Andes to Amazon
Encyclopedia
Andes to Amazon is a nature documentary
TV series co-produced by the BBC Natural History Unit
in Bristol
, England
and Animal Planet
, first transmitted in the UK on BBC2 in November 2000. In other territories it was sometimes broadcast under the title Wild South America
Each of the six 50-minute episodes portrays a different aspect of the South American continent. The series features extensive aerial photography of major landforms shot by Bob Fulton, and footage of rarely glimpsed animals in the wild. Andes to Amazon was narrated by Fergal Keane
and produced by Karen Bass.
The series forms part of the Natural History Unit's Continents strand, and was preceded by Land of the Tiger
in 1997 and followed one year later by Wild Africa
.
in search of locations and unusual species. Memorable sequences include an aerial journey over a glacier in Argentine Patagonia
, jungle animals visiting an Amazon
waterhole at night and luminous termite mounds in the grasslands of central Brazil
. Other locations featured are the Galápagos Islands
and the Salar de Uyuni
, the world's biggest salt lake in the Bolivian altiplano
.
Filming and post-production took three years in all.
The opening episode traces the events that have created the unique landforms and ecology of South America. Originally part of the supercontinent Gondwana
, it broke away around 100 million years ago and became an island. At that time, it was dominated by reptile
s and strange plant
s similar to the araucaria
s and tree ferns of Chile
’s Valdivian forests. These forests also harbour descendants of the first mammal
s, small marsupial
s like the shrew opossum
and monito del monte
. Volcanic activity thrust up the Andes
, where animals have had to adapt to the extreme environments of the altiplano
and Patagonia. The Andes formed a natural barrier which altered the climate and the course of major rivers. Amazonia was once a great swamp
, but now harbours the world’s greatest expanse of rainforest
and its mightiest river. There are more species
here than anywhere else, and many, including pygmy marmoset
s, have specialised diets. There are extreme dry environments here too. Guanacos survive in the Atacama Desert
by eating lichen
s, whilst in windswept Patagonia, mara
s and burrowing owl
s squabble over the best nest holes. By contrast, the seas are rich in life: a pod of dusky dolphin
s is filmed attacking a shoal of anchovies
. A land bridge with North America
formed 3 million years ago, creating a pathway for invasive species
. Those that survived were the opportunists like coati
s, or specialists that exploited niches, like the maned wolf
. Man, the most recent invader, has shaped the land and domesticated its animals to meet his own needs.
The second programme shows how life along the Amazon River
is dominated by the annual cycle of floods. In the dry season, female giant river turtle
s gather on exposed sand banks to lay their eggs. As broad reaches of river are cut off by sandbars, caiman
s and egret
s take advantage of the bounty of fish trapped in shallow lagoons. Underwater infrared
cameras film scavenging candiru
and an electric eel
hunting. As the first rains arrive, a cormorant
flock feeds quickly to take advantage before the fish begin to disperse. Black vulture
s get an easy meal as fish killed by oxygen-starved water wash up on the river banks. In the rainy season, water levels along the Amazon can rise up to 10m. Invertebrate
s emerge from cover in the undergrowth and migrate into the trees to escape drowning, but lizard
s and praying mantises await their arrival. Fire ant
s mass into a floating raft to move from their flooded nests, while sloth
s and tarantula
s have adapted to swimming between trees. Predators are at a disadvantage now, but giant otter
s are expert hunters and use teamwork to corral fish. The boto
, a rare river dolphin, navigates the submerged forests using sonar. Rainforest trees, which can survive inundation for six months, time their fruiting to coincide with the floods, using fish as seed dispersers. Villages and communities line the river's banks, but their overall environmental impact is low and they have adapted to the annual cycle of flooding. The sheer scale of the Amazon may yet ensure its survival.
The third instalment features Brazil
’s Cerrado
grassland
s and the Pantanal
, the largest seasonal swamp on Earth. The plains have pronounced wet and dry seasons, and the creatures of these ancient habitats have evolved survival strategies to withstand the extremes of drought, fire and flood. The main grazers here are termite
s, making the Cerrado seem empty in comparison to Africa’s savannah
. Specialist termite eaters include the giant
and collared anteaters and armadillo
s. By the end of the dry season, even the Pantanal begins to dry out. Fish and caimans are trapped in muddy pools and capybara
s must move in search of water. A female jaguar
with two cubs is shown chasing vultures off a cattle carcass. The first storms ignite the Cerrado as lightning
strikes the tinder-dry grass. These annual fires help return nutrients to the soil, and trigger plants to release their seeds. The Pantanal is home to over 700 species of bird, including the rare hyacinth macaw
and vast flocks of wood stork
s, which time their breeding to coincide with the floods. Young capybaras are vulnerable to attacks from anaconda
s. As the Cerrado flowers bloom with the arrival of the rains, rhea
s and pampas deer
feed alongside one another. A playful greeting between maned wolves is filmed using night-vision cameras. On humid nights, winged termites leave their mounds in their millions to start new colonies. The final scenes show the mounds illuminated with the lights of bioluminescent
beetle
grubs.
In the fourth programme, the viewer is taken on a journey along the Andes, the spine of the continent. In the northern tropics, spectacled bear
s feed on bromeliads in the cloud forest
s and on the puya
flower spikes in the alpine grasslands of the Páramo
. At these altitudes hummingbird
s find it difficult to hover, so those such as the Andean hillstar
perch on flowers as they drink the nectar. The Andes are a young range in geological terms, and volcanic activity is still present. The mountain-building forces have thrust up the altiplano
, a high, dry desert with geyser
fields, caustic lakes and little vegetation. Vicuña
s and vizcachas have adapted to the thin air and large daily temperature variation. Despite the treeless environment, even woodpecker
s are found here; the Andean flicker
nests underground. The geysers and hot spring
s never freeze so flamingo
s here can stay year-round, but those on the salt lake
s must migrate to lower altitudes to escape the winter. Late-hatching chicks can be trapped by the ice before they can fly. The final part of the programme features Patagonia, where the mountains are lower but closer to Antarctica. The ice field
s are so vast they generate their own glacier
s and weather systems, blasting the remnants of ancient volcano
es with cold winds. Guanacos, gray foxes and pumas are filmed in both winter and summer. Birds featured include spring migrants buff-necked ibis
es and great grebe
s, while the resident Andean condor
s are big enough to see foxes off a carcass.
Episode five covers the Amazon rainforest, home to more varieties of plants and animals than anywhere else on Earth. Despite the profusion of life, finding food can be a challenge for both people and animals. Many plants have poisonous leaves, seeds and fruit to protect themselves against attack. The Guarani, a native tribe, practise low-impact hunting using blowpipes. They make darts using downy fibres from kapok
seeds for the flights, and dip the tips in natural toxins. Some animals eat only the youngest shoots, which contain less poison. Others such as white-faced saki
s have developed special digestive systems to cope with their toxic diet. At a clay lick, spider monkey
s risk descending to the forest floor to eat clay, which helps to neutralise the toxins. They are not alone – other visitors include a brocket deer
, white-lipped peccaries
and parrot
s. At night, the flooded lick is visited by the shy Brazilian tapir
. Red-and-green macaws take clay at special places along the rivers, a great social occasion for the birds. Army ant
s are shown overwhelming their prey, but some creatures have developed clever ways to avoid detection. Antbird
s are reliant on the ants to flush out fleeing insects. In the canopy, bromeliads are a vital water source for all tree dwellers, including woolly monkey
s and the dazzling paradise tanager
. Each plant can store up to ten litres and is a microcosm of life. Golden-mantled tamarin
s are successful because they are supreme opportunists, eating fruits and insects and living in tightly knit groups.
The final programme begins in the Falkland Islands
, where thousands of rockhopper penguin
s negotiate the treacherous wave-swept coast and sea cliffs as they come ashore to breed. Huge shoals of krill
live in the cold, oxygen-rich waters of the surrounding ocean. Black-browed albatross
, gentoo penguin
s and king cormorants
are among the millions of seabirds drawn here to take advantage of the nutrient-rich sea. In summer, pods of killer whales arrive to hunt penguins, using techniques learned from previous generations. Animals of the Southern Ocean
visit the deep-water fjord
s around the southern tip of the continent. Magellanic penguin
s nest in the undergrowth, but must evade the predatory sea lion
s which patrol the kelp forest
s offshore. Peale’s dolphins
are filmed in the Straits of Magellan. The cold Humboldt Current
carries nutrients far up the west coast of South America, but on land the temperate forests
give way to the driest desert on Earth. Off the coast at Paracas
, huge shoals of anchovies gather. These attract seabirds, Humboldt penguin
s and larger predators such as sea lions. At the Galápagos Islands
, warm and cold ocean currents meet, attracting new species. Hammerhead shark
s gather in shoals hundreds strong to feed, breed and socialise. Sperm whale
s also arrive to breed, with the bulls establishing dominance over rivals by head-butting and tooth rasping. The volcanic islands have their own unique flora and fauna due to their isolation, including flightless cormorant
s, marine iguana
s and Galápagos finches. The cold Humboldt Current has even put a penguin on the equator
.
Nature documentary
A natural history film or wildlife film is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat...
TV series co-produced by the BBC Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
, first transmitted in the UK on BBC2 in November 2000. In other territories it was sometimes broadcast under the title Wild South America
Each of the six 50-minute episodes portrays a different aspect of the South American continent. The series features extensive aerial photography of major landforms shot by Bob Fulton, and footage of rarely glimpsed animals in the wild. Andes to Amazon was narrated by Fergal Keane
Fergal Keane
Fergal Patrick Keane , is an Irish writer and broadcaster. For many years, Keane was the BBC's correspondent in Southern Africa. He is the nephew of Irish author John B. Keane....
and produced by Karen Bass.
The series forms part of the Natural History Unit's Continents strand, and was preceded by Land of the Tiger
Land of the Tiger
Land of the Tiger is a BBC nature documentary series exploring the natural history of the Indian subcontinent, first transmitted in the UK on BBC Two in 1997...
in 1997 and followed one year later by Wild Africa
Wild Africa
Wild Africa is a BBC nature documentary series exploring the natural history of the African continent, first transmitted in the UK on BBC2 in November 2001.The series comprises six episodes. Each concentrates on a particular environment...
.
Production
The filmmakers journeyed the length and breath of South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in search of locations and unusual species. Memorable sequences include an aerial journey over a glacier in Argentine Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
, jungle animals visiting an Amazon
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
waterhole at night and luminous termite mounds in the grasslands of central Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Other locations featured are the Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
and the Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat at . It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, and is elevated above the mean sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes...
, the world's biggest salt lake in the Bolivian altiplano
Altiplano
The Altiplano , in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet...
.
Filming and post-production took three years in all.
1. "Lost Worlds"
- Broadcast 6 November 2000
The opening episode traces the events that have created the unique landforms and ecology of South America. Originally part of the supercontinent Gondwana
Gondwana
In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
, it broke away around 100 million years ago and became an island. At that time, it was dominated by reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s and strange plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s similar to the araucaria
Araucaria araucana
Araucaria araucana is an evergreen tree growing to tall with a trunk diameter. The tree is native to central and southern Chile, western Argentina and south Brazil. Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria...
s and tree ferns of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
’s Valdivian forests. These forests also harbour descendants of the first mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, small marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
s like the shrew opossum
Shrew opossum
The order Paucituberculata contains the six surviving species of shrew opossum: small, shrew-like marsupials which are confined to the Andes mountains of South America. It is thought that the order diverged from the ancestral marsupial line very early. As recently as 20 million years ago, there...
and monito del monte
Monito del Monte
The Monito del Monte The Monito del Monte The Monito del Monte (Spanish for "little mountain monkey", Dromiciops gliroides, is a diminutive marsupial native only to southwestern South America (Chile and Argentina). It is the only extant species in the ancient order Microbiotheria, and the sole New...
. Volcanic activity thrust up the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, where animals have had to adapt to the extreme environments of the altiplano
Altiplano
The Altiplano , in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet...
and Patagonia. The Andes formed a natural barrier which altered the climate and the course of major rivers. Amazonia was once a great swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
, but now harbours the world’s greatest expanse of rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
and its mightiest river. There are more species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
here than anywhere else, and many, including pygmy marmoset
Pygmy Marmoset
The pygmy marmoset or dwarf monkey is a New World monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and northern Bolivia. It is one of the smallest primates, and the smallest true monkey, with its body length ranging from...
s, have specialised diets. There are extreme dry environments here too. Guanacos survive in the Atacama Desert
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America, covering a strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is, according to NASA, National Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the world...
by eating lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s, whilst in windswept Patagonia, mara
Mara (mammal)
The maras are a genus of the cavy family. They are the sole representatives of the subfamily Dolichotinae. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina but live in other areas of South America as well such as Paraguay...
s and burrowing owl
Burrowing Owl
The Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...
s squabble over the best nest holes. By contrast, the seas are rich in life: a pod of dusky dolphin
Dusky Dolphin
The dusky dolphin is a dolphin found in coastal waters in the Southern Hemisphere. Its specific epithet is Latin for "dark" or "dim". It is very closely genetically related to the Pacific white-sided dolphin, but current scientific consensus is that they are distinct species...
s is filmed attacking a shoal of anchovies
Anchovy
Anchovies are a family of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are 144 species in 17 genera, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as an oily fish.-Description:...
. A land bridge with North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
formed 3 million years ago, creating a pathway for invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
. Those that survived were the opportunists like coati
Coati
Coatis, genera Nasua and Nasuella, also known as the Brazilian aardvark, Mexican tejón, hog-nosed coon, pizotes, crackoons and snookum bears, are members of the raccoon family . They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, and south-western North America...
s, or specialists that exploited niches, like the maned wolf
Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...
. Man, the most recent invader, has shaped the land and domesticated its animals to meet his own needs.
2. "Mighty Amazon"
- Broadcast 13 November 2000
The second programme shows how life along the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
is dominated by the annual cycle of floods. In the dry season, female giant river turtle
Arrau
The Arrau turtle, Podocnemis expansa, also known as the Charapa turtle, Arrau River Turtle, Tartaruga-da-amazônia, or Araú, is the largest of the side-neck turtles . It is found in the Amazon River and its tributaries . Adults often reach 1 m in length...
s gather on exposed sand banks to lay their eggs. As broad reaches of river are cut off by sandbars, caiman
Caiman
Caimans are alligatorid crocodylians within the subfamily Caimaninae. The group is one of two subfamilies of the family Alligatoridae, the other being alligators. Caimans inhabit Central and South America. They are relatively small crocodilians, with most species reaching lengths of only a few...
s and egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s take advantage of the bounty of fish trapped in shallow lagoons. Underwater infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
cameras film scavenging candiru
Candirú
Candiru or candirú , also known as cañero, toothpick fish, or vampire fish, are a number of genera of parasitic freshwater catfish in the family Trichomycteridae; all are native to the Amazon River...
and an electric eel
Electric eel
The electric eel , is an electric fish, and the only species of the genus Electrophorus. It is capable of generating powerful electric shocks, of up to six hundred volts, which it uses for both hunting and self-defense. It is an apex predator in its South American range...
hunting. As the first rains arrive, a cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
flock feeds quickly to take advantage before the fish begin to disperse. Black vulture
American Black Vulture
The Black Vulture also known as the American Black Vulture, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the southeastern United States to Central Chile and Uruguay in South America...
s get an easy meal as fish killed by oxygen-starved water wash up on the river banks. In the rainy season, water levels along the Amazon can rise up to 10m. Invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s emerge from cover in the undergrowth and migrate into the trees to escape drowning, but lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s and praying mantises await their arrival. Fire ant
Fire ant
Fire ants are a variety of stinging ants with over 285 species worldwide. They have several common names, including ginger ants, tropical fire ants and red ants.- Appearance :...
s mass into a floating raft to move from their flooded nests, while sloth
Sloth
Sloths are the six species of medium-sized mammals belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae , part of the order Pilosa and therefore related to armadillos and anteaters, which sport a similar set of specialized claws.They are arboreal residents of the jungles of Central and South...
s and tarantula
Tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...
s have adapted to swimming between trees. Predators are at a disadvantage now, but giant otter
Giant Otter
The giant otter is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the Mustelidae, or weasel family, a globally successful group of predators. Unusually for a mustelid, the giant otter is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members...
s are expert hunters and use teamwork to corral fish. The boto
Boto
The Amazon river dolphin, alternatively Bufeo, Bufeo Colorado, Boto Cor de Rosa, Boutu, Nay, Tonina, or Pink Dolphin , is a freshwater river dolphin endemic to the Orinoco, Amazon and Araguaia/Tocantins River systems of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela...
, a rare river dolphin, navigates the submerged forests using sonar. Rainforest trees, which can survive inundation for six months, time their fruiting to coincide with the floods, using fish as seed dispersers. Villages and communities line the river's banks, but their overall environmental impact is low and they have adapted to the annual cycle of flooding. The sheer scale of the Amazon may yet ensure its survival.
3. "Great Plains"
- Broadcast 20 November 2000
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
’s Cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s and the Pantanal
Pantanal
The Pantanal is a tropical wetland and one of the world's largest wetland of any kind. Most of it lies within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and portions of Bolivia and Paraguay, sprawling over an area estimated at between and...
, the largest seasonal swamp on Earth. The plains have pronounced wet and dry seasons, and the creatures of these ancient habitats have evolved survival strategies to withstand the extremes of drought, fire and flood. The main grazers here are termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s, making the Cerrado seem empty in comparison to Africa’s savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
. Specialist termite eaters include the giant
Giant Anteater
The Giant Anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, is the largest species of anteater. It is the only species in the genus Myrmecophaga. It is found in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina...
and collared anteaters and armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
s. By the end of the dry season, even the Pantanal begins to dry out. Fish and caimans are trapped in muddy pools and capybara
Capybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
s must move in search of water. A female jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
with two cubs is shown chasing vultures off a cattle carcass. The first storms ignite the Cerrado as lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
strikes the tinder-dry grass. These annual fires help return nutrients to the soil, and trigger plants to release their seeds. The Pantanal is home to over 700 species of bird, including the rare hyacinth macaw
Hyacinth Macaw
The Hyacinth Macaw , or Hyacinthine Macaw, is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. With a length of about 100 cm it is longer than any other species of parrot...
and vast flocks of wood stork
Wood Stork
The Wood Stork is a large American wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was formerly called the "Wood Ibis", though it is not really an ibis.-Appearance:...
s, which time their breeding to coincide with the floods. Young capybaras are vulnerable to attacks from anaconda
Anaconda
An anaconda is a large, non-venomous snake found in tropical South America. Although the name actually applies to a group of snakes, it is often used to refer only to one species in particular, the common or green anaconda, Eunectes murinus, which is one of the largest snakes in the world.Anaconda...
s. As the Cerrado flowers bloom with the arrival of the rains, rhea
Rhea (bird)
The rheas are ratites in the genus Rhea, native to South America. There are two existing species: the Greater or American Rhea and the Lesser or Darwin's Rhea. The genus name was given in 1752 by Paul Möhring and adopted as the English common name. Möhring's reason for choosing this name, from the...
s and pampas deer
Pampas Deer
Pampas deer, Ozotoceros bezoarticus, live in the grasslands of South America at low elevations. They are also known as Venado or Gama. Their habitat includes water and hills, often with winter drought, and grass that is high enough to cover a standing deer...
feed alongside one another. A playful greeting between maned wolves is filmed using night-vision cameras. On humid nights, winged termites leave their mounds in their millions to start new colonies. The final scenes show the mounds illuminated with the lights of bioluminescent
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Its name is a hybrid word, originating from the Greek bios for "living" and the Latin lumen "light". Bioluminescence is a naturally occurring form of chemiluminescence where energy is released by a chemical reaction in...
beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
grubs.
4. "Andes"
- Broadcast 27 November 2000
In the fourth programme, the viewer is taken on a journey along the Andes, the spine of the continent. In the northern tropics, spectacled bear
Spectacled Bear
The spectacled bear , also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.The spectacled bear is a...
s feed on bromeliads in the cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
s and on the puya
Puya (genus)
Puya is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Pitcairnioideae. These terrestrial plants are native to the Andes Mountains of South America and southern Central America...
flower spikes in the alpine grasslands of the Páramo
Páramo
The term páramo can refer to a variety of ecosystems. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as “all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline”. A more narrow term classifies the páramo according to its regional placement - specifically located in “the northern Andes...
. At these altitudes hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s find it difficult to hover, so those such as the Andean hillstar
Andean Hillstar
The Andean Hillstar is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found in grassland, scrub and woodland in the Altiplano of southern Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, and north-western Argentina...
perch on flowers as they drink the nectar. The Andes are a young range in geological terms, and volcanic activity is still present. The mountain-building forces have thrust up the altiplano
Altiplano
The Altiplano , in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet...
, a high, dry desert with geyser
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
fields, caustic lakes and little vegetation. Vicuña
Vicuña
The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre...
s and vizcachas have adapted to the thin air and large daily temperature variation. Despite the treeless environment, even woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s are found here; the Andean flicker
Andean Flicker
The Andean Flicker is a South American species of woodpecker. It is found in grassland, shrubland and Polylepis woodland at altitudes of in the Andes from southern Ecuador to northern Chile and northwestern Argentina...
nests underground. The geysers and hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s never freeze so flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
s here can stay year-round, but those on the salt lake
Salt lake
A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water which has a concentration of salts and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes . In some cases, salt lakes have a higher concentration of salt than sea water, but such lakes would also be termed hypersaline lakes...
s must migrate to lower altitudes to escape the winter. Late-hatching chicks can be trapped by the ice before they can fly. The final part of the programme features Patagonia, where the mountains are lower but closer to Antarctica. The ice field
Southern Patagonian Ice Field
The Southern Patagonian Ice Field , located at the Southern Patagonic Andes between Argentina and Chile, is the second largest contiguous extrapolar extent of ice in the world...
s are so vast they generate their own glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s and weather systems, blasting the remnants of ancient volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es with cold winds. Guanacos, gray foxes and pumas are filmed in both winter and summer. Birds featured include spring migrants buff-necked ibis
Buff-necked Ibis
The Buff-necked Ibis , also known as the White-throated Ibis, is a fairly large ibis found widely in open habitats of eastern and northern South America...
es and great grebe
Great Grebe
The Great Grebe is the largest species of grebe on earth. A disjunct population exists in northwestern Peru, while the main distribution is from extreme southeastern Brazil to Patagonia and central Chile. The population from southern Chile is considered a separate subspecies, P. m. navasi.This...
s, while the resident Andean condor
Andean Condor
The Andean Condor is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur...
s are big enough to see foxes off a carcass.
5. "Amazon Jungle"
- Broadcast 11 December 2000
Kapok
Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae , native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and to tropical west Africa...
seeds for the flights, and dip the tips in natural toxins. Some animals eat only the youngest shoots, which contain less poison. Others such as white-faced saki
White-faced Saki
The white-faced saki , also known as the Guianan saki and the golden-faced saki, is a species of saki monkey, a type of New World monkey, found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and Timbuktu...
s have developed special digestive systems to cope with their toxic diet. At a clay lick, spider monkey
Spider monkey
Spider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil...
s risk descending to the forest floor to eat clay, which helps to neutralise the toxins. They are not alone – other visitors include a brocket deer
Brocket Deer
Brocket deer are the species of deer in the genus Mazama. They are medium to small in size, and are found in the Yucatán Peninsula, Central and South America, and the island of Trinidad. Most species are primarily found in forests. They are superficially similar to the African duikers and the Asian...
, white-lipped peccaries
White-lipped Peccary
The White-lipped Peccary, Tayassu pecari, is a peccary species found in Central and South America, living in rainforest, dry forest and chaco scrub. It is monotypic within the genus Tayassu....
and parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s. At night, the flooded lick is visited by the shy Brazilian tapir
Brazilian Tapir
The South American Tapir , or Brazilian Tapir or Lowland Tapir or Anta, is one of four species in the tapir family, along with the Mountain Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, and Baird's Tapir...
. Red-and-green macaws take clay at special places along the rivers, a great social occasion for the birds. Army ant
Army ant
The name army ant is applied to over 200 ant species, in different lineages, due to their aggressive predatory foraging groups, known as "raids", in which huge numbers of ants forage simultaneously over a certain area, attacking prey en masse.Another shared feature is that, unlike most ant...
s are shown overwhelming their prey, but some creatures have developed clever ways to avoid detection. Antbird
Antbird
The antbirds are a large family, Thamnophilidae, of passerine birds found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 200 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire-eyes, bare-eyes and bushbirds...
s are reliant on the ants to flush out fleeing insects. In the canopy, bromeliads are a vital water source for all tree dwellers, including woolly monkey
Woolly monkey
The woolly monkeys are the genus Lagothrix of New World monkeys, usually placed in the family Atelidae.There are four species of woolly monkey. All originate from the rainforests of South America...
s and the dazzling paradise tanager
Paradise Tanager
The Paradise Tanager, Tangara chilensis, is a brilliantly multicolored, medium-sized songbird whose length varies between 13.5 and 15 cm. It has a light green head, sky blue underparts and black upper body plumage. Depending on subspecies, the rump is yellow and red or all red...
. Each plant can store up to ten litres and is a microcosm of life. Golden-mantled tamarin
Golden-mantled Tamarin
The golden-mantled tamarin is a tamarin species from South America. It is found in Ecuador and Peru, specifically in the upper Amazon , east of the Andes in Ecuador, and Northeast Peru; between the Rio Curaray and Rio Napo in Peru.-Taxonomic classification:There are seventeen species in this...
s are successful because they are supreme opportunists, eating fruits and insects and living in tightly knit groups.
6. "Penguin Shores"
- Broadcast 18 December 2000
The final programme begins in the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, where thousands of rockhopper penguin
Rockhopper penguin
The rockhopper penguins are three closely related taxa of crested penguins that have been traditionally treated as a single species and are sometimes split into two or three species. Not all experts agree on the classification of these penguins...
s negotiate the treacherous wave-swept coast and sea cliffs as they come ashore to breed. Huge shoals of krill
Krill
Krill is the common name given to the order Euphausiacea of shrimp-like marine crustaceans. Also known as euphausiids, these small invertebrates are found in all oceans of the world...
live in the cold, oxygen-rich waters of the surrounding ocean. Black-browed albatross
Black-browed Albatross
The Black-browed Albatross or Black-browed Mollymawk, Thalassarche melanophrys, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae, and it is the most widespread and common albatross.-Taxonomy:...
, gentoo penguin
Gentoo penguin
The Gentoo Penguin , Pygoscelis papua, is easily recognized by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head and its bright orange-red bill. The gentoo penguin has pale whitish-pink webbed feet and a fairly long tail - the most prominent tail of all penguins. Chicks have...
s and king cormorants
Imperial Shag
The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a black and white cormorant native to many subantarctic islands, the Antarctic Peninsula and southern South America, primarily in rocky coastal regions, but locally also at large inland lakes. It is sometimes placed in the genus Leucocarbo instead...
are among the millions of seabirds drawn here to take advantage of the nutrient-rich sea. In summer, pods of killer whales arrive to hunt penguins, using techniques learned from previous generations. Animals of the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
visit the deep-water fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s around the southern tip of the continent. Magellanic penguin
Magellanic Penguin
The Magellanic Penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus, is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil where they are occasionally seen as far north as Rio de Janeiro. It is the most numerous of the Spheniscus penguins. Its nearest...
s nest in the undergrowth, but must evade the predatory sea lion
Sea Lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
s which patrol the kelp forest
Kelp forest
Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds....
s offshore. Peale’s dolphins
Peale's Dolphin
Peale's Dolphin is a small dolphin found in the waters around Tierra del Fuego at the foot of South America. It is also commonly known as the Black-chinned Dolphin or even Peale's Black-chinned Dolphin...
are filmed in the Straits of Magellan. The cold Humboldt Current
Humboldt Current
The Humboldt Current , also known as the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile to northern Peru. It is an eastern boundary current flowing in the direction of the equator, and can extend...
carries nutrients far up the west coast of South America, but on land the temperate forests
Valdivian temperate rain forests
The Valdivian temperate rain forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed-forest ecoregion located on the west coast of southern South America, lying mostly in Chile and extending into a small part of Argentina. It is part of the Neotropic ecozone. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia...
give way to the driest desert on Earth. Off the coast at Paracas
Paracas National Reservation
The Paracas National Reserve is located in Ica, Peru and consists of the Paracas Peninsula, coastal areas and tropical desert extending to the south slightly past Punta Caimán, a total of 335,000 ha . It includes Bahía de la Independencia and miles of coastal waters...
, huge shoals of anchovies gather. These attract seabirds, Humboldt penguin
Humboldt Penguin
The Humboldt Penguin is a South American penguin, that breeds in coastal Peru and Chile. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Magellanic Penguin and the Galápagos Penguin...
s and larger predators such as sea lions. At the Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
, warm and cold ocean currents meet, attracting new species. Hammerhead shark
Hammerhead shark
The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks in the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a "cephalofoil". Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus Sphyrna while the...
s gather in shoals hundreds strong to feed, breed and socialise. Sperm whale
Sperm Whale
The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, is a marine mammal species, order Cetacea, a toothed whale having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the animal's head. The sperm whale is the only living member of genus Physeter...
s also arrive to breed, with the bulls establishing dominance over rivals by head-butting and tooth rasping. The volcanic islands have their own unique flora and fauna due to their isolation, including flightless cormorant
Flightless Cormorant
The Flightless Cormorant , also known as the Galapagos Cormorant, is a cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only cormorant that has lost the ability to fly...
s, marine iguana
Marine iguana
The Marine Iguana is an iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to live and forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile. The Iguana can dive over 30 ft into the water. It has spread to all the islands in the archipelago, and is...
s and Galápagos finches. The cold Humboldt Current has even put a penguin on the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
.
Merchandise
A book, soundtrack CD and DVD were all released to accompany the TV series:- A Region 2 and 4DVD region codeDVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
, 2-disc DVD set was released on 18 July 2005 (BBCDVD1707) and features all six full-length episodes along with a bonus 30 minute documentary, Wildlife on One: Giant Otters. Andes to Amazon is one of four series which comprise the Region 1 DVD box set BBC Atlas of the Natural World: Western Hemisphere released on 31 October 2006.
- The accompanying book, Andes to Amazon: A Guide to Wild South America by Michael Bright, was published by BBC Books on 2 November 2000 in a hardcover edition (ISBN 0-563-53705-1) and on 4 April 2002 in a paperback edition (ISBN 0-563-53495-8).
- On 20 November 2000 a CD was released with a compilation of the incidental musicIncidental musicIncidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
in Andes to Amazon.
External links
- Andes to Amazon showreel at BBC Motion GalleryBBC Motion GalleryBBC Motion Gallery is the footage licensing division of BBC Worldwide, offering media professionals in advertising, commercials, television, film, interactive and corporate video production access to over a million hours of motion imagery for licensing worldwide.-History:The organization originated...