Super/Natural

-(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) Enter a world...

just beyond your perception.

A world of extraordinary animals...

with hidden powers and super senses.

If you think you know nature...

think again.

-(BIRDS CHIRPING) -(MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

Deep in the Canadian wilderness...

...an animal so secretive...

she's known as the Phantom of the Forest.

The goshawk.

-(SCREECHES) Zero to 40 miles an hour...

in under a second.

The fastest acceleration of any bird of prey.

Short, rounded wings and a foot-long tail, steer through dense forests,

with unparalleled agility.

-Yet even she can be outmaneuvered. -(SCREECHES)

Other, much smaller creatures here...

...possess astonishing abilities that can defeat the Phantom of the Forest.

With specialized eyesight adapted to low light,

the chickadee is first to spot the airborne threat...

-...and first to raise the alarm. -(CHIRPS)

A coded message...

broadcasting the hawk's position and speed.

Squirrels not only recognize the chickadees' call...

...they've learned to mimic it...

almost perfectly.

In seconds, the warning is retweeted from one animal to another.

It relays through the forest at over a 100 miles per hour.

More than twice as fast as the hawk.

Message received, loud and clear.

"Enemy approaching, low and fast."

When the little guys look out for each other...

it keeps them one step ahead.

You don't have to be big and tough to survive.

What you really need are friends.

Welcome to the world of animal alliances...

where creatures communicate and collaborate in wonderful ways...

and form the most unexpected partnerships.

Even in this punishing world...

-by joining forces... -(WIND WHISTLING)

...animals can triumph against extreme odds.

When the weather turns in this North American forest...

sticking together can make the difference between life and death.

At just five ounces, this little squirrel can't store enough bodyfat to hibernate.

So, he has to find food all winter.

But once he leaves his friends...

he could freeze.

When the temperature falls to minus 30...

only the most superpowered squirrel will make it home alive.

He needs food...

and fast.

Large eyes drink in the faint light.

He sees in the dark...

as well as we see in the day.

And his acute sense of smell helps him to locate food on the forest floor.

But a mushroom is only four calories.

He needs 20 to survive the night.

Not easy to come by in deep winter.

If racing up and down in search of food burns more energy than he can find,

this night will be his last.

But this little lightweight has a secret.

He can fly.

Northern flying squirrels have a furry wingsuit,

stretching from wrist to ankle, called a patagium.

They can glide nearly the length of a football field.

And to land, he turns his tail into an air brake.

Sailing between the trees, he finds enough food with minimal effort.

But now, this ninja of the night is far from his friends.

-If he doesn't find them soon... -(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

...he will die.

He sends out an emergency ultrasonic message.

Most predators can't hear it...

-(SCREECHES) -...but his friends can.

-And when they reply... -(SQUIRRELS SCREECHING)

...he knows exactly where to go.

Now, they must head home together...

to warm up before it's too late.

With more than 20 different dens scattered through the forest...

it could be hard to keep track of where everyone's going...

especially at this speed.

But a recent discovery has exposed an even more spectacular hidden talent.

Flying squirrels...

-glow. -(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

Filming in ultraviolet reveals how they fluoresce...

absorbing moonlight in one color...

and emitting it in another.

It's believed that their glow-in-the-dark bellies

act like beacons...

so they can see their friends at night...

and follow them all the way back...

to where they're safe and warm.

Staying close together to make it through the coldest nights.

Some animals take cooperation to another level...

...creating a powerful sense of community...

in which the next generation can safely grow.

Burrowing owls raise their babies in a perilous world.

Just ten inches tall, they live beneath the feet.

-of giants. -(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

And in constant fear of predators.

On the wide-open plains of Montana...

-(CHITTERING) -(BISON BELLOWS)

-...danger comes from every angle. -(CHITTERS)

Thankfully, burrowing owls are all eyes and ears.

-Binocular vision and acute hearing... -(SCREECHES)

...allow them to pinpoint danger.

Even more impressive, they look out for each other.

The only owls to live in large groups, up to 100 strong.

They form the ultimate neighborhood watch.

A safe environment for their growing owlets...

...to perfect their skills.

At one month old, an owlet's eyesight

is already fully developed.

-(SCREECHES) -(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

But now, only weeks before they leave home...

they still need to master their listening skills...

by learning how to rotate their concave faces...

to direct sound towards their ears.

Get it right and it amplifies noises up to ten times...

but it takes practice and coordination.

All the while, the parents have their backs,

keeping a lookout...

and keeping them fed.

Owls are carnivorous, but have no teeth to chew.

So, even the babies swallow meals whole.

Claws, fur, bones, and all.

And what goes in...

must come out...

as a pellet.

Anyway, back to class.

How to avoid danger...

by listening to their parents and following their example.

When the rattlesnake alarm is raised...

-(CHITTERING) -(RATTLES)

...the owlets know to keep their distance.

Its venom is potent enough to kill even the largest animals,

to roam America.

But being inquisitive can be a lifesaver.

As long as they keep a watchful eye and keep their distance...

they should be safe.

Some dangers are harder to avoid.

-(RUMBLING) -(CHITTERS)

Bison. -(BISON GROANS)

They target the openings around owl burrows to dust bathe.

This two-and-a-half-thousand pound giant...

could easily crush the den, and then trap those inside.

So, the owlets do something truly amazing.

They've mastered the art of imitation...

copying that telltale snake-rattle to near perfection.

They scare off a beast 11,000 times their size.

-(IMITATES RATTLE) -(MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

These marvelous little mimics are well on their way to becoming

fully-fledged members of the burrowing owl security force.

Look up, look around, look closer...

and you'll see

strange relationships hidden everywhere in this wonderful world.

On a few special nights each year

this small patch of forest in the mountains of Mexico...

stages one of the most mesmerizing displays of cooperation on Earth.

-(CRICKETS CHIRPING) -(SCREECHING)

This male firefly has been waiting

for two years underground.

Now is his chance to shine.

And he has just the right chemistry for the job.

He drives oxygen into his abdomen.

It reacts with potent chemical compounds...

luciferin and luciferase...

in an explosion of bioluminescence.

But even this enchanting ability is not enough on its own.

Females like to be dazzled.

The brighter, the better.

So, his only choice...

is to team up with his rivals.

When thousands of male fireflies come together...

it's certainly brighter...

but far more chaotic.

Females will only make their move when the males flash in sync.

So, slowly, they adjust their timing...

until finally, something magical happens.