A Real Bug's Life (2024) s02e04 Episode Script
Once a Pond a Time
1
♪
♪
♪
[Narrator] Australia,
a land of curious, cuddly
creatures we all love.
♪
And others, not so much.
Sure, this place has
its fair share of bugs
that bite, sting,
and generally
ruin your day.
But, truth is,
most here aren't like that.
♪
♪
Take this Botany Bay weevil,
just chillin' in a tree
on a ranch.
She's totally harmless.
Actually, she's a bit
of a scaredy bug.
♪
Ah, a cute koala.
But not from her perspective.
[sniffing]
First hint of danger
and she's like
"Nnnn-nope."
♪
Um
Is she alright?
♪
It's okay.
She's only playing dead
till the coast is clear.
A little overdramatic,
but better safe than sorry.
I'm telling ya,
that guy is freaky!
In the east Australian bush,
most little creatures
are just trying to survive.
And that's not
so easy out here.
Once you see
the incredible ways
they endure
in this brutal land,
you'll realize they're
not little monsters,
but really tiny heroes
down under.
♪
[distant hooting]
Late spring on the ranch,
and down on the ground
something is stirring.
♪
♪
Oh, too cute!
A spiderling.
The size of a grain of sand.
So small,
you can barely see him.
♪
He's no ordinary arachnid.
[ding]
He's a peacock spider.
And if you think this
little guy is adorable now,
just wait till you see
what he might grow into.
♪
There are over 100 species
of these spiders.
Each has a unique way
of attracting a mate.
Outrageous outfits,
fancy footwork,
and sweet little booty shakes.
But before
a female swipes right,
a male's got to perfect
his moves.
♪
One day, our little spider will
have to find his special way
to impress a lady.
But first, he's got
some growing to do.
Time to go grab some food.
[boing]
Four side eyes give almost
360 motion detection.
♪
Then, with vision
sharper than a cat's,
four larger front eyes lock on.
Only problem is
[boing]
they're bigger
than his stomach.
It's not easy being so small
[boing]
in a big bugs' world.
♪
♪
♪
Even Scaredy Bug's
intimidating.
He needs to find
a safe place to grow.
♪
Maybe try up there.
♪
Oh, look,
a friendly caterpillar.
♪
Ooh, what is that?
It's an assassin bug,
venomous enough
to take down a mouse.
I'm outta here!
The assassin bug injects
enzymes to liquefy his victims.
Sucks them up
like a protein shake,
then discards the rest.
What a litterbug!
[birds chattering]
Some bugs here have a bad rep,
for good reason.
Meet one of Australia's
most notorious insects.
Cross a jack jumper ant,
and it'll hurt!
♪
♪
[crunch]
[Rancher] Ah, strewth!
[birds chattering]
[Narrator] But she's not
a bad bug really.
[horse whinnies]
She was only out looking
for food for the family.
♪
This ain't much,
but one bug's trash
is another bug's treasure.
♪
Three feet underground,
her little siblings,
these larvae, are hungry.
Jack jumper colonies
usually have hundreds of ants,
but there's only 30 in hers.
It's been so hot and dry,
there's not enough food.
♪
Summers here
can reach 120 degrees.
Heat waves in Australia
kill more people
than any other natural hazard.
And if the ant larvae
get too hot,
they'll die, too.
♪
Up against the sun's
full force,
she seems powerless.
But this little GI Jane has
some serious survival skills.
♪
Collecting rocks is heavy work.
♪
But their light color
reflects heat.
She's building a sunproof roof
to keep the family home cool.
[Narrator] Weeks pass.
Summer temperatures soar.
Bugs need shade.
In the rancher's shed,
our little peacock spider
has found shelter.
[horse whinnies]
He's over two months old now
but still hasn't grown
into his true colors.
If he's gonna get bigger,
he needs to eat more.
♪
♪
But his way of hunting
is hard to master.
[boing]
♪
Some of his neighbors,
like this huge huntsman,
or this deadly
Australian black widow,
just lay around, waiting
for prey to come to them.
But our little guy
has to hustle for every bite.
♪
First, he's got
to plan his attack.
♪
Sneak into position.
♪
Then take aim.
♪
[boing]
Oh. Okay, so the landing
needs work.
But even a spider this tiny
packs potent venom.
Paralyzed!
♪
And lunchtime,
thank you very much.
Keep this up, and maybe soon
he'll have his chance to dance.
[door slams shut]
The jack jumper family is still
struggling in the heat.
But our ant is out, braving
the sun, searching for food.
Unlike most ants,
she doesn't need a scent trail
to find her way.
This girl scout
is more of an explorer.
Like us, she relies on
color vision and good memory
and can recognize landmarks
for up to six months.
♪
So determined to find food,
nothing's gonna stop
Oh!
♪
Anyways.
♪
They call her jack jumper
for a reason.
This intrepid ant can forage
50 feet from the nest.
♪
But traveling far
from home is risky
when it's this dry.
♪
Incoming clouds may seem
like a good thing,
but it's so hot
[thunder]
any rain evaporates before
it even reaches the ground.
[rumbling]
It only takes one strike
[thunder]
and this place
goes up in flames.
Now our weevil
really should be scared.
No use playing dead.
It's time to fly.
Head for higher ground.
Extend flaps.
Raise landing gear.
And
♪
♪
Let's try that again.
Come on, Scaredy Bug.
This could be your last chance.
You can do this!
♪
Flying isn't an option
for our ant.
She needs to get out of here
as fast as possible.
But all her landmarks
have disappeared.
♪
Which way is home?
♪
Back at her nest,
three feet underground
it's much cooler.
Her family is safe.
♪
But outside,
flames are 800 degrees.
♪
Extreme bushfires can wipe out
entire bug populations;
sometimes even species.
♪
But if our ant makes it home,
she can survive.
♪
That's familiar.
♪
♪
At last,
the white rocks of home!
♪
Up above,
the fire is spreading.
The shed has kept
the little spider safe,
but if the flames
reach the trees,
he'll be cooked alive.
♪
♪
As the climate changes,
fires in Australia
are getting more frequent,
more intense.
Good thing that here,
help is on hand.
♪
Just in time.
♪
The fire may be over,
but the struggle
for survival continues.
♪
She's lucky to be alive.
But her family is starving.
♪
♪
Some of her sisters
didn't make it.
♪
Now, more than ever,
it's up to her to find food.
♪
♪
Best she can do.
It won't go far.
♪
Other survivors are desperately
hunting for food, too.
♪
A carnivorous bombardier beetle
heading straight towards
the jack jumper nest.
♪
If he breaks in,
he'll devour the larvae.
♪
Our ant clocks the danger
and moves in.
♪
♪
The beetle is surrounded
and outnumbered.
But threaten this guy,
and he's likely to blow up.
[explosions]
When two chemicals mix
in his abdomen,
it's an explosive reaction
erupting from his butt.
How about a bit
of boiling caustic fluid
in your face?!
♪
He even adjusts his aim
to repel attack from any angle.
But, sisters by her side,
our ant won't give up.
[fireworks]
Out of ammo, the bombardier
is forced to retreat.
Still holding on,
but still hungry,
her colony needs
better luck, and soon.
♪
♪
Careful what you wish for.
♪
♪
♪
Heavy rain means
biblical floods in bug land.
♪
♪
But they won't let it sink 'em.
♪
Water-repellent bodies
keep them afloat.
And when you're this small,
you can ride out the storm
in style.
♪
With raised sides, her nest
is built to survive floods
as well as fire.
♪
♪
Finally, the storm has passed.
♪
But seriously,
when's the summer gonna end?
♪
[Narrator] Heat, fire and flood
can be brutal for bugs,
but eventually
better days will come.
♪
♪
After rain, the bush flushes
green with fresh, new growth.
♪
Also
[mouth full]
it's delicious!
♪
And the land isn't
the only thing
that's transformed around here.
Our little spider
is all grown up.
♪
Five months old
and super stylin' in blue.
♪
Totally brings out his eyes!
Ready to bust a groove.
♪
But if he's ever
gonna pass on
his adorable
little blue genes,
he needs to go
find an audience.
There are one or two obstacles
in his way,
but now his legs are longer,
he can jump 40 times
his body length.
♪
Light on his feet.
Let's hope he has
the moves to match.
Whoa. Hold up.
Who is that little cutie?
♪
Now, she is just his type.
But will she dig his dance?
♪
♪
Don't worry, just do you.
♪
♪
His very first performance.
♪
It's eye-catching, for sure.
♪
Those super black spots
really make that blue pop.
He's holding her gaze,
rockin' her tiny world.
And that stick is
the perfect stage.
Except
Whoa!
[Rancher] Oh.
♪
[Narrator] Hey, man,
don't harsh the vibe!
If he loses focus,
she'll lose interest.
♪
At least most of us know when
to let nature take its course.
♪
His whole life has been
leading to this.
♪
He transfers sperm from
special bulbs near his mouth.
♪
It takes up to an hour.
Okay, this is getting weird.
[squeak]
Can we move on?
♪
Against extreme odds,
our little spider
has come of age
and secured his legacy.
But his story is not over yet.
Stay on his game, and he could
live another few months,
dancing his way
into many more hearts.
[birds chirping]
[birds chirping]
Up in the trees
Scaredy Bug! You made it!
Good to see she's doing her bit
for the weevil population.
Alright,
a little privacy, please.
The jack jumpers survived
the summer, too.
And now there's more life
in this land.
Finally, they can all
get their grub on.
♪
But more bugs also means
more problems.
♪
♪
The assassin bug is back.
And our heroine is home alone,
guarding the nest.
♪
♪
He's twice her size.
But nothing gets past her
without a fight.
♪
♪
Looks like this could be
her last stand.
♪
♪
Turns out,
her tough exoskeleton
is not only fireproof
and waterproof
it's assassin-proof.
♪
♪
♪
That's right. Bug off!
And don't come back!
♪
With grit and determination,
this tiny survivor
helped her family triumph
in the toughest of times.
And with many more baby sisters
on the way,
soon she'll be
stronger than ever.
♪
♪
Once you take a closer look
at a real bug's life,
you see them
from a whole new perspective.
Tiny heroes trying to survive
in a big, brutal world.
♪
Even so, some bugs
will always be
a little harder to love
[rancher shouts]
than others.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
[Narrator] Australia,
a land of curious, cuddly
creatures we all love.
♪
And others, not so much.
Sure, this place has
its fair share of bugs
that bite, sting,
and generally
ruin your day.
But, truth is,
most here aren't like that.
♪
♪
Take this Botany Bay weevil,
just chillin' in a tree
on a ranch.
She's totally harmless.
Actually, she's a bit
of a scaredy bug.
♪
Ah, a cute koala.
But not from her perspective.
[sniffing]
First hint of danger
and she's like
"Nnnn-nope."
♪
Um
Is she alright?
♪
It's okay.
She's only playing dead
till the coast is clear.
A little overdramatic,
but better safe than sorry.
I'm telling ya,
that guy is freaky!
In the east Australian bush,
most little creatures
are just trying to survive.
And that's not
so easy out here.
Once you see
the incredible ways
they endure
in this brutal land,
you'll realize they're
not little monsters,
but really tiny heroes
down under.
♪
[distant hooting]
Late spring on the ranch,
and down on the ground
something is stirring.
♪
♪
Oh, too cute!
A spiderling.
The size of a grain of sand.
So small,
you can barely see him.
♪
He's no ordinary arachnid.
[ding]
He's a peacock spider.
And if you think this
little guy is adorable now,
just wait till you see
what he might grow into.
♪
There are over 100 species
of these spiders.
Each has a unique way
of attracting a mate.
Outrageous outfits,
fancy footwork,
and sweet little booty shakes.
But before
a female swipes right,
a male's got to perfect
his moves.
♪
One day, our little spider will
have to find his special way
to impress a lady.
But first, he's got
some growing to do.
Time to go grab some food.
[boing]
Four side eyes give almost
360 motion detection.
♪
Then, with vision
sharper than a cat's,
four larger front eyes lock on.
Only problem is
[boing]
they're bigger
than his stomach.
It's not easy being so small
[boing]
in a big bugs' world.
♪
♪
♪
Even Scaredy Bug's
intimidating.
He needs to find
a safe place to grow.
♪
Maybe try up there.
♪
Oh, look,
a friendly caterpillar.
♪
Ooh, what is that?
It's an assassin bug,
venomous enough
to take down a mouse.
I'm outta here!
The assassin bug injects
enzymes to liquefy his victims.
Sucks them up
like a protein shake,
then discards the rest.
What a litterbug!
[birds chattering]
Some bugs here have a bad rep,
for good reason.
Meet one of Australia's
most notorious insects.
Cross a jack jumper ant,
and it'll hurt!
♪
♪
[crunch]
[Rancher] Ah, strewth!
[birds chattering]
[Narrator] But she's not
a bad bug really.
[horse whinnies]
She was only out looking
for food for the family.
♪
This ain't much,
but one bug's trash
is another bug's treasure.
♪
Three feet underground,
her little siblings,
these larvae, are hungry.
Jack jumper colonies
usually have hundreds of ants,
but there's only 30 in hers.
It's been so hot and dry,
there's not enough food.
♪
Summers here
can reach 120 degrees.
Heat waves in Australia
kill more people
than any other natural hazard.
And if the ant larvae
get too hot,
they'll die, too.
♪
Up against the sun's
full force,
she seems powerless.
But this little GI Jane has
some serious survival skills.
♪
Collecting rocks is heavy work.
♪
But their light color
reflects heat.
She's building a sunproof roof
to keep the family home cool.
[Narrator] Weeks pass.
Summer temperatures soar.
Bugs need shade.
In the rancher's shed,
our little peacock spider
has found shelter.
[horse whinnies]
He's over two months old now
but still hasn't grown
into his true colors.
If he's gonna get bigger,
he needs to eat more.
♪
♪
But his way of hunting
is hard to master.
[boing]
♪
Some of his neighbors,
like this huge huntsman,
or this deadly
Australian black widow,
just lay around, waiting
for prey to come to them.
But our little guy
has to hustle for every bite.
♪
First, he's got
to plan his attack.
♪
Sneak into position.
♪
Then take aim.
♪
[boing]
Oh. Okay, so the landing
needs work.
But even a spider this tiny
packs potent venom.
Paralyzed!
♪
And lunchtime,
thank you very much.
Keep this up, and maybe soon
he'll have his chance to dance.
[door slams shut]
The jack jumper family is still
struggling in the heat.
But our ant is out, braving
the sun, searching for food.
Unlike most ants,
she doesn't need a scent trail
to find her way.
This girl scout
is more of an explorer.
Like us, she relies on
color vision and good memory
and can recognize landmarks
for up to six months.
♪
So determined to find food,
nothing's gonna stop
Oh!
♪
Anyways.
♪
They call her jack jumper
for a reason.
This intrepid ant can forage
50 feet from the nest.
♪
But traveling far
from home is risky
when it's this dry.
♪
Incoming clouds may seem
like a good thing,
but it's so hot
[thunder]
any rain evaporates before
it even reaches the ground.
[rumbling]
It only takes one strike
[thunder]
and this place
goes up in flames.
Now our weevil
really should be scared.
No use playing dead.
It's time to fly.
Head for higher ground.
Extend flaps.
Raise landing gear.
And
♪
♪
Let's try that again.
Come on, Scaredy Bug.
This could be your last chance.
You can do this!
♪
Flying isn't an option
for our ant.
She needs to get out of here
as fast as possible.
But all her landmarks
have disappeared.
♪
Which way is home?
♪
Back at her nest,
three feet underground
it's much cooler.
Her family is safe.
♪
But outside,
flames are 800 degrees.
♪
Extreme bushfires can wipe out
entire bug populations;
sometimes even species.
♪
But if our ant makes it home,
she can survive.
♪
That's familiar.
♪
♪
At last,
the white rocks of home!
♪
Up above,
the fire is spreading.
The shed has kept
the little spider safe,
but if the flames
reach the trees,
he'll be cooked alive.
♪
♪
As the climate changes,
fires in Australia
are getting more frequent,
more intense.
Good thing that here,
help is on hand.
♪
Just in time.
♪
The fire may be over,
but the struggle
for survival continues.
♪
She's lucky to be alive.
But her family is starving.
♪
♪
Some of her sisters
didn't make it.
♪
Now, more than ever,
it's up to her to find food.
♪
♪
Best she can do.
It won't go far.
♪
Other survivors are desperately
hunting for food, too.
♪
A carnivorous bombardier beetle
heading straight towards
the jack jumper nest.
♪
If he breaks in,
he'll devour the larvae.
♪
Our ant clocks the danger
and moves in.
♪
♪
The beetle is surrounded
and outnumbered.
But threaten this guy,
and he's likely to blow up.
[explosions]
When two chemicals mix
in his abdomen,
it's an explosive reaction
erupting from his butt.
How about a bit
of boiling caustic fluid
in your face?!
♪
He even adjusts his aim
to repel attack from any angle.
But, sisters by her side,
our ant won't give up.
[fireworks]
Out of ammo, the bombardier
is forced to retreat.
Still holding on,
but still hungry,
her colony needs
better luck, and soon.
♪
♪
Careful what you wish for.
♪
♪
♪
Heavy rain means
biblical floods in bug land.
♪
♪
But they won't let it sink 'em.
♪
Water-repellent bodies
keep them afloat.
And when you're this small,
you can ride out the storm
in style.
♪
With raised sides, her nest
is built to survive floods
as well as fire.
♪
♪
Finally, the storm has passed.
♪
But seriously,
when's the summer gonna end?
♪
[Narrator] Heat, fire and flood
can be brutal for bugs,
but eventually
better days will come.
♪
♪
After rain, the bush flushes
green with fresh, new growth.
♪
Also
[mouth full]
it's delicious!
♪
And the land isn't
the only thing
that's transformed around here.
Our little spider
is all grown up.
♪
Five months old
and super stylin' in blue.
♪
Totally brings out his eyes!
Ready to bust a groove.
♪
But if he's ever
gonna pass on
his adorable
little blue genes,
he needs to go
find an audience.
There are one or two obstacles
in his way,
but now his legs are longer,
he can jump 40 times
his body length.
♪
Light on his feet.
Let's hope he has
the moves to match.
Whoa. Hold up.
Who is that little cutie?
♪
Now, she is just his type.
But will she dig his dance?
♪
♪
Don't worry, just do you.
♪
♪
His very first performance.
♪
It's eye-catching, for sure.
♪
Those super black spots
really make that blue pop.
He's holding her gaze,
rockin' her tiny world.
And that stick is
the perfect stage.
Except
Whoa!
[Rancher] Oh.
♪
[Narrator] Hey, man,
don't harsh the vibe!
If he loses focus,
she'll lose interest.
♪
At least most of us know when
to let nature take its course.
♪
His whole life has been
leading to this.
♪
He transfers sperm from
special bulbs near his mouth.
♪
It takes up to an hour.
Okay, this is getting weird.
[squeak]
Can we move on?
♪
Against extreme odds,
our little spider
has come of age
and secured his legacy.
But his story is not over yet.
Stay on his game, and he could
live another few months,
dancing his way
into many more hearts.
[birds chirping]
[birds chirping]
Up in the trees
Scaredy Bug! You made it!
Good to see she's doing her bit
for the weevil population.
Alright,
a little privacy, please.
The jack jumpers survived
the summer, too.
And now there's more life
in this land.
Finally, they can all
get their grub on.
♪
But more bugs also means
more problems.
♪
♪
The assassin bug is back.
And our heroine is home alone,
guarding the nest.
♪
♪
He's twice her size.
But nothing gets past her
without a fight.
♪
♪
Looks like this could be
her last stand.
♪
♪
Turns out,
her tough exoskeleton
is not only fireproof
and waterproof
it's assassin-proof.
♪
♪
♪
That's right. Bug off!
And don't come back!
♪
With grit and determination,
this tiny survivor
helped her family triumph
in the toughest of times.
And with many more baby sisters
on the way,
soon she'll be
stronger than ever.
♪
♪
Once you take a closer look
at a real bug's life,
you see them
from a whole new perspective.
Tiny heroes trying to survive
in a big, brutal world.
♪
Even so, some bugs
will always be
a little harder to love
[rancher shouts]
than others.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪