Tiny Creatures (2020) s01e01 Episode Script
Arizona
1
[narrator] Arizona.
Home to America's great Wild West.
Famous for showdowns
between lawmen and bandits,
where legends are made
and only the courageous survive.
Amid this arid landscape,
ferocious creatures
brave this peculiar frontier.
Whether the good,
the bad,
or the mighty,
you must be quick on the draw
-if you hope to survive.
-[rattles]
[coyotes howling]
It's been a long night foraging for food
for this desert-dwelling kangaroo rat.
Busy collecting a bounty
of hundreds of seeds to store
back at her burrow.
Instead of using her paws
to carry the load,
she shovels them into her fur-lined
cheek pouches.
Time to set off home.
Like a tiny kangaroo,
she uses her powerful back legs
to speed through the desert,
while her long tail
helps maintain balance.
Fur on the soles of her feet prevent her
from sinking into the loose earth.
As she arrives back home,
a young kangaroo rat instantly emerges
from the burrow to greet her.
He's been eagerly awaiting
his mother's return.
Any day now, this adolescent
will leave his mother's care
to begin his journey of independence.
Although he longs to explore the world,
he lacks the courage
to take the decisive step.
For now,
this is as far as he's willing to venture
from the security of their burrow.
While the desert is cooler at nighttime,
the dark conceals
some of the toughest characters in town.
Kangaroo rats are surrounded by enemies.
A deadly diamondback rattlesnake
carries enough venom
to kill more than 60,000 mice.
And kangaroo rats
are one of their favorite foods.
The naive young kangaroo rat
still has much to learn,
and he hasn't noticed
the impending danger.
Rattlesnakes strike their prey
faster than the blink of an eye.
The kangaroo rat's mother's worst fear
is unfolding before her very eyes.
She sprints to intercept
the snake's powerful jaws.
In a split second,
the life of the young kangaroo rat
has changed forever.
[rattles]
Now, the lethal rattlesnake
switches its attention.
The juvenile is left with no choice
but to run.
[continues rattling]
Forced to abandon all he knows,
he's pushed out into uncharted territory.
The snake takes over
the kangaroo rats' burrow.
The balance of law and order
has tipped out of the young rat's favor.
Driven by grief and fear,
he's been racing
as fast and as far away as he can.
He's lost the one thing most dear to him.
Having never been away
from his home before,
he's unsure of what to do
or where to go.
The chances of survival
for this naive kangaroo rat look slim.
Summer temperatures in Arizona
can reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
The air is dry, making it hard to breathe.
The burning daylight makes the ground
scorched and unbearable underfoot.
The body of the kangaroo rat
is designed to reduce water loss.
He can perspire only through his feet.
However, he isn't adapted
to stay in the sun for long.
He'll perish if he stays out
for more than an hour.
Seeking shade isn't enough.
He must go underground.
The air inside the tunnel is pungent
but this subterranean shelter
would provide some much-needed relief
from the relentless sunlight.
The dark entices him in.
A foot or two below the hot surface
exists a honeycomb network of tunnels.
It's here many of the desert animals
seek respite from the sun.
But some life has adapted
to thrive above ground.
The seasonal monsoons
of the Sonoran Desert
produce lush pockets of vegetation.
A forest of saguaro cacti.
These giants stand
up to 60 feet tall and weigh
as much as two tons.
Taking advantage of the rich landscape
are lifeforms who appear
as if they are from another time.
Almost prehistoric.
With a keen sense of smell,
this Gila monster
has discovered treasure:
a nest of tortoise eggs
carefully hidden in the sand,
away from the sun's rays.
However, they aren't buried deep enough
to protect them from the Gila monster.
Biting through the shell,
it consumes the contents
with its forked tongue.
Having gorged as much as it can,
the Gila monster
won't need to feed again for months.
The dragon returns to its lair.
Tasting the air,
it's clear it has an unexpected visitor.
[footsteps approach]
Kangaroo rats
are extremely sensitive to vibrations.
And the sound of something approaching
echoes down the chamber.
Slowed down
by the weight of its full belly,
the Gila has little chance
of catching him.
But the Wild West takes no prisoners.
Tarantulas never venture too far
from their burrows,
and this Arizona blond tarantula
is blocking his exit.
He's left with no option
but to try and slip past the Gila monster.
This hero is once again
forced out into the open
and even further away
from the safety of his own home.
Isolated and alone,
he's uncertain of where to go next.
[rumbling]
But there's no time to reflect.
A roaring wall of dust
thunders towards him.
Engulfed in a vicious storm
of desert sand and grit,
he's choked by the plumes of dust.
[engine roars]
[revs]
The surface of the ground
is parched and loose.
The wheels of the bike
easily churn up the dry soil.
Relative to his size,
the kangaroo rat can outmaneuver the bike.
Blinded by a wall of dirt,
he finds his way inside
something dark and protective.
It's not perfect,
but it provides enough shelter
to escape the chaos.
For the first time since leaving home,
he can finally rest.
[gun fires]
He's jolted awake.
A false alarm?
[gun fires]
[gunfire continues]
The youngster finds himself
in the middle of target practice.
This cowboy is an expert marksman.
He takes aim.
Fixated on his target,
he's oblivious of the kangaroo rat
inside one of the old cans.
But a faulty trigger has provided
an opportunity to escape.
Sent into a spin,
the tin can and the kangaroo rat
pick up momentum,
rolling faster and faster
to uncharted territory.
An eerie silence blankets the landscape.
Laid out before him is a creepy spectacle.
Bones of the long-deceased stretch out
as far as he can see
where many have met their end
under the desert sun.
But some of these victims
didn't get here by accident.
[rumbling]
A terrifying raptor,
the Harris's hawk is an expert hunter.
Locking on to its target,
it descends from the sky.
[hawk screeches]
Like a velociraptor,
it stalks its prey on foot.
As the kangaroo rat flees for his life,
the pounding steps of the hawk
shakes the earth beneath his feet.
An attack could come from any angle.
The kangaroo rat
is quickly running out of places to hide.
It's now or never.
[hawk screeches]
Defeated this time,
the hawk gives up the chase and retreats.
The air is cooler now.
The kangaroo rat leaves his hiding place
in search of food.
Individually, these morsels don't carry
many calories,
but consumed in bulk,
they'll sustain him over several days.
Having collected up any bits
he wants to save for later,
he must now find somewhere safe
to store them.
The inside of this shoe looks perfect.
But it's already taken.
This boot isn't big enough
for the both of them.
Confronting the intruder is a scorpion.
Armed with a chemical weapon,
its razor-sharp tail is loaded with venom.
Too frightened to move,
there's no escape
for the young kangaroo rat.
But suddenly, the scorpion retreats.
Silhouetted in the moonlight
stands a mysterious character.
Around these parts, he goes by the name
the scorpion mouse.
The kangaroo rat takes cover.
[howls]
The scorpion mouse
is a fearless predator of the desert,
and it's on the hunt
for its favorite prey.
[squeaks]
These two ancient enemies
lock together in a deadly battle.
Although the scorpion is venomous,
the mouse has evolved
a biological resistance
to its toxic sting.
[scorpion mouse squeals]
Armed with this superpower,
the scorpion mouse isn't afraid of much.
Having witnessed
this true hero of the Wild West,
the kangaroo rat is filled
with an overwhelming urge
to take back what is rightfully his
and confront the thing he fears the most:
the deadly rattlesnake.
It's his home,
and he intends to keep it that way.
Determined not to let his story
from the past dictate his future,
he must face his fears head-on.
Staring darkness in the face,
he bravely passes through the hawk's lair
with a new purpose.
He knows what he must do.
Using himself as bait,
he has the hawk exactly where he wants it.
There is no time to waste.
Finally, he returns home.
Risking his life, he uses
every ounce of courage to venture back.
Luring the snake out of the burrow
he then takes cover to watch
as his plan unfolds.
It's a setup.
[rattles]
Although the rattlesnake
has a deadly bite,
the hawk remains composed.
Standing eye to eye at point-blank range,
the two outlaws size each other up.
[rattles]
It's the ultimate showdown.
[sound of a blade unsheathing]
[rattling]
[hawk screeches]
Driven away
by the formidable Harris's hawk,
the cowardly snake
retreats from the fight.
Banished from this town,
it'll never return.
With the snake gone,
triumphantly this tiny hero
can take back what is rightfully his.
It has taken all his courage
for this young kangaroo rat
to finally face his past.
Like all the animals
that live in this harsh desert,
they must face the impossible to survive.
This shows the true resilience of nature
and its ability to overcome the odds.
Often where there is fear,
there is also opportunity
as this kangaroo rat has discovered.
And now he has begun a new journey:
surviving, and more importantly,
living freely in the great Wild West.
[narrator] Arizona.
Home to America's great Wild West.
Famous for showdowns
between lawmen and bandits,
where legends are made
and only the courageous survive.
Amid this arid landscape,
ferocious creatures
brave this peculiar frontier.
Whether the good,
the bad,
or the mighty,
you must be quick on the draw
-if you hope to survive.
-[rattles]
[coyotes howling]
It's been a long night foraging for food
for this desert-dwelling kangaroo rat.
Busy collecting a bounty
of hundreds of seeds to store
back at her burrow.
Instead of using her paws
to carry the load,
she shovels them into her fur-lined
cheek pouches.
Time to set off home.
Like a tiny kangaroo,
she uses her powerful back legs
to speed through the desert,
while her long tail
helps maintain balance.
Fur on the soles of her feet prevent her
from sinking into the loose earth.
As she arrives back home,
a young kangaroo rat instantly emerges
from the burrow to greet her.
He's been eagerly awaiting
his mother's return.
Any day now, this adolescent
will leave his mother's care
to begin his journey of independence.
Although he longs to explore the world,
he lacks the courage
to take the decisive step.
For now,
this is as far as he's willing to venture
from the security of their burrow.
While the desert is cooler at nighttime,
the dark conceals
some of the toughest characters in town.
Kangaroo rats are surrounded by enemies.
A deadly diamondback rattlesnake
carries enough venom
to kill more than 60,000 mice.
And kangaroo rats
are one of their favorite foods.
The naive young kangaroo rat
still has much to learn,
and he hasn't noticed
the impending danger.
Rattlesnakes strike their prey
faster than the blink of an eye.
The kangaroo rat's mother's worst fear
is unfolding before her very eyes.
She sprints to intercept
the snake's powerful jaws.
In a split second,
the life of the young kangaroo rat
has changed forever.
[rattles]
Now, the lethal rattlesnake
switches its attention.
The juvenile is left with no choice
but to run.
[continues rattling]
Forced to abandon all he knows,
he's pushed out into uncharted territory.
The snake takes over
the kangaroo rats' burrow.
The balance of law and order
has tipped out of the young rat's favor.
Driven by grief and fear,
he's been racing
as fast and as far away as he can.
He's lost the one thing most dear to him.
Having never been away
from his home before,
he's unsure of what to do
or where to go.
The chances of survival
for this naive kangaroo rat look slim.
Summer temperatures in Arizona
can reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
The air is dry, making it hard to breathe.
The burning daylight makes the ground
scorched and unbearable underfoot.
The body of the kangaroo rat
is designed to reduce water loss.
He can perspire only through his feet.
However, he isn't adapted
to stay in the sun for long.
He'll perish if he stays out
for more than an hour.
Seeking shade isn't enough.
He must go underground.
The air inside the tunnel is pungent
but this subterranean shelter
would provide some much-needed relief
from the relentless sunlight.
The dark entices him in.
A foot or two below the hot surface
exists a honeycomb network of tunnels.
It's here many of the desert animals
seek respite from the sun.
But some life has adapted
to thrive above ground.
The seasonal monsoons
of the Sonoran Desert
produce lush pockets of vegetation.
A forest of saguaro cacti.
These giants stand
up to 60 feet tall and weigh
as much as two tons.
Taking advantage of the rich landscape
are lifeforms who appear
as if they are from another time.
Almost prehistoric.
With a keen sense of smell,
this Gila monster
has discovered treasure:
a nest of tortoise eggs
carefully hidden in the sand,
away from the sun's rays.
However, they aren't buried deep enough
to protect them from the Gila monster.
Biting through the shell,
it consumes the contents
with its forked tongue.
Having gorged as much as it can,
the Gila monster
won't need to feed again for months.
The dragon returns to its lair.
Tasting the air,
it's clear it has an unexpected visitor.
[footsteps approach]
Kangaroo rats
are extremely sensitive to vibrations.
And the sound of something approaching
echoes down the chamber.
Slowed down
by the weight of its full belly,
the Gila has little chance
of catching him.
But the Wild West takes no prisoners.
Tarantulas never venture too far
from their burrows,
and this Arizona blond tarantula
is blocking his exit.
He's left with no option
but to try and slip past the Gila monster.
This hero is once again
forced out into the open
and even further away
from the safety of his own home.
Isolated and alone,
he's uncertain of where to go next.
[rumbling]
But there's no time to reflect.
A roaring wall of dust
thunders towards him.
Engulfed in a vicious storm
of desert sand and grit,
he's choked by the plumes of dust.
[engine roars]
[revs]
The surface of the ground
is parched and loose.
The wheels of the bike
easily churn up the dry soil.
Relative to his size,
the kangaroo rat can outmaneuver the bike.
Blinded by a wall of dirt,
he finds his way inside
something dark and protective.
It's not perfect,
but it provides enough shelter
to escape the chaos.
For the first time since leaving home,
he can finally rest.
[gun fires]
He's jolted awake.
A false alarm?
[gun fires]
[gunfire continues]
The youngster finds himself
in the middle of target practice.
This cowboy is an expert marksman.
He takes aim.
Fixated on his target,
he's oblivious of the kangaroo rat
inside one of the old cans.
But a faulty trigger has provided
an opportunity to escape.
Sent into a spin,
the tin can and the kangaroo rat
pick up momentum,
rolling faster and faster
to uncharted territory.
An eerie silence blankets the landscape.
Laid out before him is a creepy spectacle.
Bones of the long-deceased stretch out
as far as he can see
where many have met their end
under the desert sun.
But some of these victims
didn't get here by accident.
[rumbling]
A terrifying raptor,
the Harris's hawk is an expert hunter.
Locking on to its target,
it descends from the sky.
[hawk screeches]
Like a velociraptor,
it stalks its prey on foot.
As the kangaroo rat flees for his life,
the pounding steps of the hawk
shakes the earth beneath his feet.
An attack could come from any angle.
The kangaroo rat
is quickly running out of places to hide.
It's now or never.
[hawk screeches]
Defeated this time,
the hawk gives up the chase and retreats.
The air is cooler now.
The kangaroo rat leaves his hiding place
in search of food.
Individually, these morsels don't carry
many calories,
but consumed in bulk,
they'll sustain him over several days.
Having collected up any bits
he wants to save for later,
he must now find somewhere safe
to store them.
The inside of this shoe looks perfect.
But it's already taken.
This boot isn't big enough
for the both of them.
Confronting the intruder is a scorpion.
Armed with a chemical weapon,
its razor-sharp tail is loaded with venom.
Too frightened to move,
there's no escape
for the young kangaroo rat.
But suddenly, the scorpion retreats.
Silhouetted in the moonlight
stands a mysterious character.
Around these parts, he goes by the name
the scorpion mouse.
The kangaroo rat takes cover.
[howls]
The scorpion mouse
is a fearless predator of the desert,
and it's on the hunt
for its favorite prey.
[squeaks]
These two ancient enemies
lock together in a deadly battle.
Although the scorpion is venomous,
the mouse has evolved
a biological resistance
to its toxic sting.
[scorpion mouse squeals]
Armed with this superpower,
the scorpion mouse isn't afraid of much.
Having witnessed
this true hero of the Wild West,
the kangaroo rat is filled
with an overwhelming urge
to take back what is rightfully his
and confront the thing he fears the most:
the deadly rattlesnake.
It's his home,
and he intends to keep it that way.
Determined not to let his story
from the past dictate his future,
he must face his fears head-on.
Staring darkness in the face,
he bravely passes through the hawk's lair
with a new purpose.
He knows what he must do.
Using himself as bait,
he has the hawk exactly where he wants it.
There is no time to waste.
Finally, he returns home.
Risking his life, he uses
every ounce of courage to venture back.
Luring the snake out of the burrow
he then takes cover to watch
as his plan unfolds.
It's a setup.
[rattles]
Although the rattlesnake
has a deadly bite,
the hawk remains composed.
Standing eye to eye at point-blank range,
the two outlaws size each other up.
[rattles]
It's the ultimate showdown.
[sound of a blade unsheathing]
[rattling]
[hawk screeches]
Driven away
by the formidable Harris's hawk,
the cowardly snake
retreats from the fight.
Banished from this town,
it'll never return.
With the snake gone,
triumphantly this tiny hero
can take back what is rightfully his.
It has taken all his courage
for this young kangaroo rat
to finally face his past.
Like all the animals
that live in this harsh desert,
they must face the impossible to survive.
This shows the true resilience of nature
and its ability to overcome the odds.
Often where there is fear,
there is also opportunity
as this kangaroo rat has discovered.
And now he has begun a new journey:
surviving, and more importantly,
living freely in the great Wild West.