,298 --> 00:13:55,601 which allows them to move around underground even better. 248 00:13:59,505 --> 00:14:01,074 Even more astonishing, 249 00:14:01,074 --> 00:14:03,910 to date, researchers have never detected cancer 250 00:14:03,910 --> 00:14:05,545 in the mole rat. 251 00:14:05,545 --> 00:14:08,181 Its cells have anti-tumor capabilities 252 00:14:08,181 --> 00:14:11,751 that rodents and humans don't. 253 00:14:11,751 --> 00:14:16,689 Maybe that's a trade-off for being so ugly. 254 00:14:16,689 --> 00:14:21,427 Scientists are studying these natural nude wonders 255 00:14:21,427 --> 00:14:24,831 to figure out how these cells have evolved. 256 00:14:27,033 --> 00:14:30,269 It seems good things do come in small packages, 257 00:14:30,269 --> 00:14:33,339 small naked packages that is. 258 00:14:37,043 --> 00:14:40,313 They look like creatures whipped from a gruesome horror film 259 00:14:40,313 --> 00:14:42,081 or another planet. 260 00:14:42,081 --> 00:14:48,921 (♪♪♪) 261 00:14:48,921 --> 00:14:51,557 Sea lampreys might look like aliens, 262 00:14:51,557 --> 00:14:54,727 but they are some of earth's greatest success stories. 263 00:14:54,727 --> 00:14:56,662 They predate the dinosaurs 264 00:14:56,662 --> 00:14:58,598 and have remained largely unchanged 265 00:14:58,598 --> 00:15:02,635 for the past 340 million years. 266 00:15:02,635 --> 00:15:05,671 Slithering through the waters with its snake-like body, 267 00:15:05,671 --> 00:15:08,141 it is neither serpent nor eel. 268 00:15:11,844 --> 00:15:13,279 To travel more quickly, 269 00:15:13,279 --> 00:15:16,282 it has learnt to attach itself to other fish or mammals 270 00:15:16,282 --> 00:15:18,084 to hitch a ride. 271 00:15:20,686 --> 00:15:23,055 And it catches a quick bite along the way, 272 00:15:23,055 --> 00:15:27,326 feeding like a bloodthirsty vampire. 273 00:15:27,326 --> 00:15:31,397 Built for draining blood, the lamprey has no jaw. 274 00:15:31,397 --> 00:15:33,199 Instead it has a funnel-like mouth 275 00:15:33,199 --> 00:15:37,436 lined with rows of strange teeth made of keratin, 276 00:15:37,436 --> 00:15:40,573 the same substance that's in human fingernails. 277 00:15:43,075 --> 00:15:44,811 When a lamprey chooses a host, 278 00:15:44,811 --> 00:15:47,613 it uses its grotesque-looking suction cup mouth 279 00:15:47,613 --> 00:15:50,016 to attach itself. 280 00:15:50,016 --> 00:15:52,285 Then using its spiked sharp tongue, 281 00:15:52,285 --> 00:15:54,854 it scrapes off the scales and skin 282 00:15:54,854 --> 00:15:57,957 and digs its teeth into the tender flesh. 283 00:16:00,126 --> 00:16:02,128 With the help of little fringe structures 284 00:16:02,128 --> 00:16:05,865 called fimbriae, the mouth forms a perfect seal. 285 00:16:09,101 --> 00:16:12,138 For the surprised host, there is no escape, 286 00:16:12,138 --> 00:16:15,007 resistance is futile. 287 00:16:17,343 --> 00:16:19,812 Now the lamprey secretes an anti-coagulant 288 00:16:19,812 --> 00:16:23,216 called lamphredin that prevents the wound from clotting 289 00:16:23,216 --> 00:16:25,852 and keeps the large blood vessels flowing. 290 00:16:29,589 --> 00:16:34,060 The lamprey is able to suck on its victim until it dies. 291 00:16:34,060 --> 00:16:41,367 (♪♪♪) 292 00:16:41,367 --> 00:16:43,936 But not all lampreys are bloodsuckers, 293 00:16:43,936 --> 00:16:46,639 some are flesh-eaters. 294 00:16:46,639 --> 00:16:49,709 Using their teeth as pistons to tear thorough flesh, 295 00:16:49,709 --> 00:16:53,412 stripping them down to the bone. 296 00:16:53,412 --> 00:16:55,314 Like other natural-born killers, 297 00:16:55,314 --> 00:16:58,618 the lamprey is forever looking for fresh victims. 298 00:17:00,119 --> 00:17:02,188 On the prowl, they sometimes go 299 00:17:02,188 --> 00:17:05,124 where no lamprey has gone before. 300 00:17:05,124 --> 00:17:07,994 Up until roughly 150 years ago, 301 00:17:07,994 --> 00:17:09,795 the sea lamprey's main hunting ground 302 00:17:09,795 --> 00:17:11,697 was the Atlantic. 303 00:17:11,697 --> 00:17:12,965 But that all changed 304 00:17:12,965 --> 00:17:15,034 when workers deepened the Canadian channel 305 00:17:15,034 --> 00:17:19,171 linking Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. 306 00:17:19,171 --> 00:17:23,142 That's when the lamprey invaded the rest of the Great Lakes. 307 00:17:25,912 --> 00:17:27,313 Silent but deadly, 308 00:17:27,313 --> 00:17:30,049 the lamprey has since decimated fish populations 309 00:17:30,049 --> 00:17:32,285 throughout the Great Lakes. 310 00:17:32,285 --> 00:17:33,953 In the case of the lake trout, 311 00:17:33,953 --> 00:17:37,690 only 2% of the original population remains. 312 00:17:39,091 --> 00:17:41,961 What makes the lamprey such a successful invader 313 00:17:41,961 --> 00:17:45,665 is its incredible ability to reproduce. 314 00:17:45,665 --> 00:17:48,901 A single female can lay up to 100,000 eggs 315 00:17:48,901 --> 00:17:51,771 in her lifetime. 316 00:17:51,771 --> 00:17:54,707 Born as larvae in rivers, baby sea lampreys 317 00:17:54,707 --> 00:17:57,443 bury themselves in the muck on the bottom, 318 00:17:57,443 --> 00:18:01,280 feeding on microorganisms there for up to 10 years, 319 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,617 hiding, biding its time. 320 00:18:07,153 --> 00:18:10,389 After the larval stage, it becomes a juvenile 321 00:18:10,389 --> 00:18:14,293 and rises from the bottom to feed on much larger victims. 322 00:18:16,996 --> 00:18:18,764 For the next 12 to 18 months 323 00:18:18,764 --> 00:18:21,934 the juvenile will eat up to 40 pounds of fish 324 00:18:21,934 --> 00:18:25,571 and any fish is fair game. 325 00:18:25,571 --> 00:18:27,606 Using a powerful sense of smell, 326 00:18:27,606 --> 00:18:29,442 it picks up the scent of its victims 327 00:18:29,442 --> 00:18:33,579 through the murkiest of waters, even several feet away. 328 00:18:35,114 --> 00:18:37,183 When a lamprey is on a feeding frenzy, 329 00:18:37,183 --> 00:18:39,752 there is no safe place to hide. 330 00:18:45,424 --> 00:18:48,094 The very characteristics we find ugly 331 00:18:48,094 --> 00:18:52,932 are why the lamprey has managed to outlast the mighty dinosaurs. 332 00:18:54,500 --> 00:18:59,338 With an amazing fertility rate and no natural enemies, 333 00:18:59,338 --> 00:19:02,742 it has become a true monster of the deep. 334 00:19:07,279 --> 00:19:09,615 What makes the lamprey look ugly 335 00:19:09,615 --> 00:19:13,352 has helped it thrive and survive. 336 00:19:18,891 --> 00:19:22,862 In the murky mysterious rivers in the Amazon basin, 337 00:19:25,364 --> 00:19:28,768 there is a creature that lies perfectly still. 338 00:19:30,903 --> 00:19:35,408 Disappearing into the background like a strange wallflower, 339 00:19:35,408 --> 00:19:39,211 it's camouflaged as a mottled brown leaf 340 00:19:39,211 --> 00:19:43,716 with loose wrinkly pebbled skin that makes it unrecognizable. 341 00:19:45,418 --> 00:19:48,020 Most predators just move on by 342 00:19:48,020 --> 00:19:52,291 leaving the Suriname toad undisturbed, 343 00:19:52,291 --> 00:19:54,460 just how it likes it. 344 00:19:58,064 --> 00:20:00,666 This mysterious toad has tiny eyes, 345 00:20:00,666 --> 00:20:04,737 no teeth, no tongue, and really doesn't move much. 346 00:20:06,806 --> 00:20:08,040 Why? 347 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:12,645 Because it's saving its energy for something really big. 348 00:20:12,645 --> 00:20:17,550 When a Suriname toad does move, it is surprisingly acrobatic. 349 00:20:22,421 --> 00:20:24,523 And at the tip of its forefingers 350 00:20:24,523 --> 00:20:28,594 are star-shaped sensory organs, which help find food, 351 00:20:28,594 --> 00:20:32,331 because the toad's puny eyes don't help much. 352 00:20:32,331 --> 00:20:34,667 These sensory organs detect movement 353 00:20:34,667 --> 00:20:36,802 and help the Suriname toad pounce 354 00:20:36,802 --> 00:20:40,206 when something catches its attention. 355 00:20:40,206 --> 00:20:42,341 Maybe because of those tiny eyes though, 356 00:20:42,341 --> 00:20:46,979 their accuracy can be a little off. 357 00:20:46,979 --> 00:20:48,314 When the male Suriname toad 358 00:20:48,314 --> 00:20:50,549 wants to get the female's attention, 359 00:20:50,549 --> 00:20:52,451 it sings her a song. 360 00:20:54,954 --> 00:20:57,923 Once the female is properly serenaded, 361 00:20:57,923 --> 00:21:01,927 they mate for an astonishing 24 hours, 362 00:21:01,927 --> 00:21:04,363 somersaulting together through the water 363 00:21:04,363 --> 00:21:08,968 in an impressive display of stamina. 364 00:21:08,968 --> 00:21:10,636 While they are clasped together, 365 00:21:10,636 --> 00:21:14,640 the female will lay up to 100 eggs. 366 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,443 And here's where it gets really strange, 367 00:21:17,443 --> 00:21:20,246 the eggs latch on to the female's back 368 00:21:20,246 --> 00:21:22,648 and her poor skin grows around them 369 00:21:22,648 --> 00:21:26,385 creating a sort of honeycomb of frog eggs. 370 00:21:26,385 --> 00:21:29,989 It's right out of a science-fiction film. 371 00:21:29,989 --> 00:21:33,159 It's an incredible survival tactic. 372 00:21:33,159 --> 00:21:35,594 Instead of exposing her eggs to predators, 373 00:21:35,594 --> 00:21:38,964 she hides them in plain sight right under her skin 374 00:21:38,964 --> 00:21:42,701 until they are fully ready to greet the world. 375 00:21:42,701 --> 00:21:45,137 They incubate for up to four months, 376 00:21:45,137 --> 00:21:46,972 then they hatch 377 00:21:46,972 --> 00:21:50,809 by erupting from her back as fully formed toadlets, 378 00:21:50,809 --> 00:21:55,514 like 100 escape pods fleeing a spaceship. 379 00:21:55,514 --> 00:21:58,350 It's a unique adaptation that gives her offspring 380 00:21:58,350 --> 00:22:00,886 a fighting chance to survive. 381 00:22:02,588 --> 00:22:04,323 And though it may look ugly, 382 00:22:04,323 --> 00:22:07,993 for the Suriname toad that's the magic of birth 383 00:22:07,993 --> 00:22:11,063 and the beginning of a new generation. 384 00:22:14,433 --> 00:22:18,771 Bald, alien, and downright mean-looking, 385 00:22:18,771 --> 00:22:21,674 there's not a pretty face in the bunch, 386 00:22:21,674 --> 00:22:24,843 but they don't care what we think about their looks, 387 00:22:24,843 --> 00:22:26,812 they have deeper issues to deal with, 388 00:22:26,812 --> 00:22:28,981 like staying alive. 389 00:22:30,649 --> 00:22:33,953 Because what's ugly in our eyes 390 00:22:33,953 --> 00:22:38,090 are some of nature's greatest survival stories. 391 00:22:38,090 --> 00:22:48,133 (♪♪♪) 392 00:22:48,133 --> 00:22:58,244 (♪♪♪)