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Among False Horns and False Mourning
In the forests of northern Iberia, the stag beetle, Europe’s largest beetle, engages in colossal duels for territory and the right to mate. Its mighty mandibles, shaped like antlers, clash among oak branches in battles that define the rhythm of the forest.
Beneath the water’s surface, the gallipato, the largest Iberian amphibian, evokes a distant past when the first vertebrates emerged from the water to conquer dry land. Primitive in form yet powerful and toxic, this aquatic dragon rules its domain with ancient strength.
In the damp woods, unusual beings like the blue glass snail, the leopard slug, and the striped snail reveal surprising behaviors and a dazzling range of shapes and survival strategies.
Further south, discreet reptiles like the Iberian skink and the rare three-toed skink display their secret lives, while on the Canary Islands, the agile Tenerife lizard and the shy golden skink tell the evolutionary tale of species that crossed from Africa to find new worlds.
The journey continues across arid lands, where the patient Moorish tortoise endures heat and drought, and the perfectly camouflaged rock grasshopper disappears into the stones. In the dehesas (pastureland), dung beetles, rhinoceros beetles, elephant weevils, and mint beetles showcase the immense diversity and strength of nature’s tireless recyclers.
The episode concludes in the Azores Islands, where creatures like the Ascension Island crab, the graceful sea hare, and the resilient sea cucumber survive between waves, algae, and volcanic rock. And as the peacock butterfly unfolds its vivid wings, shedding its “false mourning,” the miniature kingdoms of Iberia are reborn once more.