04x03 - Marshmania

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[Allison]
what is that?

[Martin]
we're lost
in the muck!

Chris!

We've got to get
breakfast!

[Chris]
we're looking for
marshland creatures...
And breakfast!

It's a great place!

More stuff's
in that water than
in minestrone soup.

Creatures!

All sorts
of creatures.

[Chris]
we're diving into wetlands,

Taking a close look
at creatures

Great and microscopic...

[Martin]
on this episode
of kratts' creatures!

[Whistle blows]

Iarriba!

Iandale, andale!

[Martin]
what would you like
to order, monsieur?

[Chris]
algae over easy,
hold the plankton.

I'm here in one of the greatest
restaurants in the world--

The marshy wetlands
of virginia!

Look at the rave reviews
it's getting

From local food critics.

All these creatures come
to the wetlands to dine.

They can choose from
a large and varied menu--

Fresh and crispy
cordgrass salads,

Aromatic amphipod soup,

And then that wetland
taste sensation...

Crusty crustacean creole.

Welcome
to chez marsh, sir.

A glass of
our finest for you.

Good year.

Robust nose
and a woody after-bite.

But, waiter--

There's an amphipod
in my water.

Shh! Everyone
will want one!

Here's to the marsh,
the greatest restaurant
in the world.

Here in the creature club,

We've got the sounds
of thousands of creatures.

The problem is,
since my audio program crashed,

It's scrambled
all my audio logs.

I can't tell if I'm accessing
elephants, aardvarks, or--

[Whoosh]

What is that?

Chris? Martin?
You guys there?

We're floating over
the eastern coastline
of the united states...

In a...

[Whoosh]

Hot-air balloon!

It's called
a hot-air balloon

Because every time
martin opens
the blast valve...

The fire heats the air
inside the balloon...

Which makes the air
inside the balloon

Warmer than
the air outside...

And because hot air
rises...

[Whoosh]

So do we.

[Whoosh]

The cool thing
about ballooning

Is that when you're
not blasting heat...

[Shuts burner off]

It's totally quiet,

And you
can hear all sorts
of creatures below.

I think I hear
a bullfrog.

Chris.

[Ssss]

And what's
that other sound?

That's hot air
leaking out of
the balloon.

Going, going...

[Chris]
the trees!

[Martin]
abandon ship!

Whoa!whoa!

Gone.

Ohh!

Man! The night sounds
are great from here.

Yeah,
but where is here?

We'll use the sounds
to figure it out.

I'll program them
into the computer,

Then cross-reference
with the primary audio file.

[Chris]
could you say that
in english?

Bear with me.

This sounds like
a bullfrog...

[Croak]

And this,
a northern
cricket frog.

[Chirp]

What if I put them
both together?

Nattering nocturnals!
What is that sound?

Sorry, ttark. I'm just
trying to figure out
where the guys are.

Frogs and toads both
like marshes, right?

So that means they're
in a wetlands area!

Since the toad I heard

Is found as far north
as maryland and virginia,

Chris and martin
are probably here.

When the sun comes out
over the wetlands...

That's when you see
the marsh creatures
stir into action.

[Martin]
when talking
about wetlands,

We're talking
about marshes,
freshwater swamps,

Saltwater swamps,
brackish waters...

[Chris]
watery habitats
teeming with life.

There is
such a tremendous
abundance of food

That some people
call the wetlands

"The greatest restaurant
in the natural world."

With an abundance
of food

Comes an abundance
of creatures--

Muskrats, voles,
shrews, deer...

Marsh mice, frogs,
raccoons, mink...

And more waterfowl
than you can shake
a feather at.

[Bird calls]

Ah! I love the marsh!

When I was a young ttark,

I knew the marsh story
backwards.

Once upon a time,
about 4,000 million years ago,

The earth was only
water and muck--gotta love it!

Then one day--look out--
volcanic eruption,

Meteor collision.

Talk about a jolt!

Then, when everything settled--
whoa! What's that?

Life! There was life
in that there muck.

Life? What sort
of life?

Life like these things--

Single-celled protozoa,

And from that single,
itty-bitty form of life,

Everything else evolved,
until eventually--ta-da!

Now, that's what I call evolving
in the right direction.

[Chris]
but the story
of the marsh

Is about more than just
creating life.

It's about supporting it.

Wetlands are
one of the most
important habitats.

They create
a lush environment
for all sorts of life,

From small microorganisms

To large mammals,
like wild ponies,

And everything else
in between.

The joint is jumping
with amphibians,

Like the salamander.

Amphibian means
"double life,"

Which means these creatures
can live both in water...

And on land.

The marsh is a perfect place
for amphibians.

Especially the newt.

A newt is a special
type of salamander

That spends most
of its adult life in the water.

If you look around,

You'll see a couple of them.

Salamanders can be
slippery creatures

When it comes to
tracking them down.

They love to keep low profiles.

They breathe
through their skin.

They keep it moist
by secreting mucus,

Absorbing water,
and hiding out from the sun.

They love
cool, moist places,

Taking cover under
fallen trees, logs, and rocks.

When it comes to protection,

For some salamanders,
defense is only skin-deep.

Some secrete a sticky slime
from their skin

That makes them
really hard to swallow.

When a predator
tries to gobble them,

The slimy stuff sticks
to the predator's throat

And could cause them to choke.

Now, when it comes
to clocking water time,

Most salamanders
have nothing on the siren.

The siren's legs have shrunk
because he doesn't need them.

The siren spends
his whole life in the water,

Foraging at night
for chow-like snails,

Aquatic plants,
and insect larva.

And, hey, speaking of chow...

Chris!

I'm hungry. We've got to get
some breakfast!

Chris!

[Chris]
I found some eggs!

Eggs! As in bacon
and eggs?

I love eggs
for breakfast!

Not those kind
of eggs.
Frogs' eggs.

Oh. Frogs' eggs.
Cool.

Wow, there
are thousands
of them.

[Ttark]


Frogs like big families,
which is one reason

The wetlands are called
nature's nursery--

Because there's more eggs
and babies here

Than almost anywhere else.

Take a look!

[Chris]
those dots
are developing frogs.

It will take 2 to 4 weeks
for them to hatch as...

[Martin]
tadpoles--who then
swim around

For another


Eating algae and
microscopic animals

Before they
fully transform
into frogs.

Toads also lay
their eggs in the water,

And in these waters,
you can find plenty of...

Tadpoles!
But are they frogs or toads?

What do you think?
Hard to tell, isn't it?

Toads and frogs
both lay eggs
in the water,

But how do you tell
their eggs apart?

Frog eggs are like
gobs of jelly
floating on the surface.

Toads lay their eggs
in long, jellylike
strings,

Usually hiding
amongst water plants.

So they're
as different as...

Frog...

From a toad!

Toad.[Low ribbit]

Frog.[High ribbit]

Easy enough to tell
the sounds apart,

But how can you tell
by looking at them?

Like this--
frogs generally have
slender bodies...

While toads
have rounder bodies.

Frogs have smooth,
wet skin.

And north american toads
have dry, bumpy skin.

Frogs have
small teeth...

While toads only have
teeth on the top.

Frogs have long,
powerful legs.

Toads have
short hind legs.

They make little leaps.

Toads can also walk,

But they always look
before they leap.

And frogs leap
before they look.

And that's why
many experts believe

That toads
are smarter than frogs,

While others
think they're just
smarter than chris.

I get the thing
about frogs and toads,

But what about
breakfast?

Don't worry, al.
We just recovered
our supplies.

All right!
Our creature packs.
Where's breakfast?

Here are our maps.

Great.
Where's breakfast?

Creature-vision
goggles.

O.k. Where's
the breakfast?

Creature communicators.
Aren't you glad
we nixed these?

Yeah.
Where's breakfast?

And breakfast!

They're in the biggest
restaurant in the world--

Over 600 billion served!

Hey,
she's right.

There's more food for more
creatures than anywhere else,

And they can't find
anything for humans.

I wouldn't be
so sure.

A lot of the seafood
we eat--like shrimp,
fish, and crabs--

Are born
in the marsh!

All we have to do
is find them.

Hey, mussels!

Somebody's
already been here.

These are empty.

Look at all
these snails.

Escargot?

[Martin]
to a lot of people,

Snails are
a real delicacy.

Some folks love
to slurp up a big,
slimy, salty slug.

[Chris]
once you remove the snail
from its shell,

That's what you get--
a big, slimy, salty slug.

But I wouldn't eat them.

You know, al's right.

The marsh is
a good place for food.

And for
a creature resident,
it's a great place.

Take birds.

You find tons
snapping up food
like fish and crabs.

[Chris]
in fact, this marsh has


Species of birds...

[Martin]
and there's virtually
no end of food

For vegetarians
like horses to chow on.

Creatures like ducks,
rabbits, and beavers

Provide food for
predators like snakes,
raccoons, and foxes.

So it's like
one complete wild
creature community

That's just
pulsating with life.

All these creatures
have found
their own spot

To fill
in the wetland
community.

Food is here
in abundance,

And everybody's
well-equipped
to catch it.

For humans,
finding food
in the wetlands isn't easy.

So if you want to
check out the wetlands,
pack a lunch.

Man, I'm hungry!

Me, too.

Hey!

Wow!

I don't want to eat
a turtle.

[Chris]
we wouldn't eat
these guys,

But creatures
like the heron
do eat baby turtles.

[Martin]
there's
a big variety

Of turtles
to choose from.

Check out
all the kinds.

You've got
all these painted
turtles...

The soft-shell
turtle.

They don't call
this guy "the snapper"
for nothing.

The turtle is
a great example
of a reptile

Who really makes
the most of the wetlands.

[Martin]
they come up on land
to lay eggs...

But they also sunbathe,

Warming up
their cold blood...

But for
the most part,

Marsh turtles
are waterbound,
paddling around,

Chowing down on insects,
crustaceans, snails,
tadpoles, and plants.

But of course,
some people
do eat turtles.

Meat from
the diamondback terrapin

Was once considered
a delicacy.

Which is why
the diamondback was
really endangered.

So it's important
that humans
don't get carried away

When taking food out
of this great natural
restaurant.

Otherwise
we may no longer see

Creatures like
the diamondback terrapin

Swimming through
the wetlands'
murky waters.

That turtle's not just
swimming in the water.

It's paddling through
a whole crowd of creatures.

This may sound gross,

But there's more stuff
in that water

Than in my dad's
minestrone soup.

That's right.

To the naked eye,
this just looks
like mucky water...

But when you put
your creature-vision
goggles on,

You see
what's really there.

Creatures! All sorts
of creatures,

And some
are so small,

They only have
one cell.

[Martin]
magnified
hundreds of times,

These creatures
look amazing.

[Chris]
they're crucial
to the marsh

Because most eat
bacteria and algae.

That means
they actually help
keep the water clean.

They're absolutely awesome.

When we think
of the creature world,

We always think of
the creatures we can see.

There are a ton
of tiny creatures

You can see
only under a microscope.

They look like kids' art.

I don't know
much about art,

But I do know lunch.

It's all part
of the food chain.

Some protozoa eats
stuff in the water

Until something
a little larger
comes along

Which has a taste
for protozoa

And so on...

Yikes!

The food chain
in the marsh
can be rough.

One thing to remember
about nature is
there's a balance,

Like chris and I
are balanced
on this seesaw.

But if something natural
is taken away

Or if something unnatural
is introduced...

[Tarzan yell]

Then the natural balance
is disturbed.

The muskrat is
a perfect example.

This little guy is crucial
to a healthy marsh.

He eats so many plants

That he keeps the waterways from
getting choked by vegetation.

[Chris]
the muskrat
is a rodent,

So he's related to rats,
squirrels, and mice...

[Martin]
but unlike them,
he's an amazing swimmer.

A muskrat can stay
underwater 17 minutes...

But this swimming rodent's
got a lot of predators.

We're talking owls,
foxes, raccoons,
otters, weasels, mink,

Coyotes, snakes,
and bobcats.

Life in the marsh

Sure isn't a cakewalk
for this rodent.

The muskrat does have
a lot of predators
on his tail.

He couldn't have
complaints about food.

The wetlands are full
of food for him to eat

Like cattail stems,
leaves, roots.

If it works
for the muskrat...

How does it taste?

Green. Very green.

The grass isn't that bad.

The real problem is
that we're not true herbivores.

We're omnivores,
like this blue crab.

Blue crabs are amazing!

If he loses one claw,
he grows another.

Weird, huh? Neat, too.

Blue crabs got named for
blue highlights on their shell.

They're a food staple--otters,
birds, raccoons eat them--

But they're most famous
for being

Tough, scrappy
little crustaceans

With powerful,
pinching claws.

Blue crabs are also beneficial
to the balance of the marsh.

They do hunt for food

But also scavenge dead stuff.

They're like
the marsh's cleanup crew.

Crabs are good
at hunting for small fish,

But meet the real hunters
of the marsh--

The herons
and the egrets.

When they start feeding,
it's a frenzy.

These birds have the moves.

With their incredible skill,
it's no surprise

They're among
the wetlands' top predators.

They have a simple process--
stalk and s*ab--

But I guess it's harder
than it looks.

O.k., The guys haven't quite
mastered the heron's technique.

The guys can't
b*at the heron

Because they don't have
her equipment.

She has long, skinny legs
for secretive stalking

And a long, muscular neck
packed with stabbing power.

That's why the heron
catches fish with style.

The guys do have style,

But they're not
catching any fish.

Now we know why
herons and egrets

Are so high
in the food chain.

They're great hunters.

Maybe we should
check out another
marsh habitat

And head for land.

We might find
sika deer.

They always know
where food is.

[Martin]
you see them?

[Chris]
yeah.

[Allison]
you guys found the sika?
Totally cool.

These creatures
are mainly nocturnal,

Which means they operate
at night,

But in the late afternoon--

[Ttark]
hold it!

What are sika doing
in a north american marsh?

Everyone knows
sika deer come from asia.

Sorry, ttark.
You're out of touch.

Do you want
to tell him?

Let's do
a flashback.

Great.
I love those.

[Martin]
back in
the early 1900s,

Someone brought sika
over from asia

And released them
on an island
on chesapeake bay.

[Chris]
they wanted
to hunt them.

But then came
the boy scouts.

They rescued
some of them.

The boy scouts
made some money

By charging people
a quarter
to see the sika.

I bet we'll get an extra badge
for helping the sika.

Nobody else has helped
asian deer before.

I bet we'll be famous.

People will use
flashback effects
to tell our story.

You really think so?

The boy scouts
released them

Here
on assateague
island,

Where they
could survive
in the wild.

But pretty soon
they overpopulated
the whole island.

[Chris]
it's weird that
an exotic creature

From a totally different
part of the world

Could do so well here.

Though the boy scouts
did a good deed,

You should never
introduce exotic animals
into the wild.

There's no question
that the sika population

Has exploded here
in chincoteague,

From about 10
brought by the boy scouts

To around 1,100 today.

A few important features
allowed them to adapt
that well.

First, they can survive
in all types of habitat.

Secondly, they have
none of the internal
parasites

That naturally limit
the whitetail deer
population.

Thirdly,
sikas can breed after
less than one year.

That means
their population
grows fast and furious.

Lastly, the secret
of the sika's
success

Has to do with
what the wetlands
are all about--food.

Sika deer will eat
anything.

Even poison ivy.

Whoa.

The problem is that the sika
are making life difficult

For one natural resident
of the marsh--whitetail deer.

They're competing for food,
and the sika are winning.

The sika eat so many
young, small trees

That when old trees die,

There are no new trees
to replace them.

[Chris]
that's made it tough

For creatures like
the delmarva fox squirrel.

These little guys
are only found on
the delmarva peninsula,

Which lies in delaware,
maryland, and virginia.

Fox squirrels feed on
fruits and seeds.

They make their dens
in trunks of older trees.

As trees are cut down,

The fox squirrels
lose their forest home.

That's why these squirrels,
who were once abundant,

Are now restricted
to smaller, isolated areas

Like the chincoteague
natural reserve.

Even in chincoteague,

This squirrel
is in trouble

Because new trees
aren't growing,

Due to sika deer
eating the saplings.

People are afraid
that the delmarva
fox squirrel

Will disappear.

The numbers of
the delmarva fox
squirrel are so low

They're considered
endangered.

So the natural balance of
the marsh has been thrown off

By the introduction
of a foreign creature.

Remember the importance
of balance?

People throw off the balance
of nature, too.

It isn't like
we go around worrying,

"Got to save
that stinky marsh,"

But everything we do has
an impact on everything else,

And that can put
creatures at risk.

For an example,
take a walk almost anywhere.

That isupsetting
the balance...

And making life
more difficult
for marsh creatures.

A development
like this

Is going to use up
a lot of water

That would normally
flow into the marsh.

Right.
We all know we need

Apartment buildings,
homes, offices,
and industry,

But with a little
careful planning,

We could have
these things

And a home for
our marsh friends.

It's a matter
of balance.

So which way
do you want to go?

Herons and egrets?

[Allison]
so things are looking up.

I've got my files back,

Chris and martin might even
get something to eat,

And I've discovered
that the marsh

Is a vibrant
creature community,

Every part working
in harmony--like music.

[Starts synthesizer]

[Chris and martin]
it's marshmania!

The thing to remember
is that we depend on the marsh

As much as
the marsh creatures do.

All of these
fish and shellfish

Come from
the saltwater marsh.

If we can learn to
take care of the wetlands,

We can have the best
of both worlds.

We get some food to eat,

And a lot of
amazing creatures

To share the planet with.

[Whoosh]