0:00:09 > 0:00:12Not much bigger than an orange,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16the pygmy marmoset is the smallest monkey in the world.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22They live in the largest tropical forest on our planet -
0:00:22 > 0:00:25the Amazon rainforest.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Their lives are full of huge obstacles
0:00:31 > 0:00:34but they don't let size be a barrier to success.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41With chisel-like teeth, they've learned to tap into the trees,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44feeding on their energy-rich sap.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50These micro-monkeys are the miners of the Amazon...
0:00:55 > 0:00:58..leaving their mark across the forest.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Too often in life we overlook the little guys.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Overshadowed by bigger beasts, their lives simply pass us by.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22But if we stop and get down to their level,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25a remarkable world is revealed.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Take this gecko, the size of just a few raindrops,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35but somehow able to weather the greatest of storms.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Or this bird, the weight of a 20 pence piece,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43who flies thousands of miles for a meal.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48What about this rather plain little fish?
0:01:48 > 0:01:54Well, he's a passionate artist whose work deserves its own gallery.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00So, while they may be small,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04these creatures and others like them have survival secrets
0:02:04 > 0:02:07that are amongst the biggest and most surprising on planet earth.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15And now, at last, they're taking centre stage.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20It's time to meet nature's miniature miracles.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32The world is a big place...
0:02:34 > 0:02:36..home to some huge animals...
0:02:39 > 0:02:42..and exposed to wild weather.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44RUMBLE OF THUNDER
0:02:47 > 0:02:51So what does that mean if you're one of the planet's small folk?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56How are you supposed to make a living in this big, bad world?
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Well, you need to adapt.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04You must develop extraordinary skills.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10And you've got to achieve some pretty mind-boggling feats,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12like coming back from the dead.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18And, let's face it, there's no greater miracle than that.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28But whether big or small,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31all living creatures have the same basic needs -
0:03:31 > 0:03:34food, finding a mate...
0:03:35 > 0:03:37..and a safe place to live.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46On an island in the Caribbean,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49a tiny crab's biggest issue is home security.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Hermit crabs have soft bodies that make them vulnerable to attack
0:04:01 > 0:04:04from predators and the elements.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10A naked crab would quickly cook in the intense tropical sun...
0:04:13 > 0:04:17..so these miniature miracles have come up with an incredible solution.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21They use abandoned seashells as mobile homes.
0:04:22 > 0:04:2424/7 protection.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30But there's a problem.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Right now, this chap is no bigger than a dice,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37but he'll continue to grow throughout his life.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42So if he wants to stay safe, he must always be on the lookout
0:04:42 > 0:04:44for a new larger shell to move into.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49But finding a new home isn't as easy as you might think.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53On this paradise island, there's a surprising shortage of shells.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Unless this is the opportunity the small crab's been waiting for.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15Unfortunately, it's probably a bit too much to take on right now.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20And he's not the only prospective buyer in the area.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Hermit crabs can be anything from a few millimetres long
0:05:29 > 0:05:31to the size of a coconut...
0:05:32 > 0:05:36..so there's a chance this new home might suit someone else.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40With housing stock in such short supply,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43the local crabs have learned to do something
0:05:43 > 0:05:45really quite extraordinary.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49They've joined forces to set up their own property market.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Each crab is looking for the perfect property
0:06:09 > 0:06:12with the right shape, opening and weight.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Somehow the crabs reach an agreement
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and, incredibly, they start to assemble in a chain...
0:06:23 > 0:06:26..largest at one end...
0:06:27 > 0:06:29..smallest at the other.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39All lined up, they're ready to exchange,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and not an estate agent in sight.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50The biggest crab is first to move.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03So far, so good. The chain's holding together.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Our little crab gets in position, ready to make his big move.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17His size means he's at the bottom of the chain.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23But just as he vacates his old shell,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27a newcomer arrives on the scene to try and gazump him.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42He can't afford to be left homeless.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49A death sentence in this tropical heat.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07But fortune's on his side.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10After all the swapping, there's one empty shell left over.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20And he wastes no time settling into his spacious new home.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28From the perfect beach hut
0:08:28 > 0:08:32to a treehouse hiding one of the world's smallest mammals.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Our second miniature miracle
0:08:37 > 0:08:40lives in the giant bamboo forests of south-west China.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Bamboo is the tallest of all our grasses,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02with some species capable of growing up to 40 metres.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07But this isn't just a big world,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11it's also home to some rather bad sorts.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12HISSING
0:09:16 > 0:09:20So if you're really small, how do you survive in a place like this?
0:09:24 > 0:09:25You hide.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31A tiny slit in the bamboo stem reveals the bijou home
0:09:31 > 0:09:33of the bamboo bat.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44A colony of 25 living in a space the size of a teacup.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Each bat is not much bigger than a bumblebee
0:09:52 > 0:09:54but it's still a squeeze...
0:09:56 > 0:09:58..which is hardly surprising
0:09:58 > 0:10:01when you imagine a teacup full of bumblebees.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03BUZZING
0:10:11 > 0:10:14These micro bats have evolved special adhesive pads
0:10:14 > 0:10:17on their thumbs, wrists and feet,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21which help them make the most of every corner of their secret home.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28But what good is that against what lurks outside?
0:10:33 > 0:10:38If it got the chance, this snake would devour the entire colony.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51But that's where a miniature home with a miniature front door
0:10:51 > 0:10:53comes into its own.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57At just six millimetres across, no wider than a pencil,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00there's no way the snake's getting inside.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11But what about the bats?
0:11:11 > 0:11:13How do they come and go through what is possibly
0:11:13 > 0:11:17the smallest front door in the animal kingdom?
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Well, they've evolved super-thin flattened skulls
0:11:27 > 0:11:29and, while it may still be a squash,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33they're able to squeeze themselves through the tiny gap.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36It's another miracle manoeuvre.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47Once the coast is clear, the bats go hunting for insects, like flies,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50beetles and winged termites.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54And that's where a more well-known miracle comes into play.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Bats are the only mammal that can fly
0:12:02 > 0:12:06and one of the few to use echolocation to find food,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10sending out sound waves that detect prey in the darkness.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25And it's these miraculous skills,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27combined with a canny choice of home,
0:12:27 > 0:12:32that are the key to the bamboo bat's success in this forest of giants.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45But what if surviving means you need to protect yourself
0:12:45 > 0:12:47from your own kind?
0:12:59 > 0:13:02On the east coast of Australia,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05over a hundred species of shark inhabits the tropical waters
0:13:05 > 0:13:08of the Great Barrier Reef...
0:13:10 > 0:13:13..including the largest shark of all.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19The 12-metre-long whale shark is the biggest fish in the world.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Sharing the reef with this giant
0:13:23 > 0:13:28is one of the smallest members of the shark family - the epaulette.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31He's less than one metre long...
0:13:34 > 0:13:37..which, unfortunately, makes him ideal prey
0:13:37 > 0:13:39for some of the other larger sharks.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47So in a world of bigger, badder sharks,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50how does the tiny epaulette stay off the menu?
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Without a safe home to escape to, he keeps a low profile
0:13:56 > 0:13:57and waits.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Twice a day the tide goes out,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07which means conditions on the reef change dramatically.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32As the water departs, so do the big sharks.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41The water is far too shallow for them now.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47But the epaulette's size means he's able to make the most
0:14:47 > 0:14:50of this brief moment in the life cycle of the reef.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56At last he can stop worrying about being someone else's dinner
0:14:56 > 0:14:58and focus on finding his own.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08But it doesn't last long.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17The tide's still dropping
0:15:23 > 0:15:26And soon the epaulette is left high and dry.
0:15:31 > 0:15:37If he's not careful, he'll barbecue in the scorching Australian sun.
0:15:40 > 0:15:46Even more worryingly, this fish out of water is struggling to breathe.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53But the miraculous epaulette has evolved an extraordinary strategy
0:15:53 > 0:15:54to cope with this.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05By slowing his breathing and heart rate and powering down his brain,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09he can survive on his last breath for up to an hour.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17When the oxygen levels get critical,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21another incredible survival strategy kicks in.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32His fins turn into prototype legs.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55This cunning fish breaks all the rules...
0:17:02 > 0:17:06..and is the only shark that can walk himself out of danger.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27The epaulette shark isn't the only miniature miracle
0:17:27 > 0:17:30to have evolved remarkable superpowers.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39High on a remote rocky plateaux in Venezuela
0:17:39 > 0:17:42lives the three-centimetre-long pebble toad.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Unusually for an amphibian, he can't hop.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54So, camouflaged to his surroundings,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58this hopless toad creeps around looking for insects to eat.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05But he's not the only hunter up here.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13A toad-eating tarantula.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Faced with the enemy,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23the toad employs an unexpected escape strategy.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30He transforms himself into a toad-like ball.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Tensing all his muscles, he becomes rigid like rubber.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Perfect for bouncing down the mountain out of danger.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56He's safe and, remarkably, completely unharmed.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05A female Arabian fat-tailed scorpion
0:19:05 > 0:19:08on its regular night-time hunt for beetles.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12But while she's looking for food,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14someone's eyeing her up as a potential meal.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17A desert fox.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Once the moon comes up, its soft light could expose her.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34So this scorpion has an extraordinary super sense -
0:19:34 > 0:19:36an early warning detection system
0:19:36 > 0:19:39that gives her an edge in this nocturnal world.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45UV sensitive cells on her shell
0:19:45 > 0:19:48warn her it's an hour until moonrise...
0:19:52 > 0:19:55..which gives her plenty of time to run and hide
0:19:55 > 0:19:57before it blows her cover.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12When you're small, life's worries extend beyond just being eaten.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20You'd think a single raindrop might drown a tiny Brazilian pygmy gecko.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Tricky when you live in a rainforest.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33But these geckos have evolved super hydrophobic skin.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35Water doesn't wet them.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Their skin is so water repellent
0:20:45 > 0:20:48that even a tumble into a puddle isn't fatal.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04These miniature marvels can literally walk on water.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18But sometimes even remarkable physical adaptations
0:21:18 > 0:21:21aren't enough to help you survive.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29East Africa.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Home to some of the world's largest mammals...
0:21:42 > 0:21:44..as well as one of its smallest.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48A female elephant shrew,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52more commonly known by her African name of sengi.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56She's 300 times smaller than a lion...
0:21:59 > 0:22:02..and 8,000 times smaller than an elephant...
0:22:05 > 0:22:10..which makes the vast savannah a very dangerous place to live.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16How on earth does she stay safe out here without being trampled?
0:22:19 > 0:22:21By living her life at top speed
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and with brainpower far beyond her size.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33This miniature mastermind has designed and built
0:22:33 > 0:22:36a hidden network of trails to get around.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Even when she does encounter danger...
0:22:43 > 0:22:47..these trails can mean the difference between life and death.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51A monitor lizard.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Drawing on a mental map of her network,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09the clever sengi is able to figure out the best escape route.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Our fast-footed fugitive is built for high-speed getaways too.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Like most mammals and unlike reptiles,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28her legs are directly beneath her body...
0:23:34 > 0:23:36..which makes her less stable
0:23:36 > 0:23:39but much faster and more agile than the lizard.
0:23:46 > 0:23:52Astonishingly, this tiny tearaway, who weighs less than half a kilo,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55can reach speeds of nearly 18 miles an hour.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02For her size, she's twice as fast as a cheetah...
0:24:16 > 0:24:18..which definitely qualifies her
0:24:18 > 0:24:21as one of our miniature miracles of nature.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Life in the fast lane requires a lot of fuel.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42But while the sengi's secret network allows her to find food efficiently
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and discretely, not everyone has it so easy.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03We've all heard of the world's great animal migrations...
0:25:07 > 0:25:09..like the massive herds of caribou
0:25:09 > 0:25:13who trek 1,500 miles through the Arctic wilderness every year
0:25:13 > 0:25:14to find food.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19GEESE SQUAWK
0:25:19 > 0:25:24And the five million snow geese who fly en mass to northern Canada
0:25:24 > 0:25:27looking for a summer feast fit to feed a family.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33But these are big animals travelling in gigantic groups.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36There's another, much less-known,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40but perhaps even more impressive annual migration,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and this one isn't migration on a miniature scale.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47This is a miniature miracle on a mammoth migration.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49Meet the rufous hummingbird.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59This tiny bird weighs less than a 20 pence piece
0:25:59 > 0:26:02and yet every spring she flies over
0:26:02 > 0:26:054,000 miles from Mexico to Alaska...
0:26:06 > 0:26:08..on her own.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Her destination - Tongass,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18part of the largest temperate rainforest in the world.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24In spring, when the forest wakes up,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27it offers the promise of a seasonal banquet.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Rufous hummingbirds spend the winter in the tropics,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41where competition for food is fierce.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Here, they get the place to themselves.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50They're the only hummingbird to make this epic annual migration
0:26:50 > 0:26:52to Alaska.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56But when they get here, they can't afford to rest.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03Hummingbirds can flap their wings an unbelievable 50 times a second.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Blink and you can miss it.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Great for hovering but, like any racy sports car,
0:27:13 > 0:27:14it's heavy on fuel -
0:27:14 > 0:27:17one thing this female doesn't have much of.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22After the long trip here, she's running on empty.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32If she doesn't eat soon, she might not last the day.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40And if it wasn't enough that this mini marathon flyer
0:27:40 > 0:27:42has flown all the way from Mexico,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45it looks like she's arrived too early.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50The flowers she's hoping to drink nectar from haven't opened yet.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02But being a mini miracle, our little heroine doesn't get in a flap,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05for she has brains as well as stamina.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14TAPPING SOUND
0:28:14 > 0:28:18The distinctive tapping of someone else hard at work.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30A red-breasted sap sucker is busy drilling holes in the trees
0:28:30 > 0:28:33to release the sweet syrup running inside.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Tree sap is quite similar to flower nectar
0:28:41 > 0:28:43as they both contain sugar and protein.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47It's exactly what the hungry hummingbird needs
0:28:47 > 0:28:50but is she brave enough to steal from a bird
0:28:50 > 0:28:52two-and-a-half times her size?
0:28:55 > 0:28:58The sap sucker moves on to a neighbouring tree
0:28:58 > 0:28:59to continue drilling.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04He'll be back to this one later, once the sap is running freely.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20The cunning hummingbird spots an opportunity and makes her move.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28Her tongue darts in and out around 13 times a second.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33If she's going to replenish her energy levels,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36she'll need to eat like this every 20 minutes.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51The hummingbird will rely on this sneaky strategy to survive,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54stealing food from right under the sap sucker's nose
0:29:54 > 0:29:58until the forest flowers bloom in a few weeks' time.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Then, finally, she'll be able to enjoy the benefits
0:30:08 > 0:30:10of her long-distance journey.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23But what if travel isn't an option
0:30:23 > 0:30:28and the only food available in your world is something you can't digest?
0:30:29 > 0:30:33That's the situation our next miniature hero finds itself in.
0:30:37 > 0:30:43The Argentinian pampas covers over 150,000 square miles of grassland.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Every day, the industrious grasscutter ant
0:30:57 > 0:31:02toils in the fields, harvesting a crop it can't actually stomach.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13A single colony can contain millions of ants
0:31:13 > 0:31:16of many different shapes and sizes.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Those with the biggest jaws do all the cutting...
0:31:22 > 0:31:25..climbing high into the canopy to carry out their work.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Down on the ground, the smaller ones are the porters.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Incredibly, each one-and-a-half-centimetre ant
0:31:39 > 0:31:43can carry 50 times its own bodyweight in grass,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47which is like a human carrying a medium-sized van on its back.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54Believe it or not, the ant's superhuman strength
0:31:54 > 0:31:56actually comes from their small size.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00They have thicker muscles relative to the size of their body
0:32:00 > 0:32:04than larger animals, which means they can produce more force.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12But being able to lift the equivalent of a van
0:32:12 > 0:32:15is all very well if you can balance it.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Not to mention the freeloaders trying to shirk duties.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38The ants work tirelessly, ferrying grass back to their nest.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Each year, a single colony will harvest
0:32:49 > 0:32:51over half a tonne of grass cuttings.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59But what for, when they don't even eat grass?
0:32:59 > 0:33:03What on earth are they doing with their indigestible crop
0:33:03 > 0:33:06and what are they actually eating?
0:33:11 > 0:33:14The answer lies deep underground,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17where the ants have built their very own food factory.
0:33:22 > 0:33:27Down here, they're feeding their harvest to a very special fungus.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35This fungus is found nowhere else on earth.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44When the ants feed it grass, it grows,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47producing edible fungus gardens.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56Enough to feed an entire colony of up to five million ants.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05These ants have been producing food like this for millions of years,
0:34:05 > 0:34:09way before humans ever dreamt of even cultivating their own food.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18But there's a twist to this story.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22The ants' special fungus is also dangerous to them.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25It produces carbon dioxide which, when trapped underground,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27could suffocate the entire colony.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36So the ants have come up with an astonishing solution.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41They've built giant ventilation units
0:34:41 > 0:34:44that remove the potentially deadly carbon dioxide
0:34:44 > 0:34:48and draw in fresh air for the busy factory workers below.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56These humble heroes have not only learnt how to produce their own food
0:34:56 > 0:35:00but also how to remove dangerous waste from their environment.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09Two highly sophisticated behaviours of a civilised society.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15For a creature so small,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19it really is a miniature miracle on an industrial scale.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Finding ingenious ways to adapt to their environment
0:35:33 > 0:35:36is something our miniature miracles do best.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44The tropical forests of Southeast Asia.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53As night falls, some mini monkeys are starting to stir.
0:36:04 > 0:36:0712-centimetre-tall tarsiers.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17The ancestors of these primates were daytime hunters,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20but there was so much competition for food
0:36:20 > 0:36:23they were forced into the shadows,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25where they could have disappeared.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31But they didn't surrender.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35They evolved huge gremlin-like eyes -
0:36:35 > 0:36:38the largest of any mammal relative to their body size...
0:36:40 > 0:36:43..which helped them see in the faintest light.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59INSECTS CREAK
0:37:00 > 0:37:04And enormous ears that seem to have a life of their own...
0:37:06 > 0:37:08..but give them ultrasonic hearing.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16These two extraordinary super senses opened up the night,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20allowing tarsiers to home in on almost anything that moves.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35Tarsiers are the only exclusively carnivorous primate.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37They eat mostly flying insects,
0:37:37 > 0:37:42including moths, locusts, beetles and cicadas -
0:37:42 > 0:37:44not the easiest of prey.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Once they've got dinner in their sights,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55they've got just milliseconds to ambush and catch it.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00But with a genuine spring in their step,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04these miniature assassins have no problem taking a leap in the dark.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09You see, they've also got enormously long legs,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13which they use to jump 40 times their own body length.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21And they're armed with long, slender fingers,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23ideal for snatching prey.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32It's as if these pocket-sized hunters
0:38:32 > 0:38:35always belonged to the rainforest night.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55Perhaps the ultimate survivor in our list of miniature miracles
0:38:55 > 0:38:59is a plant that lives in one of the harshest places on earth.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10The vast Sahara Desert.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Life here has far more to worry about than just finding food.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Where on earth do you find water?
0:39:22 > 0:39:27Lots of plants can tolerate a few hours or days without water.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Think about all the house plants that get neglected yet survive.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38But most will die if they're subjected to prolonged drought.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49This small dried-out ball of twigs may have been dead for 100 years.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57And yet, despite appearances, all is not lost.
0:40:01 > 0:40:02Because this plant...
0:40:04 > 0:40:06..is the resurrection plant.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Blown by the wind, it's in desperate need of a drink.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26But around here, rain only falls once or twice a year...
0:40:28 > 0:40:30..and in the world's biggest desert,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33you have to be very lucky to find it.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49So will this puddle be enough to raise it from the dead?
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Gradually, lifeless limbs lap up the precious water.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Its resurrection has begun.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12RUMBLE OF THUNDER
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Now it's come back to life,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20it must snatch this opportunity to reproduce.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29But this special plant needs yet another miracle...
0:41:33 > 0:41:35..rain.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43The trigger for new life.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47A chance for its seeds to germinate.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06In just a few hours, new shoots emerge.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26And within weeks, these offspring of the original plant flower,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29producing seeds of their own.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38Sadly, it's not long before the burning African sun kills them.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47But the seeds within their withered branches live on,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49ready for when they find rain,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52even if it's a century from now.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57RUMBLE OF THUNDER
0:43:06 > 0:43:10In southern India, rain is a more predictable event.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Monsoon clouds are building.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29This annual phenomenon triggers the breeding season
0:43:29 > 0:43:31for our next miniature miracle.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Traditionally, male frogs rely on their croak
0:43:38 > 0:43:40to attract the opposite sex
0:43:40 > 0:43:44but, unfortunately, their chorus is falling on deaf ears.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48They're struggling to be heard over the noise of all this water.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54So these tiny frogs, each one no bigger than a paperclip,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57have claimed a rock for their castle
0:43:57 > 0:43:59and now they're using a different technique
0:43:59 > 0:44:02to impress the opposite sex.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06These mini monarchs wave.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17The more testosterone they have, the more waving they do.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29All of which helps these frog princes attract a frog princess.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42The tiny frogs' distinctive courtship behaviour
0:44:42 > 0:44:44has earned them their name.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48These are foot-flagging frogs.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53Yet another stroke of genius
0:44:53 > 0:44:56from a small animal facing a big problem.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02BIRDS SING
0:45:03 > 0:45:06But our little frogs' romantic woes
0:45:06 > 0:45:10are nothing compared to those of our next miniature miracle.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17He's embarking on possibly the most dangerous journey of his life
0:45:17 > 0:45:20and all for the sake of trying to find a partner.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27This is the Australian peacock jumping spider...
0:45:28 > 0:45:31..a miracle mover who can't afford to put a foot wrong.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39He's only the size of a grain of rice.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43Yes, he's that small.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51Which, in a place like this, means almost anything could be dangerous.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05But, in fact, the biggest threat of all is the female he's after.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11The silken road to finding her
0:46:11 > 0:46:15is littered with the remains of unsuccessful suitors.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21A stark warning that, if he doesn't get this right,
0:46:21 > 0:46:24it could be his last day on the planet.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39She ambushes him from behind.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Now, what can he do to win her over?
0:46:52 > 0:46:54Dance.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Dance for his life.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05He unfurls his striking fan and begins his routine.
0:47:12 > 0:47:16Its elaborate shape and vibrant colours resemble a peacock's tale.
0:47:25 > 0:47:30But even his party outfit and his best moves aren't impressing her.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33Time to step it up a level.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47As is so often the case in the mating game,
0:47:47 > 0:47:50it's not the males but the females who call the shots.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57The more unique the dance,
0:47:57 > 0:48:00the more likely she is to accept his advances.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07This mating ritual can go on for up to 50 minutes.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15But at last his performance is rewarded and they mate.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27He's done his bit and satisfied her needs,
0:48:27 > 0:48:30but now her need is over...
0:48:32 > 0:48:34..so she kills him anyway.
0:48:35 > 0:48:40After all, his body will be the perfect nourishment for their eggs.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50Our next mini marvel wasn't blessed with a vibrant party outfit
0:48:50 > 0:48:53or even disco dance moves
0:48:53 > 0:48:57and yet, somehow, he's still got to attract the ladies.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06The world's oceans are filled with brilliant colours,
0:49:06 > 0:49:09all designed to make their wearers conspicuous.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16But the tiny Japanese puffer fish is so dull
0:49:16 > 0:49:19he almost fades into the background.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26If he's going to have any success with the opposite sex,
0:49:26 > 0:49:29he needs to perform a miracle that defies belief.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41He is nature's finest artist.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58With a design of mathematical precision in his head
0:49:58 > 0:50:03and only fins for tools, he starts to plough the sand.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09He's sculpting it into geometric shapes.
0:50:20 > 0:50:26This dedicated artist works 24 hours a day for a entire week.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30There's no time for rest or the current will destroy his creation.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47He adds shells for decoration
0:50:56 > 0:50:58Before a final tidy up.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05At last, his vision is complete.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27Using only what was available to him,
0:51:27 > 0:51:32this 12-centimetre fish has created a masterpiece two metres across.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47Nowhere else in nature does an animal construct something
0:51:47 > 0:51:49as complex and perfect as this.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58If this doesn't get him noticed, nothing will.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05A female swollen with eggs and ready to partner up
0:52:05 > 0:52:07is tempted over to have a look.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19He entices her into the centre to get the best possible view.
0:52:24 > 0:52:29Impressed, she retreats, leaving him to make one alteration.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46By the next morning, the centre of the sculpture
0:52:46 > 0:52:50has been flattened and all the soft sand is in the middle.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53He's created the perfect nest.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Right on cue, she arrives.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12The male holds her cheek and fertilises her eggs
0:53:12 > 0:53:13as she releases them.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23A quick flick of his fin and he buries them in this sand.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Eggs laid, she departs...
0:53:43 > 0:53:47..while he stays behind to fan them until they hatch...
0:53:48 > 0:53:51..his extraordinary work of art fading away around him.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07The Japanese puffer fish isn't the only miraculous mini creature
0:54:07 > 0:54:09beneath the waves.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13We can't see them with the naked eye
0:54:13 > 0:54:16but our seas are literally brimming with hidden heroes.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20Plankton.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28Thousands of different types and different species
0:54:28 > 0:54:30you'd need a microscope to see.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40Anything that drifts in the current is classified as plankton.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44The smallest are the plant-like phytoplankton,
0:54:44 > 0:54:47followed by the more animal-like zooplankton.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52Individually, they're not that exciting,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55but believe me, collectively,
0:54:55 > 0:54:59these critters are some of the most important species on our planet.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05They're the bedrock of the ocean food web.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10Breakfast, lunch and dinner for the krill...
0:55:13 > 0:55:15..who get eaten by the fish.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Then in come the diving birds.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Agile sea lions.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29Dolphins.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Sharks.
0:55:36 > 0:55:41And all the way up to the biggest mammals on earth - whales.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00But that's not all.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04The tiny phytoplankton perform an even greater miracle still.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Just like terrestrial plants,
0:56:11 > 0:56:14they use light from the sun to photosynthesise
0:56:14 > 0:56:16and produce energy for themselves.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24One of the by-products of that process is oxygen -
0:56:24 > 0:56:27a gas required by almost all life on earth.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34There are so many phytoplankton in our oceans
0:56:34 > 0:56:39that they literally produce over half of all the oxygen we breathe...
0:56:43 > 0:56:47..which is surely the biggest and most important miracle
0:56:47 > 0:56:49of all our miniature heroes.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57Without plankton, it's thought that much of life on Earth
0:56:57 > 0:56:58would disappear.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08So there you have it.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10We've seen a walking fish,
0:57:10 > 0:57:13a dancing spider
0:57:13 > 0:57:17and even a plant that can raise itself from the dead.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24A little-known and often unseen world of miraculous beings.
0:57:27 > 0:57:28They've adapted...
0:57:29 > 0:57:32..developed extraordinary skills...
0:57:33 > 0:57:37..and pulled off some astounding feats just to survive.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41And, finally, consider this.
0:57:42 > 0:57:4590% of all our planet's creatures
0:57:45 > 0:57:48are no bigger than a human fingertip.
0:57:50 > 0:57:55Without us knowing it, these tiny superstars dominate our world...
0:57:56 > 0:58:00..and we can't afford to overlook a single one of them.