0:00:02 > 0:00:06Hola, mis amigos! Bienvenidos a Barney's America Latina.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Arriba! Arriba! It's show time. Let me introduce you to
0:00:09 > 0:00:12a crazy carnival of creatures, from fabulously freaky frogs
0:00:12 > 0:00:17to hollering howler monkeys to manic meat-eating plants. Es magnifico!
0:00:17 > 0:00:19And what's more, they're all connected to each other
0:00:19 > 0:00:21in this wonderful world of wildlife
0:00:21 > 0:00:24by funny, fabulous and fantastic facts.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26- Get on with it!- Oh, sorry.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31Tres, dos, uno. Es la hora de Barney's Latin America!
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Just take a look at that, Zico.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Latin American rainforest at its best. Isn't it amazing?
0:00:46 > 0:00:50You can see the fog going through the trees and in the distance.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52See that? That is the Caribbean coast. Beautiful.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Barney? What are you doing?
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Um, nothing. I'm, I'm just, um...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01What is that? A cuddly toy? Why have you got a teddy?
0:01:01 > 0:01:05For your information, he's called Zico. My best mate.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Some say we're inseparable. I've been showing him the rainforest,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12- like a little guided tour.- Sometimes I think you're a bit strange.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I'm in good company. Think about it,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17because today's guests have all got peculiar partnerships.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Oh, yeah, from birds as bessie mates to wolves who love fruit.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Yeah, and we've also got rodents who are nuts about...well, nuts.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Seriously, Barney, a teddy, at your age?
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Yeah, whatever! We've got some more sightseeing to do.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Well, I think it's ridiculous.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- Look at that. We've got a tree over there...- Don't you agree?
0:01:36 > 0:01:39I mean, with me and you it's different, you know? We're girls.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43I mean, I'm not talking to a teddy monkey, ha-ha!
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Zico, look. There's some trees.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49You like my lipstick? Oh, thanks. Your hair's lovely.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Attention! Quick march!
0:02:00 > 0:02:02These little guys here are leaf-cutter ants.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- Well, I can see how they get the name.- Exactly.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07They are experts at cutting pieces out of leaves,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09which they then carry back to their nests.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Crikey. Those bits of leaf are huge.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14- Must be strong little ants. - They are.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Leaf-cutter ants give a whole new meaning to small and mighty.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21They can lift up to 12 times their own body weight.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Wow! Wish I was that strong.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Yey!
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Yeah, in your dreams, Barney.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31So, the ants can't live without those leaves, right?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Kind of, but it's a bit more complicated than that.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36These ants are not just ordinary ants. They are gardeners.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Oh, OK, like the Alan Titchmarshes of the bug world?
0:02:39 > 0:02:43That's right, and in their gardens, they use all those bits
0:02:43 > 0:02:45of leaf to grow a very special crop,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48which looks a bit like a mini-mushroom.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52What? So the ants use the bits of leaves to grow a fungal feast?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Yeah, and the fungus is fed by the ants' poo.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Cool! Now that's what I call recycling.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04- Exactly, and plenty of poo and lots of leaves means lunch.- Yummy!
0:03:04 > 0:03:08I wouldn't like to eat poo-covered mushrooms every day
0:03:08 > 0:03:13for the rest of my life...because as we all know, I am a "fun-guy"!
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Ha, ha, ha!
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Huh! "Fun-guy", "fungi" - very funny - not!
0:03:20 > 0:03:22These ants will never go hungry,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26as long as they keep gardening and keep on growing their special fungus.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The ants would probably starve without their fungal friend.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33And the fungus wouldn't be able to grow without being given a constant
0:03:33 > 0:03:35supply of leaves to grow on by the ants.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Next, please.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Time for our next partnership - it's the Galapagos tortoise.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47She looks like she's been around for a while.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- You're no spring chicken yourself! - Sorry!
0:03:50 > 0:03:53That's quite likely, because these guys can live between
0:03:53 > 0:03:58100 and 150 years, and that allows them to reach quite a size.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02These species are easily the world's biggest tortoise.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05A top weight of over 300 kilos is not unheard of.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09150 years old? You're having me on.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10I'm not, Barney.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14A big old girl like that can look after herself, surely.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19Pretty well, yes, but she has little problem with her...um, hygiene.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Maybe she should just have a bath.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23They haven't brought my bikini.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26That's not going to be necessary.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Bring on the finches.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Ah, so the tortoise has some bird buddies.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Mrs T has hangers-on like ticks and parasites,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40which burrow into the soft skin under her shell.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Looks like she's exercising.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44This is no time for press-ups.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48She lifts her shell up so that her finch friends can get into
0:04:48 > 0:04:51the nooks and crannies and get rid of all of those pesky parasites.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Oh, left a bit. Right a bit.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Oh, yes!
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Hey, those finches are fab.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02And after a feast of ticks and lice, the finches have had their fill.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06And Mrs T is tick-free - another successful partnership.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Which brings us to our connection.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Both the tortoise and those leaf-cutter ants are linked,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18because they both supply their partners with food.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22What's coming up next?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Well, with all that water around from the mighty Amazon river,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27it's no surprise that there are a lot of swamps,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and when you get swamps, you get capybaras.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- Capy-whats?- Capybaras.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37They're sometimes known as water hogs, but these aren't pigs.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39They're rodents.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41They're a bit like giant guinea pigs.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Yeah, in fact, they're the biggest rodents of all,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47and weigh in at around 65 kilos.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50So even though they aren't pigs, they're the size of one.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54They are so at home in the water, they even have slightly webbed feet.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Well, it's that or wellies in all that mud.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59But capybaras love a good mud bath!
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Oh, lovely, what a bubble bath.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- It's not a bubble bath.- What? - FARTING
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Steve, that's disgusting!
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- It coats their fur in mud and gives them protection.- Like sun cream?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Yeah, kind of, but it's not the sun they need protection from.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17It's those pesky pests and parasites again.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19They're coming, quick!
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- Thank goodness! - God, they get everywhere, don't they?
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Yeah, and as you can see, it's the old back-scratching problem again.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I guess stumpy, webbed feet can't be much good for scratching.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- It's not easy.- That's true.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38So the capybara gets someone to do it for them - the caracara.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40It's got quite a sharp beak.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Is this wise?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44It absolutely is.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47This bird just happens to have an appetite for bugs, grubs and flies,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50all of which drive those poor capybaras mad.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- So they have their own personal grooming service?- Exactly,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58and they both get a good deal from their peculiar partnership.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Well, the capybara certainly seems happy.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The capybara is linked to our ancient tortoises by the fact
0:07:06 > 0:07:11that both of them enlist the help of birds to get rid of pesky parasites.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16So both the capybara and the tortoise have birds as buddies.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25Our next guest is, frankly, a little bit strange-looking.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Me? Strange?
0:07:28 > 0:07:33- It's the sloth.- Now, that is one weird-looking animal.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36But although the sloth is a bit odd-looking,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39for the way he lives, he is perfectly designed.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Well, those claws do look ideal for hanging from trees.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45It spends most of its time upside down.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49It even gives birth upside down.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52And just hanging around all day is fine, because the sloth doesn't need
0:07:52 > 0:07:56to move too quickly because of his diet.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Oh, has he got to go on fat fighters?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Fat? It's all muscle!
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Barney, he's not on a diet! He just eats leaves,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07so he doesn't need to move around too much because he's surrounded by them.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Ah, I see. So where's his partner?
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Well, have you noticed how the sloth's fur is green?
0:08:15 > 0:08:19That's because its hair is covered in algae.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Isn't that the green stuff that you get in a pond?
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Well, it's very similar,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28but this type of algae grows really well in the sloth's fur.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Well, why doesn't it wash itself, the dirty algae-covered sloth?
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Because the algae helps it to camouflage itself in the treetops.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Shh! I'm hiding.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And the algae even makes the sloth smell like a plant.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- Like a rose.- More like a cabbage!
0:08:43 > 0:08:46So they're virtually invisible to predators.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Has anybody seen a sloth?
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- Anybody? No?- That's amazing.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55The sloth's algae partner actually helps it to survive.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Ah, but Barney, there's a final twist to this story.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Our sloth has another peculiar partner.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Ew, what are those?
0:09:03 > 0:09:08- Moths. There are moths that live in the sloth's fur.- Well, how rude.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10They feed on the algae and stop too much of it from growing.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Let me get this straight. Algae lives on the sloth,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and the moth lives on the sloth too because it likes to eat the algae.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- Yep.- Yummy!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Like the caracara, the sloth moths get their food
0:09:22 > 0:09:24from the fur of their partner.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29So both the sloth and the capybara have partners.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31They get food from their fur.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Here's a puzzle for you, Gem.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I bet you can't guess what this is.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45The leaves look a bit like banana leaves.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49That's a pretty good guess, because they are related to bananas.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51These are heliconias.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Those flowers are a really weird shape.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Well, that is a clue to their partners, because the flowers
0:09:57 > 0:10:01are mainly pollinated by something that can reach right inside them
0:10:01 > 0:10:02with no problem.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- What-oh!- Hummingbirds!
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Yep, birds that hum.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Heliconias are pollinated by nectar-loving hummingbirds.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17They have such a fast metabolism, they need to drink a lot of nectar
0:10:17 > 0:10:20to keep their fuel levels up.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- Wow! You can say that again!- Oh, OK.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25They have such a fast metabolism, they need to drink a lot of...
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Ha, ha, ha. Very funny(!)
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Cor, they don't hang around, do they?
0:10:31 > 0:10:35The heliconias are so closely linked to their bird pollinators
0:10:35 > 0:10:38that the flowers perfectly fit the shape of the hummingbird's head.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45That's amazing. It's like they were made for each other.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Every time a hummingbird visits a flower to feed, its head lines up
0:10:48 > 0:10:53perfectly, so the pollen from the plant dusts off onto its head.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57And then it carries the pollen on to the next flower it visits?
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Exactly, and when the hummingbird passes the pollen
0:11:00 > 0:11:04on to a new flower, it turns into a fruit full of seeds.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07The heliconia does well out of this deal, doesn't it?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Yeah, but skipping from flower to flower,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13the hummingbirds get their fill of high-energy nectar,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16so they're pretty happy with the arrangement too.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Now, that's a great partnership!
0:11:20 > 0:11:23And it links nicely to our sloth's moth partner,
0:11:23 > 0:11:24which feeds on the sloth's algae,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28because the hummingbirds also get their food from a plant.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31So both the sloth's moth mate and the hummingbird
0:11:31 > 0:11:33rely on plant partners for food.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36So, how did we get from the leaf-cutter ants...
0:11:36 > 0:11:39To the hummingbirds in our line-up of partners?
0:11:39 > 0:11:41You're about to find out. It's recap time.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46The leaf-cutter ants are linked to the giant tortoise,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49because they both provide food for their partners.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53And then we have the capybara, which linked up with the tortoise,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56because they both relied on bird buddies to lend them a helping beak.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Which connects to our sloth,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00because it also has a partner which feasts in its fur.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Algae in the sloth's fur provides our sloth moths with food
0:12:04 > 0:12:08just like the heliconia plant feeds its hummingbird buddies.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- Gem, those are some very clever connections.- Ha!
0:12:14 > 0:12:16You haven't seen anything yet.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Let's have a look at some more peculiar partners.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23The Amazon is the biggest rainforest in the world, so everything is
0:12:23 > 0:12:26on a grand scale, and you don't get much more grand than these.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Now, that is what you call a water lily.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Yep, these are giant Amazon water lilies,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34and they really live up to their name.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38They have the second biggest leaves of any plant, and they can measure
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- two metres across, with a stalk of six metres.- That is a lot of leaf.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45But hang on, Gem. I thought this was going to be about a beetle.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47We'll get to the beetles later.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49I'm just getting to the best bit.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- Well, the best bit is just a big plant.- A-ha!
0:12:53 > 0:12:57But this plant is so big that its leaves could support a small child.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01But not a grown Barney!
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Hey-ho! Hey-ho!
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Arghh! Hmm.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10These amazing water lilies rapidly grow into an impenetrable
0:13:10 > 0:13:13blanket of leaves, and then it's time to flower.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Oh, partner alert! Partner alert!
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Cue our star beetle. Amazon lily beetles are a type of scarab beetle,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28and they find the smell of the lily's white flower irresistible.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30You smell gorgeous!
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And fly in to feed on the nectar.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Hang on. The lily just ate the beetle.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Oh, let me out of here! Help! Help!
0:13:39 > 0:13:43These aren't carnivorous plants, Barney. They just need a favour.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46The scarab beetle is trapped overnight, and the flower
0:13:46 > 0:13:50turns from female to male, showering the beetle with pollen.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52A bit like the heliconia and the hummingbird.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- Exactly. - I'm absolutely covered in pollen!
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Oh, good. The beetle's escaped.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58I'm free, free!
0:13:58 > 0:14:01And the first thing it will do is fly off
0:14:01 > 0:14:05and find another seductively-smelling white lily.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And look. The flower the beetle was trapped in has turned pink.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09And it's lost its smell,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12so any beetle buddies won't bother coming back to it again.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15These scarab beetles pollinate the giant water lily,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18allowing it to form seeds and make new plants.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20And at the same time, the beetle gets a nectar feast
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- and a night's accommodation. - Oh, not again!
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Yeah, whether it wants it or not.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31The Amazonian lily beetle pollinates giant water lilies
0:14:31 > 0:14:34just like the hummingbirds pollinate the heliconia plant.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Both the lily beetles and the hummingbirds are linked,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39because they are plant pollinators.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47One tree that is found all over the forest is the fig tree.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Mmm, I love figs!
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Mmm. Mmm.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58- So do the forest animals. - Figs, figs, figs, figs.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Figs, figs, figs, figs, figs. What?
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Because lots of them feed on the figs.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- Figs, fig, figs...- So the figs' mate is a monkey or something?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11No, Gem. You're thinking too big.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14The fig's peculiar partner is a wasp.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Oh, I am out of here! I hate wasps!
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Oh, don't worry. These wasps are tiny, wee little ones,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and the fig is reliant on them for pollination.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Ah, they are small, aren't they?
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Yeah, and there's a reason for that.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30You see, the wasps actually grow up inside the figs.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Ugh, I think I've gone off figs! Egh!
0:15:39 > 0:15:43The female wasp crawls through a small hole in the fig flower
0:15:43 > 0:15:45and lays her eggs.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48And as she does this, she pollinates the flower.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52So the fig provides the wasps with a nest?
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Yep, and when the eggs hatch, the female wasps fly out
0:15:56 > 0:15:59of their fig flower, taking pollen from that fig to the next.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03So the wasps get a home, and the figs get pollinated.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05And this weirdly close relationship
0:16:05 > 0:16:09has been going on for over 80 million years.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Wow! They must be great partners, then.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14They are!
0:16:14 > 0:16:18And the fig wasps are connected to the Amazon lily beetle,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21because they both become trapped inside their plant partners.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25So both the lily beetles and the fig wasps are linked by the fact that
0:16:25 > 0:16:27they are both imprisoned by plants.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33This bird is a hoatzin,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36and it looks like a cool punk rocker, with its feathery Mohican.
0:16:36 > 0:16:42ROCK MUSIC
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Well, in a tropical rainforest, it's good to be cool.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48The hoatzin is about the same size as a pheasant,
0:16:48 > 0:16:53and it likes nothing more than to sit in the treetops eating leaves.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55It only eats leaves?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57That's a bit of a dull diet!
0:16:57 > 0:16:59You got any ketchup?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03But aren't leaves a bit tough to eat all the time?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05The hoatzin is a remarkable bird,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07because it is the only bird in the world that has a crop
0:17:07 > 0:17:11filled with bacteria, which it uses to break down those leaves.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Barney, you're losing me.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I think it might be time for...
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Professor Piranha.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Yes, it's me, the genius of the jungle.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Um, Professor P, what's all this bacteria crop nonsense?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I thought a crop grew in a field like wheat or oats or something.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Well, young Gemma, in this case, a crop is a pouch in the neck
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- where many birds break down food before swallowing.- Ah!
0:17:37 > 0:17:41In the hoatzin, and only in the hoatzin, the crop is full
0:17:41 > 0:17:44of microscopic bacteria, so when it eats leaves, the bacteria breaks
0:17:44 > 0:17:48them down, making it possible for the hoatzin to then digest them,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52which, of course, it does.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Thank you, professor.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57So the bacteria are safe and sound in the crop of the hoatzin,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59getting regularly fed fresh leaves,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03which they then break down, so the hoatzin can eat them.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06And those bacteria allow the hoatzin to eat all sorts of tough,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10and even poisonous, leaves, which it wouldn't be able to without them.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13It's a perfect partnership.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16It is. But there is a downside to the arrangement.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Because of its diet, the hoatzin smells like a big pile of poo,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23earning its name of "stink bird".
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Ooh, nice!
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Both the hoatzin and fig wasp
0:18:29 > 0:18:32have partners that assist with their daily diets.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35The fig wasp has a constant source of figs to eat,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39and the hoatzin's bacterial partner helps to digest its leaves.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46The moist, tropical rainforest is the ideal home for our next guest.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51- This is the poison arrow frog.- Now, that is one colourful little frog!
0:18:51 > 0:18:55And each different species has its own spectacular strip.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Cool. Looking good, frogs!
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Those bright colours are a warning to any predators,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02as these guys live up to their name.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05- What? They're poisonous?- Yep!
0:19:05 > 0:19:06Oh, yes!
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Local tribes in the Amazon roll their arrows on the back of these frogs,
0:19:10 > 0:19:11coating them in poison,
0:19:11 > 0:19:16which makes the arrows deadly enough to down any jungle animal in seconds.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Wow! Now, that is toxic!
0:19:18 > 0:19:21But the reason this little frog joins our list is this -
0:19:21 > 0:19:26when they breed, the male carries the tadpole way up into the canopy
0:19:26 > 0:19:28to find a pond for it to grow up in.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30There can't be any ponds up there!
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Well, that's what you think!
0:19:32 > 0:19:34This plant is a bromeliad,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38and it grows on tree branches high up in the canopy, and in its centre...
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Oh, that's cheating. You didn't mention ponds in plants.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Got ya! This little pool is the perfect splash pad
0:19:45 > 0:19:47for our tadpole to grow up in.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57What? So the tadpole lives in there until it becomes a fully grown frog?
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Yep, it does, and here's the clever bit - the tadpole is a perfect
0:20:01 > 0:20:06partner for the bromeliad, because any poo it produces feeds the plant,
0:20:06 > 0:20:12which is very useful indeed when its nearest soil is ten storeys below.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Huh! Who'd have thought a bit of tadpole plop
0:20:16 > 0:20:18would have come in so useful, hey, Gem?
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Which means the hoatzin and poison arrow frog are linked,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26because they both provide their partners with food in return.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30The hoatzin provides food for the bacteria, and the poison arrow frog's
0:20:30 > 0:20:33poo provides nourishment for the bromeliad.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38This is the Brazil nut tree,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41and it relies on a partner with a unique skill.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45I love Brazil nuts, because they remind me of Christmas. I know,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47let's sing Jungle Bells.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Ready?
0:20:50 > 0:20:51Stop it.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Anyway, the fruits of the Brazil nut fall down through the canopy
0:20:58 > 0:21:04to the forest floor, and there they sit, because this is one tough nut.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05Don't mention me, mate!
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- Ah, it doesn't look that tough to me!- Well, it is,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and there's only one critter that is capable of cracking it.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15The agouti.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Oh, yes, please. Two sugars!
0:21:17 > 0:21:21- Hey, look! It's a bit like one of them capybaras.- I'm better looking.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24That's right, because agoutis are rodents too, and just like
0:21:24 > 0:21:29all rodents, the agouti has teeth which never stop growing.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Really? That could be a bit painful.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36Not a problem, because the teeth are constantly worn down when it eats,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38forming sharp, strong chisels.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Strong enough to crack a tough nut?
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Yep, and once the nut is cracked, the agouti has its fill.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49But then it does something which makes it
0:21:49 > 0:21:51the Brazil nut tree's bessie mate.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Not if it's scoffed all the nuts, it's not. It's a rubbish partner.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57If my best mate ate all my nuts, I would not be happy.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00But that's the point. It doesn't eat all the nuts.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It saves some of them, and hides them all over the forest
0:22:03 > 0:22:05to nibble on later.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08- So technically, he's still going to eat them.- Ah, not necessarily,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12because agoutis are not the brainiest rodents in town.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Um, where did I put those nuts? Oh, it's in my mouth.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18They tend to forget where they've stashed their nuts,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and those forgotten nuts grow into new Brazil nut trees.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Has anyone seen any nuts?
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Ah, so it helps spread the Brazil nut trees round the forest.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32Which is something the tree couldn't do without its toothy buddy.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Seriously, has someone borrowed my nuts?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40So the Brazil nut tree is helped to spread and grow by the agouti,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43just like the poison arrow frog helps the bromeliad to grow
0:22:43 > 0:22:45by providing it with food.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49The agouti and the poison arrow frogs are linked,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52because they both help their plant partners survive.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Hey, Gem, that last story was nuts.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Barney, get on with introducing our next guests.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03OK, I guess that was a bit of a howler!
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Anyway, speaking of which...
0:23:08 > 0:23:12- Is that a wolf? - Yeah, but not just any wolf.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- This is a maned wolf. - Ooh, and I can see why.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Look at that black mane on its back.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Maned wolves live on the grasslands of South America,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26where they have a pretty varied diet.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29They spend most of their time hunting out tasty morsels,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31such as insects and small mammals.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35- Us?- You're a big mammal.- Thank you.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Ooh, look. He's got something.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Yeah, but this diet needs a health warning.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Some of the things the maned wolf eats
0:23:46 > 0:23:51carry the eggs of parasitic worms, and inside the maned wolf...
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- these eggs hatch out. - Barney, that's gross!
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Imagine having lots of little worms living inside you - ew!
0:23:58 > 0:24:02As the worms grow, they can start to make the maned wolf feel ill,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04and lots of maned wolves end up being killed
0:24:04 > 0:24:05by these grim wrigglers.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10I feel terribly, terribly woozy - awful, awful!
0:24:10 > 0:24:12But that's not much of a partnership.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Well, Gem, don't worry about our wolves,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17because they've found a cure from a very odd source.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23More than half of their diet is made up of a special fruit,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26which is actually named after them, the fruit of the wolf.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Looks like it's time for a midnight feast.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39When the fruit is ripe, the wolves gorge on it,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43and it's just as well, because the fruit contains a chemical
0:24:43 > 0:24:45which kills off all those parasitic worms.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49So the fruit is the wolves' cure to make sure they stay healthy
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- and worm free?- Exactly.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54For a maned wolf, eating fruit doesn't just keep them healthy.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56It can actually save their lives.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Good job they eat so much of it, then.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04And of course, when the maned wolf roams the grasslands
0:25:04 > 0:25:07after a fruity feast, he then has a poo.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The seeds of the fruit are spread across the plain,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and that poo also gives the new fruit plants a head start.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18But here's the really, really clever bit.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23Just like the Brazil nut relying on the agouti to spread its seeds,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26the fruit of the wolf relies on the maned wolf to do the same.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31So both the maned wolf and the agouti distribute and even plant the seeds
0:25:31 > 0:25:33of their peculiar plant partners.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35And that's not all.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Leaf-cutter ants sometimes collect maned wolves' poo
0:25:38 > 0:25:42and take it into their nests to feed their fungus gardens.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Which takes us right back to the start of our incredibly friendly
0:25:46 > 0:25:49line-up of peculiar partners.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53So now we've seen the whole line-up. Let's take a look back at how we got
0:25:53 > 0:25:56all the way from the leaf-cutter ant to the maned wolf.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Ready for this? Deep breath.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02The leaf-cutter ants and the Galapagos tortoises
0:26:02 > 0:26:05are connected because they both provide food for their partners.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Our tortoises and the capybara both have bird buddies,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11which peck away any unwanted pests,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15and just like the capybara, the sloth's fur is maintained by a mate.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18The sloth's moth and the hummingbirds both use their
0:26:18 > 0:26:21plant partners for food, and the hummingbird is just like
0:26:21 > 0:26:24the water lily beetle because they are both plant pollinators.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Those fig wasps are trapped by the flowers that they pollinate,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32just like the water lily beetle, and the fig wasps live inside figs
0:26:32 > 0:26:34just like those bacteria live inside the hoatzin.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36The hoatzin is linked to the poison arrow frog
0:26:36 > 0:26:39because both of them provide food for their partners,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41and the poison arrow frog and the agouti
0:26:41 > 0:26:43both help their plant partners survive.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45SPED-UP SPEECH
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Anyone seen any nuts?
0:26:49 > 0:26:54And lastly, the maned wolf links back to the agouti, because both
0:26:54 > 0:26:56of them help spread the seeds of their plant partners,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and the maned wolf also gets a little help from those
0:26:59 > 0:27:03leaf-cutter ants, which brings us right back to where we started.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Do you know what, Gem? I'm exhausted after all of that.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11It's been worth it, because we have met some amazing animals
0:27:11 > 0:27:13and seen how they've learned to live together in the most weird
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- and wonderful ways. - They sort of need each other
0:27:16 > 0:27:18- to get along as well, don't they? - To help feed each other.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- Clean each other. - From partners you can see...
0:27:21 > 0:27:23To partners you can't.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26You know what, Gem, I've got to say, I'm very excited that I've got
0:27:26 > 0:27:29a partner that I can trust, you know, one that I can rely on,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- one who's always there for me. - Ah, me?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34No, Zico. Look at him. Look how cool he is.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37That is the funky monkey of the rainforest.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I can call him in the middle of the night and ask him what's going on.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43He's there for me. Not only that, he's a friend.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45He goes on tours with me and everything. Before, we went out
0:27:45 > 0:27:48on the dirt track, looking at some vultures, and he was like...
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:59 > 0:28:01E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk