0:00:15 > 0:00:16Life on Earth.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Stunning...
0:00:22 > 0:00:24..spectacular...
0:00:25 > 0:00:26..and diverse.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29LEMUR HOWLS
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Endless forms, startling and beautiful.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Some animals amaze us with their speed...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41..their strength...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43GORILLA GROWLS
0:00:43 > 0:00:45..or their intelligence.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57Whilst others fascinate us by, well, being a bit odd.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Creatures that don't normally grab the limelight.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Unconventional
0:01:03 > 0:01:05and unusual.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Not the big stars, more the character actors.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Let me introduce you to nature's misfits.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21I want to show you the extraordinary and rarely seen lives
0:01:21 > 0:01:24of these evolutionary oddballs.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Their strange habits, their astounding forms
0:01:30 > 0:01:32and the hurdles
0:01:32 > 0:01:34they have to overcome.
0:01:34 > 0:01:40It's time nature's misfits got the credit they're due.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Before we get going, let's be clear on what makes an animal a misfit.
0:02:06 > 0:02:12For some it's because they appear ill-suited to their habitat.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Others have become so highly specialised in one way
0:02:18 > 0:02:22that they seem disadvantaged in others.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28But first we'll meet the misfits that stand out
0:02:28 > 0:02:31because they're different from the rest of their animal family.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39So how do these oddities manage to survive?
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Could it be that being different can actually give you an edge?
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Changqing in China.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02In these snowy hills lives a confused creature.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05RUSTLING
0:03:13 > 0:03:15A giant panda.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Pandas are bears.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Close relatives of grizzlies and polar bears.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29And, of course, bears are ferocious carnivores.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33But not the panda.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39They have turned their back on their meat-eating past...
0:03:41 > 0:03:43..and gone veggie.
0:03:48 > 0:03:5399% of their diet comes from a single plant.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Bamboo.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Making them a non-meat-eating carnivore.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05A true misfit.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23In the depths of winter, most bears would be tucked up hibernating...
0:04:27 > 0:04:29..but not the panda.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36The problem is bamboo contains so little energy that pandas
0:04:36 > 0:04:39simply can't build up the fat reserves required to hibernate.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Instead, they endure the long freezing winters...
0:04:49 > 0:04:53..forcing down bamboo even when it's frozen stiff.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59That's what all the nose twirling is about.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04They're breaking up the ice.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13A panda must eat up to 18 kilograms of bamboo a day...
0:05:14 > 0:05:19..requiring them to feed continuously for 16 hours.
0:05:21 > 0:05:27This colossal consumption does have an inevitable consequence.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Pandas have to answer the call of nature 40 times a day.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Giant pandas are so dependent on bamboo
0:05:42 > 0:05:45that it affects every aspect of their lives.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52It even helps explain their relaxed attitude to reproduction.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56Spring.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Mating season for pandas.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08This female is on heat...
0:06:10 > 0:06:13..which has aroused the interest of a male.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20She's only fertile for a few days and just once a year...
0:06:23 > 0:06:26..so she needs to get on with things.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30PANDA GROWLS
0:06:33 > 0:06:37That wasn't the response she was hoping for.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46She decides to give it another go
0:06:46 > 0:06:48PANDA GROWLS
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Things aren't going well.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57They both know why they're here
0:06:57 > 0:07:00but just can't seem to settle their differences.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Now he gingerly approaches her.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Finally it happens.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22It's little wonder pandas have acquired
0:07:22 > 0:07:26such a dubious track record for procreation.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31But there is purpose to all this.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Pandas are so reliant on bamboo
0:07:37 > 0:07:40that if their numbers were ever to dramatically increase
0:07:40 > 0:07:43there might not be enough food to go round.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Being slow breeders means they can survive
0:07:51 > 0:07:54whilst relying on just one food source.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01It all comes back to their veggie and very un-bear like diet.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06For our next misfit, it's not their diet that marks them out
0:08:06 > 0:08:09as different but their size that makes them stand out
0:08:09 > 0:08:11from the rest of their kind.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Vivid colours,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26incredible eyes...
0:08:29 > 0:08:32..and a lethal weapon of a tongue.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44You've got to love chameleons.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51But there's one chameleon that is distinctly different.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57It's down there, bang in the middle of that big leaf.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Meet the minute leaf chameleon...
0:09:05 > 0:09:09..one of the smallest reptiles on the planet.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Found only on one island off the coast of Madagascar,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20it's a lizard the size of an ant.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Being this small is tough.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29The world's a very dangerous place
0:09:29 > 0:09:32when you can be mowed down by a millipede.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37When it comes to finding a mate,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41being a miniature misfit can make things rather complicated.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46This is a male minute leaf chameleon.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52He's constantly keeping an eye out for a partner
0:09:52 > 0:09:56but, being so small, he rarely bumps into any others of his kind.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Should he find a potential mate, he has to make the most of it.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09A female.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21It's an opportunity he can't let slip away...
0:10:22 > 0:10:24..so he makes his move.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30This might not look very fast...
0:10:32 > 0:10:35..but in chameleon terms this is a sprint -
0:10:35 > 0:10:39a reckless headlong dash.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51And it nearly ends in disaster.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58It'll take more than that to put him off his stride.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09He's back on track.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Finally, he catches up with the larger female.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Gently, he climbs aboard.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43And here he'll stay.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Leaf chameleon lovers have to stick together
0:12:03 > 0:12:06as they so rarely meet one another.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Being miniature means leaf chameleons can specialise
0:12:23 > 0:12:26at feeding on all the tiny insects in the leaf litter -
0:12:26 > 0:12:29food which is out of reach for other chameleons.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35They're not the only misfits that benefit by doing things differently
0:12:35 > 0:12:37from the rest of their kind.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Purple frogs from India are one of just a handful of frogs
0:12:43 > 0:12:46that live and feed underground, a bit like moles.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51They only ever pop up to the surface for two weeks a year to find a mate.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So there has to be some frog speed dating.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Flying lemurs have independently evolved wings.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Technically they're gliding, not flying.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13And while they're certainly not lemurs...
0:13:14 > 0:13:16..it's still one hell of a trick.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Flying fish are definitely fish.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28They take to the air to avoid underwater predators...
0:13:30 > 0:13:34..gliding up to 400 metres.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Sometimes, being a bit different works brilliantly.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Other times, it can be risky.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53High in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56lives an unlikely looking creature
0:13:56 > 0:14:00which seems to have lost all sense of self preservation.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06This is the only place in the world where you find big-headed mole rats.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10They've not got high opinions of themselves...
0:14:12 > 0:14:15..just very large heads.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20It's the big-headed mole rat's lifestyle
0:14:20 > 0:14:23that qualifies them as a misfit.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30There are 36 different species of mole rats...
0:14:31 > 0:14:34..all specially adapted to live underground.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41But the big-headed mole rat is different.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49They're the only one of their kind that always feeds above ground.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56But round here that's not necessarily a great plan.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05These mountain plateaus are home to Ethiopian wolves.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Unusually for a wolf, they rarely hunt in packs.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28They're specialist rat catchers...
0:15:30 > 0:15:33..and work best as solitary hunters.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Big-headed mole rat senses
0:15:41 > 0:15:44are designed for their old burrowing lifestyle.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Feeble eyesight...
0:15:51 > 0:15:54..and poor hearing.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Above ground, they're sitting ducks.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28A very close shave.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37With the mole rat's determination to forage above the ground,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40they could really benefit from having a sentry -
0:16:40 > 0:16:43a look-out to check the coast is clear.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50And that's exactly what these are.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Moorland chats.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Expert foragers on these high mountain plateaus.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02They hang around the mole rats...
0:17:05 > 0:17:09..feeding on any bugs and worms dug up in their spoil heaps.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26In return for this easy meal,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30the chats keep an eye out for troublesome wolves...
0:17:30 > 0:17:33CHAT TWEETS
0:17:34 > 0:17:37..alarm calling if they come too close.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02By choosing to feed above ground,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05big-headed mole rats have turned their backs
0:18:05 > 0:18:08on millions of years of evolution.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17For this misfit, being able to get direct access to rich grass
0:18:17 > 0:18:20must outweigh the risk of being preyed on.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29But sometimes there appears little logic
0:18:29 > 0:18:32as to why an animal has evolved to be different
0:18:32 > 0:18:34from the rest of its animal family.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44The primeval forests of New Zealand.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Amongst the undergrowth, something stirs.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59A parrot,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03but a parrot unlike any other.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09This is the world's heaviest and only flightless parrot.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20But that's just the start of its misfit credentials.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24For this is a kakapo.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Kakapos can be surprisingly nimble on the ground.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47But that's no use to them when their favourite food is up in the trees.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Reaching it isn't as easy as it perhaps should be.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09They awkwardly clamber around...
0:20:12 > 0:20:15..relying on their bill as an extra claw.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24It's all a bit embarrassing really...
0:20:25 > 0:20:27..for a bird.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Kakapos evolved to be flightless
0:20:43 > 0:20:47because there were no ground predators on New Zealand.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53When the first settlers arrived on these islands,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56their ships also contained cats, weasels and rats.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03When threatened, the kakapo's principle defence mechanism
0:21:03 > 0:21:05is to stand very, very still.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13This strategy has not worked out well for the kakapo.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Now there are only 125 left in the wild,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22which brings us to another major issue.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Kakapos are one of the world's slowest breeding birds
0:21:27 > 0:21:31and have a delightfully eccentric mating ritual.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38Night.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44This is when kakapos' minds turn to finding a mate.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48A male limbers up.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56He plods along a well-worn path, his personal stomping ground.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02In a small hollow that he's carefully excavated,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05he settles down and calls out for a mate.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08KAKAPO BOOMS
0:22:17 > 0:22:21The deep, low tone drifts across the valleys.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26It can be heard up to three miles away.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33He'll do this for up to eight hours every night for three months.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42As is often the case, it's the females that are the picky ones.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47They're only interested in breeding once every five years.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53Despite his best efforts, it's not going to happen tonight...
0:22:54 > 0:22:56..or any time soon by the looks of it.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05With no natural predators to keep a check on their population,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08kakapos evolved to be slow breeders.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Happily, now their numbers are increasing again,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16just very slowly.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Being the world's most peculiar, ill-equipped and unlikely parrot
0:23:21 > 0:23:26more than qualifies the kakapo to join the misfit gang.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Which brings us to our next set of non-conformists.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Animals that all appear hopelessly ill-suited
0:23:36 > 0:23:39to the environment in which they live.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Where better to start than a muddy shoreline in Japan?
0:23:53 > 0:23:57Mudskippers look like creatures that began to evolve,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59then got stuck halfway.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05A fish that can live out of water.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Although hauling themselves along on their fins
0:24:12 > 0:24:15doesn't make it look like they've really cracked it yet.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Survival is tough enough as it is
0:24:19 > 0:24:22so there must be a good reason to add that extra level of difficulty.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Well, it's all about the mud.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33It may not look appetising
0:24:33 > 0:24:36but mudskippers eat and thrive on mud.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43It's rich in tiny plants and animals which they filter out.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02And they've got a neat trick to stay alive in this hostile environment.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07To breathe on land, mudskippers store water in their cheeks,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09surrounding their gills...
0:25:14 > 0:25:17..every now and then topping up the oxygen levels in the water
0:25:17 > 0:25:20with a big gulp of air.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25They're not breathing the air directly.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29The air they're gulping in mixes with the water around their gills,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32allowing them to draw out the oxygen.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46And they're also able to breathe directly through their skin.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51But, being a fish, and a tropical fish at that,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54they are taking a big risk.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Drying out is their biggest danger.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Only when their skin's wet can they breathe through it.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15If it dries out, they will quickly suffocate.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23To avoid this, they're constantly rolling around in the mud...
0:26:26 > 0:26:28..in order to keep their skin moist.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Mudskippers do seem to be rather disagreeable creatures.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52But perhaps it's a result of having to eat mud every day.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Our next metaphorical fish out of water
0:27:26 > 0:27:29is also a little ungainly on the land.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Penguins - loved by all.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50They're certainly endearing creatures.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Of course, we're used to seeing them
0:27:59 > 0:28:02in the frozen vastness of Antarctica,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06but there's one penguin that has chosen a different path.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15Yes, this is a penguin taking a stroll in a forest.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19It's a Fiordland crested penguin
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and this is South Island, New Zealand.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26They're here to raise their chicks.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34With no natural ground predators, it's a very safe place to nest.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Like any self-respecting penguin, they still love fish...
0:28:43 > 0:28:47..which are understandably in short supply in the forest.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Every day, the adults shuffle back and forth to the sea to feed...
0:28:59 > 0:29:04..using crystal-clear forest streams as convenient highways.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19The chicks are left to fend for themselves
0:29:19 > 0:29:23and, like many young birds, they're rather clumsy on land.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30It's often early in life that animals seem most ill-suited
0:29:30 > 0:29:32to their environment...
0:29:34 > 0:29:37..and face their greatest threats.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44A remote sandy spit in the middle of the Pacific.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Black-footed albatross chicks.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51They've been raised on this tiny island
0:29:51 > 0:29:54and are now ready to take to the air.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58These are mythical birds of the open ocean,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01completely at one with their environment.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Surely an albatross can't be a misfit.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Once airborne, they're fine.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17It's that tricky learning process that puts them in the misfit camp.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22These ugly ducklings are cumbersome and awkward on land.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27And for a sea bird, they're pretty inept in the water too.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38Albatross are such huge birds they simply can't take off
0:30:38 > 0:30:40without a strong headwind...
0:30:41 > 0:30:44..or a very long run up.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53The chicks practice along the shore.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01But eventually their maiden flight will have to be over open water.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11This is not the place to linger.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21Tiger sharks.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27A dozen of them are drawn to the island,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30purposely to prey on the fledging chicks.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05From the shore, others watch on...
0:32:07 > 0:32:10..waiting for their moment.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22One chick builds up courage and sets off.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36No sooner is it airborne, the wind drops...
0:32:37 > 0:32:39..it ditches.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Amazingly, it escapes.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Others also get away.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Once airborne, they'll never look back...
0:33:33 > 0:33:37..leaving their misfit phase behind them.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Beneath the waves, deep down,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52is a creature that can't escape its misfit ways.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Simply getting around is enough to give them a headache.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10A nautilus is the creature that time forgot -
0:34:10 > 0:34:12a living fossil.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18A primitive inhabitant of the deep sea
0:34:18 > 0:34:21which first evolved 400 million years ago.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Distantly related to octopuses and squid,
0:34:25 > 0:34:30they're the sole survivors of a once abundant group of sea creatures.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36Having pottered around underwater for near on half a billion years,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39you might expect them to be perfectly adapted
0:34:39 > 0:34:40to life in the ocean.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44But, of course, we wouldn't be talking about them
0:34:44 > 0:34:46if that was the case.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57Nautili move by forcing water out of a specially adapted tentacle,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01using the same principle as a jet engine.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10But with their jet propulsion thrusting them shell first,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13their eyes are effectively pointing backwards...
0:35:20 > 0:35:24..which makes them rather prone to the odd collision.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39With 400 million years of not knowing what hazards
0:35:39 > 0:35:43you're swimming into, it's amazing they've survived at all.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52They can't even avoid the relatives.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Nautili are able to reverse directions.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02By bending their tentacle round under their shell,
0:36:02 > 0:36:04they can gingerly move forward.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Although this doesn't appear to be any improvement.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Nautili may struggle with getting around
0:36:21 > 0:36:25but having barely changed for hundreds of millions of years,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28it can't be doing them too much harm.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32At least their ocean home is pretty constant.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Whereas our next misfit has to deal with
0:36:37 > 0:36:41some of the most extreme seasonal changes on the planet.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51The high Arctic.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55A bleak and inhospitable place.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59This is not where you'd expect to find
0:36:59 > 0:37:01a caterpillar.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06It's the start of summer
0:37:06 > 0:37:10and these Arctic woolly bear caterpillars
0:37:10 > 0:37:12are in a race against time.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17They feast while they can...
0:37:19 > 0:37:22..making the most of long summer days.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Their goal is to reach an optimum weight
0:37:30 > 0:37:34to enable them to pupate into a moth, completing their life cycle.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41But this far north, summer is brief.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Soon the days begin to shorten.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Winter is coming.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04This woolly bear has not managed to eat enough to transform into a moth.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Time has run out.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19As temperatures plummet, it settles under a rock to await its fate.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Still alive, its body starts to freeze.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Its heart stops beating...
0:38:32 > 0:38:35..blood turned to ice.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46The depths of winter.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55For five months, temperatures won't rise above -30.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Spring, and the thaw begins.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30The caterpillar miraculously rises from the dead...
0:39:31 > 0:39:34..and begins to feed.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44But no matter how fast the woolly bears eat,
0:39:44 > 0:39:48they won't be able to pupate this year either.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56The cold closes in once again.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04The years pass, the seasons come and go,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and still the caterpillars feed while they can,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10before being wrapped again in an icy embrace.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16By breaking down their cell components
0:40:16 > 0:40:19and flooding their bodies with anti-freeze chemicals,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22amazingly, the caterpillars can survive...
0:40:23 > 0:40:28..withstanding temperatures as low as -70 degrees centigrade.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Eventually, a very special summer arrives...
0:40:48 > 0:40:51..as this will be its last.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Only now has it eaten enough
0:40:55 > 0:40:58to make the transformation into an adult.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03It's seven years old.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06The world's oldest caterpillar.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24Days later, the adult moth emerges.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29It must now find a partner and mate.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36The woolly bears can only complete their life cycle
0:41:36 > 0:41:39because of their incredible adaptation.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45It's their extraordinary solution
0:41:45 > 0:41:49to living in such a hostile and marginal habitat.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Many animals have unique adaptations that make them highly specialised.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Marine iguanas are the only lizards on the planet that feed in the sea.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12Grabbing mouthfuls of seaweed whilst holding their breath.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20With a sticky 60cm tongue
0:42:20 > 0:42:24and some of the largest claws of any mammal,
0:42:24 > 0:42:28giant anteaters can devour 30,000 termites in a day.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Their bodies are so highly specialised
0:42:34 > 0:42:37they can now only ever feed on these tiny insects.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Which isn't a bad thing -
0:42:41 > 0:42:45by weight, termites are more protein rich than any other food source.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Texas blind salamanders spend their entire lives
0:42:53 > 0:42:55in the pitch black of caves.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59With zero light, eyes would be utterly useless
0:42:59 > 0:43:01- a drain on precious energy.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Now they sense their prey with receptor cells
0:43:05 > 0:43:07dotted along their bodies.
0:43:10 > 0:43:15But being such a specialist animal can also have its down sides.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Vanuatu, in the South Pacific.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30On a pristine tropical island like this
0:43:30 > 0:43:33you might expect to find all manner of exotic looking crabs.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47But here there's a real oddity.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59This mighty beast...
0:44:01 > 0:44:03..is a coconut crab.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10With a meter-wide leg span, weighing up to 4kg...
0:44:12 > 0:44:14..this is the world's largest land invertebrate.
0:44:20 > 0:44:25The crabs have evolved to be giants to feast on a tropical delicacy.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32The clue is in the name but just to be clear,
0:44:32 > 0:44:35coconut crabs do actually eat coconuts.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40They're one of the few animals
0:44:40 > 0:44:43strong enough to break the tough husk.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51The whole process can take several hours...
0:44:54 > 0:44:56..but the reward is well worth it.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06Coconut crabs' outlandish size and strength
0:45:06 > 0:45:09might be an advantage when it comes to feeding...
0:45:15 > 0:45:18..but it can be fatal when it comes to reproducing.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25Like all crabs, these giants have to release their eggs in the sea.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32But unlike most crabs they can't breathe underwater.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38And because they've grown so heavy,
0:45:38 > 0:45:43if they're ever washed out of their depth they'll never recover,
0:45:43 > 0:45:45eventually drowning.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54A female, her belly bulging with eggs.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03Carefully she edges towards the pounding waves.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08One missed step could mean disaster.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Clinging precariously to the edge, she quickly releases her eggs.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Only when she reaches the shoreline will she be safe.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Coconut crabs' incongruous size
0:46:44 > 0:46:46has evolved so they can feed on coconuts.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52They're not the only misfits whose very special diet
0:46:52 > 0:46:54has resulted in a very specialised body.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08Madagascar, in dead of night.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13A ghoulish creature awakes.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20Half bat, half monkey...
0:47:24 > 0:47:27..and with a grotesquely elongated finger.
0:47:30 > 0:47:35The aye-aye is undoubtedly very peculiar.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38Like a cross between ET and Nosferatu.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40In fact it's a type of lemur, a primate,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43a misfit in our own animal family.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Their curious features allow them to find their favourite food.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01AYE-AYE TAPS RAPIDLY
0:48:02 > 0:48:06That extraordinary finger taps at the branch up to ten times a second.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11AYE-AYE TAPS RAPIDLY
0:48:11 > 0:48:14Ears pick up on the unmistakable echo of a hollow.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19Teeth gnaw a hole.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26They're the only primates whose teeth grow constantly
0:48:26 > 0:48:29throughout their lives, just like rodents.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39Finally she hooks the prize - an insect grub.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48Aye-ayes feed almost exclusively on these grubs,
0:48:48 > 0:48:50fishing them out from rotten wood.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58Normally birds like woodpeckers would feed like this,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00using their bills to break through the wood.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07But woodpeckers never reached the aye-aye's island home of Madagascar.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12Instead these primitive primates have evolved
0:49:12 > 0:49:14to fill the woodpecker's niche,
0:49:14 > 0:49:18exploiting a resource that no other animal can get to.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26On first impressions, other misfits' strange bodies
0:49:26 > 0:49:28are much harder to explain.
0:49:40 > 0:49:45On the forest floor in Malaysia...
0:49:46 > 0:49:48..an alien creature emerges.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57It's an insect, a type of fly, and this is a male.
0:50:07 > 0:50:12If you think he looks unearthly now, just wait to see what happens next.
0:50:26 > 0:50:32He starts by gulping in air, forming clear bubbles in his head.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40He forces these bubbles into the stalks supporting his eyes.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52Like blowing up a balloon, the stalks stretch,
0:50:52 > 0:50:54getting longer and longer.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14A few final adjustments
0:51:14 > 0:51:17and a couple of hours in the sun to let its skin go hard,
0:51:17 > 0:51:19and the look is complete.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25Meet the stalk-eyed fly.
0:51:28 > 0:51:34These bizarre stalks don't help the fly see any better,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37in fact, quite the opposite -
0:51:37 > 0:51:40it's thought they reduce the effectiveness of their eyesight.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43So there must be another benefit that's allowed these
0:51:43 > 0:51:46implausible appendages to evolve.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56In the evening a group of males gather.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00They size each other up...
0:52:01 > 0:52:03..eyeball to eyeball.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11There's some aggressive posturing...
0:52:15 > 0:52:18..but a full-on fight never breaks out.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24The stalks are sort of measuring sticks,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27a way to gauge how strong a rival is.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38As they square up, the male with the widest stalks wins.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52Males with broad stalks are also considered the more desirable
0:52:52 > 0:52:55by the females and will therefore produce the most offspring.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02It's sexual selection, rather than natural selection,
0:53:02 > 0:53:06that has allowed the stalk-eyed fly's unique appearance to evolve.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Our final misfit has to be one of the most peculiar
0:53:12 > 0:53:16yet most endearing animals on the planet.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28It's not often you see a sloth in a rush.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32This is a three-toed sloth...
0:53:33 > 0:53:35..a female...
0:53:37 > 0:53:39..and she's ravenously hungry.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44It's the leaves that she's after.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50However in order to protect themselves,
0:53:50 > 0:53:55rainforest leaves are often tough, rubbery and full of toxins.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58They're indigestible and lacking in energy.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03But that hasn't stopped the sloth.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10With large, multi-chambered stomachs containing a unique mix of bacteria,
0:54:10 > 0:54:12they're able to deal with the tough leaves.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18But it's not a quick process.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26Sloths have the slowest digestion of any mammal.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31It can take them two weeks to process a single meal.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36And it's a hopelessly inefficient process.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43Sloths had two options...
0:54:46 > 0:54:49..either they had to eat more or do less.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Sloths evolved to do less.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05Their entire lifestyle is all about expending
0:55:05 > 0:55:07as little energy as possible.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14The word sloth has come to mean laziness but sloths aren't lazy,
0:55:14 > 0:55:18they've just developed a laid-back survival technique.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Although watching them does make you feel like a nap.
0:55:31 > 0:55:36But their legendary lethargic manner does have a downside.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Harpy eagles...
0:55:49 > 0:55:52- JAGUAR ROARS - ..and jaguars...
0:55:53 > 0:55:55..both regularly hunt sloths.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06Without speed as a defence, sloths had to go down another route...
0:56:07 > 0:56:10..camouflage.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16They've become the world's only vaguely green mammal.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22Of course, there are plenty of green bugs...
0:56:23 > 0:56:26..green lizards...
0:56:27 > 0:56:29..and green birds...
0:56:31 > 0:56:34..but can you name another green mammal?
0:56:36 > 0:56:38There aren't any.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41So how have they done it?
0:56:42 > 0:56:45Their thick, coarse fur has evolved
0:56:45 > 0:56:50to house entire communities of algae, single celled plants.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57It's the algae that's turned them green,
0:56:57 > 0:57:00the perfect way to blend into the forest.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06Sloths may come across as comical and incongruous,
0:57:06 > 0:57:10but they're actually highly evolved and extremely well-adapted
0:57:10 > 0:57:13at their chosen way of life.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19In fact, all misfits prove
0:57:19 > 0:57:22that being different does give you an edge.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24It can make you very successful.
0:57:26 > 0:57:32The result is a group of wonderfully eccentric creatures,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35creatures we should be grateful we share our planet with.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44Yet now, largely due to our influence,
0:57:44 > 0:57:48over half of the animals in this programme are endangered.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58It's because these animals are so specialised
0:57:58 > 0:58:01they're often more prone to the threats that face all wildlife.
0:58:01 > 0:58:05That's why we should be looking out for them more than ever before.
0:58:06 > 0:58:11They deserve our admiration, these misfits, these quirks of nature,
0:58:11 > 0:58:14turning their oddness into opportunity.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16They might be a bit weird,
0:58:16 > 0:58:19but they're equal to any of the wonders of the planet,
0:58:19 > 0:58:22in the glorious spectacle that is life on Earth.