Jordan: Nature's Furnace - Wildest Middle East - Go Wild

[Music] the natural world of the Middle East is governed by one all-reaching force the Sun scorches this land claims its victims and breathes New Life Jordan's Wildlife faces some of the natural world's greatest challenges arid deserts scorching temperatures and punishing rays yet this country hides a world of treasures those who've adapted to this Elemental Force thrive in Nature's furnace [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] the Middle East is among the hottest and driest places on our planet [Music] it's one of the most cloud-free places on Earth and Fields of full force and sun straddling the Tropic of Cancer and position next to Asia large parts of this region are too hot and too far from the great oceans for rain clouds to form at its heart lies Jordan the fourth driest country in the world for the creatures that live here there is little protection from the sun's penetrating rays their Rhythm of Life is dictated by its daily cycle desert covers over three quarters of the country temperatures rise above 40 Celsius yet Treasures are hidden amongst these seemingly Barren landscapes flora and fauna have found sanctuaries of survival as the sun travels its course Dawn recharges reptiles guides arms and feeds underwater worlds [Music] patrolling the night pays off for some of the biggest carnivores While others fall victim it's this Rhythm Of The Sun that dictates the Rhythm of Life Sunrise stirs this tranquil land and its Wildlife into action good things come in small packages at just over three centimeters darkling Beetle plays an important role in Jordan they eat decaying matter Mountain Edge lichen provides a mere snack she must find juicy plant life but it's easier said than done [Music] with wings fused together to reduce dehydration she's flightless it's going to be a long but vital walk as the sun rises its Rays Breathe new life into more flamboyant creatures basking on Rock faces the Sinai agama needs to warm up quickly for a morning of Showmanship it's mating season for these cold-blooded lizards so he is searching for a Podium on which to perform like other agama lizards his nods and push-ups are a sign of his dominance but it's his color which is his real trump card turning blue during The Mating Season helps males stand out and attract a suitor's attention with age the Vivid blue covers more of his body and increases his chances but attracting attention can also work against you in Jordan's deserts the Persian horned viper has a taste for lizards [Music] being nocturnal this is his last opportunity to eat before the sun grows too strong foreign stunted short horns I mean these snakes are often known as false-horned vipers but underestimating this assassin could be your last mistake [Music] [Music] he packs enough Venom to cause paralysis in a human one bite is all he needs to bring down his prey [Applause] thank you [Applause] for an ambush stealth is critical foreign should keep his wits about him [Applause] [Music] [Applause] but it's getting late for the falsehorn Viper avoiding overheating is critical hunting will have to wait until the sun's energies slip away a night falls once again [Music] as another day dawned in Jordan the far-reaching effects of the sun are starting to be felt it dictates the pace of life for animals and influences landscapes eighty percent of this can Jordan's Highlands rise from the sea of sand and Canyon shade provides respite from Sun's unrelenting Heat located along the Great Rift Valley that travels some six thousand kilometers from Eastern Africa dhana biosphere shaped by Limestone sandstone and Granite it covers over 300 square kilometers and hides Jordan's most diverse species and habitats the dry open grasslands and Rocky valleys provide the perfect habitat Palestine Sunbird females have darker brown feathers for camouflage [Music] while males like to attract attention with their iridescent green and blue [Music] darting and hovering uses up valuable energy so these birds pick specific flowers where the sugar content is higher [Music] foreign as the sun rises so does the temperature and the Harvesters of dhana are on a tight schedule [Music] black harvester ants forage before it gets too hot climbing Blades of grass the equivalent size of an 18-story building they painstakingly cut and remove individual seeds meanwhile other foragers March them home there's no one leader here but there's method in their Madness each time they meet a fellow Colony earned they communicate through smell touching their antennae [Music] patroller ants decide the direction of foraging for the day [Music] whilst chemical markers left along the trail recruit more foliagers build the army [Music] they constantly weigh up the efficiency of their speed over what they're bringing home too heavy and it's not worth moving these ants won't eat what they collect though and are working to feed the young larvae back at base [Music] while the highway events plows through the grassland others are back at the colony's entrance and concentrate on cleaning piling up husks of the stripped seeds in a midden they maintain and hygiene no one and has a set tusk so they can quickly react to environmental changes oh unwelcome guests the tortoise has been around for more than 220 million years made of keratin found in fingernails and Hooves his shell provide an impenetrable armor should he wander to the wrong place [Music] the ants swarm reacting to The Invasion but oblivious to the Mayhem he continues his March by mid-morning the temperature is heading towards 30 Celsius the rising temperature also affects Grasshoppers and locusts like lizards they use the heat of the sun to become more active as the day warms up it puts a spring in their step these athletes of the undergrowth travel the equivalent of 40 meters and undergo forces of nearly 20g down here you need to be quick [Music] camouflage hides Lightning Fast killers this sharp-eyed Irish mantis can see up to 15 meters his eyes are made up of thousands of microscopic lenses and using stereo vision he can judge distance like humans do [Music] [Applause] [Music] sometimes not even the longest jump will save you from the clutches of death any moisture in the dawn air soon Burns off In the Heat of the blistering sunrise waterholes have disappeared and winds have removed sand creating a rocky landscape called Hamada our darkling Beetle faces many problems in the hot desert she crosses extremes of temperature shortage of water and strong winds are all part of her daily life [Music] she is among the most successful animals of the desert but even for darkling beetles the climate is not to be underestimated sandstorms can whip up in a moment dry Twigs are her only shelter as she reveals another reason for her journey her egg laying tooth called and I'll be positive tests the ground to see if it's suitable to lay her eggs but conditions aren't right something else is coming [Music] onikas move across this unforgiving land in search of sustenance they are resourceful grazers most of their water comes from this seemingly dry food they've learned to be efficient with what they can get wild ass of arid habitats can sustain a water loss of up to 30 percent of their body weight and will even raise their temperature to prevent sweating [Music] onagers are notoriously bad tempered and thought by locals to be untameable with Little Shelter in the Eastern desert perhaps they need this toughened attitude this lone stallion watches over a herd of passing females on the lookout for competition a patch on the female's root is a prime piece of Real Estate he may need to defend it but in the scorching midday Sun there's little chance of a competitor picking a fight further west marches Jordan's mountainous spine traveling the length of the country in the north the highlands have a more Mediterranean climate the Tranquil Pine forests of the north provide cooler temperatures and shade but this Haven from the heat is not so safe [Music] gray ghosts roam these forests [Music] hide in the grasses [Music] having spent the heat of the day taking shelter in Jordan's forests pack begins to move through their territory being so widely spread the gray wolf varies physically throughout the world those of them at least can be six times smaller than their Northern Tundra cousins they're largely short gray coats keep them cool while long hair on their back protects them from the Sun [Music] the wolf leads a feast of famine existence gorging on as much as 10 kilograms of meat able to fast for months if necessary led by an alpha male and female everyone is kept in check especially at feeding time sometimes they're not quite enough to go round another night of hunting is needed [Music] as the sun begins to set the Pack set out on their patrol Wolves play a vital role in the health and proper functioning of their ecosystem but they aren't the only ones roaming the night [Music] foreign [Music] this highly tuned Predator is a striped hyena armed with jaws capable of crushing bone and acute senses he can detect food up to several miles and is already found tonight's first course these creatures are steeped in myth and Legend thought of as Grave robbers placing tombstones began in the Middle East to prevent them digging up bodies but this Beast is far from just a ruthless Raider devouring the body parts that other Predators leave uneaten prevents the spread of disease his digestive system is so hardy even festering remains are no challenge for Jordan's ultimate waste disposal worker [Music] the sun's constant movement dictates the pace of life shapes habitats in Jordan inhabiting some of the most Torrid deserts on Earth these Hardy beetles can withstand temperatures for 50 Celsius her long legs keep her body at a good distance from the burning sand enables her to travel at speed and darkling beetles need to stop now and again where there is no water animals have to adapt she is able to create water internally extracting it from her food however finding it and a place to lay her eggs is becoming critical for others water and shelter are essential than the Canyons that break up the rolling arid landscape are a sanctuary cathedral-like walls of Wadi mujib mean the sun is only a passing visitor formed through ancient Earth movements it's still being carved today it hasn't rained here in months but geological shifts that helped create the canyon I've also released thermal Springs [Applause] superheated water from the Earth's depths is rich in bromine and other minerals [Applause] [Music] where water feeds the parched land Flora explodes the wildlife has set up home plant spring insects which provide food for rock pigeons they use every inch of these Fortress like walls for nesting and to avoid predators at a high-rise home is not safe from aerial threats [Music] thank you the baked land lying above Wadi mujib has given rise to fantailed Ravens [Music] The Rock pigeons have every reason to be wary [Music] given the chance they will take eggs or young nestlings [Music] Taking Flight into the sun confuses any attacker and draws them away from the nests [Music] opportunities are rare [Music] and they will have to keep searching before the sun gets too high [Applause] the sun's power doesn't just affect the floor and fauna it even shapes environments [Music] the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the surface of the planet for centuries it has been fed by the Jordan River and wadis but it's disappearing evaporation concentrates salts into what has become one of the greatest mineral reservoirs known to man with no rivers that flow from it the sun alone is estimated to reduce it by two meters each year foreign it has the highest density salinity of any sea in the world over 43 billion tons of salt are thought to be in the Dead Sea peninsulas have cast salt have been created lines in this false land depict the drop in water level while deposits have shaped ornate casts but it also hides a hidden world the Lake's saltiness means that larger organisms such as fish and frogs can't survive in the Dead Sea however in 2010 a diving Expedition revealed several craters lying at a depth of 30 meters they were covered in a film of new bacterial species proving that even in one of Jordan's most extreme habitats Sun reaches life exists for much of Jordan's Wildlife routine is their ritual cold-blooded creatures begin their day the same way needing to re-energize after the cold night [Music] however starred agama Sun worshiping for time living in a canyon means he has to pick the perfect spot for sunbathing [Music] Jordan's waddies haven't just been a sanctuary for agamas though and these lizards are in fact exercising squatters rights in a lost city Petra foreign Facing East Sunrise reveals this ancient civilization dating back over 2000 years this Metropolis of tombs and monuments was once the thriving capital of the nabate empire amid the rugged desert mountains and canyons it was a defendable Crossroads of trade for the region meaning Rock in Greek Petra is half-built carved from the mountain lost from the Western world it was only rediscovered by Europeans in the 19th century few written records still exist today but it's now believed these wealthy spice Traders worship deities and the Sun archaeologists think the sun was so important to the nabatayans that they followed its cycle and even built Petra so it would illuminate their sacred places like a Celestial spotlight the natural world had an important place in their lives [Music] waterways were channeled out of the Rock foreign [Music] ancient snake carvings [Music] while mosaics depict creatures and signify their respect for the natural world without harnessing Nature's ship of the desert the camel the navitayans may not have been so wealthy foreign such a Monumental City [Music] the narrow canyons and fishes cut deep into the mountains through Wadi Rum conceal ancient Rock drawings [Music] to more than two thousand years ago by nomadic tribes they depict the relationship between man and Beast what Iran was an important route for Traders the navitaians who built Petra owed their wealth to controlling the oases of this region and the camels that were the ships of this desert [Music] today Bedouin tribes still live among the mountains of what he run and maintain this relationship with the camel all right for Generations they've been their only support and the only means of survival here by mid-morning the temperature is already reaching the high 30s for the Bedouin the turban is an essential garment protecting them from the Sun and Heat but the camel comes with its own protection the camel's fur coat reflects the sun insulator from the Heat it means they rarely sweat yeah they even trap and recycle water vapor in their nostrils when breathing and return it back to their body carrying nearly 100 kilos good Footwear is essential for travel [Music] a large leathery pad with two toes at the front helps make the Gate of a camel silent and keeps it from sinking into the sand while thick leathery skin on its leg joints enabling it to kneel on the hot sand when it's time to rest ah skills passed down to the generations are a matter of life and death the sun acts as the Bedouins GPS so it's time to rest his camels and make a fire to ward off any creatures of the night foreign [Music] an ancient monster begins to hunt [Music] some people believe these creatures Feast on sleeping camels earning them the name camel spider but this nocturnal Hunter is not a camel eater or a spider this monster of the night is a locust killer [Music] um large powerful jaws seize their prey and digestive fluids liquefy the victim's flesh making it easy to suck the remains into her stomach part of the arachnid family it's known as a solid fugit meaning those who flee from the Sun and this is now her shadowy domain as soon as the sun sets the desert cools considerably night temperatures can drop to zero degrees Celsius [Music] but as the sun returns they can reach their Peak within just a few hours the desert ant is out in the heat of the day that he is banking on the sun's help in human terms they can track the equivalent of over 60 kilometers scouting for food getting lost out here will end in death so his movements aren't so Random [Music] stopping and turning he actually orientates using the Sun with his Escape Route plotted he heads straight for home finding shelter from this Sun and Sand blasted environment can be critical a young camel spider hasn't been so lucky but it gives him a huge opportunity in the desert and colonies do everything to avoid losing water so go out foraging alone this is proving too big for him to manage however this is an opportunity not to be wasted foreign ERS come to the rescue they've got to be quick in the midday Sun as the clock counts down ants take over from each other before the sun claims them too oh [Music] finally they win and claim their prize the sun has far-reaching powers but its penetrating Rays also have many benefits for Jordan's wildlife [Music] the southern coast meets the Red Sea corals need sunlight to survive as they grow from algae that live inside into this algae that produces oxygen for them and provides food helping them grow faster [Music] The Sun Also feeds Coral like it would do a plant [Music] pulsing polyp coral move water through the colony which increases oxygen levels as new water is pulled in it improves photosynthesis rates by up to 10 times [Music] in turn this ecosystem provides food for larger marine life like the hawksbilled turtle they play a key role in this ecosystem's health [Music] using their sharp hawk-like beaks to penetrate the sponges outer armor they expose the soft internal parts to other sponge eating animals [Music] the turtle's peculiar Diet also helps keep sponge populations in check freeing up space on reefs for other organisms to settle and grow [Music] feeding and growing this underwater world the sun has far-reaching benefits even below the surface [Music] [Applause] as another normal day sets over Jordan an extraordinary Journey comes to an end having traveled over Sandy dunes and Rocky deserts across mountains and through Canyons our darkling Beetle finally reaches her Haven sear provides some desert plants with much needed moisture a bounty fit for a queen provides a feast of seeds and thirst quenching flowers short feeling like pulps act like fingers to handle her food while her mouthparts Shear through the vegetation [Music] and a good source of food attracts others too [Music] this micro Oasis not only provides food but a safe place she could lay her eggs then her journey will continue as will her struggle to survive another day Nature's furnace From Dawn till Dusk the sun dictates the pace of life in Jordan creatures and environments all feel its Force year on year temperatures are rising Dangerously a deserts are advancing while the sun can be damaging it also has the power to Breathe new life like the ancient civilizations that once flourished here the creatures of Jordan are led by the sun's never-ending cycle for both the Sun worshipers and nighttime assassins each day brings new hope new challenges and new opportunities from arid Landscapes to Hidden corners Jordan's natural world manages to live life in the balance and survive Nature's furnace thank you [Music] foreign

Channel: Go Wild

Views: 154,150

Keywords: orf universum, documentary, blue chip, natural history, secrets of nature, planet earth, wildlife, free documentary, watch full documentary, nature films, wildlife films, go wild, nature, natura

Id: xHT-aFRDgto

Length: 52min 3sec (3123 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 19 2023