北极圈真是一个非凡的地方 The Arctic Circle is a truly remarkable place.
它包括美国、俄罗斯、芬兰、瑞典、冰岛、 It encompasses parts of the US, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland,
格陵兰和挪威 Greenland and Norway.
但海洋是它最显著的特征- But the ocean is its most significant feature -
大约1400万平方公里的冰海 roughly 14 million square kilometres of ice-laden sea.
这里冬天的温度可能会降到零下50摄氏度 Winter temperatures here can drop below minus 50 degrees Celsius
风会把自己的速度达到 and the wind can whip itself into a frenzy -
飓风速度的两倍 double the speed of a hurricane.
体重约680公斤、 Weighing in at around 680 kilos,
在这种极端的环境中，顶级捕食者是北极熊 the top predator in this extreme landscape is the polar bear.
他们以独处而闻名 They are renowned for keeping to themselves
但在一些地方，北极熊和人 but in some places, polar bears and people
发展了相互依赖的关系 have developed a mutually dependent relationship.
就在加拿大丘吉尔镇的郊区， Just on the outskirts of the town of Churchill in Canada,
北极熊来觅食 polar bears come to scavenge for food.
当地人利用了他们的存在 Locals have taken advantage of their presence
让动物爱好者成为可能 and made it possible for animal lovers
与这位极地身强力壮者有一次亲密而又安全的邂逅 to have a close and yet safe encounter with this polar powerhouse.
北极熊被完美地组合在一起，在冰上生活 Polar bears are perfectly put together for a life on ice.
它们有一层肥肉或脂肪， They have a layer of fat, or blubber,
这使他们的身体与寒冷的空气和水隔绝 that insulates their bodies from the bitterly cold air and water.
厚厚的皮毛一直延伸到他们的脚底， That thick coat of fur extends to the soles of their feet,
隔离寒冷，帮助抓地 keeping out the cold and aiding traction.
每根毛发都是半透明的 Each hair is translucent
但北极熊的皮毛似乎是白色的 but the polar bear's pelt appears to be white
因为它反射光线 because it reflects light.
很适合伪装 It's great for camouflage
但在这些皮毛之下，北极熊的皮肤是黑色的， but beneath all that fur, the polar bear's skin is black,
让动物更有效地吸收太阳热量 allowing the animal to more effectively absorb heat from the sun.
北极熊是游泳能手 Polar bears are powerful swimmers.
一只装有追踪装置的熊 One bear fitted with a tracking device
被记录连续游泳超过九天 was recorded swimming continuously for over nine days
在这段时间里，我们行驶了将近700公里 and in that time covered nearly 700km.
研究北极熊的科学家 Scientists studying polar bears
找到了分离他们DNA的方法 have figured out a way to isolate their DNA
还有他们最后一顿饭 and that of their last meal
从他们在雪地上留下的脚印 from the footprints they leave in the snow.
北极熊大约有一半的时间都在狩猎 Polar bears spend around half their lives hunting
但在他们长大到足以自立之前， but before they're old enough to fend for themselves,
雄性幼崽似乎要花很多时间玩摔跤 male cubs appear to spend a great deal of time play-wrestling.
大多数北极熊是双胞胎，所以大多数从出生起就有了玩伴 Most polar bears are twins, so most have a playmate from birth.
通过这种本能的行为， Through this instinctive behaviour,
他们学到了以后生活中需要的重要技能 they learn important skills they will need later in life
当与其他雄性竞争的时候 when the time comes to compete with other males
为了与雌性交配的权利 for the right to mate with the females.
这些战斗可能很激烈，持续几个小时 These fights can be aggressive, lasting several hours
总是让两个挑战者终生伤痕累累 and invariably leave both challengers scarred for life.
成年后，北极熊通常是独居动物 As adults, polar bears are generally solitary creatures
但作为幼崽，它们倾向于粘在一起， but as cubs, they tend to stick together,
即使他们离开了母亲身边， even after they've left their mother's side,
模拟战斗和狩猎，直到分道扬镳的时刻 mock-fighting and hunting until it's time to go their separate ways.
北极熊是陆地上最大的北极动物 The polar bear is the largest of all the Arctic animals on land.
排在第二位的是麝牛， Second in line is the musk ox,
一种相对容易遇到的巨大的牛 a huge bovine beast that is relatively easy to encounter
在北极苔原上 on the Arctic tundra.
他们适应得很好 They are well adapted
抵御严寒的风和温度， to withstanding the bitterly cold winds and temperature,
用强壮的蹄子在雪中挖掘食物 with strong hooves to dig through the snow for food
而不是一件而是两件外套，让它们在冬天保持温暖 and not one but two coats to keep them warm through the winter.
他们的饮食严格素食- Their diet is strictly vegetarian -
苔藓、树根和地衣， mosses, roots and lichens through the winter,
北极夏季的花和草 Arctic flowers and grasses during summer.
冰岛被广泛称为“冰火之地” Iceland is widely known as 'the land of ice and fire'.
它是北极极为偏远但仍有动物居住的地区 It is an extremely remote yet inhabited part of the Arctic
那里有巨大的冰川和活火山 that harbours huge glaciers and active volcanoes
同样地 in equal measure.
这里有清澈的河流 There are crystal-clear rivers...
贫瘠的高地 barren highlands...
高耸的峡湾 soaring fjords...
沿着海岸线，陡峭的悬崖 and along the coastline, precipitous cliffs
这提供了一个极端的基地 that provide an extreme home base
北极最有趣的两种鸟- for two of the Arctic's most interesting birds -
看起来很滑稽的海雀和它的主要捕食者贼鸥 the rather comical-looking puffin and its key predator, the skua.
贼鸥能在飞行途中抓到海雀 Skuas can snatch puffins mid-flight
但当它们静止不动时，更容易捕捉 but they are much easier to catch when they're stationary.
海雀在海上的大部分时间都在海浪上休息 Puffins spend most of their time at sea resting on the waves
当他们不飞或潜水捕鱼时 when they're not flying or diving to catch fish.
但到了繁殖的时候，它们需要找到陆地 But when it's time to breed, they need to find land.
英戈尔夫角， Cape Ingolfshofdi,
冰岛南海岸的一个孤立的岬角， an isolated headland on the south coast of Iceland,
是最受欢迎的筑巢地点，受自然保护区保护 is a favourite nesting site, protected by a nature reserve
鸟类爱好者可以近距离接触海雀 where bird enthusiasts are able to encounter puffins at close range.
雄性用喙在悬崖边挖洞 Males dig burrows into the cliffside with their beaks.
双亲轮流孵化雌性所产的单个鸟蛋 Both parents take turns to incubate the single egg the female lays
一旦孵化，它们将共同照顾后代 and will share the care of their offspring once it hatches.
通过它们五颜六色的喙很容易识别， Easily identified by their colourful beaks,
海雀通常被称为海鹦鹉 puffins are often referred to as sea parrots...
尽管翅膀相对较小， and despite their relatively small wings,
它们在空中令人印象深刻 they are impressive in the air.
每分钟拍打翅膀400次， Flapping their wings 400 times a minute,
它们的时速可达88公里 they can reach speeds up to 88km per hour.
大多数海鸟一次只能捕一条鱼 Most seabirds can only catch one fish at a time
但是海雀的上颚有很多小刺 but puffins have lots of small spines on their upper palates
这样他们就可以抓住多达12条， that allow them to hold onto as many as a dozen,
父母需要带食物时的有效策略 an efficient strategy when parents need to bring food
回到它们的巢里喂它们的小海雀 back to their nests to feed their pufflings.
值得注意的是，每年， Remarkably, every year,
同一对夫妇回到同一地点筑巢 the same couples return to nest in the same location.
科学家们仍然不确定 Scientists are still not certain
他们是如何如此精确地找到自己的家园的 how they manage to find their home ground so precisely
但一些人认为，它们可能是在利用地球磁场 but some suggest they may be using the earth's magnetic field
甚至是导航的星星 or even stars to navigate.
在北极圈的另一边， On the other side of the Arctic Circle,
早在欧洲人来到北美之前， long before Europeans arrived in North America,
野狗在这片辽阔的荒野上游荡 wild dogs roamed through this vast wilderness untethered.
直到今天，它们还是现代阿拉斯加哈士奇的基因基础， To this day, they form the genetic base for the modern Alaskan husky,
北方不知疲倦的雪橇狗 the tireless sled dogs of the great north.
它们是家畜 They are a domestic animal
但在这片世界上，人类的生存是不可或缺的 but so integral to human survival in this part of the world
不把他们列入世界上最好的狗是有失偏颇的 it would be remiss not to include them in the world's greatest.
阿拉斯加爱斯基摩犬是由狗拉雪橇赛车手开发的， Alaskan huskies were developed by dogsled racers, or mushers,
来自不同血统的因纽特人犬 from different bloodlines of native Inuit dogs.
他们喜欢跑步，也喜欢拖拽- They love to run and they love haul -
两个受欢迎的特点 two sought-after traits
一代又一代的繁育优选已趋完善 that generations of breeding have perfected.
对狗和它们的主人来说，终极的挑战是伊迪塔罗德， The ultimate challenge for the dogs and their mushers is the Iditarod,
从安克雷奇到诺姆的艰苦1500公里赛跑 a gruelling 1,500km race from Anchorage to Nome.
每个参赛队有12到16只狗 Each competing team has between 12 and 16 dogs
在整个过程中进行轮流，以防止疲劳 that are rotated throughout the course to prevent fatigue.
兽医对参赛的狗进行了一次检查 Vets give the competing dogs the once-over
在每一个检查站，确保他们准备好迎接挑战 at each and every checkpoint to ensure they are up for the challenge.
这些狗得到了它们的主人的精心照料 The dogs are well cared for by their mushers
看到他们与主人建立的关系 and seeing the relationships they've developed with their masters
这令人振奋 is heartening.
狗拉雪橇不仅是一种很好的方式 Dogsledding is not only a great way
为了联系这些美丽的动物， to connect to these beautiful animals,
这也是一种在阿拉斯加荒野中旅行的实用方法， it's also a practical way to get around the wilds of Alaska,
显然，我们中的一部分受到了大自然的祝福 clearly a part of the US blessed by Mother Nature.
在极端地貌幅度的另一端， At the opposite end of the extreme landscape spectrum,
太平洋和印度洋交汇处， where the Pacific and Indian Oceans converge,
严寒被无情的高温和潮湿所取代 bitter cold is traded for relentless heat and humidity.
这是一幅由火而生的风景画 This is a landscape born of fire.
拥有120多座活火山， Home to more than 120 active volcanoes,
印度尼西亚群岛 the Indonesian archipelago
几乎一直受到地震和海啸的威胁 is almost constantly threatened by earthquakes and tsunamis.
火山爆发可能是灾难性的 Eruptions can be catastrophic
但它们为新生活奠定了基础 but they lay the foundations for new life to take hold.
在海底，世界永远是黑暗的， Beneath the sea, where the world is perpetually dark,
热液喷口提供了一个极端的栖息地 hydrothermal vents provide an extreme habitat
对于一系列奇怪的生物 for a strange array of creatures...
虾和鱼似乎在富含矿物质的热水中茁壮成长 shrimp and fish that appear to thrive on the mineral-rich hot water
逃离地球深处 escaping from deep inside the earth.
生活在极端海洋深处的其他动物包括螃蟹 Other animals living in the extreme ocean depths here include crabs...
海参 holothurians...
世界上最深的超级捕食者，深海蜥鱼 and the world's deepest living super-predator, the bathysaurus,
或者蜥蜴鱼 or lizard fish.
在这个黑暗而孤独的世界， In this dark and lonely world,
它进化出一种不同寻常的生殖机制- it has evolved an unusual reproductive mechanism -
能够与自己物种的任何成员交配， the ability to copulate with any member of its own species,
因为所有鱼都有雄性和雌性的性器官 for all are equipped with both male and female sex organs.
印度尼西亚的陆地动物 A land-based animal here in Indonesia
科莫多龙也是一种不寻常的繁殖方式 with an equally unusual way to reproduce is the komodo dragon.
他们敌对的栖息地 Their hostile habitat
意味着单个龙是非常孤立的， means that individual dragons are extremely isolated,
因此，孤独的雌性进化出了无性繁殖的能力 so lone females have evolved the ability to reproduce asexually.
科莫多龙是世界上最重的巨蜥 Komodo dragons are the heaviest monitor lizards in the world
它们已经存在至少400万年了 and they have been around for at least 4 million years.
化石表明它们最初来自澳大利亚 Fossils suggest they originally came from Australia
当海平面较低时向西移动 and moved westward when sea levels were low.
成年的身长可达3米，体重超过150公斤 Fully grown adults can be 3m long and weigh over 150 kilos.
他们像蛇一样使用分叉的舌头 They use that forked tongue just like a snake
品尝空中猎物的希望 to taste the promise of prey in the air.
龙经常会躺着等待猎物 Dragons will often lie in wait for their prey.
他们有出色的伪装和极大的耐心 They have excellent camouflage and a great deal of patience
但由它们庞大、肌肉发达的尾巴和腿提供动力， but powered by their massive, muscular tails and legs,
他们可以以惊人的速度发起攻击 they can launch an attack with surprising speed.
尖利的爪子和牙齿能迅速抓住猎物 Sharp claws and teeth make short work of prey.
如果奇迹发生，一条龙想要的食物逃走了， If by some miracle a dragon's intended meal escapes,
不会太久的， it won't be for long,
为了这个令人难以置信的杀人机器的下颚 for the lower jaw of this incredible killing machine
充满了致命的毒液 is packed with lethal venom
它会进入龙的唾液和受害者的血液 that finds its way into the dragon's saliva and its victim's bloodstream.
这些动物吃得很凶 These animals are extreme eaters.
一条龙一次可以吃掉相当于80%的体重 One dragon can eat 80% of its body weight in a single sitting.
它的下巴和喉咙可以伸展以容纳大块的食物 Its jaws and throat can stretch to accommodate enormous chunks of food.
几乎什么都不会浪费 Almost nothing goes to waste.
骨头、兽皮甚至蹄子都会消失在巨大的喉咙里 Bones, hides and even hooves will disappear down that massive throat.
在世界上69种监控蜥蜴中， Of the 69 species of monitor lizards in the world,
澳大利亚有28个国家 Australia is home to 28.
巨蜥 是该岛最大的， The perenties is the island continent's largest,
仅次于科莫多龙 second only in size to the komodo dragon.
它们长2.5米，速度惊人，表现出非凡的耐力 They're 2.5m long, impressively fast and show remarkable endurance.
它们可以用后腿跑步，达到每小时40公里的速度 They can run on their hind legs and reach speeds of 40km per hour.
他们住在岩石山和露头附近， They live close to rocky hills and outcrops,
用那些刀一样的爪子在坚硬的土地上挖洞 using those sabre-like claws to dig burrows in the hard earth.
巨蜥和他们的近亲，罗森博格的巨蜥， Perenties and their close relatives, the Rosenberg's goanna,
不在洞穴里产卵 do not lay their eggs in their burrows.
他们更喜欢利用这些完美的孵化室 They prefer to take advantage of these perfect incubation chambers
由白蚁建造 built by termites.
白蚁会在通风孔和隧道里 The vents and tunnels termites create
保持家里的温度和湿度不变 to keep the temperature and humidity of their homes constant
为巨蜥的蛋的孵化提供完美的条件 provide the perfect conditions for perentie eggs to incubate.
还有一个额外的好处——当幼崽孵化时， An added bonus - when the young hatch,
门口有快餐供应 there's a quick meal available on the doorstep.
成年后，这些巨大的巨蜥有着极端的饮食习惯， As adults, these enormous monitor lizards have an extreme diet,
因为他们擅长捕捉和食用毒蛇 for they specialise in catching and eating venomous snakes.
当形势需要摊牌时， When the situation calls for a showdown,
巨蜥可以超越褐色王蛇， perenties can outpace and outsmart a king brown,
澳大利亚最致命的蛇之一 one of the deadliest snakes in Australia.
另一种极端的澳大利亚动物，饮食致命 Another extreme Australian animal with a deadly diet
是波西亚蜘蛛 is the Portia spider.
它捕食其他蜘蛛，包括有毒的红背蜘蛛， It preys on other spiders, including the poisonous redback,
美国臭名昭著的黑寡妇蜘蛛的近亲 a close relative of the notorious black widow spider in the US.
尽管身材矮小， Despite its diminutive stature,
波西亚蜘蛛是个残忍的杀手， the Portia spider is a ruthless assassin,
很容易把比自己大的猎物吃掉 readily taking down prey larger than itself.
隐形是这个极端蜘蛛世界的游戏名称 Stealth is the name of the game in this extreme arachnid's world...
如果需要几个小时甚至几天才能偷偷吃上一顿饭， and if it takes hours or even days to sneak up on a potential meal,
顺其自然 so be it.
据说波西亚蜘蛛 The Portia spider is said to be
地球上最聪明的蜘蛛， the most intelligent spider on the planet,
故意跟踪，甚至策划如何最好地影响杀戮 deliberately stalking and even plotting how best to affect a kill.
如果这种方法不起作用， And if that method doesn't work,
它将巧妙地转向不同的战略 it will cleverly switch to a different strategy.
在数千公里外的另一片炎热干燥的土地上， In another hot, dry landscape thousands of kilometres away,
还有更多的动物似乎在挑战机遇， there are yet more animals appearing to defy the odds,
生活在充满敌意的环境中 living in hostile terrain.
纳米比亚的纳米布沙漠公园，靠近非洲西南端， The Namib Desert Park in Namibia,near the south-western tip of Africa,
占地面积比瑞士还大 occupies an area larger than Switzerland.
虽然它没有高山 And while it lacks the high mountains
决定了这个国家的地形， that define the topography of that particular nation,
它是世界上最茂盛的沙丘的家园 it is home to some of the world'shighest sand dunes.
构成沙丘的微小沙粒 The tiny grains of sand that make up the dunes
在世界上最古老的沙漠中心 in the centre of the world's oldest desert
据说有500多万年的历史 are said to be over 5 million years old.
尽管有着明显的反向，这片超凡脱俗的风景 For all its apparent hostility, this otherworldly landscape...
围绕着索苏斯盐沼盐和粘土层， surrounding the Sossusvlei salt and claypan,
为一些真正有韧性的动物提供了一个不太可能的栖息地， provides an unlikely habitat for some truly resilient animals,
包括鸵鸟和适应性极强的大羚羊 including ostrich and the superbly adapted gemsbok, or oryx.
如果有机会，他们会喝水， While they will drink water if the opportunity presents itself,
他们不依靠它生存 they do not depend on it to survive.
他们可以连续几个月没有它 They can go for months on end without it.
草稀疏时吃的根、块茎和野瓜 The roots and tubers and wild melons they eat when grass is sparse
提供他们需要的所有水 provide all the water they require.
他们的生理和行为 Their physiology and behaviour
旨在最大限度地减少身体水分的流失 is geared to minimise the loss of body moisture.
他们不经常小便 They do not urinate very often
当他们这样做时，水流就像蜂蜜一样粘稠 and when they do, the flow is as thick as honey.
尽管听起来有悖常理， And as counterintuitive as it sounds,
当沙漠温度飙升时，他们停止出汗 they stop sweating when desert temperatures soar.
对任何较小的动物来说，这都是致命的 In any lesser animal, this would be lethal
但大羚羊能适应体温 but the gemsbok copes with its body temperature
通过气喘吁吁上升到危险水平， rising to a dangerous level by panting rapidly,
在血液到达大脑之前冷却鼻腔静脉中的血液 cooling the blood in its nasal veins before it reaches its brain.
大羚羊以10到40只动物为群 Gemsbok live in herds of between ten and 40 animals
在纳米比亚，他们的数量约为37.3万 and in Namibia, their population is thought to be around 373,000.
在南非的其他干旱地区， In other arid parts of South Africa,
它们因其壮观的角而被猎杀 they are hunted for their spectacular horns
但在纳米布沙漠公园， but here in the Namib Desert Park,
唯一想把它们固定在视线中的人是摄影师 the only humans seeking to fix them in their sights are photographers.
在澳大利亚，极端天气几乎是正常的 Extreme weather is almost par for the course in Australia.
热浪、寒潮、干旱和洪水肆虐着这片土地 Heatwaves, cold snaps, dry spells and floods ravage the landscape.
在沙漠里， In the desert,
气温经常飙升超过48摄氏度 the temperature regularly soars over 48 degrees Celsius...
在阿尔卑斯山， and in the alps,
在隆冬时节，气温会降至零下八度 in the dead of winter, it can drop to a numbing minus eight.
但有一种动物在两种环境中都能茁壮成长 But one animal thriving in both environments
是野外的马，或者叫野马 is the wild horse, or brumby.
他们是最近来澳大利亚的 They are relatively recent arrivals in Australia
但尽管如此，它已经成为这个国家文化认同的一部分 but nonetheless have become integral to the nation's cultural identity.
它们是马的后代 They descend from horses
这是第一批欧洲殖民者运来的 that were shipped in with the first European colonists
还有淘金热期间使用的马车 and carthorses used during the gold rush.
他们的祖先都是由丛林居民和骑兵、 Their ancestors were ridden by bushrangers and troopers,
由饲养员、探险家和拓荒者带来的 by stockmen, explorers and pioneers.
甚至还有一个野生的野马群 There is even one wild herd of brumbies
他的祖先在两次世界大战中英勇地运送士兵 whose forebears carried soldiers gallantly through both World Wars.
数量接近一百万， Numbering close to a million,
这些雄伟的骏马提供了持久的 these majestic steeds provide an enduring tangible link
同这个国家疯狂的殖民历史相联系 to the nation's wild colonial past.
150年来， For 150 years,
这些brumbies一直在高地自由漫游， these brumbies have been roaming free in the high country,
时而在变幻莫测的夏季森林大火中幸存 alternately surviving the vagaries of summer bushfires
还有冬天的暴风雪 and winter's bitter blizzards.
他们在干旱的澳大利亚也有自己的生活 They hold their own in arid Australia too.
但是忍受恶劣环境所带来的好处 But the prize for enduring all that harsh environment has to offer
另一种非本地动物，骆驼 goes to another non-native animal, the camel.
19世纪40年代，骆驼被引入这里 Camels were introduced here in the 1840s
来自印度、阿拉伯和阿富汗 from India, Arabia and Afghanistan
帮助殖民者探索澳大利亚内陆 to assist the colonists in their exploration of Australia's inland.
但是当机动交通进入内陆地区时 But when motorised transport found its way into the outback
骆驼不再需要了， and the camels were no longer needed,
数千只被放归野外 thousands were released into the wild.
由于没有天敌，它们繁衍生息 With no natural predators, they flourished.
它们现在形成了地球上最大的骆驼群， They now form the largest herd of camels on Earth,
数量接近一百万 with their numbers nudging a million.
单峰骆驼， The dromedary, or one-humped camel,
原产于中东和非洲之角， is native to the Middle East and Horn of Africa,
在那里它被驯养了3500年 where it's been domesticated for 3,500 years.
贝都因部落传统上使用骆驼进行运输和贸易 Bedouin tribes have traditionally used camels for transport and trade.
骆驼能在没有水的情况下行走数百公里 The camel's ability to travel hundreds of kilometres without water
最好的记录 is well documented.
与大多数四足动物不同， Unlike most four-legged animals,
他们同时在身体一侧移动双腿， they move both legs on one side of their body at the same time,
让他们的步态像船一样摇摆， giving their gait a rolling motion not dissimilar to that of a boat,
这也是他们经常被提及的原因之一 which is one reason why they are often referred to
作为“沙漠之船” as 'the ships of the desert'.
大的 厚厚的脚垫帮助它们抵御炎热的流沙 Big, thick foot pads help them withstand the hot, shifting sands
或者世界上大部分沙漠地区典型的岩石地形 or rocky terrain typical in most of the world's desert regions.
他们有第三个透明的眼睑 They have a third transparent eyelid
还有两排睫毛来保护他们的眼睛 and two rows of eyelashes to protect their eyes
可以闭上鼻孔阻止沙子进入 and can close their nostrils to stop sand from getting in
当风把它吹得非常狂乱 when the wind is whipping it into a frenzy.
它们的嘴唇又大又硬，不受多刺植物的影响 Their lips are big and tough and impervious to the prickly vegetation
通常生长在沙漠中 that typically grows in a desert.
他们不需要流汗 And they don't need to sweat
直到他们的体温达到41摄氏度， until their body temperature reaches 41 degrees Celsius,
有效地保存他们消耗的任何液体 effectively conserving any fluids they consume
很长一段时间 for long periods of time.
当他们喝水时，他们会津津有味地喝， When they do drink, they do so with gusto,
像海绵一样吸水， soaking up water like a sponge,
在13分钟内将135公升的水灌下 downing 135 litres in 13 minutes flat.
与一个古老的信念相反， Contrary to an age-old belief,
骆驼的驼峰不储水， camels do not store water in their humps,
他们的脂肪组织储存库 their reservoirs of fatty tissue
当这些资源稀缺时，水和能源的来源 a source of water and energy when these resources are scarce.
随着脂肪的消耗，骆驼的驼峰会变得非常松软， As that fat depletes, a camel's hump can become quite floppy,
可以确信，它的状况正在恶化 a sure sign it's losing condition.
大多数生活在雪地里的动物在冬天都过得很艰难， Most animals living in the snow have a tough time during winter,
忍受着暴风雪和营养食物的匮乏 enduring snowstorms and a scarcity of nutritious food.
但是下北半岛上的日本猕猴 But the Japanese macaques on the Shimokita Peninsula
在本州岛上 on the island of Honshu
猕猴学会了如何相对舒适地度过冬天 have learnt how to ride out the winter in relative comfort.
这是一个很明显的猴子看，猴子做的实例， It's a clear case of monkey see, monkey do,
对于这些猕猴的祖先 for the ancestors of these macaques
被认为模仿了人类的行为 are thought to have mimicked human behaviour
去泡温泉 in taking to the hot springs
来缓解冬天的寒冷 for a measure of respite from the chills of winter.
游泳池的规则似乎每天都在变化，群体也在变化 The pool rules seem to vary from day to day and from group to group.
有时你会看到一群安静的猴子 Sometimes you'll see a sedate gathering of monkeys
像聪明的老和尚一样平静地走上水面 calmly taking to the water like wise old monks.
在其他时候，这一切都有点不那么有序和平静 And at other times, well, it's all a little less ordered and serene.
日本猕猴需要对食物有广泛的品味 Japanese macaques need to have a broad taste in food
为了在这里生存 in order to survive here.
他们会吃任何能找到的东西， They will eat almost anything they can find,
包括200多种不同的水果和种子、昆虫 including over 200 different fruits and seeds, insects
有时甚至是土壤 and even sometimes soil.
但这是他们在沐浴活动中的品味 But it's their taste in bathing activities
这使它们区别于地球上所有其他的极端动物 that sets them apart from all the other extreme animals on Earth.
动物可以在各种极端环境中生存- Animals can survive in all manner of extreme environments -
在酷热、严寒和完全黑暗中 in intense heat, in severe cold and in complete darkness.
世界各地的洞穴都藏有生物 Caves all over the planet harbour creatures
它们进化到了一个无光的世界 that have evolved to survive in a lightless world.
长鳍鳗鱼依靠嗅觉寻找食物 Longfin eels rely on their sense of smell to find food
蝙蝠在白天洞穴般的栖息地里进进出出 and bats find their way in and out of their cavernous daytime roosts
使用回声定位 using echolocation.
选择世界上最极端的动物是一个艰难的决定 It's a tough call, choosing the world's most extreme animal
利用地下栖息地提供的保护 taking advantage of the protections such subterranean habitats afford.
但就遭遇而言，很少有生命能与萤火虫相提并论 But as far as encounters go, few hold a candle to the glow-worm.
这些奇异的生命形式只存在于南半球 These bizarre lifeforms only exist in the Southern Hemisphere
这是见证他们辉煌的最令人惊叹的地方之一 and one of the most amazing places to witness them in all their glory
是新西兰北岛的怀托莫洞穴 is Waitomo Caves in the North Island of New Zealand.
进入这个精致洞穴系统的方法本身就是一种冒险， The ways into this exquisite cave system are adventures in themselves,
漂浮在一些更大的洞穴中 floating through some of the larger caverns
在充气的汽车轮胎内胎上 on an inflated car tyre inner tube
或者使用更传统的技术 or employing the more traditional techniques
供职业洞穴探险者使用 used by professional cavers.
不管怎样，萤光虫显示屏都是值得努力的 Either way, the glow-worm displays are worth the effort.
当数以百万计的动物聚集在一起， When millions of these animals get together,
结果真是出人意料- the result is truly out of this world -
一个由萤火虫组成的空灵星系 an ethereal galaxy of glow-worms.
萤火虫其实不是虫子，而是蛆， Glow-worms are not actually worms, rather they are maggots,
小苍蝇的幼虫期 the larval stage of a small fly.
幼虫这样生活大约六到九个月， The larvae live like this for about six to nine months,
在变成没有嘴巴和胃的成年虫之前， before transforming into adults that, lacking mouths and stomachs,
只能活三天 will only live for three days.
它们成年后的唯一目的是在死前繁殖 Their sole purpose as adults is to reproduce before they die.
然而，小萤火虫的生活就是吃东西 The life of a young glow-worm, however, is all about eating
这是一个巨大的合作陷阱 and this is one big cooperative trap.
每盏灯都是一只幼虫 Each light is a single larva.
幼虫粪便中的化学反应会导致生物发光 A chemical reaction in the larva's faeces causes the bioluminescence.
幼虫的皮肤是半透明的， The skin of the larva is translucent,
因此，光线从动物的肠道内照射进来 so the light shines through from inside the animal's intestine.
成千上万的灯光吸引着成千上万的昆虫， Thousands of lights together attract thousands of insects,
比如这些穴居蛾 such as these cave-dwelling moths.
每只萤火虫都悬挂着一条长而粘的线，就像钓鱼线一样 Each glow-worm dangles a long, sticky thread that acts like a fishing line.
当昆虫被灯光吸引时，它们会被缠住并被困住 When insects are drawn to the lights, they become entangled and trapped.
这对虫子来说是个坏消息 It's bad news for the bugs
但从天上为萤火虫而来的天赐食粮 but manna from heaven for the glow-worm.
科尔斯发生了好事 Good things are happening at Coles.
澳大利亚内陆是一个严酷而无情的环境 Outback Australia is a harsh and unforgiving environment...
到处都是能很好地适应外来的变幻莫测的小生物 full of small creatures that have adapted well to its alien vagaries...
刺状的三齿稃和无尽的风棱石平原 to the spiky spinifex and endless gibber plains
这并不能给人一种非常友好的感觉 that don't exactly give off a very welcoming vibe.
这是世界上有居住者的最干燥的大陆， It's the driest inhabited continent in the world,
三分之二的大陆被划分为干旱或半干旱地区 with two-thirds of the mainland classified as arid, or semi-arid.
其中很多地方都是珠光宝气和鳞状皮肤的主要栖息地 And much of it is prime habitat for the beady-eyed and scaly-skinned.
澳大利亚的爬行动物数量比地球上任何其他国家都多- Australia harbours more reptiles than any other country on Earth -
超过900种本土物种，包括世界上许多最致命的蛇 over 900 native species, including many of the world's deadliest snakes.
这是内陆眼睛属科大班蛇，世界上最厉害的蛇 This is the inland taipan, the most potent snake in the world.
如果是打老鼠， If it were to strike a rat,
它会注入比必要时致命4万倍的毒液- it would inject a venom 40,000 times more lethal than necessary -
终极的杀伤力 the ultimate overkill.
猎物死得很快，几乎没有抵抗力， The prey dies very quickly, with little resistance,
因此，大班岛受伤的风险降到了最低 so the risk of injury to the taipan is minimised.
大班人可以生活在几乎没有其他动物可以生活的地方， The taipan can live where almost no other animals can,
躲在裂缝里 hiding in cracks and crevices.
它们可以在没有任何植被的情况下生存 They can survive with no plant cover whatsoever.
他们有一个聪明的沙漠适应 And they have a clever desert adaptation.
它们会随着季节而改变颜色， They change colour according to the season,
在夏天用淡奶油反射热量 from a light cream to reflect heat during the summer
为了在冬天吸收热量，把它变成深棕色 to a dark brown for absorbing heat in the winter.
澳大利亚所有毒蛇中最大的是马尔加蛇， The largest of all of Australia's venomous snakes is the mulga snake,
或者褐色王蛇 or king brown.
褐色王蛇成功地与其他沙漠蛇竞争 King browns compete successfully with other desert snakes
通过选择不同的食物来源 by choosing a different food source.
虽然大多数蛇捕食小型哺乳动物， While most snakes prey on small mammals,
褐色王蛇专门吃其他爬行动物- king browns specialise in eating other reptiles -
蛇、蜥蜴甚至它们自己的血肉 snakes, lizards and even their own flesh and blood.
攻击时，他们会使劲咬， When attacking, they bite down hard,
咀嚼以注入越来越多的毒液 chewing to inject more and more venom.
褐色王蛇赢得了国际奖项 The king brown wins the international prize
因为它是世界上毒液产量最高的蛇 for having the highest venom output of any snake in the world.
虽然大多数蛇都会逃跑，而不是冒着被攻击的风险， While most snakes will escape rather than risk an attack,
有一种动物喜欢静静地不动 there's one species that prefers to sit motionless
当它听到有响动的时候 when it hears someone coming.
炼狱蝰蛇 The death adder.
像所有的蛇一样，它们对我们作为猎物不感兴趣 Like all snakes, they're not interested in us as prey
但粗心大意的丛林步行者可能会因为不小心站在一根树枝上而被咬伤 but unwary bushwalkers may get bitten by accidentally standing on one.
这些蛇有世界上最长的毒牙 These snakes have the longest fangs in the world.
他们是伏击捕食者，所以他们的伪装非常出色 They are ambush predators, so their camouflage is excellent.
死亡加法器很容易识别 Death adders are easy to identify.
它们又矮又矮， They are short and squat,
有明显的斑纹和三角形的头部 with striking markings and a triangular head.
尾巴末端迅速变细，颜色也不同， The end of their tail tapers quickly and is a different colour,
死亡加法器用它作为诱饵 which the death adder uses as a lure.
蝰蛇模仿蠕虫的运动，吸引猎物 Mimicking the movement of a worm, the adder attracts prey
通过扭动尾巴，直到好奇心把潜在的猎物吸引得足够近 by wriggling its tail until curiosity draws potential prey close enough
打击 to strike.
尽管它看起来像蛇，但它也是澳大利亚最快的蛇 Despite its appearance, this is also the fastest snake in Australia.
最可怕的蛇之一 One of the most fearsome-looking
然而澳大利亚沙漠中的无害爬行动物 yet harmless reptiles in the Australian desert
是个多刺的魔鬼样蜥蜴 is the thorny devil.
它很小但很极端， It is small but extreme,
尤其是在吃什么和喝什么的时候 particularly when it comes to what it eats and how it drinks.
多刺的蜥蜴只有20厘米长 Thorny devils are only around 20cm long
它们只吃蚂蚁 and they dine exclusively on ants.
它们多刺的皮肤对许多潜在的捕食者是一种威慑 Their thorny skin is a deterrent to many potential predators
但更不可思议的是，它能帮助多刺蜥蜴饮水 but more incredibly, helps a devil to drink.
他们可以站在水坑里，把液体引上坡 They can stand in a puddle of water and channel the liquid uphill
通过鳞片之间的凹槽进入它们的嘴里 into their mouths via the grooves between their scales.
这是一个聪明的挑战地心引力的适应性 This clever gravity-defying adaptatio
让多刺蜥蜴重新水化 allows thorny devils to rehydrate
他们的眼睛没有离开天空， without taking their eyes off the skies,
空中掠食者在那里觅食 where aerial predators are hunting for a meal.
他们用来避免被吃掉的另一个策略是看起来像一片叶子， Another tactic they use to avoid being eaten is to look like a leaf,
来回摇晃，好像在微风中吹拂 rocking back and forth as if it were blowing in the breeze.
多刺蜥蜴也有一块骨头，或假头， The thorny devil also has a bony mass, or false head,
在它真正的上面 on top of its real one.
如果受到威胁，多刺蜥蜴会把真正的头藏在两腿之间 If threatened, the devil tucks its real head between its legs
所以假头被暴露了， so the fake head is exposed,
使蜥蜴看起来更大，因此更难吞咽 making the lizard look bigger and thus more difficult to swallow.
这样，聪明的多刺蜥蜴就有机会再活一天 In doing so, the clever thorny devil has the chance to live another day
在这种极端敌对的环境中， in this extremely hostile environment,
控制蚂蚁数量 keeping ant populations in check.
说到空中捕食， When it comes to aerial predation,
安第斯秃鹰属于自己的联盟 the Andean condor is in a league of its own.
几乎是大峡谷的两倍深， Nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon,
科尔卡位于秘鲁安第斯山脉的中心 Colca is in the heart of the Andes in Peru.
水从山上落下 Waters cascading down the mountains
在大地上刻下了这道不可思议的鸿沟 have carved this incredible chasm in the earth.
这是一个极端的环境 It is an extreme environment
一只真正了不起的秃鹫的领地 and the domain of one truly remarkable vulture.
安第斯秃鹰的翼展可以从翼尖到翼尖达到3米 Andean condors have a wingspan that can reach 3m from tip to tip.
最高体重超过15公斤， With a top weight of over 15 kilos,
这是世界上最大的飞鸟 this is the largest flying bird in the world.
尽管秃鹰的身体很重，但它们似乎几乎不费吹灰之力就能飞起来， Despite their heavy bodies, condors seem to fly almost without effort,
几乎没有拍动翅膀 barely flapping their wings.
每只鸟都被强烈的气流所携带 Each bird is being carried by the strong air currents
由深峡谷和周围岩石产生 generated by the deep canyon and surrounding rocks.
秃鹰是滑翔机而不是飞翔 Condors are gliders rather than flyers.
他们擅长寻找上升的空气流 They are expert at finding rising columns of air
带他们穿过群山 to carry them through the mountains.
它们初生羽毛的微小运动 Tiny movements of their primary feathers
调整秃鹰的爬升和方向 adjust the condor's climb and direction.
秃鹰的视力非常好，总是在寻找食物的迹象 Condors have excellent eyesight, ever on the lookout for signs of a meal.
它们没有很好的装备来自己猎杀， They're not well equipped to do their own killing,
因为它们缺乏鹰和鹰的致命爪子 for they lack the lethal talons of eagles and hawks
可以在瞬间击落猎物 that can bring down prey in a split second.
相反，他们必须清理已经死亡的动物 Instead, they must scavenge for animals that are already dead.
秃鹰是非常干净的动物 Condors are very clean animals.
他们经常梳理羽毛 They're often preening their feathers.
而秃头的进化是为了让它们能深入挖掘尸体 And that bald head has evolved so they can dig deep into carcasses
不会被腐烂的肉覆盖 without getting covered in rotting meat.
科尔卡峡谷陡峭的一侧是理想的筑巢地点 The steep sides of Colca Canyon are ideal nesting sites
对于这些超大号的鸟类来说是完美的发射台 and perfect launchpads for these extremely oversized birds.
尽管他们在空气中优雅， Despite their grace in the air,
秃鹰发现很难从地面起飞， condors find it very hard to take off from the ground,
所以这片土地对我们来说太不适宜居住了 so this terrain that seems so inhospitable to us
是这只真正令人敬畏的鸟的完美家园 is the perfect home for this truly awe-inspiring bird.
南大洋环绕着地球上最干燥的大陆 The Southern Ocean surrounds the driest continent on the planet.
它也是风最大的 It's also the windiest.
浓密冰冷的空气从山上滚落下来 Dense, freezing air rolls down the mountains
时速超过300公里 at speeds of over 300km an hour.
南极洲是一个美丽而神秘的地方 Antarctica is a place of immense beauty and mystery
几乎完全被永久冰覆盖 that's almost completely blanketed in permanent ice.
有些冰差不多有两英里厚 And some of this ice is almost two miles thick
当然，天气非常冷 and, of course, it's extraordinarily cold.
地球上有记录以来的最低温度是零下89.2度 The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was minus 89.2 degrees
在澳大利亚南极地区的沃斯托克 at Vostok in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
即使没有冰，南极洲的大陆也很大， Even without the ice,the continent of Antarctica is big,
比澳大利亚大得多，有超过5000米高的山脉 much larger than Australia, with mountains over 5,000m high.
很少有动物能在这里生存 Very few animals can survive here.
要做到这一点，它们必须进化 To do so, they have had to evolve
一些非常专业的生理机能和行为 some extremely specialised physiologies and behaviours.
海豹、鲸鱼和企鹅都有个体保温 Seals, whales and penguins all have personal insulation
以厚厚的脂肪层的形式称为脂肪 in the form of thick, fat layers known as blubber.
南极适应的最高范例 The supreme example of Antarctic adaptation
是一种不会飞的鸟，重40公斤- is a flightless bird weighing 40 kilos -
帝王般的帝企鹅 the regal-looking emperor penguin.
这是地球上唯一的陆地动物 This is the only land animal on Earth
在南极的冬天繁殖 that breeds during the Antarctic winter.
它有特殊的鼻腔，可以恢复通过呼吸失去的热量 It has special nasal chambers that recover heat lost through breathing
甚至它的血管也在循环热量 and even its blood vessels recycle heat
通过紧密地结合在一起 by aligning themselves close together.
但这只坚忍的鸟最惊人的特征 But the most amazing feature of this stoic bird
是它美妙的社交行为 is its wonderful social behaviour.
帝企鹅以其巨大的靠拢而闻名， Emperor penguins are famous for their enormous huddles,
有时多达20万只 sometimes as big as 200,000 individuals.
令人惊讶的是，接近这些群体的中心的温度 Amazingly, the temperature close to the centre of these groups
可以是温暖的24摄氏度 can be a balmy 24 degrees Celsius.
幸运的是，对于外面的企鹅来说， Fortunately, for the penguins on the outside,
整个团队都在不断移动 the entire group is constantly moving.
就这样，每只企鹅都能忍受寒风 In this way, every penguin enduring the icy winds
最终会循环到中间 will eventually cycle into the middle.
这种行为更加引人注目 This behaviour is made all the more remarkable
因为每只动物都在用脚平衡一个蛋 by the fact that each animal is balancing an egg on its feet.
如果蛋与冰长时间接触， If the eggs make prolonged contact with the ice,
里面的小企鹅会冻死 the chick inside will freeze to death.
有六种海豹生活在这些水域 There are six species of seal living in these waters
它们都是大型食肉动物 and all of them are large carnivores.
最令人恐惧的是水下速度 The most feared is designed for underwater speed
还有致命的长犬齿- and has lethally long canine teeth -
豹纹海豹 the leopard seal.
这些动物很大， These animals are huge,
雌性体长3.5米，体重500公斤 with females reaching 3.5m in length and weighing 500 kilos.
豹纹海豹独自生活和旅行 Leopard seals live and travel alone.
它们吃企鹅和其他海豹，还有鱼和鱿鱼 They eat penguins and other seals, as well as fish and squid
人们知道它们会猎杀人类 and they've been known to hunt humans.
除了致命的严寒， Apart from the lethal cold,
豹形海豹是人类最大的危险 the leopard seal is the greatest danger to people
在南极洲生活或旅行 living or travelling through Antarctica.
威德尔海豹几乎和豹子一样大 The Weddell seal is almost the same size as the leopard
但它有一个小脑袋，小嘴巴和一个平静的性质 but it has a small head, small mouth and a placid nature.
这里最大最有名的海豹群 The biggest and most well-known colonies of seals down here
要么是象海豹，要么是南极毛皮海豹 are either elephant seals or Antarctic fur seals.
两个社会都由雌性的后宫组成 Both societies consist of a harem of females
还有一个非常有侵略性的雄性 and one very aggressive dominant male.
与北半球海豹不同， Unlike Northern Hemisphere seals,
所有南极物种在陆地上都没有天敌 all Antarctic species have no natural predators on land
并表现出对我们的好奇，就像我们对他们一样 and appear as curious about us as we are of them.
极端动物通常生活在极端环境中 Extreme animals often live in extreme environments...
那些似乎对生命毫无益处的地方 places that appear to be anything but conducive to life.
他们的许多行为和适应都不可信 Many of their behaviours and adaptations defy belief...
以及他们应对边缘生活的方式 and the way they cope with living life on the edge
激发我们的尊重和惊奇感 inspires our respect and sense of wonder.
无论他们生活在世界的顶端还是底端 Whether they live at the top or the bottom of the world
或者介于这些地理极端之间的某个地方 or somewhere in between those geographic extremes...
他们显然赢得了自己的位置 they have clearly earned their place
世界上最伟大的动物之一 among the greatest animals readily encountered in the world.
机翻粗校 chenym Captioned by Ai-Media.tv