Animal Record Breakers - Nature always pushes the boundaries of evolution

It's time for an animal showdown. The biggest,...   ..., smallest, ...fastest animal record  breakers can take all forms. Nature always pushes the boundaries of evolution.  Never ceasing to amaze us  with record-breaking skills. So.. ...the obvious starting point  is the biggest land animal:   The African elephant a six thousand  kilo colossus: Four meters tall,   twice the height of a human and heavier than a  minibus. It's hard to ignore this record breaker. Ellies come in three main  flavors: The giant bush elephant, the straight tusked forest elephant, both of africa and their smaller asian cousin   not surprisingly other animals make  room at the bar for the pachyderms even predators clear out elephants are so big they even alter their  own environment these forest clearings look   like signs of deforestation but they are  elephant excavations forest elephants use   the area so often that the vegetation is  trampled before it has the chance to grow the elephants dig down to  underground water reserves   creating drinking holes that  they and other animals can enjoy the muddy mixture is full of minerals from  the dirt creating a natural power drink ellie's could fill a record book on their own   to expand their body surface  area to help them cool down   the african elephant has the world's biggest ears their tough branchy diet is rendered  to pulp by massive brick-sized molars   but it's their trademark tusks that win the  record the biggest were over 90 kilos each elephants are pregnant for nearly two years  the longest gestation they have big babies too   100 kilos of fuzzy pachyderm   this little guy could live well into his  eighties one of the longest lived mammals the trunk titans also have  the biggest brains on land   an impressive five kilos four times bigger than  a human's but don't feel inadequate we can't let   elephants completely steal the limelight  plenty of animals can wow with their size only one can truly look down  on the elephant the giraffe a lofty six meters this gangly  grazer can survey the planes his large eyes allow him to spot distant danger   and for that reason other animals like to hang  out with him it's like having a resident lookout this nosy pair noticed wildebeest  and zebra walking into a trap but like lifeguards on lookout towers it  seems they don't want to see anyone get hurt being a goody two-shoes  doesn't always make you popular giraffes have evolved such dizzying  height to be able to access lush   green tree growth that's out  of the reach of other animals though the next long there are just seven  vertebrae the same number as any other mammal   the giraffe family is also blessed  with the longest and most mobile tongue nearly half a meter long it delicately picks  around thorns to pluck leaves but there is a price   to pay for always looking down on others they have  the highest blood pressure among mammals twice   that of the average human a heart the size of a  watermelon is needed to pump blood all the way   to the brain and while they are not the biggest  animals some can be the largest of their kind the siberian tiger is the world's biggest cat 300  kilos and three meters of feline power and grace   found only in the chile forests  of northern russia and china   this giant is one of the rarest cats on earth the hyacinth macaw the biggest parrot its impressive beak is custom built for  smashing into brazil nuts their favorite food the aptly named giant salamander is a two meter  60 kilo record holder of the amphibian world a rare prehistoric relic that lurks  in the freshwater streams of asia   ready to snatch frogs shrimps and fish the man-sized river wolf or giant otter  of the amazon is the biggest of its family and this a rat the size of a pig the south  american capybara is the world's biggest rodent   for comparison the smallest rodent the eurasian  harvest mouse is barely the size of a capybara's   toenail twice the weight of a labrador the  capybara is built like a hippo with eyes   and nostrils on the top of its head to submerge  in water a great escape against most predators the capybara must look out for some deadly  record breakers lurking in their wetland home hmm massive reptiles ramp up the weight  in the amazon it's mostly cayman   huge hunters but by no means the  biggest however they do have cousins the largest australian crocs  can be seven meters long   and away a ton and the dramatic  nile crocodile isn't far behind they have been around for 240 million  years survivors from the age of dinosaurs one key to their survival a  record-breaking bite force they can slam their jaws shut with over 16 000   newtons of pressure four  times that of a hyena or lion with killer jaws they can  overpower very large prey the greatest sizes have been achieved  in the low gravity world beneath the sea there are some enormous fish  such as the basking shark   the second biggest on earth which can be as long  as a london bus and weigh more than an elephant though it looks intimidating it's a filter feeder   its meter wide mouth straining plankton from  one and a half million liters of water per hour so of course the true leviathans of the sea   are the whales the blue can reach  30 meters and weigh 170 tons its smaller cousin the humpback  undertakes epic journeys   and has a haunting song that at over  half an hour is the longest in nature it also glides on the world's longest arms  five meter wing-like pictorial flippers this is the biggest toothed animal on the planet   the sperm whale a 20-meter  monster with fist-sized teeth socially complex and mysteriously intelligent   sperm whales have the biggest brains on  the planet five times bigger than a human's they're also one of the deepest diving  plunging over two kilometers below the surface   where they can hunt squid for well over an hour there is one other record holder in the whale clan   the grey whale undertakes the longest mammalian  migration traveling 2 000 kilometers from barmy   breeding grounds in the tropics to rich  summer feeding in the arctic and back again by comparison the longest land mammal migration  is that of the wildebeest a mere 800 kilometers to follow the annual rains  and therefore best grazing   the great herds of east  africa must keep on the move though this migration is high  risk over one million animals   crossing everything in their path  including crocodile infested rivers but the march is unstoppable such  is the drive to find fresh pasture deadly river crossings combined with exhaustion   thirst and predation caused the deaths of  some 250 000 wildebeest on migration each year but the survivors will reach fresh grazing and  produce around 500 000 carbs to replenish the herd both wildebeest and whales are  beaten by a hardy aerial traveller the turn family are not only  among the most agile flyers   they also include some real long distance  travellers when the north pole is in winter   the south pole enjoys summer and vice versa  so the arctic turn moves from one to the other fishing in the rich southern seas it then  flies north to breed it never has to see winter it's a staggering 90 000 kilometer round trip  not bad for a bird half the size of a pigeon   in just a few months this arctic turnchick  will have to begin the epic journey himself   so parents work hard to fatten him up if he  survives the turns average 20-year lifespan   he'll have racked up some two and a half  million kilometers of air miles on his migration birds are truly amazing masters of the skies  and break world records in all manner of ways griffon vultures are among the most dramatic   with broad wings almost three meters across they  can use thermals hot draughts of air to rise   effortlessly soaring over the landscape and using  precision eyesight to hone in on potential food because they feed on the carcasses of dead animals  they are often considered dirty birds but in fact   they are a cleanup operation removing  the dead before diseases can spread there might be plenty of food but  that doesn't stop a bit of squabbling so thanks to their efficient gliding vultures are  the highest flyers rising up and up on hot air one kind the rupell's griffon vulture was  recorded 11 277 meters above sea level   high enough to soar over mount everest they might be the best in the gliding category  but vultures don't win any speed records this bird does or will it's a young peregrine falcon not yet  fledged watched over by his father the youngster grooms feathers will  be vital to his future aerial success when peregrines dive they can reach  maximum speeds of 322 kilometers per hour   the fastest animals on the planet to protect their lungs from the air pressure  at speed their nostrils are partly covered by   bony lumps that control the air speed  and a third see-through eyelid can be   drawn to protect their eyes pigeons are their  favorite prey another dove arrives via air mail   soon the chicks will be ready to take to the skies peregrines are the most widespread birds of prey   even following pigeons into  the heart of the world cities so look out there could be a  record holder in your neighborhood while the peregrine is the olympic diver  there are faster contenders in powered flight   despite being heavy-bodied and clumsy on land   ducks are actually the fastest flying  birds 90 to 100 kilometers per hour it's not going to win any  records for speed but at 18 kilos   the bizarre quarry busted is the  world's largest flying animal though it prefers to walk around the  african plains using air sacs in its   throat to boom intimidating calls at its opponents similar in size but more at home in  the skies is the gigantic andean condor   like the griffin vulture they float  their 15 kilo bulk on three meter wings saving energy by catching thermals  to cruise over their mountainous home low energy flight is essential the birds may have  to cover 200 kilometers or more to find carrion when a carcass is spotted they cautiously descend   condors are surprisingly shy  for their size and strength each tries to consume a kilo or two of food and  then probably won't eat again for several days the incredible record-breaking feats of the avian  world are thanks to their remarkable feathers the mute swan has the highest number of feathers  ever counted on a bird 25 216 white plumes   that are not just used for flight they are  fluffed up in display by this love struck pair   the feathers also trap a layer of warm air close  to the skin keeping the birds cozy and buoyant while the swan has the most feathers  hummingbirds might have as few as 940   but it's not surprising since hummingbirds are  also record holders the tiniest tweeters on earth weighing less than two grams they can be smaller  than a big bumblebee and lighter than a penny holding themselves steady in the air hummingbirds   gently sip nectar from flowers needing the high  sugar diet to power their impressive flight every day they consume twice their weight in  nectar that's about half their total mass in sugar even more if they need to  carry food to their young with such high energy demands for flight  hummingbirds live permanently close to starvation   barely having the energy to  make it through the night their tiny hearts beat 1 260 times a  minute 15 times faster than a human's seemingly living in fast forward  the hummer has the fastest wing beat   a complete blur at 90 strokes per second back down to earth and from the  smallest bird to the largest the ostrich the fastest bird on land clocking up  70 kilometers per hour it's a giant the black and white males are biggest  towering nearly three meters above the ground they have the largest eyes of any  bird almost as big as tennis balls other animals take advantage of their vigilance  but it's not always enough to escape danger big cats loom large on the african plains a male ostrich would be a  formidable opponent for a cheetah   but a youngster would make a tempting meal they just have to wait for one to  stray from its father's protective gaze ostriches are fast but they are left behind by  the real land speed record holder the cheetah with long limbs and a flexible spine the cheetah  is a fine-tuned machine always ready to race naught to 120 in just over three seconds their target the fleet-footed gazelle is almost  as fast with extreme agility and endurance the outcome is far from certain large nostrils and a deep  chest pull in maximum oxygen   and its heart rate increases  ready for the final push because of its light athletic build cheetahs  tend to favor small prey like gazelles but young males sometimes form coalitions   with combined might they are  ready to tackle much larger prey 50 kilos of predator against  250 kilos of angry wildebeest three against one and they are evenly matched it's not exactly life in the fast  lane for our next record breaker 15 meters per hour is about as fast as it gets the slowest of all the three-toed sloth this male has spotted a female which ups the ante going full throttle he begins a high speed pursuit cruising at a maximum speed of  24 meters per hour he closes in but the female's got a baby  and doesn't want to play sloths are so slow that moths  beetles and algae live in its course   fur the reason for their slothfulness is the  low nutritional value of their leafy diet   he better go back to feeding his  prey is less likely to run away at first glance the sloth doesn't seem like much  of a record breaker while others are born athletes cats are obviously gifted with strength  and agility and the puma of south america   is no exception living high in the andes it  needs to be an athlete just to get around   a mother keeps herself in top shape while her cubs  play demonstrating their gifts from an early age large pores grip the rocks and their  long tails swing as a counterbalance their real claim to fame is having the most  impressive jumps leaping 5.5 meters up a tree or jumping down from eighteen meters which  is like jumping from a three-story building   not something these cubs seem too keen to  demonstrate or from a standing position   lunging nearly 12 meters in a long jump three  meters longer than the human record holder but these cubs are going to have to practice  their skills before they'll bring home the bacon another mammal that is jumping  down to a fine art is the dolphin it can get seven meters into the air this wild individual has a special  fondness for human companions   and after showing off seeks some affection could dolphins be one animal  that's happy just to jump for joy champions come in all sizes and  it's easy to overlook the diverse   world of mini beasts but here records abound scorpions are perhaps the best adapted  for surviving heat and dehydration even in the worst conditions they lose  less than one thousandth of their water   thanks to a waxy skin covering so they can keep dancing in the desert these remarkable arachnids can survive  losing 40 percent of their body fluids   half as much would kill a human not everyone so crazy about the scorpion's  cousins eight-legged freaks the spiders there are 35 000 species most are hardly the  stuff of nightmares but there are a few giants the goliath bird eating spider  has a nine centimeter body   and legs that can reach across a dinner plate bird eating spiders can weigh as much as a hamster   and can tackle large prey thanks  to two and a half centimeter fangs so many invertebrates are short-lived perhaps  the most shocking record is that of the mayfly the lava emerges adults to breed but may only  survive for a few days or even just a few minutes for that reason all must arrive at once  to stand any chance of getting it on   and hopefully going out with a bang on the other end of the scale the lobster  is one of the longest lived animals   this crusty crustacean could  be around for 50 to 100 years as long as she manages to avoid lobster pots insects can be a force to be reckoned  with and relative to their size   beetles are the real heavyweights able to lift objects far greater than themselves a human lifted 17 times his own body weight but  the record holder lifting 850 times its own mass   is the diminutive rhinoceros beetle   they might be small but insects  have the power to devastate lives   and none more so than the family  of grasshoppers and locusts the desert locust is the worst culprit   able to swarm by the million  and eat everything in their path a typical swarm of 50 million insects can eat  as much in a single day as a village of 500   people would eat in a year the biggest swarm  ever recorded was 50 000 million individuals   every day it consumed food that could  have fed half a million people for a year does that also make them the most dangerous animal  possibly but there are some other contenders hippos are often said to be the  most dangerous animals in africa the three-ton monsters can open their  massive jaws 180 degrees exposing   40 centimeter canines though they usually  only attack when surprised or threatened poison dart frogs have the most toxin just  a smear from their skin can kill a horse the most toxic species contain  enough to kill 1 000 people but that doesn't make them  dangerous they don't hunt big prey   and they only use their toxins to try  and deter larger animals from eating them perhaps the most dangerous animal of all  isn't one that's poisonous it's probably   the mosquito or more precisely the  malaria they transfer with their bite it's estimated that through disease spreading this  insect kills more than a million people each year no animal is immune to its blood-sucking attacks animals of all shapes and sizes can break records  and we even have a few champs in our family tree   there are more than 230  primates spread around the globe the howler monkey is one of the loudest  to proclaim their territories they   belt out their calls the sounds can be  heard from nearly five kilometers away and one of our closest cousins the  gorilla is the biggest of the family the largest silverback males  reaching close to two meters tall   and measuring nearly as wide  around their deep powerful chests despite their size they are gentle  giants with close family bonds   so record breakers come in all shapes and sizes  but what's the most successful animal of all   well perhaps we are in just a few million years  the first humans emerged   taking over the world to become  the most widespread of all mammals there are more than 7 billion  of us around the globe we have many unique skills such as  complex spoken and written languages   well-developed tool use an ability to create  fires and cook our food clothe ourselves   and create art as a means of self-expression more than any other animal  we change the world around us in their own ways all animals are record breakers   they are all survivors with unique tools to  help them beat the odds and thrive in the wild and with our passion technology and complex brains   we are uniquely able to admire  our record-breaking wild neighbors hey foreign

Channel: Free High-Quality Documentaries

Views: 1,571,981

Keywords: Free High-Quality Documentaries, HD, Full HD, Quality, Wildlife, elephant, Giraffe, Wildebeest, zebra, Siberian tiger, macaw, salamander, Giant otter, Capybara, Harvest mouse, Spectacled caiman, Nile crocodile, Blue whale, Humpback whale, Arctic tern, Griffon vulture, Peregrine falcon, Andean condor, Humming bird, Cheetah, Puma, Scorpion, Lobster, Desert locust, Hippopotamus, Lowland gorilla

Id: Xm8XAaA40bM

Length: 49min 59sec (2999 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 01 2021