Hi, I'’’m Martin.

And I'’’m Chris.

We'’’re the Kratt Brothers.

So which one is safe to step over?

The same one that'’’s safe to pick up.

But which one is that?

The one that'’’s not venomous.

But which one?

What we'’’ve got here is-- BOTH: A snake standoff!

One of these snakes is completely harmless.

The other is extremely venomous.

But it'’’s hard to tell which is which.

That'’’s because the harmless one looks like the dangerous one.

So the snake'’’s predators will think twice about trying to eat it because they'’’ll fear a deadly bite.

But it'’’s a trick!

Because the harmless one has no venom in its bite.

And that trick, when a harmless animal looks like a dangerous one, is called...

BOTH: Mimicry.

But if you learn a lot about snakes, you can tell the differences between the two.

They both have colored bands down their backs.

But the bands are a different color pattern.

The venomous snake, the broad banded copperhead, has tan and copper bands, and a triangular head.

And the non-venomous, or harmless, gray-banded kingsnake, it has gray and orange bands, and a head that smoothly goes into its body.

Nice move!

You picked the right one.

Yeah!

By understanding creatures, we can all get along.

And there'’’s another really cool type of mimicry that no one ever gets a chance to see in action.

You mean, the one with the cheetah?

Yeah.

Oh, imagine if we could check out the cheetah'’’s mimicry in action!

BOTH: What if?

♪ On adventure with the coolest creatures ♪ ♪ From the oceans to the trees ♪ ♪ The Brothers Kratt are going places you never get to see ♪ ♪ Hanging with their creature friends ♪ ♪ Get ready, it'’’s the hour ♪ ♪ We'’’re gonna save some animals today with ♪ ♪ Creature Power ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, wild, wild ♪ ♪ Cheetah speed and lizard glide ♪ ♪ Falcon flight and lion pride ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Gonna go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Go wild, wild, Wild Kratts ♪ ♪ Shh.

(Gasping) (Honking) Oh!

This is not the place to play Extreme Hide and Seek.

Told you you can'’’t hide on the African savannah.

Maybe you can'’’t hide in the African savannah.

(Laughing) Get off me!

It'’’s a wide-open landscape out here.

And this time of year, the grass is so short, trees few and far between, there'’’s nowhere to hide.

Huh?

Martin?

Martin?

MARTIN: Be the rock.

What?

Where?

Right under your feet!

Now, that'’’s hiding!

Only you can mimic a rock.

Thanks, bro.

Huh?

(Blowing) Whoa!

Whoa!

Whoa!

(Laughing) Look!

I'’’m petting a bee.

Gotcha!

At first glance, it looks like a bee, but this is a fly.

See?

No stinger.

But it has the same colors and stripes as a bee.

Fly, bee, fly, bee.

Amazing.

It looks like, or mimics, a bee, to give it protection, because most birds don'’’t eat bees.

Just like the milksnake mimics the colors of the North American coral snake, because the coral snake is poisonous, and predators know to avoid it.

Mimicry is all around us.

Hey, let'’’s see what other mimics we can find in Africa.

(Chirping) Or go bird watching.

(Gasping) That'’’s no bird, that'’’s a-- BOTH: Cheetah!

(Chirping) It'’’s so weird to see a big cat chirp.

That'’’s not just any cheetah.

BOTH: That'’’s Blur!

Our cheetah buddy from the last time we were in Africa.

When Aviva raced her cheetah racer against the Zach terrain vehicle.

(Rustling) BOTH: Aww.

Cute!

Cute!

I don'’’t believe it!

When did Blur have a cub?

From the looks of him, I'’’d say about seven weeks ago, because he still has that black and white coloring on top.

Oh, I'’’ve got to come up with a special name for him.

Aww.

What does she see out there?

I don'’’t know.

But her black eye stripes are absorbing the sun'’’s glare so she can see when it'’’s bright.

Oh, wait.

I'’’ve got just the thing.

Here it is.

My black baseball grease.

When I spread it on to my eyes in the cheetah'’’s eye stripes, it gives me the cheetah power to look out on to the bright savannah and see... A lion!

Lions are always trying to take out cheetahs.

Lions see the cheetah as competition, and they'’’ll kill a cheetah or even a cheetah cub any chance they get.

(Chirping) That chirp means "hide".

A special chirp for each command.

Now Blur is going out to distract the lion.

She'’’s trying to lead the lion away from little-- Oh!

What am I going to call him?

(Growling) Now, that is one clever way to avoid predators, cheetah-style!

♪ Oh, I spot speed.

A light, lean, running machine.

Ooh, here'’’s my chance to update and improve my cheetah racer.

Bring up the cheetah racer.

Hmm.

Blur lures away lions with her cheetah speed to keep her cub safe, because little cubs can'’’t run fast yet.

Check out the racing stripe!

Black fur on his back with a white stripe down the middle.

I wonder why a cheetah cub has that, and his mom doesn'’’t?

Hey, where is his mom?

I'’’ll use my cheetah vision to find her.

There she is!

Here we go, a cheetah hunt.

She has to catch a gazelle to feed her cub.

Whoo!

There goes the fastest land animal on the planet.

At 70 miles per hour!

♪ What about that one?

(Trumpeting) Too gray and wrinkly.

Boring.

Oh, there'’’s another.

Too many stripes.

I'’’m getting dizzy!

Ooh, how about that one?

Too tan and hairy.

None of this will work for my line of safari winter wear.

Hmm?

Stop the car!

That'’’s it!

Spots and speed, spectacular!

AVIVA: Look at those crazy turns!

My cheetah racer has to turn like that.

Blur has to catch him fast, or she'’’ll run out of energy.

Yeah, this wild cat can only run at top speed for 545 yards.

Or 45 seconds.

Before she'’’s totally exhausted.

(Gasping) Oh, just missed.

And now she can'’’t run fast at all, and is really vulnerable to predators like-- The lion!

Uh-oh.

Where'’’s the lion?

Phew.

He'’’s walking away.

Well, that'’’s good.

But I meant, really vulnerable to predators like Donita Donata!

Blur, look out!

I don'’’t know much about nature, but I do know one thing about cheetahs: once they'’’ve run, they'’’re done.

Blur!

No!

We'’’ve got to save Blur!

BOTH: The the creature rescue!

Aviva, what have you got that can help us catch up with Donita?

Something fast!

Donita'’’s headed towards her jet!

How about the cheetah racer I'’’ve been tuning up?

Perfect!

Powering up teleporter.

Hold it!

What about what'’’s-his-name?

Who'’’s "what'’’s-his-name"?

What'’’s-his-name!

The one without a name.

The cheetah cub!

He'’’s all alone in the grass, with a lion lurking around, plus who know what else!

We spotted hyenas, who hunt alone or in packs.

Leopards, the stealth hunters.

Just like the lions, these super predators will eliminate the competition any chance they get.

And that includes killing a cheetah cub if they find him.

We can'’’t leave little what'’’s-his-name alone.

Well, then we'’’ve got to split up!

I'’’ll go after Blur.

And I'’’ll protect the cheetah cub, and give him a name.

Now are you ready for it?

One three.

BOTH: One, two, three.

To the creature rescue!

Got to make sure he'’’s still okay!

How'’’s it going with the cheetah racer?

Ready!

Okay, Jimmy, go!

Locking coordinates.

And energize.

Donita'’’s almost at her jet.

Yeah, but she'’’s going slow over this rough terrain.

At top cheetah speed, you'’’d still have a chance to catch her.

But hurry.

Now, this is the way cheetah like to travel: on flat land and fast!

Whoo-hoo!

Ah!

Yeah!

Hey, Aviva, you really captured the natural magic of the cheetah!

Ha-ha!

Whoo!

I'’’ve only got a few more seconds at top speed.

Kick it.

Maximum cheetah velocity!

No!

Don'’’t villains ever just walk?

Hey, I like my gig, hanging out with the cheetah cub.

Oh, this is going to be easy and fun!

Hey, and it would be great to have a cheetah creature power suit.

Then I could really play with you.

(Laughing) I'’’ve been working on it.

Are you almost done?

Because I might need it really soon to protect the cub.

Now we'’’ve got a lion and hyenas on the prowl.

Comin'’’ atcha, Jimmy Z!

Locking coordinates.

Energize.

Comin'’’ at you, Martin.

(Laughing) Are you going to be able to touch the cheetah?

Martin, I said, "Can you touch the cheetah?"

Easy!

(Laughing) It tickles!

Activate creature power suit!

(Laughing) He'’’s swatting spots.

That'’’s it!

Spot swat.

Your name is "Spot Swat"!

Oh, yeah!

Protecting the cheetah cub with cheetah power!

Come on, Spot Swat, let'’’s move a little farther away from the hyena clan.

Oh, I mean.

(Chirping) (Chirping) Oh, yeah!

I have the "follow me" cheetah chirp down.

Spot on!

(Chirping) DONITA: Its hissing is so unpleasant.

Put it in suspended animation.

Oh, no.

Please don'’’t tell me she wants to do some big fashion line with the cheetahs.

They'’’re one of the most endangered mammals in the world.

Throw it over your shoulders.

Hmm.

Now wrap it around you like you mean it.

It'’’s not right.

Something is missing.

Something must bring it all together.

Try some hats.

No.

No.

No.

No!

Sketch pad!

No, no, no.

Something cozy, fluffy.

A cheetah cub hat.

CHRIS: Oh, no.

Oh, and I know just how to get one.

Dabio, let'’’s have lunch.

But I lunched already, Donita.

Two bull sausages, four elephant ribs, five buffalo burgers.

Heh, heh.

They were good.

Let'’’s have second lunch.

Second lunch!

Oh, goody, goody, goody!

Second lunch is my favorite lunch.

Let'’’s go, Dabio.

You can leave the controller.

Okay, Donita.

Hmm.

Second lunch.

Oh, yeah.

Okay, here'’’s my chance.

This looks good.

Okay, you grab a nap, Spot Swat, and I'’’ll scan the area.

This cheetah eyesight is amazing.

I can see so far.

Cheetah'’’s have one of the best long-distance eyesights of any mammal.

Warthog, 300 yards.

Giraffe, 500 yards.

Rhino at one mile.

Elephants at three miles!

(Growling) Oh, is little Spot Swat having a nightmare?

It'’’s okay little-- Ah!

Honey badger!

Ah!

A honey badger looks like a cheetah cub.

Or a cheetah cub looks like a honey badger.

Just never do that again, okay?

Like, never again.

Never, ever again.

(Growling) Ah!

This cheetah suit'’’s out of control!

I'’’ve heard of charging rhinos, but never anybody charging a rhino.

Whoa!

Ah!

Spot Swat!

There you are.

Oh, I'’’m just going to have to remember who'’’s who.

You look almost exactly the same.

Like they'’’re mimics.

As long as your heads are down and you'’’re not snarling.

(Growling) Oh, come on.

Not again.

I'’’m not running this time.

I'’’m not running.

No way!

Huh?

A black mamba.

Now I know why it'’’s called that.

Because it'’’s got a black tongue.

The black mamba'’’s the only venomous snake in the world that can rise up high enough to sink its fangs into your face.

Did I just say what I think I said?

(Hissing) Uh, did I ever say protecting a cheetah cub was easy?

Ah!

Whoa!

Tortuga!

Come in, Tortuga.

We'’’ve got a battle here between a black mamba and a honey badger, who is famous for eating all kinds of venomous snakes.

He eats cobras, but the black mamba is the most aggressive snake in Africa.

And it'’’s a big one.

Okay, Blur.

First I'’’ll get you out of here, then I'’’ll unfreeze you.

Come on.

Oh, those dewclaws aren'’’t only good for tripping up gazelles, but dewclaws are also good for all-around grabbing.

Come on, let'’’s go.

A stole.

Hmm.

That could work too, with a fluffy little cheetah cub as a hat.

Now Chris can just lead us to the cheetah cub.

Ha-- Oof.

(Laughing) Oh, I'’’m so clever.

I can'’’t-- I just-- How do you deal with me every day?

Don'’’t want you running off in the wrong direction, but as soon as we get back to your cub, I'’’ll press this button so you can move again.

There he goes.

Follow him.

(Chirping) (Hissing) This cheetah cub is a good listener.

I only had to chirp "Hide!

Get in the grass!"

once.

Now I just have to tell him to stay there.

(Chirping) Oh, no.

He might'’’ve taken a hit from the black mamba.

We need some black mamba anti-venom fast, or he might die!

Black mamba anti-venom!

A shot of this should stop the poison from the black mamba, if we can get it to him in time.

Hang in there, honey badger.

Anti-venom, coming at you!

Energize!

Anti-venom!

Got it!

Uh-oh.

I don'’’t get it.

What'’’s the lion worried about?

(Hissing) What?

The honey badger'’’s up!

He slept off the venom himself!

Oh, I heard of that, but never believed it!

Now, this is one tough creature.

I know why the cheetah cub has that black and white back: to look like a honey badger in the grass.

The honey badger is so tough that most of the time, nobody wants to mess with him.

So a hiding cheetah cub looks like a honey badger.

Its looks mimics the way a badger looks, so a predator won'’’t mess with them.

That'’’s mimicry for cheetah cub survival.

Nature is amazing.

As soon as he leads us to the cub, we'’’ll have them both.

Uh-huh.

A hat and stole.

Sensational.

Who stole your hat?

Nobody stole my hat.

I'’’m going to steal a cheetah cub to be my hat.

A stole is what I wrap around my shoulders.

Huh?

Just keep driving.

Chris!

Way to pull off the rescue.

Yeah!

I sneaked in, grabbed the cheetah and Donita'’’s controller, so now we can un-freeze Blur by pushing this button.

DONITA: Did you think I would leave my controller lying around?

I gave you a fake, a decoy.

A knockoff.

A mimic.

Yes.

I have the authentic controller.

Not a step further, or I'’’ll freeze you in your tracks.

Now, which one of these fluffy cubs do I want?

Okay, Donita, take one!

What?

If you have the mother, you should have the cub.

A matching set, I get it.

Just leave us the bigger, fluffier one.

Whatever you do, please don'’’t take the bigger, softer, most beautiful one.

Grab the bigger, softer, most beautiful one.

Let'’’s go.

Ah, Martin, what did you do?

Why did you just hand over the cheetah cub?

I didn'’’t.

There'’’s Spot Swat, the cheetah cub.

But then--?

Wait for it, wait for it.

(Screaming) (Laughing) DONITA: Get out of my hair!

DABIO: Not my favorite t-shirt!

(Screaming) (Laughing) What Donita took wasn'’’t a cheetah cub.

Donita was fooled by nature, by mimicry.

What looked like a cheetah cub was really... A honey badger!

Wow!

Now, that is mimicry in action.

Okay, Blur, now let'’’s bring you back to life.

Doesn'’’t get any cuter than this.

Hey, honey badger, want another toy to play with?

He'’’s kind of cute too.

In a ferocious "don'’’t mess with me or I'’’ll destroy you" kind of way.

Oh, yeah.

Honey badgers and cheetahs-- Living free and in the wild!

(Gasping) Hey!

That'’’s my line.

Hmm.

I'’’m going to name you "Mutton Head."

You just named yourself "Mutton Head."

You just named yourself "Mutton Head."

ALL: Mimicry.

Stop mimicking me.

Stop mimicking me.

(Laughing) MARTIN: Mimicry is an amazing phenomenon of nature, and it'’’s everywhere.

Yeah, mimics!

Even in your own backyard, you can find butterflies that are mimics.

Hey, Chris, I found something!

It looks like we have two Monarch butterflies here.

They both look really similar.

One of these is a Monarch butterfly, which is poisonous, and birds do not like to eat it.

The other butterfly is not poisonous, and it'’’s not a monarch.

Do you know which is which?

This is a Monarch, and this is a faker, a mimic.

The viceroy butterfly, looks like a Monarch butterfly so that birds won'’’t try to eat it.

To see the difference between the two, you have to look closely.

The Monarch butterfly is bigger, the viceroy is smaller, and the viceroy has this extra black line that runs along the bottom of the wing.

But the viceroy looks enough like a Monarch to fool birds.

Another example of mimicry in action.

Mimicry is used by lots of different creatures, like wasps and bees that sting, and harmless flies that look like bees.

And don'’’t forget snakes, like the venomous copperhead being mimicked by the harmless kingsnake.

Mimicry is an important defense in the creature world.

But sometimes it can be there and then disappear.

Like with the cheetah.

This cheetah cub is six months old, and he doesn'’’t need mimicry anymore.

He'’’s lost those black and white markings that gave him the disguise of a honey badger to fool predators.

Yeah, cheetah cubs only have the black and gray sides and the white stripe down the back until they'’’re about two months old.

That'’’s when young cheetah cubs hide in the grass while their mom goes out to hunt.

But when they get bigger, like this six-month-old, they don'’’t have to hunt anymore.

They start joining mom '’’cause they'’’re bigger and stronger, and they can run.

So their defense changes from hiding and mimicry to running.

And running comes in pretty handy when you have lions around who want to steal your meal.

Don'’’t get fooled by Mother Nature, '’’cause mimics are all around us.

Mimics on the ground.

Mimics in the trees.

Mimics in the sky.

We'’’ll see you on the creature trail.

♪ To find out more about cool animals... And collect your own Wild Kratts Creature Powers... Go to the Wild Kratts website... At pbskidsgo.org.

BOTH: We'’’ll see you there!