超自然（2022）

至少它的雏鸟安全了
At least his chicks are safe.
不过真的吗？
Or are they?
这是僵尸复活了
A zombie resurrection,
还是说刚才 它是在为了拯救自己而装死？
or just playing dead to save his skin?
猪鼻蛇会散发出一种腐肉的气味
The hognose snake can even emit a smell like decomposing carrion,
假装自己已经死了
faking his own death,
这样就又能多活一天
so he can live to die another day.
有些防御战略非常特别 堪称奇迹
Some defense strategies are so extraordinary,
they're phenomenal.
欧掠鸟群
A murmuration of starlings,
行动起来就像是 一个被催眠了的超大有机体
moving as one mesmerizing super organism.
它们到底是如何以及为什么要在空中 做出这种令人惊叹的飞行模式
Exactly how and why they make these mindblowing patterns in the sky
一直是个谜
has remained a mystery.
但最近有发现显示 这种美景背后的驱动力
But recent discoveries reveal that the motivation behind such beauty,
是破坏攻击
is destruction.
当地的游隼知道在欧洲冬季时
Local peregrine falcons know that during the European winter,
掠鸟会几百万只聚在一起
starlings flock in their millions.
在开阔的乡村地带 它们很容易被袭击
And in the open countryside, they're vulnerable to attack.
所以黄昏时分 它们为了安全聚在一起
So, at dusk,
they gather for safety in numbers.
组成这样的鸟群 它们就可以躲在群体之中
Flocking like this, helps them hide in the crowd,
但却也成了充满诱惑的目标
but it makes a tempting target.
游隼为了不被发现 飞得很低 偷偷靠近
Flying low to avoid detection,
the Peregrine makes its approach.
然后攀升
Then it climbs
飞到鸟群之上
high above the flock,
转弯俯冲
turns
and dives.
凭借几近完美的空气动力学 它的下落速度达到每小时402公里
With near aerodynamic perfection, it plummets at 250 miles an hour...
是世界上速度最快的动物
...making it the fastest animal on the planet.
掠鸟的速度是每小时80公里 但它们有一种更精妙的秘密武器
Starlings barely reach 50 miles an hour,
but they have a more subtle secret weapon.
一个简单的魔力数字
A single magical number,
每只鸟跟随着离自己最近的六位同伴
each bird tracks its six closest neighbors.
精确配合距离和速度
Precision matching distance and speed.
当整个鸟群都执行这个六只鸟定律时
As this rule of six multiplies across the flock,
就成了令人眼花缭乱的表演
it creates a dazzling display.
队形以每秒钟19米的速度
Each twist and turn ripples through the formation
不断地转向和弯曲
at 65 feet per second.
让眼睛目不暇给 很难被捕到
Confusing to the eye, hard to predict,
几乎无法被破坏
almost impossible to penetrate.
游隼试图找到一只落单的
The falcon struggles to pick off an individual.
在水平飞行时 它的速度大幅度减慢
In horizontal flight, its speed advantage is vastly diminished.
掠鸟处理视觉信息的速度比人类要快
Starlings process visual cues much quicker than humans
它们自身的特技飞行技术 也可以与游隼的灵活相抗衡
and counter a peregrine's agility with their own aerobatics.
多亏了这种奇妙的同步性
And thanks to incredible synchronicity,
就连地球上速度 最快的捕食者都甘拜下风
even the planet's fastest predator is outmaneuvered.
游隼80%的时候都无法成功
Eighty percent of the time, the peregrine is unsuccessful.
它只能观望着 这场把数量变成力量的表演
All it can do is watch this spectacular show of strength in numbers.
巧妙躲避袭击的例子 在各地都可以发现
Ingenious examples of how to avoid attack can be found hiding everywhere,
甚至在英国乡村的花♥园♥里也不例外
even in an English country garden.
靠近一些看 因为植物也有捕食者
Look a little closer,
because plants have predators, too.
鬼脸天蛾最爱的食物就是花蜜
A death'shead Hawkmoth's favorite food is nectar,
但它的幼虫却是 贪婪的西红柿植株杀手
but her offspring emerge
as voracious tomato plant killers.
短短三个星期之内 这些非常饥饿的毛虫
In just three weeks,
these very hungry caterpillars
就可以长到原来的16倍大
grow 16 times bigger.
现在它们有手指这么长了 有了像剪子一样的下颌骨
Now, finger length,
and armed with scissorlike mandibles,
一条毛虫可以吃掉整株植物
one caterpillar can devour an entire plant.
一群毛虫就可以把整片庄稼都毁掉
An army of them will decimate the whole crop.
但西红柿植株有一种看不见的防御
But tomato plants have an invisible defense.
受伤的叶子会在空中 释放一种遇难呼救信♥号♥♥
Injured leaves release an airborne distress call.
这种挥发的化学物质 可以警告附近的植株
Volatile chemicals that warn neighboring plants
准备好战斗
to prepare for war.
这个信♥号♥♥可以让附近的叶片 产生强力的毒素
This call to arms rallies nearby leaves to produce powerful toxins,
让自己变得无法食用
rendering them inedible.
因为这些毛虫只能吃西红柿科的植物
And because these caterpillars only feed on plants in the tomato family,
它们开始被饿死
they begin to starve.
最近的发现显示这个故事 有一个充满邪恶的反转
A recent discovery reveals this tale has a sinister twist.
没有东西可以吃
With nothing left to eat...
它们就开始彼此相食
they eat
each other.
会吃同类的毛虫
Cannibal caterpillars,
这是可怕的防治害虫的方法
a gruesome method of pest control.
当杀手西红柿反击的时候就会这样
When the killer tomatoes strike back.
自然界中 最致命的捕食者
In nature, who's most deadly...
关键在于视角
is all a matter of perspective.
在欧洲一片草地之下
Beneath a European Meadow
伊特鲁里亚地鼠刚刚醒来
an Etruscan shrew
just waking,
但并不是慢启动
but it's no slow start.
它的脉搏每分钟可以跳超过一千次
Her pulse rockets to over a thousand beats per minute.
该起床出门打猎了
Time to get up, get out, and get hunting.
它们是哺乳动物中新陈代谢最快的
With the fastest metabolism of any mammal,
这个暴躁的杀手 每天必须摄入自身重量六倍的食物
this frenzied killer must consume six times her body weight a day,
不然就会被饿死
or she'll starve.
诀窍就是要找到猎物
It's finding prey that's the trick.
这个大大的耳朵其实听力不太好
Those big ears actually don't hear so well,
眼睛小小的
and with pinsized eyes,
几乎是盲眼捕猎
she's almost hunting blind.
幸亏另外一种感官非常强大
Thankfully, another sense is superpowered.
地鼠靠它们的胡须来感知世界
Shrews feel their world with whiskers.
胡须的长度是它们体长的四分之一
A quarter of the length of her body,
它们用胡须扫描周围的环境
she uses them to scan her surroundings.
它的触觉非常敏锐
Her sense of touch is so acute,
微小的振动都会触发瞬间的袭击
the slightest vibration triggers instant attack.
25毫秒
25 milliseconds,
比眨眼的速度快12倍
12 times faster than the blink of an eye.
一只幼虫只是开胃菜
And a little larva is just for starters,
因为它的杀戮欲望变得狂热了
as her killing spree begins.
体积只有杏仁大小 它是地球上最小的哺乳动物
Only the size of an almond,
she's the smallest mammal on Earth.
但几乎没有什么它抓不到
But not much is out of her reach.
就连体积是它两倍的蝗虫都势均力敌
Even a locust twice her size is fair game.
进食狂热结束了
Feeding frenzy over,
是时候休息补充精力了
it's time to retire
and recharge.
快速小睡了七分钟
Just a quick sevenminute power nap
这个贪婪的小猎手就又精力充沛了
and this voracious little terror is at large again.
在同一片欧洲草原上空 另外一种微小的捕食者也正在捕猎
Above the same European meadows,
another tiny predator is also on the hunt.
鼠耳蝠有着敏锐的听觉
A mouseeared bat has such sensitive hearing,
它可以听到近40米外昆虫的声音
it can eavesdrop on insects from 130 feet away
可以确定目标的方向、大小和形状
to determine the direction, size, and shape of a target.
当蝙蝠飞来飞去时
When the bat is patrolling,
任何昆虫有所动作或是发出声音
any insect that moves or makes a sound...
都是在与死亡嬉戏
...is flirting with death.
但锥头灌丛蟋蟀的小脑子里 却想着另外的事情
But a conehead bush cricket has other things on his tiny mind.
夏天的晚上 草丛里满是雄性蟋蟀
On Summer evenings, the meadow is full of males,
都在尽力大声歌♥唱 吸引雌性
all singing as loud as they can to attract a mate.
这只雄性下定决心 要在竞争中脱颖而出
And this male is determined to be heard above the competition.
灌丛蟋蟀的听觉也非常好 它们的耳朵长在腿上
Bush crickets hear pretty well, too, with ears on their legs.
所以它知道有蝙蝠在上方
So he knows the bat is above,
但它仍不肯安静下来
but still, he won't be silenced,
它尽量发出最大的声音
he blasts out his song as loud as a power drill.
当蝙蝠靠近时
When the bat closes in,
它没有噤声 反而提高了音量
rather than shut up, he cranks it up.
听起来想要交♥配♥的欲望
It sounds like the desire to mate could be the death
可能会给这只灌丛蟋蟀带来杀身之祸
of this little bush cricket.
但一项令人惊异的新发现表明 它这种吸引力
But an astonishing new discovery reveals his powers of attraction
也具备防御能力
also have the power to repel.
它叫的声音太大 给蝙蝠敏感的耳朵造成疼痛
He sings so loudly,
it's painful to the bat's sensitive ears.
灌丛蟋蟀 把蝙蝠的强大能力变成了弱点
The bush cricket turns the bat's superpower into a weakness,
在自己身边创造出了 一个一米左右的禁飞区