The Costa Rican rainforest is home to more than half a million species. It hides invisible mysteries of life, only a part of which has been discovered by humans. Most of the creatures that the creators captured during their journey show exceptional abilities: basilisks that can run on the surface of the water, frogs that transform into leaves, sloths that live almost upside down and Atta leaf-cutter ants, whose production of antibiotics would be the envy of any giant pharmacist. Equally worthy of attention are the feathered inhabitants of the jungle, such as toucans and tanagers, and macaws, which Project Ara is working incredibly hard to rescue and use to repopulate their territory. Costa Ricans are well aware of their extraordinary natural wealth, and protect their treasure with an exceptional range of national parks and protected areas. However, the jungle can be dangerous. It is a test for anyone who wishes to explore it: the jungle will test your determination, your courage and your ability to observe, listen and blend. The reward is unexpected self-knowledge.
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Long ago, this was just a rocky wasteland ruled by demons
One day, the god Cebo defeated them, fertilizing the land with the help of a vampire bat and the blood of a young jaguar
This is where the first tree of the rainforest took root
Nestled between the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, a verdant paradise was born, Costa Rica
We set out to explore this country
If we respect the laws of the jungle, there's a good chance we'll experience some extraordinary encounters
The amazing diversity of flora and fauna here is among the richest on the planet
Costa Rica is unique in its conservation practices
It has rainforest lowlands and mountain cloud forests, dry tropical forests, as well as mangroves along the coast
Its national parks and protected areas comprise more than a quarter of its area, and Costa Rica is the only country in the world to reverse the devastating trend of intensive deforestation
The rainforest and the treasures concealed within are the primary goals of our journey
Basilisk's Basque in the warm midday sun
Who would guess that there are excellent swimmers and divers? They can remain underwater for an incredible 30 minutes, and because they can run at speeds of up to 10 kilometers per hour, they can skim over the surface of the water, giving them their nickname, Jesus Lizards
This green iguana couldn't possibly make it more clear that we're unwanted visitors
The iguana is popular among gourmets throughout Latin America for its delicious white meat and eggs
Iguanas almost disappeared entirely from Costa Rica
Fortunately, thanks to control breeding by the Bri-Bri natives, their numbers are once again flourishing
This Central American white-throated magpie jay warns us that a group of cheeky cotus is lingering by a popular beach close to our camp
These carnivores and the proscenid family take advantage of their cuteness and often fearlessly search for food close to people
Their extremely flexible noses can bend up to 60 degrees, enabling them to scratch any itch but also ferret out food hidden underground, like this poor crab
The cotus didn't leave anything for the magpie jay this time
Black vultures, renowned scavengers, patiently wait to see if these wood storks drop anything tasty for them
The American crocodile makes its home in the many rivers that flow through the jungle
This species, along with the saltwater crocodile, is unique in that it can live permanently in salt water and often swims out to remote islands
There have been instances where crocs have been pitted against white sharks in their nests
Although it is one of the largest crocodiles, it is not an aggressive species
Here's the head that this hat rested on
Was it black or was it blonde? Who's could it have been? It's not common to see Linnaeus' two-toed sloths and pale-throated three-toed sloths in the same area
Not only do they differ in the number of toes on their front feet, they also have different numbers of vertebrae in their neck
Most mammals, including humans, have seven bones in their neck
The two-toed sloth has only six, and the three-toed sloth has nine, which enables it to turn its head 200 degrees
On the ground, the sloth is awkward and vulnerable
Thanks to its poor, predominantly leaf-based diet, digestion takes a while, and it doesn't need to leave the safety of its tree more than once every eight days to relieve itself
As it lives mainly upside down, its fur grows upside down as well, from its belly towards its shoulders so that the rain can't get in
If it doesn't move, it's nearly invisible and has a greater chance of survival
This northern Tamandua is in search of a few ants for lunch, but it looks like some of his lunch has climbed into his fur
For 50 million years, Atta leafcutter ants have brought pieces of leaves, flowers, and twigs into their homes in order to create soil for growing their food, a fungus related to the button mushroom
Young ant queens bring the fungal spores in a special opening under their jaws as kind of a dowry from their home nest
The entire ant hill then carefully cares for the fungus
Workers lick leaf pieces to remove bacteria and mold spores, and then chew them into miniature pieces
Others add digestive enzymes, inoculate the materials with spores, and plant it in the prepared soil
The tiny gardeners weed out everything that doesn't belong
They grow bacteria in pouches in their thorax that create antibiotics to relieve the fungal culture
Not only were they the first farmers in the world, but they're also successful pharmacists
Unlike those created by humans, these ant antibiotics don't lose their effectiveness
Every morning, one can hear strange singing in the rainforest
You can hear it from kilometers away
The choir strengthens as more voices join in
Howler monkeys, the largest primate in the Costa Rican rainforest, make sure everyone knows who's boss here
For this performance, however, they need regular, deep sleep
They lack energy, as the young tree leaves that the mantled howlers almost exclusively subsist on are hard to digest and don't give them much strength
They are the only primate in the new world that can see colors, which helps them distinguish the young leaves from the old ones
It pays to be vigilant
If the howlers become angry, they can urinate or defecate on humans from above
They may be high up, but they are amazingly accurate
Arenal is one of the most impressive volcanoes on the planet
This unpredictable element serves as a reminder that in a country of some 50,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of the state of Michigan, there are five active volcanoes and dozens more that are dormant or extinct
Just like other volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire, they emerged when one tectonic plate slid under the other
The Costa Rican jungle is a paradise for tropical butterflies, such as the Malachite or this tiger heliconian
Tropical butterfly farms export cocoons all over the world
By fluttering its iridescent blue wings, the blue morpho attracts females
Ironically, with this same action, it also deters predators
This is one from the Not every species is beautiful because of its color
The glass winged butterfly is transparent and invisible when it flies
It's also poisonous
It accumulates this weapon in its body as a caterpillar
Day after day, the jungle tests our resolve to learn more about its inhabitants and reveal its most beautiful places
When planning any trip, it's easy to forget that above all, you have to carry yourself around, and that can be a bit tough sometimes, especially when you have a few kilos to spare
It's important to trust our guides and know that we always have something in reserve
It's important to know that we always have something in reserve, and that can be a bit tough sometimes, especially when you have a few kilos to spare
If we were to get lost, we wouldn't die of hunger
Termites may be sour, but they're an excellent source of protein and vitamins
If we listen carefully, we can hear the jungle speaking to us, and sometimes quite loudly
In Costa Rica, you'll find more species of birds than anywhere else on the planet
Toucans can't fly very well
They prefer hopping through the trees
Like other toucan species, the chestnut mandible toucan usually lives in pairs or small groups
One of the most beautiful members of the toucan family is, without a doubt, the collared arasari
It primarily eats fruit, but it will also snack on bird's eggs and even baby birds
In the lush vegetation on the bank of the river, we came across a pair of tanagers busily building a nest
And before we finished admiring the grace of these white ibis, the tiny tanager is on its way
Tanagers are very good at being seen and heard, and why they often end up in the hands of smugglers
Cross-breeding creates many different color variations
The Catalina macaws cross between the blue and yellow macaw and the scarlet macaw
They display their affection with their performances and feather play
But not just for anyone, macaws mate for life
This is the first time I've ever seen a macaw cross between the blue and the scarlet macaw
A special rescue project in Costa Rica may change the otherwise unfortunate fate of green macaws, of which there are only about a thousand of in all of Latin America
The ARA project was founded as a rescue for abandoned house pets
Their offspring are gradually repopulating the surrounding jungle under the supervision of volunteers
Even the most experienced ornithologists often reach for their bird guides here
Relatives of the blue-gray tanager alone number 200 species
For example, this green honeycreeper is also a member of the tanager family
It's unusual to find the groove-billed annie in the rainforest
It lives in pastures and feeds on insects that it finds in caudong
When in the vicinity of human settlements, it even gathers fruit from orchards
Another's most beautiful bird feeder, the heliconia, has attracted a female green honeycreeper with its nectar
The same goes for the eternally hungry hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world
A Called the flying jewels of the tropical jungle, nature endowed hummingbirds not only with supernatural physical abilities, but also beautiful coloring that changes when light shines on them
Thanks to the rate at which they flap their wings, their heart, which is the size of a pea, has to beat an unbelievable 1,000 to 1,200 times per minute
Even if you don't have a particular goal in mind and just want to head out for a walk in the jungle, there's always something to see
That's what's so beautiful about it
The jungle itself sets the scenes and directs the actors, those it wants to present
Sometimes, the greatest dangers can't be heard
The tropical rainforest conceals it in its branches, on the ground, and near streams
One of the most venomous snakes on the planet makes its home here
Its name is derived from the scales over its eyes that resemble eyelashes
The eyelash viper's venom sacs contain a potent hemotoxin that there's no chance of surviving The eyelash viper is one of several species of palm vipers that lives in trees
It loves to wait motionless in the forest flowers for hapless hummingbirds to come and sip the sweet nectar
Up close, they're beautiful and graceful
Their respect and a healthy distance is advisable
If they feel threatened, they can attack in the blink of an eye
The eyelash viper can be one of several different colors, from yellow, or perhaps grayish green, or even an intense orange
It was a perfect example of how unexpected, fast, and dangerous its defenses can be
Keeping our distance definitely paid off
We almost missed his relative, the sidestripe palm pit viper in the leaves
The Mexican vine snake is a member of the colobrid family and is mildly venomous
However, its venom will only cause temporary numbness
And this is how the boa constrictor, a favorite of vivirists around the world, lives in its natural habitat
Thanks for watching
Rain, a gift from the local gods, is the life-giving energy of the rainforest
Any water determines where jungle or desert will be
Everywhere, it is the catalyst between existence or extinction for all living creatures
Even when the sun is far away from the ?, man is still here, with the Oh White-headed cappuccinos are the most intelligent of the New World monkeys
They've even learned to use simple tools
When a snake attacks, they rush to defend themselves with sticks and stones
These cappuccinos are omnivores and enjoy pretty much anything they find in the jungle
But before they eat anything, they carefully sniff and examine it
This time, the red-eyed three-toed frog was lucky
We found a mass of red-eyed three-toed frog eggs
Tadpoles will hatch out in about six days
If by chance a snake discovers them, however, they are capable of escaping from their eggs as much as two days before their due date
And here are the proud parrots
Their brilliant color, which is typical for poisonous species, helps protect them from predators
But the red-eyed three-toed tree frog isn't actually poisonous
To completely hide itself, it simply tucks in its legs, closes its eyes, and turns into a leaf
The green and black poison dart frog exudes a poison over its entire body
Indigenous peoples use this poison to coat the tips of their arrowheads
A jungle frog shields himself from the tropical sun in a natural pond in the middle of a bromeliad
This is the masked tree frog, the largest tree frog in Costa Rica
One of the smallest species, the strawberry poison dart frog, has a variety of colorations
This particular one is called the blue jeans frog for the unique coloration of its legs
The female of this two centimeter long species doesn't take long to choose a partner
No matter how much a male tries to attract her attention, she always ends up picking the closest one
At night, the jungle is filled with sounds
All around us, the songs of its inhabitants gain strength
And we can only guess from which direction they're coming
It's a strange feeling
Nocturnal encounters are much more intense
This red-eyed three-toed tree frog has made its presence known with its typical call, yet it tries to remain invisible
One just can't help but investigating
We take advantage of every minute of our last night here
During the past couple of weeks, we've come to realize that if we slow down, we discover more life, more sense, and more beauty
All of which we were completely clueless of until now
The animals come and go
They are as free as the jungle itself
Nocturnal encounters
bios What are we? What are we?
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Audio:
Subtitles:
Costa Rica Getaway - Rainforest History
Aldous Huxley And The Brave New World
Jesus: The Hidden History
Anandamayi Ma: Mother of the World
The moon landing conspiracy
Dalai Lama
Narratives of Modern Genocide
Witches, The New Feminists
Yoga For Pregnancy: Back and Chest Routine
Fuente Zen 4K de Kibit