Wild Moves

The chameleon is one of natures quickest predators. Its hunting skills can only be appreciated in super slow motion. This episode of Wild Moves showcases the power of the chameleons secret weapon: its swift tongue. With more acceleration than a fighter jet, it can snag prey in the blink of an eye. This tongue was made to grab prey with a deathly grip. Its tip is shaped like a small suction cup that can hold up to a third of the chameleons body weight. As if that wasnt enough strength, its saliva sticks to prey like heavy-duty glue. No prey can escape this little lizard.

A kangaroo must cover extensive patches of land in the Australian Outback in search of food and water. A low-energy-cost method of locomotion is key for survival in this harsh environment. Luckily, this marsupial can bounce like no other. It can cover 25 feet in a single leap, moving at a top speed of 40 miles per hour. Even at a slower pace, its movements are a fascinating display of strength. When grazing, its tail works as a secret fifth leg, able to push the animal with more force than any other limb. This episode of Wild Moves reveals the tricks behind the kangaroos powerful hop, at almost 1,000 frames per second.

The red-eyed tree frog is only 2 inches long, yet it can cross three feet in a single leap. Thats 20 times its body length. A human would have to vault over three buses from a standing leap to match its skills. Its legs take up almost a quarter of its mass, and more than half its length. However, theyre not strong enough to produce such powerful hops. So how do they do it? In this episode of Wild Moves, super slow motion footage reveals the secret to their gravity-defying feats.

The sugar glider lives in the forest canopy. To adapt to its arboreal life, it developed the ability to fly without wings! It may not be able to create thrust or lift like a bird, but the sugar glider can fight the forces of gravity with a built-in parachute. A little flap of loose skin allows it to glide from tree to tree in search of sweet treats. This gliding membrane produces some wild moves ones that can only be seen in super slow motion, in this episode of Wild Moves.

Few skills are more impressive than the ability to fly. It requires more strength than any other form of locomotion. Birds have strong, heavy muscles to power their wing flap, but the rest of their body parts have adapted to shred any extra weight. A light frame is essential to fight the forces of gravity. However, to soar in the air birds need more than weight control. Speed and agility are both determined by the shape of the wing. In this episode of Wild Moves, a Harris Hawk displays the aerial maneuvers that only a superior set of wings are able to produce.

When a Harris Hawk sets its sight on a target, theres little hope for survival. This bird was built to hunt. Its vision is estimated to be eight times better than human eyesight. It can focus on small moving targets from as far as 20 feet away. The Harris Hawk can also process faster images than the average human, so prey can easily be intercepted at high speed. But what really makes this bird a precise predator is the ability to perform aerial maneuvers and kill prey with a quick touch of the talons. In this episode of Wild Moves, super slow motion footage reveals the secrets to the Harris Hawk hunting techniques.