01x25 - Mimic

[bunniefuu]

Hi, I'm Martin.
And I'm Chris.

We're the Kratt Brothers.

So which one
is safe to step over?

The same one
that's safe to pick up.

But which one is that?

The one
that's not venomous.

But which one?

What we've got here is--

BOTH:
A snake standoff!

One of these snakes
is completely harmless.

The other
is extremely venomous.

But it's hard to tell
which is which.

That's because the harmless one
looks like the dangerous one.

So the snake's predators

will think twice
about trying to eat it

because they'll fear
a deadly bite.

But it's a trick!

Because the harmless one
has no venom in its bite.

And that trick,
when a harmless animal

looks like a dangerous one,
is called...

BOTH:
Mimicry.

But if you learn
a lot about snakes,

you can tell the differences
between the two.

They both have colored bands
down their backs.

But the bands are
a different color pattern.

The venomous snake,
the broad banded copperhead,

has tan and copper bands,

and a triangular head.

And the non-venomous,
or harmless,

gray-banded kingsnake,
it has gray and orange bands,

and a head that smoothly goes
into its body.

Nice move!
You picked the right one.

Yeah!

By understanding creatures,

we can all get along.

And there's another really cool
type of mimicry

that no one ever gets a chance
to see in action.

You mean,
the one with the cheetah?

Yeah.

Oh, imagine
if we could check out

the cheetah's mimicry
in action!

BOTH:
What if?

♪ On adventure with
the coolest creatures ♪

♪ From the oceans
to the trees ♪

♪ The Brothers Kratt are going
places you never get to see ♪

♪ Hanging with
their creature friends ♪

♪ Get ready, it's the hour ♪

♪ We're gonna save
some animals today with ♪

♪ Creature Power ♪

♪ Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts ♪

♪ Gonna go wild, wild,
Wild Kratts ♪

♪ Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts ♪

♪ Gonna go wild, wild, wild ♪

♪ Cheetah speed
and lizard glide ♪

♪ Falcon flight
and lion pride ♪

♪ Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts ♪

♪ Gonna go wild, wild,
Wild Kratts ♪

♪ Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts ♪

♪ Gonna go wild, wild,
Wild Kratts ♪

♪ Go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪

♪

Shh.

(Gasping)
(Honking)

Oh!

This is not the place to play
Extreme Hide and Seek.

Told you you can't hide
on the African savannah.

Maybe you can't hide
in the African savannah.

(Laughing)
Get off me!

It's a wide-open landscape
out here.

And this time of year,
the grass is so short,

trees few and far between,
there's nowhere to hide.

Huh?

Martin? Martin?

MARTIN:
Be the rock.

What? Where?

Right under
your feet!

Now, that's hiding!

Only you
can mimic a rock.

Thanks, bro.

Huh?

(Blowing)

Whoa! Whoa!

Whoa!

(Laughing)

Look!
I'm petting a bee.

Gotcha!

At first glance,
it looks like a bee,

but this is a fly.

See? No stinger.

But it has the same
colors and stripes as a bee.

Fly, bee, fly, bee.

Amazing.

It looks like, or mimics,
a bee, to give it protection,

because most birds
don't eat bees.

Just like the milksnake
mimics the colors

of the North American
coral snake,

because the coral snake
is poisonous,

and predators
know to avoid it.

Mimicry
is all around us.

Hey, let's see what other mimics
we can find in Africa.

(Chirping)

Or go bird watching.

(Gasping)

That's no bird,
that's a--

BOTH:
Cheetah!

(Chirping)

It's so weird to see
a big cat chirp.

That's not just
any cheetah.

BOTH:
That's Blur!

Our cheetah buddy from
the last time we were in Africa.

When Aviva
raced her cheetah racer

against the Zach
terrain vehicle.

(Rustling)

BOTH:
Aww.

Cute!
Cute!

I don't believe it!

When did Blur have a cub?

From the looks of him,
I'd say about seven weeks ago,

because he still has that
black and white coloring on top.

Oh, I've got to come up with
a special name for him.

Aww.

What does she see
out there?

I don't know.

But her black eye stripes

are absorbing
the sun's glare

so she can see
when it's bright.

Oh, wait.
I've got just the thing.

Here it is.

My black baseball grease.

When I spread it on to my eyes
in the cheetah's eye stripes,

it gives me
the cheetah power

to look out on to
the bright savannah and see...

A lion!

Lions are always trying
to take out cheetahs.

Lions see the cheetah
as competition,

and they'll k*ll a cheetah
or even a cheetah cub

any chance they get.

(Chirping)

That chirp means "hide".

A special chirp
for each command.

Now Blur is going out
to distract the lion.

She's trying to lead the lion
away from little--

Oh! What am I going
to call him?

(Growling)

Now, that is one clever way
to avoid predators,

cheetah-style!

♪

Oh, I spot speed.

A light, lean,
running machine.

Ooh, here's my chance to update
and improve my cheetah racer.

Bring up the cheetah racer.

Hmm.

Blur lures away lions
with her cheetah speed

to keep her cub safe,

because little cubs
can't run fast yet.

Check out
the racing stripe!

Black fur on his back with
a white stripe down the middle.

I wonder why
a cheetah cub has that,

and his mom doesn't?

Hey, where is his mom?

I'll use my cheetah vision
to find her.

There she is!

Here we go,
a cheetah hunt.

She has to catch a gazelle
to feed her cub.

Whoo! There goes the fastest
land animal on the planet.

At miles per hour!

♪

What about that one?

(Trumpeting)

Too gray and wrinkly.

Boring.

Oh, there's another.

Too many stripes.
I'm getting dizzy!

Ooh, how about that one?

Too tan and hairy.

None of this will work for
my line of safari winter wear.

Hmm? Stop the car!

That's it! Spots and speed,
spectacular!

AVIVA:
Look at those crazy turns!

My cheetah racer
has to turn like that.

Blur has to catch him fast,
or she'll run out of energy.

Yeah, this wild cat can only
run at top speed for yards.

Or seconds.

Before
she's totally exhausted.

(Gasping)

Oh, just missed.

And now she can't
run fast at all,

and is really vulnerable
to predators like--

The lion!

Uh-oh.
Where's the lion?

Phew.
He's walking away.

Well, that's good.

But I meant, really
vulnerable to predators like

Donita Donata!

Blur, look out!

I don't know much
about nature,

but I do know one thing
about cheetahs:

once they've run,
they're done.

Blur!

No!

We've got to save Blur!

BOTH:
The the creature rescue!

Aviva, what have you got
that can help us

catch up with Donita?

Something fast! Donita's
headed towards her jet!

How about the cheetah racer
I've been tuning up?

Perfect!

Powering up teleporter.

Hold it!

What about
what's-his-name?

Who's
"what's-his-name"?

What's-his-name!
The one without a name.

The cheetah cub!

He's all alone
in the grass,

with a lion lurking around,
plus who know what else!

We spotted hyenas,
who hunt alone or in packs.

Leopards,
the stealth hunters.

Just like the lions,
these super predators

will eliminate the competition
any chance they get.

And that includes
k*lling a cheetah cub

if they find him.

We can't leave little
what's-his-name alone.

Well, then we've got
to split up!

I'll go after Blur.

And I'll protect
the cheetah cub,

and give him a name.

Now are you ready for it?

One three.

BOTH:
One, two, three.

To the creature rescue!

Got to make sure
he's still okay!

How's it going
with the cheetah racer?

Ready!

Okay, Jimmy, go!

Locking coordinates.

And energize.

Donita's
almost at her jet.

Yeah, but she's going slow
over this rough terrain.

At top cheetah speed,

you'd still
have a chance to catch her.

But hurry.

Now, this is the way
cheetah like to travel:

on flat land and fast!

Whoo-hoo!

Ah!

Yeah!

Hey, Aviva,
you really captured

the natural magic
of the cheetah!

Ha-ha! Whoo!

I've only got a few more seconds
at top speed.

Kick it.
Maximum cheetah velocity!

No!

Don't villains
ever just walk?

Hey, I like my gig, hanging out
with the cheetah cub.

Oh, this is going to be easy
and fun!

Hey, and it would be great

to have a cheetah creature
power suit.

Then I could really
play with you.

(Laughing)

I've been working on it.

Are you almost done?

Because I might need it
really soon to protect the cub.

Now we've got a lion
and hyenas on the prowl.

Comin' atcha, Jimmy Z!

Locking coordinates.
Energize.

Comin' at you, Martin.

(Laughing)

Are you going to be able
to touch the cheetah?

Martin, I said,
"Can you touch the cheetah?"

Easy!

(Laughing)

It tickles!

Activate
creature power suit!

(Laughing)

He's swatting spots.

That's it!

Spot swat.

Your name
is "Spot Swat"!

Oh, yeah!

Protecting the cheetah cub
with cheetah power!

Come on, Spot Swat,
let's move a little farther away

from the hyena clan.

Oh, I mean.

(Chirping)

(Chirping)

Oh, yeah!

I have the "follow me"
cheetah chirp down.

Spot on!

(Chirping)

DONITA:
Its hissing is so unpleasant.
Put it in suspended animation.

Oh, no.
Please don't tell me

she wants to do some big
fashion line with the cheetahs.

They're one of the most
endangered mammals in the world.

Throw it
over your shoulders.

Hmm. Now wrap it around you
like you mean it.

It's not right.

Something is missing.

Something must
bring it all together.

Try some hats.

No.

No.

No.

No!

Sketch pad!

No, no, no.
Something cozy, fluffy.

A cheetah cub hat.

CHRIS:
Oh, no.

Oh, and I know
just how to get one.

Dabio,
let's have lunch.

But I lunched already,
Donita.

Two bull sausages,
four elephant ribs,

five buffalo burgers.
Heh, heh. They were good.

Let's have second lunch.

Second lunch!

Oh, goody, goody, goody!

Second lunch
is my favorite lunch.

Let's go, Dabio.

You can leave
the controller.

Okay, Donita.

Hmm.

Second lunch. Oh, yeah.

Okay, here's my chance.

This looks good.

Okay, you grab a nap,
Spot Swat,

and I'll scan the area.

This cheetah eyesight
is amazing.

I can see so far.

Cheetah's have one of
the best long-distance eyesights

of any mammal.

Warthog, yards.

Giraffe, yards.

Rhino at one mile.

Elephants at three miles!

(Growling)

Oh, is little Spot Swat
having a nightmare?

It's okay little--
Ah!

Honey badger!

Ah!

A honey badger
looks like a cheetah cub.

Or a cheetah cub
looks like a honey badger.

Just never
do that again, okay?

Like, never again.

Never, ever again.

(Growling)
Ah!

This cheetah suit's
out of control!

I've heard of
charging rhinos,

but never
anybody charging a rhino.

Whoa!

Ah!

Spot Swat!
There you are.

Oh, I'm just going to have to
remember who's who.

You look almost
exactly the same.

Like they're mimics.

As long as
your heads are down

and you're not snarling.

(Growling)

Oh, come on.
Not again.

I'm not running
this time.

I'm not running.
No way!

Huh?

A black mamba.

Now I know
why it's called that.

Because it's got
a black tongue.

The black mamba's the only
venomous snake in the world

that can rise up high enough to
sink its fangs into your face.

Did I just say
what I think I said?

(Hissing)

Uh, did I ever say protecting
a cheetah cub was easy?

Ah!

Whoa!

Tortuga!
Come in, Tortuga.

We've got a battle here

between a black mamba
and a honey badger,

who is famous for eating
all kinds of venomous snakes.

He eats cobras,

but the black mamba

is the most aggressive snake
in Africa.

And it's a big one.

Okay, Blur.
First I'll get you out of here,

then I'll unfreeze you.

Come on.

Oh, those dewclaws aren't only
good for tripping up gazelles,

but dewclaws are also good
for all-around grabbing.

Come on, let's go.

A stole.

Hmm. That could
work too,

with a fluffy little
cheetah cub as a hat.

Now Chris can just lead us
to the cheetah cub.

Ha--

Oof.

(Laughing)
Oh, I'm so clever.

I can't-- I just--

How do you deal with me
every day?

Don't want you running off
in the wrong direction,

but as soon as we get back
to your cub,

I'll press this button
so you can move again.

There he goes.
Follow him.

(Chirping)

(Hissing)

This cheetah cub
is a good listener.

I only had to chirp
"Hide! Get in the grass!" once.

Now I just have to tell him
to stay there.

(Chirping)

Oh, no. He might've taken a hit
from the black mamba.

We need some black mamba
anti-venom fast,

or he might die!

Black mamba anti-venom!

A shot of this should stop
the poison from the black mamba,

if we can get it to him
in time.

Hang in there,
honey badger.

Anti-venom,
coming at you!

Energize!

Anti-venom! Got it!

Uh-oh.

I don't get it.
What's the lion worried about?

(Hissing)

What?
The honey badger's up!

He slept off the venom
himself!

Oh, I heard of that,
but never believed it!

Now, this
is one tough creature.

I know why the cheetah cub
has that black and white back:

to look like a honey badger
in the grass.

The honey badger is so tough
that most of the time,

nobody wants to
mess with him.

So a hiding cheetah cub
looks like a honey badger.

Its looks mimics the way
a badger looks,

so a predator
won't mess with them.

That's mimicry for
cheetah cub survival.

Nature is amazing.

As soon as he leads us
to the cub,

we'll have them both.

Uh-huh.

A hat and stole.

Sensational.

Who stole your hat?

Nobody stole my hat.

I'm going to steal a cheetah cub
to be my hat.

A stole is what
I wrap around my shoulders.

Huh?
Just keep driving.

Chris!
Way to pull off the rescue.

Yeah! I sneaked in,
grabbed the cheetah

and Donita's controller,

so now we can un-freeze Blur
by pushing this button.

DONITA:
Did you think I would leave
my controller lying around?

I gave you a fake,
a decoy.

A knockoff.

A mimic.

Yes. I have
the authentic controller.

Not a step further, or
I'll freeze you in your tracks.

Now, which one of these
fluffy cubs do I want?

Okay, Donita,
take one!

What?

If you have the mother,
you should have the cub.

A matching set,
I get it.

Just leave us the bigger,
fluffier one.

Whatever you do, please
don't take the bigger, softer,

most beautiful one.

Grab the bigger, softer,
most beautiful one.

Let's go.

Ah, Martin,
what did you do?

Why did you just hand over
the cheetah cub?

I didn't. There's Spot Swat,
the cheetah cub.

But then--?

Wait for it,

wait for it.

(Screaming)

(Laughing)

DONITA:
Get out of my hair!

DABIO:
Not my favorite t-shirt!

(Screaming)

(Laughing)

What Donita took
wasn't a cheetah cub.

Donita was fooled
by nature,

by mimicry.

What looked like a cheetah cub
was really...

A honey badger! Wow!

Now, that is mimicry
in action.

Okay, Blur, now let's
bring you back to life.

Doesn't get any cuter
than this.

Hey, honey badger,

want another toy
to play with?

He's kind of cute too.

In a ferocious "don't mess
with me or I'll destroy you"

kind of way.

Oh, yeah. Honey badgers
and cheetahs--

Living free
and in the wild!

(Gasping)

Hey!
That's my line.

Hmm. I'm going to name you
"Mutton Head."

You just named yourself
"Mutton Head."

You just named yourself
"Mutton Head."

ALL:
Mimicry.

Stop mimicking me.

Stop mimicking me.

(Laughing)

MARTIN:
Mimicry is an amazing
phenomenon of nature,

and it's everywhere.

Yeah, mimics!

Even in your own backyard,

you can find butterflies
that are mimics.

Hey, Chris,
I found something!

It looks like we have
two Monarch butterflies here.

They both look
really similar.

One of these
is a Monarch butterfly,

which is poisonous,
and birds do not like to eat it.

The other butterfly
is not poisonous,

and it's not a monarch.

Do you know
which is which?

This is a Monarch,

and this is a faker,
a mimic.

The viceroy butterfly,

looks like
a Monarch butterfly

so that birds won't try
to eat it.

To see the difference
between the two,

you have to
look closely.

The Monarch butterfly is bigger,
the viceroy is smaller,

and the viceroy
has this extra black line

that runs along
the bottom of the wing.

But the viceroy
looks enough like a Monarch

to fool birds.

Another example
of mimicry in action.

Mimicry is used by lots
of different creatures,

like wasps
and bees that sting,

and harmless flies
that look like bees.

And don't forget snakes,
like the venomous copperhead

being mimicked
by the harmless kingsnake.

Mimicry is an important defense
in the creature world.

But sometimes it can be there
and then disappear.

Like with the cheetah.

This cheetah cub
is six months old,

and he doesn't
need mimicry anymore.

He's lost those
black and white markings

that gave him the disguise
of a honey badger

to fool predators.

Yeah, cheetah cubs only have
the black and gray sides

and the white stripe
down the back

until they're about
two months old.

That's when young cheetah cubs
hide in the grass

while their mom
goes out to hunt.

But when they get bigger,
like this six-month-old,

they don't have to
hunt anymore.

They start joining mom 'cause
they're bigger and stronger,

and they can run.

So their defense changes from
hiding and mimicry to running.

And running comes in pretty
handy when you have lions around

who want to steal
your meal.

Don't get fooled
by Mother Nature,

'cause mimics
are all around us.

Mimics on the ground.

Mimics in the trees.

Mimics in the sky.

We'll see you
on the creature trail.

♪


BOTH:
We'll see you there!