Tiny Creatures (2020) s01e04 Episode Script
Texas
1
[narrator] In a small corner
of rural Texas
nestled in the rugged landscape,
there's a ranch,
home to a tiny house mouse.
And right now, in the courtyard,
she is running for her life.
[owl screeches]
[squeaks]
Being chased when you're a mouse
happens all too often.
This barn owl is a super predator,
capable of silent flight.
[chain rattles]
An aerial acrobat,
it can switch direction in a split second.
[screeches]
But the mouse can't afford to look back.
Using the landscape to her advantage,
she hopes to outmaneuver the owl,
skirting the buildings
and the objects in the courtyard.
But the owl doesn't need
to see the mouse to hunt.
With the best hearing
in the animal kingdom,
the owl can hear her every step,
even in complete darkness.
[mouse squeaks]
Despite the dangers in this world,
-bigger isn't always better.
-[screeches]
[squeaks nervously]
To make it when you're this small,
you have to take chances.
It's not over for her.
She has a trick up her sleeve.
This is her territory.
She's mentally mapped out every crack,
crevice, and shortcut,
giving her the edge.
Barn owls go by another name:
the death owl.
And this one is determined
to catch its prey.
It appears the mouse
has reached a dead end.
But for her final trick,
the house mouse can squeeze
through surprisingly small spaces,
contorting her body to the size of a dime.
[screeches]
She has survived this encounter,
but this is just one of the many obstacles
she must face each day.
[screeches]
The loud noise grabs the attention
of a far more dangerous predator.
The farm is old.
Inside its walls and courtyard
exists a labyrinth of rusty pipes
and worn-out beams
that create a complex maze.
Perfect for a mouse.
Remarkably, the mouse instinctively knows
how to navigate these pathways.
She can identify
which routes lead to danger
and those that lead to safety.
Young mice inherit fear of certain smells
from their parents,
and this information
is genetically passed down
from one generation
to the next.
[squeaking]
Finally, she's home.
Long since abandoned,
this stable on the farm
is quiet enough to raise a family.
Her hungry brood eagerly greet her.
Six healthy pups.
In the outside world,
any number of unfortunate events
could befall a young mouse.
Not strong enough to fend for themselves,
her babies are still dependent
on their mother's milk.
At almost two weeks old,
they'll soon be ready for solid foods.
Until then,
the quality of milk she provides
must be at its peak.
To cater for this, she must increase
her calorie intake by 230%
each day.
In just one week's time,
they'll be old enough to venture outside.
And so she must ensure
they are strong enough
to get the best start they can.
But for now,
they find security in one another,
as a family.
[crows]
[continues crowing]
A rude awakening.
The young mother has overslept.
Even worse, she's starving.
If she goes hungry,
so will her babies.
Thankfully, her young are well-fed
for now.
Leaving the stable,
she heads back out to the courtyard
to find food.
[rooster crows]
Temporarily blinded by the bright sun,
she steps into the yard
and waits for her eyes to adjust.
History dictates wherever there's a man,
there's usually a mouse.
Unknowingly over the years,
this farmer has provided
more for this mouse than anyone.
She relies on him.
However, she cannot afford
to be complacent.
Giants lurk around every corner.
[dog snoring]
But she needn't worry.
The farmer's dog is a lazy creature.
-[snorts]
-[squeaks]
To her sensitive nose,
the world is a concoction of smells.
Some advertise danger. Others, food.
What a sight for tired eyes.
Her favorite place to dine out.
She can always rely on the barn
to provide her
with all the food she needs.
Although she feels comfortable here,
a mouse can't afford to stay
in one place for too long,
for fear of being spotted by a predator.
And so her tactic is
to nibble, move, and repeat.
It's fast-food.
But every action has a reaction
and what goes in must come out.
In a single day, she can produce
as many as 100 droppings.
Little does she know, she's contaminating
the farmer's precious food stocks.
This mouse's family has called this ranch
home for generations.
Its stockpiles of cattle feed
and abundant shelter
has made it a haven
amongst the rugged Texas landscape.
These ranchers are often separated
by hundreds of miles of dry prairie
an endless, arid,
often hostile environment.
This makes the concentration of food
at the many ranches very enticing
to an assortment of creatures
attracted to this gargantuan feast.
[caws]
The raven is one of the most intelligent
birds on the planet,
and one of the most curious.
The raven's dietary menu
doesn't rule out the house mouse.
Luckily, the bird's attention
is diverted elsewhere.
[caws]
Cockroaches.
These meals-on-wheels
are packed full of protein.
The raven just can't resist
much to the misery of these insects.
But the cockroaches have made their home
next to the electric power cables.
The sharp beak of the raven
has sliced through the protective casing,
exposing the copper wire within.
[cawing]
The farmer has become
a little too complacent,
overlooking the potential hazards
in the barn.
Any of them could threaten
his precious hard-earned harvest.
[caws]
The raven's actions
have disastrous consequences.
[cawing]
The mouse's world is erupting
before her very eyes.
The thick smoke and intense heat
is spreading rapidly throughout the barn.
As the hot air rises,
she detects a cooling draft
from under the floorboards
but she finds little relief.
Every familiar exit and escape route
is blocked. She's trapped.
In her desperation,
she crisscrosses through the raging fire.
In a bid to flee the flames,
she seeks higher ground.
As she climbs the rope,
the air becomes hotter and hotter.
[squealing]
[squeals]
She's made it out without a scratch.
Although she's lived on the farm
all her life,
this mouse hasn't seen a cow before.
[cow moos]
Having never ventured
more than 30 feet from her nest,
this mother is now far from home
thrust into a strange, new world.
She sniffs the air for a sign
of something recognizable,
anything that can help her return
to her young in the stable.
But the strong smell of smoke
has dulled her senses,
masking any familiar odors
she'd ordinarily use to find her way home.
[mice squeaking]
By now, her lonely pups will be hungry,
and their high-pitched cries
to their mother
could alert nearby predators
to their presence.
Tired, hungry, and despondent,
she's been wandering the field
for what seems like forever,
and losing hope
of ever finding her way back.
Around each corner,
she encounters a new and unusual animal.
Some intriguing. Mysterious, even.
A praying mantis.
A darkling beetle.
Something is sliding ahead.
To the mouse, it appears like a dragon.
Time to go.
The wooden gate
provides just enough shelter
for her to assess her surroundings.
But not all is what it seems.
The ground begins to tremble
beneath her feet.
[rumbling]
Loose debris catapults out
in all directions.
The growing noise is deafening
to her sensitive ears.
She must find cover.
[leaf blower whirring]
[engine turns off]
Fortunately, she spots a mouse-sized gap
in the window of the farmhouse.
She wastes no time and seizes
her opportunity to escape
the man-made storm.
Entering further into new territory,
she's cautious of what she might find.
She's hit the jackpot:
an endless treasure trove
crammed full of goodies.
There's enough food here
to sustain her family for generations.
With so much choice,
she doesn't know where to begin.
But precautions have been taken
against any would-be thieves.
Clearly, this stockpile
was not meant for the mouse.
But she's not alone.
A tarantula stalks the pantry for prey.
Temporarily distracted, the mouse
hasn't noticed a deadly predator
illuminated by the black light
of a fly zapper.
The scorpion wears its skeleton
on the outside of its body.
Reacting to the ultraviolet rays,
the armor plating glows in the dark.
Yet the scorpion
has no appetite for mice.
Perceiving the mouse as a threat,
its venomous-tipped tail
is ready to strike in self-defense.
And so, she makes a hasty retreat.
But this black light
has revealed something else.
In her wake, the mouse is leaving
glowing smudges of urine
like an illuminated trail of breadcrumbs.
It's easy to see
why humans dislike mice in their homes.
If discovered,
she risks being exterminated.
[farmer whistling]
Another sinister being
emerges from the dark.
A venomous, two-headed monster,
this giant centipede can inject venom
into prey much larger than itself.
The mouse is an easy target.
Fortunately,
the centipede's vision is poor,
and its antennae fail to detect
the mouse's movement behind the glass.
That's one too many close calls.
Although this pantry provides
all the food this mother could ever need,
her instinct is to continue on.
No matter what,
she must return to her young.
Upon leaving the farmhouse,
the mouse detects a familiar scent.
She knows where she is
the courtyard.
[rooster crows]
She wastes no time,
and sprints the final leg.
A shortcut through the barn
will get her home to the stable faster.
The barn is now a shadow
of what it once was.
Burnt wood and ash fill
the once-welcoming space.
It's a cold and eerie place now,
but it's all she has.
Fortunately, some of the food
was spared from the fire.
Starving, she must now select
the good bits from the scorched earth.
-[sniffing]
-But something's in the barn with her,
lurking in the shadows.
It's her old enemy
the barn owl.
[mouse squeaks]
[screeches]
The lives of her young
depend on her safe return,
so she sprints for her life,
searching for any sign of an escape route.
[mouse squeaks]
[screeches]
She's done it.
Speeding back to the stable,
she's unsure of what she'll find there.
Have her babies survived?
Luckily, all is well.
Tucked up safe and warm,
her pups are just as she left them.
Although separated from her young
for only 24 hours,
in human terms, she's been gone
for the equivalent of three months.
Against all odds,
she's made it back in one piece.
Despite the dangers she faced,
her maternal instincts gave her
the drive and determination to continue.
This mother
is nothing short of a super mouse.
All the animals in the farm are connected
by a common goal:
to provide for their young.
There's no such thing here
as good and evil,
only a deep motivation for life.
All creatures want to give their young
the best start they can,
protecting future generations
of their species.
There is a critical balance
between all living things,
each one as important as the other.
[hisses softly]
[squeaking]
Facing unfamiliar challenges
and fighting through hardship
is the key to this mouse's survival
and the legacy she'll leave behind
for generations to come.
But there will always be new challenges.
Mother Nature announces her arrival.
A tornado is on the horizon,
heading this way.
How will this event shape the future
in this small corner of the world?
Only time will tell.
All we do know
is that it's just another day in the life
for these amazing, tiny creatures.
[narrator] In a small corner
of rural Texas
nestled in the rugged landscape,
there's a ranch,
home to a tiny house mouse.
And right now, in the courtyard,
she is running for her life.
[owl screeches]
[squeaks]
Being chased when you're a mouse
happens all too often.
This barn owl is a super predator,
capable of silent flight.
[chain rattles]
An aerial acrobat,
it can switch direction in a split second.
[screeches]
But the mouse can't afford to look back.
Using the landscape to her advantage,
she hopes to outmaneuver the owl,
skirting the buildings
and the objects in the courtyard.
But the owl doesn't need
to see the mouse to hunt.
With the best hearing
in the animal kingdom,
the owl can hear her every step,
even in complete darkness.
[mouse squeaks]
Despite the dangers in this world,
-bigger isn't always better.
-[screeches]
[squeaks nervously]
To make it when you're this small,
you have to take chances.
It's not over for her.
She has a trick up her sleeve.
This is her territory.
She's mentally mapped out every crack,
crevice, and shortcut,
giving her the edge.
Barn owls go by another name:
the death owl.
And this one is determined
to catch its prey.
It appears the mouse
has reached a dead end.
But for her final trick,
the house mouse can squeeze
through surprisingly small spaces,
contorting her body to the size of a dime.
[screeches]
She has survived this encounter,
but this is just one of the many obstacles
she must face each day.
[screeches]
The loud noise grabs the attention
of a far more dangerous predator.
The farm is old.
Inside its walls and courtyard
exists a labyrinth of rusty pipes
and worn-out beams
that create a complex maze.
Perfect for a mouse.
Remarkably, the mouse instinctively knows
how to navigate these pathways.
She can identify
which routes lead to danger
and those that lead to safety.
Young mice inherit fear of certain smells
from their parents,
and this information
is genetically passed down
from one generation
to the next.
[squeaking]
Finally, she's home.
Long since abandoned,
this stable on the farm
is quiet enough to raise a family.
Her hungry brood eagerly greet her.
Six healthy pups.
In the outside world,
any number of unfortunate events
could befall a young mouse.
Not strong enough to fend for themselves,
her babies are still dependent
on their mother's milk.
At almost two weeks old,
they'll soon be ready for solid foods.
Until then,
the quality of milk she provides
must be at its peak.
To cater for this, she must increase
her calorie intake by 230%
each day.
In just one week's time,
they'll be old enough to venture outside.
And so she must ensure
they are strong enough
to get the best start they can.
But for now,
they find security in one another,
as a family.
[crows]
[continues crowing]
A rude awakening.
The young mother has overslept.
Even worse, she's starving.
If she goes hungry,
so will her babies.
Thankfully, her young are well-fed
for now.
Leaving the stable,
she heads back out to the courtyard
to find food.
[rooster crows]
Temporarily blinded by the bright sun,
she steps into the yard
and waits for her eyes to adjust.
History dictates wherever there's a man,
there's usually a mouse.
Unknowingly over the years,
this farmer has provided
more for this mouse than anyone.
She relies on him.
However, she cannot afford
to be complacent.
Giants lurk around every corner.
[dog snoring]
But she needn't worry.
The farmer's dog is a lazy creature.
-[snorts]
-[squeaks]
To her sensitive nose,
the world is a concoction of smells.
Some advertise danger. Others, food.
What a sight for tired eyes.
Her favorite place to dine out.
She can always rely on the barn
to provide her
with all the food she needs.
Although she feels comfortable here,
a mouse can't afford to stay
in one place for too long,
for fear of being spotted by a predator.
And so her tactic is
to nibble, move, and repeat.
It's fast-food.
But every action has a reaction
and what goes in must come out.
In a single day, she can produce
as many as 100 droppings.
Little does she know, she's contaminating
the farmer's precious food stocks.
This mouse's family has called this ranch
home for generations.
Its stockpiles of cattle feed
and abundant shelter
has made it a haven
amongst the rugged Texas landscape.
These ranchers are often separated
by hundreds of miles of dry prairie
an endless, arid,
often hostile environment.
This makes the concentration of food
at the many ranches very enticing
to an assortment of creatures
attracted to this gargantuan feast.
[caws]
The raven is one of the most intelligent
birds on the planet,
and one of the most curious.
The raven's dietary menu
doesn't rule out the house mouse.
Luckily, the bird's attention
is diverted elsewhere.
[caws]
Cockroaches.
These meals-on-wheels
are packed full of protein.
The raven just can't resist
much to the misery of these insects.
But the cockroaches have made their home
next to the electric power cables.
The sharp beak of the raven
has sliced through the protective casing,
exposing the copper wire within.
[cawing]
The farmer has become
a little too complacent,
overlooking the potential hazards
in the barn.
Any of them could threaten
his precious hard-earned harvest.
[caws]
The raven's actions
have disastrous consequences.
[cawing]
The mouse's world is erupting
before her very eyes.
The thick smoke and intense heat
is spreading rapidly throughout the barn.
As the hot air rises,
she detects a cooling draft
from under the floorboards
but she finds little relief.
Every familiar exit and escape route
is blocked. She's trapped.
In her desperation,
she crisscrosses through the raging fire.
In a bid to flee the flames,
she seeks higher ground.
As she climbs the rope,
the air becomes hotter and hotter.
[squealing]
[squeals]
She's made it out without a scratch.
Although she's lived on the farm
all her life,
this mouse hasn't seen a cow before.
[cow moos]
Having never ventured
more than 30 feet from her nest,
this mother is now far from home
thrust into a strange, new world.
She sniffs the air for a sign
of something recognizable,
anything that can help her return
to her young in the stable.
But the strong smell of smoke
has dulled her senses,
masking any familiar odors
she'd ordinarily use to find her way home.
[mice squeaking]
By now, her lonely pups will be hungry,
and their high-pitched cries
to their mother
could alert nearby predators
to their presence.
Tired, hungry, and despondent,
she's been wandering the field
for what seems like forever,
and losing hope
of ever finding her way back.
Around each corner,
she encounters a new and unusual animal.
Some intriguing. Mysterious, even.
A praying mantis.
A darkling beetle.
Something is sliding ahead.
To the mouse, it appears like a dragon.
Time to go.
The wooden gate
provides just enough shelter
for her to assess her surroundings.
But not all is what it seems.
The ground begins to tremble
beneath her feet.
[rumbling]
Loose debris catapults out
in all directions.
The growing noise is deafening
to her sensitive ears.
She must find cover.
[leaf blower whirring]
[engine turns off]
Fortunately, she spots a mouse-sized gap
in the window of the farmhouse.
She wastes no time and seizes
her opportunity to escape
the man-made storm.
Entering further into new territory,
she's cautious of what she might find.
She's hit the jackpot:
an endless treasure trove
crammed full of goodies.
There's enough food here
to sustain her family for generations.
With so much choice,
she doesn't know where to begin.
But precautions have been taken
against any would-be thieves.
Clearly, this stockpile
was not meant for the mouse.
But she's not alone.
A tarantula stalks the pantry for prey.
Temporarily distracted, the mouse
hasn't noticed a deadly predator
illuminated by the black light
of a fly zapper.
The scorpion wears its skeleton
on the outside of its body.
Reacting to the ultraviolet rays,
the armor plating glows in the dark.
Yet the scorpion
has no appetite for mice.
Perceiving the mouse as a threat,
its venomous-tipped tail
is ready to strike in self-defense.
And so, she makes a hasty retreat.
But this black light
has revealed something else.
In her wake, the mouse is leaving
glowing smudges of urine
like an illuminated trail of breadcrumbs.
It's easy to see
why humans dislike mice in their homes.
If discovered,
she risks being exterminated.
[farmer whistling]
Another sinister being
emerges from the dark.
A venomous, two-headed monster,
this giant centipede can inject venom
into prey much larger than itself.
The mouse is an easy target.
Fortunately,
the centipede's vision is poor,
and its antennae fail to detect
the mouse's movement behind the glass.
That's one too many close calls.
Although this pantry provides
all the food this mother could ever need,
her instinct is to continue on.
No matter what,
she must return to her young.
Upon leaving the farmhouse,
the mouse detects a familiar scent.
She knows where she is
the courtyard.
[rooster crows]
She wastes no time,
and sprints the final leg.
A shortcut through the barn
will get her home to the stable faster.
The barn is now a shadow
of what it once was.
Burnt wood and ash fill
the once-welcoming space.
It's a cold and eerie place now,
but it's all she has.
Fortunately, some of the food
was spared from the fire.
Starving, she must now select
the good bits from the scorched earth.
-[sniffing]
-But something's in the barn with her,
lurking in the shadows.
It's her old enemy
the barn owl.
[mouse squeaks]
[screeches]
The lives of her young
depend on her safe return,
so she sprints for her life,
searching for any sign of an escape route.
[mouse squeaks]
[screeches]
She's done it.
Speeding back to the stable,
she's unsure of what she'll find there.
Have her babies survived?
Luckily, all is well.
Tucked up safe and warm,
her pups are just as she left them.
Although separated from her young
for only 24 hours,
in human terms, she's been gone
for the equivalent of three months.
Against all odds,
she's made it back in one piece.
Despite the dangers she faced,
her maternal instincts gave her
the drive and determination to continue.
This mother
is nothing short of a super mouse.
All the animals in the farm are connected
by a common goal:
to provide for their young.
There's no such thing here
as good and evil,
only a deep motivation for life.
All creatures want to give their young
the best start they can,
protecting future generations
of their species.
There is a critical balance
between all living things,
each one as important as the other.
[hisses softly]
[squeaking]
Facing unfamiliar challenges
and fighting through hardship
is the key to this mouse's survival
and the legacy she'll leave behind
for generations to come.
But there will always be new challenges.
Mother Nature announces her arrival.
A tornado is on the horizon,
heading this way.
How will this event shape the future
in this small corner of the world?
Only time will tell.
All we do know
is that it's just another day in the life
for these amazing, tiny creatures.