"NARRATOR:" "Beyond the limits of the human eye, life holds secrets we never imagined." "Attacks too fast to see." "Mysteries of survival and death." "Our crew will brave extreme conditions using the most advanced photographic technology to reveal these connections between living things." "Faster, slower, closer." "Capturing the beauty and brutality of nature at the speed of life." "Here on the Serengeti Plains of East Africa, time is divided not into just day and night but into seasons of torrential rains and scorching drought." "The creatures that have evolved in these radical extremes are as lethal as the climate." "Now a team of natural-history photographers face the unpredictable dangers of this wild land." "It's a world of misty highlands, ancient valleys, and vast savannas where survival is a 24-hour life-or-death game that's played for keeps." "Tracking animals in the dark is risky." "African lions hunt in the night hours before dawn and have no fear of humans." "[Lions growling]" "But right now, the team is tracking a very different cat, one seldom seen or filmed." "Revealed in the faint light of dawn is one of the most agile predators in all of East Africa." "The caracal... acrobatic super-cat of East Africa..." "Is known to leap so high he can actually pluck a bird out of flight." "This young male is hungry." "Now he faces exhaustion." "A slippery slope that can easily lead to starvation." "But giving up is not in the caracal's DNA." "[Caracal roars]" "Although he's just 18 inches tall, the cat's rear leg muscles can launch him 10 vertical feet into the air to swipe birds in flight." "To withstand hard landings, the cat's padded leg joints act like shock absorbers." "But his prey is no pushover." "The guinea fowl, one of Africa's fastest-running birds." "Eyes on the side of its head allow this hen to spot the cat before he's within striking distance." "But each time the bird slips away, the caracal tracks her with all its senses on alert." "The cat's sense of smell is keen and its eyes excel at day and night hunting." "But his secret weapon is a pair of supersensitive elongated ears, controlled by no fewer than 20 separate muscles." "The cat can move each ear independently to triangulate the location of targets as far as 600 feet away." "Now they pick up the faint sounds in the grass only 10 yards away." "This 4-pound hen can run as fast as 20 feet per second." "But this time, the cat's too close to outrun." "There is only one way out..." "Up." "Guinea fowl can burst into the sky with top speeds of 21 miles per hour." "But these birds lack the stamina to fly more than 100 feet at a time." "As this hen comes down, the cat is ready." "[Caracal roars]" "The struggle is over in less than a minute." "When the caracal closes the hen's windpipe, she suffocates and dies." "As the cat takes a well-earned rest, the leaves and twigs above him begin to stir." "But not from any breeze." "What looks like twigs are a small army of camouflaged warriors, each one armed with sharp jaws and raptor-like legs, lined with spikes." "This master of disguise is an East African praying mantis, one of many varieties." "The texture, shapes, and colors of their bodies cloak them from their enemies as well as the small insects and animals that they hunt." "Few insects are more equipped for tracking targets." "They can turn their triangular heads a full 180 degrees and rotate them to look over their shoulders." "Sensitive compound eyes detect the slightest movement of prey an astonishing 60 feet away." "For low-light hunting, they rely on a single ultrasound ear mounted on their upper body section." "There are nearly as many mantis disguises and species as there are places to hide." "The dainty floral hues on this flower mantis help it ambush and eat hummingbirds." "Other species masquerade as dried leaves and twigs." "But all varieties share a common and peculiar appetite for love." "The only time a mantis stops eating is to mate." "And for this female, the time has come." "She's found a male." "The only question now is whether he's ready to die for the privilege." "This female praying mantis could take down a small bird, but today, she is driven by sex and not hunger." "She wants to mate with this smaller male, but it's so early in the season, he's not that interested." "His reluctance might save his life because once females are fertilized, they decapitate their males and eat their brains for energy." "But his refusal has made the female take another look at him, this time as food." "He tries to fend her off with blows from his raptor-like forelegs." "But the female continues to advance." "Suddenly, she unfurls her wings, perhaps to balance a lethal strike with her powerful jaws." "Facing a gruesome death, the weaker male has only one option left." "It's a deadly duel between two camouflaged killers." "For every successful creature coupling, there are dozens more that don't work out." "This male praying mantis has just escaped the voracious jaws of the female." "Falling over 50 times his body length... his strong outer skeleton barely saves his life." "While he's now a safe distance from the female, the fight has drained his energy reserves." "Now he's hungry." "There's a rustle in the leaves nearby." "His target walks on 6 legs, 18 knees, and can run up to 3 miles per hour." "Cockroaches originated in Africa and Asia 250 million years ago and now occupy almost every corner of our planet." "The mantis is so motionless and camouflaged, the roach walks straight into the strike zone." "In real time, the attack is too fast to see." "But the awesome speed and precision of the strike are revealed when the action is 60 times slower." "The mantis captures the cockroach in .050 of a second." "Now it's time for the kill." "Using the blades of his jaws, the male paralyzes the roach with a deep bite to the neck." "Now he eats it alive." "Roach bodies are so primitive, they can actually live for a week without their heads." "By keeping his head, the mantis escaped a lethal attack and the threat of starvation for now." "In East Africa, most victories are short-lived." "The dark pointed feathers and long graceful stride belong to an ancient predator." "Its species dates back 50 million years." "The magnificent grey crowned crane." "Once they lived as far away as North America, but today, only the African sun provides the warmth they need to survive." "Its wingspan is almost 7 feet and its life-span almost 25 years." "East African villagers believe these majestic predators bring in the seasonal rains." "Biologists believe their eyes, protected by nictitating lids, provide excellent peripheral vision, allowing them to spot elusive prey." "The grey crown and black crown are the only cranes able to roost in high branches, using their long hind toes to hold them steady." "But while this female finds shelter in the trees, other hungry predators find prey." "And telling some of these killers apart from the branches they prowl isn't easy." "This one looks like a vine until you see its business end." "The vine snake." "Its forked tongue samples the air for the scent of prey." "Set behind the pointed snout are eyes with pupils shaped like key holes." "This gives the vine snake increased depth perception, which is critical when picking prey off a branch." "This female has hunted all night without a kill." "But now, the rising light reveals an opportunity." "All the snake has to do is turn her head in the right direction." "This vine snake, only a body length away from a kill, has failed to recognize its prey for a very simple reason." "This reptile is Africa's master of deception." "Its name is the very definition of disguise." "The chameleon." "In this case, an African dwarf chameleon." "There are more than 50 species of chameleon that haunt the trees and grassy floors of East Africa, all able to change their colors to match their surroundings." "But their enemies are often nearly as good at blending in to the surroundings." "The deadly Gaboon viper has scales that blend in with rough tree bark." "But chameleons still have an edge." "Unlike snakes, chameleons can change to preset colors and patterns to match their moods." "And some of these combinations make them harder to spot." "In a calm state, this species turns the same vivid green as the leaves of this tree." "The common chameleon." "This female stalks insects using a pair of remarkable eyes housed in movable turrets." "She can actually move and focus each eye separately as she hunts." "She moves slowly and deliberately until she spots her kill." "To gauge the tongue's velocity and to see just how it's deployed, the team will use super-slow-motion photography." "In real time, the strike is a blur." "Slowed down 200 times, it's nothing short of awesome." "The tip of the tongue has a club-like muscle covered in sticky mucous that acts like a suction cup." "Specialized muscles inside the chameleon's mouth fire the tongue at roughly 15 miles per hour, hitting the cricket in .030 of a second." "The prey is then whipped back into the lizard's powerful jaws." "With the sun directly overhead, this female must find real shade before her blood overheats." "Any insect in her path careless enough to linger becomes part of the lunch menu." "She'll give this solitary digging wasp some space because its sting is highly toxic." "Confronted by threats like this, chameleons stagger their walk." "Biologists theorize it's a deceptive tactic to mimic a blowing leaf." "But far greater threats lay in her path." "One of them has a thick protective hide, a set of fast, deadly feet, and an appetite for just about anything that moves." "It's a 5-foot-long rock monitor lizard." "The chameleon spots him first." "She's in grave danger, and the threat to her triggers a flood of hormones that activate cells in her skin." "Minutes later, when the monitor spots her, she has puffed up her body to look bigger and tougher to kill." "The chameleon's changed her look." "New colorings, triggered by reactions to danger, make her look more aggressive." "The monitor decides to let her pass." "Now that the temperatures are falling, it's time to return to the safety of the trees." "The chameleon begins her ascent using specialized feet." "Each one has five toes fused into two units." "It's been a long day, but the trees hold more crickets and more threats." "It's a white-necked raven." "Seen at super slow motion, the raven never stops flying as it trains both its powerful beak and talons on the chameleon." "But today's kill is different." "Because there's no kill at all." "The chameleon's anchored herself to the branch with its strong tail." "Lucky for her, because ravens are strong enough to carry off tortoises." "But for now, he's missed his meal." "As the sun marks late afternoon, the gnarled branches of acacia trees evoke the beauty and menace that coexist here." "Baking in the sun below them are some of Africa's toughest survivors." "The sharp thorns and calloused skins of succulent plants guard a treasure stored within..." "Water." "In a region plagued by seasonal droughts, water is the currency of survival." "As rivers run shallow, life congregates in the sloughs and water holes." "Covered with thorny bristles of hair and skin as tough as rhinos, they trample through the undergrowth armed to the teeth." "East African warthogs." "Weighing up to 250 pounds, these beasts are built to eat and not to be eaten." "If cornered by predators, they'll defend themselves with two pairs of tusks." "The curved upper ones look the most dangerous, but the lower tusks are much sharper and more lethal in a fight." "To get at the short grasses here, they've adapted to walk on their knees." "[Warthogs grunting]" "Their watering holes are actually the remnants of rivers that dry up from the droughts that run from May to early August." "When plants aren't available, warthogs consume anything else, from dead animals to elephant droppings." "[Warthogs grunting, squealing]" "Mud treatments protect them from insect bites and, more importantly, keep them cool." "Warthogs don't sweat in the dry-season heat, an adaptation that allows them to survive for months without water by conserving moisture in their bodies they would have used for cooling." "But their turn at the watering hole is about to be up." "The warthogs can literally feel danger closing in as the boggy ground beneath their feet shakes." "The threat moves in on legs as thick as acacia trees." "It's a 20-ton cow elephant." "Every ounce of her is thirsty, and anything that stands in her way gets stomped." "But the warthogs have one last adaptation that's a lifesaver." "They can run at speeds up to 30 miles an hour and escape the wrath of something 20 times their size." "So far, the high-speed cameras have withstood the dust and heat." "But the team's nerves are about to be tested, along with their gear by a pack of baboons." "[Baboons screeching]" "Next to humans, baboons are the world's most adaptable omnivores." "They'll eat anything, from seeds and nuts to insects, fish, even baby antelopes." "They can be savage if threatened, but for now, they are just interested." "A troop of them overruns the team's position." "These baboons are really interested in themselves because of the filter on the front." "It's reflecting them." "And they're getting a little closer than I'm comfortable with." "NARRATOR:" "They move from aggression to acceptance." "The baboons have become really comfortable with us, actually accepting us as part of their troop, and they're busy grooming us right now." "NARRATOR:" "Baboons like to groom in the late afternoon when temperatures are more comfortable." "But as the troop relaxes, one of East Africa's most lethal killers moves in..." "The spitting cobra... 5 feet of muscle and menace." "Unfortunately, baboons are inquisitive." "When the adults move in for a closer look, the cobra lives up to its infamous name." "The snake shoots streams of venom at the eyes of its target." "If any venom contacts the monkeys' eyes, they'll swell painfully, and within minutes, the victims will be temporarily blinded." "[Baboons screeching]" "The adults now realize they face a threat and send out an alarm call." "The deadly streams are fast and accurate." "Any baboon within 7 feet of this snake is in danger." "Fired out the ends of the cobra's fangs, the blinding toxins travel at 500 feet per second." "The baboons make their way up a tree and out of harm's way, and the snake moves along, too." "Like the monkeys and the snake, even the sun seems eager to move on." "For six long months, the hot winds of the dry season have placed tremendous stress on the East African ecosystem." "But this day will end very differently." "[Thunder crashes]" "When the wind drives moisture inland from the Indian Ocean, the rainy season begins." "[Thunder rumbles]" "During the months of October and November, these downpours wake some of Africa's toughest survivors." "Many have survived the heat by hibernating in underground burrows to stay cool." "When they open their eyes, there is only one thing on their minds..." "Eating anything they can fit into their mouths." "The African bullfrog, one of the biggest frogs on the planet." "This one weighs over 4 pounds." "The rain brings out another predator, too." "This nasty-looking face belongs to an odd species called the rain frog." "It can't hop or swim, and its legs are so short, it practically drags its body along as it hunts for insects to eat." "Their main defense is a repellant slime that oozes from their skin." "Most animals leave them alone, but "most" doesn't mean all." "The herald snake." "Armed with fangs and mild venom, this 3-foot male is active during the rains, and frog is one of his favorite snacks." "Locked on his target, the snake zeros in." "Within minutes, he's in striking distance." "The rain frog can't outrun the snake." "Instead, he puffs himself up." "This defense is designed to deter predators like snakes that swallow their prey whole." "But the herald snake has a strategy of its own." "He strike his prey from behind, the narrowest part of the rain frog." "The herald snake is a bully feeder and doesn't have to kill small prey." "Instead, it eats them alive." "As the rain frog struggles to survive inside the snake's belly, the process of digestion has already begun." "Within a few minutes, he's picked up the scent of another frog." "But this one's looking forward to the visit." "African bullfrogs are ambush predators, and this one is a dirty fighter." "The only question now is whether he's bitten into more than he can chew." "And the answer this time is yes." "Some of the most voracious and rarely filmed nocturnal hunters lurk underground." "Lighting source is set." "Light source is plugged in." "NARRATOR:" "To capture them emerging, the crew uses a digital eye, called an endoscope." "The endoscope lens is mounted on a snake-like cable with its own light source." "Now it's carefully threaded down the silk-lined sanctuary of a subterranean monster." "Check it out, Myke." "NARRATOR:" "Anyone foolish enough to grab this predator will get a venomous bite that triggers hours of vomiting and difficulty walking." "Tonight, it shows no hesitation as it detects the endoscope, looking for a soft spot." "East Africans say the last two segments of this creature look like the finger of a baboon." "This creature has eight legs and venomous fangs." "Its body is also loaded with special hairs." "The baboon spider, nocturnal lord of the West African underworld." "Capable of taking down prey as large as lizards, it took 10 years for this male to mature." "Nearby, a competitor appears." "Unlike their monkey namesakes, baboon spiders do not protect and care for each other." "Given the chance, they'd rather eat each other instead, and that's what's on the mind of spider number two." "Spider number one is willing to oblige." "Exposing their fangs, each male hopes to land a deathblow." "Since hundreds of spiders can hatch from the eggs of a single female, competition for territory and food leads to these violent battles." "But this one ends with a stalemate." "As the males head back to their burrows, number one passes another night hunter, one of the few he'd rather not mess with." "A distant relative of the tick, this is no passive bloodsucker." "Its claws are made for grasping prey in a death grip." "And at the end of its 8-inch armored body is a gland-like vesicle filled with venom and tipped by a stinger." "The East African scorpion." "Now this huge female strikes a defensive pose, called the alert stance." "She's moved her stinger to the ready position because facing her now is a threat 20 times her size." "While it has no stingers, it's covered by thousands of sharp, defensive quills." "Like the scorpion, it's a solitary hunter and it's hungry." "While its hearing is acute, its nose is adapted to pick up strange smells." "And tonight, they found the scent of the scorpion." "The East African hedgehog." "The hedgehog nips the scorpion on the claw, almost begging to be stung." "Just as the scorpion strikes, its armored body is crushed in two." "Hedgehogs are 40 times more resistant to venom than other mammals their size." "And tonight, well, it's paid off with another kill." "Hours later, the horizon brightens once more as the sun rises in the east." "This natural clock for all living things has come full circle and so has the project for the team..." "A project that has revealed incredible adaptations, from lightning-fast tongues to tiny camouflaged warriors." "This is a realm where the beauty and brutality of the animal kingdom converge." "And the battle for territory and survival never ends, all at the speed of life."