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This planet has quite a flair for creating life in endlessly strange forms. In the last 250 million years, crab-like animals have evolved independently at least five times over from very different ancestors. Giving us around 7,000 different species today. Crabs clearly still get taken down by predators up to the task. But the reason crabs keep appearing may be because their body plan is so versatile when it comes to hiding from predators. So, does a crab-like body make you an evolutionary rock star? Well, fire urchins and sea anemones think so. Because once they've hooked up with certain crabs, these power couples will change each other's lives forever.
Fire urchins are prickly deep-sea dwellers that are as dangerous as they look. That would be enough to ward off most species, but not the carrier crab. The crab's modified back legs have just one purpose. Whisking impressionable urchins away for the ride of their life. The urchin's punked-up wig of venomous barbs protects the crab from predators. So, he's free to indulge in his favorite foods. And the urchin gets to see the world from first class. Carried away to exotic new feeding grounds faster than it could ever go on its own tube feet.
Like John and Yoko, this rock star couple have each other's backs, no matter what. But rock star crabs can couple up in all kinds of ways. The boxer crab is more a glam rocker, spends most of its days attached to reefs in shallow waters. At these depths, it's vulnerable to birds, fish, octopus, and even other crabs. Luckily, it's not alone.
While these foxy white pom-poms may look like part of its eight limbs, they are in fact two venomous sea anemones carried in its claws for protection. Dancing and weaving on its back legs, the boxer floats its white gloves as a warning. Stinging anyone who dares to come too close. [bell] In exchange for this defense, as the crab foragers, the anemones are nourished by the crab's food scraps. In the life of evolutionary rock stars, the carrier and the boxer are two crabs that know the power of a great duet.
deploying stinging nematocysts on their tentacles to subdue prey pumping them with lethal toxins. Even their jellyfish cousins can't get a pass. Look away now if you're squeamish, because victims have no chance. When it comes to their turf, the anemones will take down anyone who crosses them. But for these iconic little fish, the anemone is a sweetheart. Living among a deadly sway of tentacles, a layer of thick slime protects clownfish from the anemone's sting. So when it comes time to start a clownfish family of its own, there's no better place to lay eggs.
Surrounded by tentacles, they're safe from any marauding egg thieves. This doting father takes great care of the eggs. And he interns the household in his spare time. In return for the anemone's protection, he removes its parasites. And chases away other fish who want to feed on their home. But the biggest bonus comes from his feces. Ammonia-rich waste is fantastic fertilizer. It helps the anemone breathe, grow, and reproduce. Under constant protection of the parents and the anemone, the eggs develop.
A week later, they hatch under the cover of darkness. Once born, baby clownfish take a little time to acclimatize to the anemone, rubbing themselves on its tentacles over and over. The young fish acquire a kind of chemical camouflage. The anemone is no longer able to distinguish between itself and the clownfish. Bonded together, the two will become one of the ocean's ultimate allies. Trusty sidekicks come in all shapes and sizes. But what happens when that trust is repaid by cold betrayal?
No, not the hippo. Say hello to his little friend. Tweety bird turned bloodthirsty vampire. Africa's dry season is a particularly difficult time for the animals here. are the hordes of bugs that plague its residents. To make life tolerable, you've got to take any help on offer. Red-billed oxpeckers run an on-the-go housekeeping service, The red-bill is surprisingly dexterous and gets right in where it needs to. Booger, dripping saliva, nothing to turn your nose up at. The birds and beasts form a classic mutualistic relationship. You can't tell from their client's expression, but that must feel fantastic.
Earwax is made of saturated fatty acid, high-energy food. Like tiny scissors, the oxpecker's bill slides through the top layer of fur. Now, wait a moment. Is that an itty-bitty scratch? Well, we better fix that up, too. We don't want that getting all infected. But for all their pest control and hygiene, the oxpeckers have a darker side. In the dry season, overcrowded bathing spots cause tempers to rise. Oxpeckers clean the scratches and prevent infections. But the bird's first aid has turned sinister.
They've switched gear to become parasites themselves. Oxpeckers have learned that incessant pecking can stop scabs from forming, leaving wounds open. Warm blood on tap whenever they need a drink. Over weeks, the wounds get bigger and the oxpeckers keep at it. Eventually, the hippo dies from secondary infections. but a treasure for the ferocious oxpeckers. Sidekicks that will kick you when you're down. But if you want to make an inconvenient body disappear, look no further. vultures are the sidekicks humans don't deserve, but absolutely need.
They can finish off a small animal carcass in half an hour flat. Decaying carcasses often breed deadly anthrax, botulinum toxins, and rabies. A day in the life of these garbage disposal units starts at dawn. As the sun warms up the earth, thermal air currents radiate skywards. Masters of high-altitude flight, vultures typically climb to 6,000 m, surveilling the earth below. Powerful binocular vision helps them zero in on their quarry.
Festering in the African heat, it's turned putrid. But these white-backed vultures have their place in the pecking order. Protocol is key. Lappet-faced vultures will muscle their way in. Larger and more formidable than their cousins, their dagger-like bills are made for ripping through tough hide. The white-backed vultures will get their turn soon enough using their less pointy meat-cleaver bills. It might not seem like it, but vultures are big on hygiene.
The last in line for the rotten buffet are the foot soldiers. Hooded vultures are the smallest of the lot, but they are specialists. They wield their narrow beaks like surgical knives, removing the tiniest bits of flesh, and diving to the hardest-to-reach areas. This methodical cleanup service is invaluable to every single creature in the ecosystem. Their appetite for the dead, in no small part, helps to keep humans healthy and alive.
Wild monsoons lash the jungles of Madagascar. and everyone does their best to wait out the rains. As the forest steams in the storms' wake, lemur species all over the island now face a delicate problem. The sultry conditions hatch plagues of disease-carrying mosquitoes Every lemur is fair game for parasites. They need a fix and fast. And their defensive secretions are mostly harmless to humans. But to lemurs, they are precious. They smell weird and taste worse. These unsuspecting insects are the answer to their pest problem. A quick nibble and the millipede secretes a nasty ooze.
A great insecticide that repels mosquitoes. Mixed with their own saliva, lemurs rub the foul-smelling concoction all over their bodies, especially the hard-to-reach places. Under the tail, Like sour candy, the millipede's secretions make the lemurs drool. There's something else at work here. The spaced-out expression says everything. The millipede juice may be good for their bodies, but it's also a strong narcotic. But all good trips must end sometime.
An afternoon nap is the need of the hour. Millipedes, it seems, get nothing from this one-sided relationship, but at least they live to tell the tale. Getting back to the business of being millipedes until the next mosquito apocalypse, when lemurs everywhere turn to these little psychoactive avengers for salvation. This primordial Southeast Asian jungle is home to one of nature's most far-out pairings. A flying rhinoceros. Lifelong soulmates with a strange method of sealing their union.
Hornbills have one of the weirdest breeding strategies of any bird. It all starts ordinarily enough. The tallest trees in Borneo's forests are like arboreal cafes. Bachelors groom themselves with special oil like hair conditioner for feathers. Slicked back plumage on point. Long battered eyelashes to keep the sun out. This guy is the envy of the whole jungle. As far as this female's concerned, his massive casque is massively attractive.
Hornbills pair for life, so this girl is looking for her ultimate sidekick. She has one chance to make sure her chosen beau can go the distance. She wants a snack. Ever eager to please, the male presents her with the juiciest figs in town. And he's got more where that came from. He's not just a pretty face, he's also a provider. She's convinced this guy is her perfect co-pilot. Next, the smitten couple must cement their union. In the hornbill world, cement is the operative word. In one of the most unusual nesting
practices amongst birds, the female imprisons herself within a tree cavity for almost 2 months. Surely her loving partner will get her out of this predicament. But it's quite the opposite. Hidden behind a wall of clay, droppings, and saliva, she and her brood are safe from predators and the sweltering heat. The doting male delivers fruit through the hole in the tree. Cut off from the world and totally dependent on her partner for survival, the rigorous selection process that he was subjected to finally makes sense.
He will bring her food nearly 20 times every day. The future of their genes depends completely on his ability to provide. The pair will repeat this process almost 40 times throughout their lives, rendering this couple the tightest of fits. there is a kind of fish with a crude reputation as that annoying guest who never quite knows when to leave. In short, these fish suck big time. The remora's dorsal fin has adapted over time to become a suction disc, making them super clingy hitchhikers. With no air bladder to keep them afloat like normal fish, they depend on hospitable hosts to travel and to find food.
But they've got to choose a ride that works for them. How about these whale sharks? These giants might be slow movers, but they travel vast distances. For a remora looking to explore new territory, whale shark parties are where it's at. Up to two dozen remoras crowd one whale shark. They snack on parasitic copepods that plague the giant fish. So, whale sharks don't mind too much when it comes to giving them a lift. You'd think it would be harder to hold on to fast-moving hosts, but it's the opposite. The remora seals its suction disc against the shark's body.
The faster the shark swims, the increasing water pressure amplifies the remora's suction seal. And if the host deems its guest a tad too annoying, Then, there are these little suckers. For this species of remora, green sea turtles are the preferred super host. While the turtle grazes on sea grass, they wait in anticipation. It just happens to be the turtle's tummy. And the grateful bottom feeders suck up the offering. The planet is filled to the brim with um strange companionships. But remora like this take the sidekick thing to a whole new level. Because nature is never weirder than a toilet-trained fish.
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