Yellowstone National Park (01:11)

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On this episode of “Round Planet,” host Armstrong Wedgewood (Matt Lucas) turns his attention to North America. Yellowstone is home to a bounty of life, each species adapted for survival.

Seismic Activity (01:54)

Yellowstone sits atop an active supervolcano. As many as 3,000 earthquakes occur each year. The park contains the largest collection of geysers in the world.

Winter in Yellowstone (03:18)

Hydrothermal circulation keeps some rivers from freezing, allowing the otters to find fish. Bison, once hunted nearly to extinction, have roamed the area since prehistoric times; approximately 5,000 live in the park.

Spring Thaw (03:20)

Yellowstone is frozen for half the year, but the spring sun transforms the landscape. Pica do not hibernate, so they stay busy all year stockpiling vegetation for the winter months.

Elk (05:44)

Warmer temperatures and sunlight bring a bounty of food to the region. It is mating season and the males self-anoint and compete for females.

Clark’s Nutcracker (03:09)

A bird gathers nuts from cone-laden trees; it can hold 100 in its food pouch. When it finds a good spot to plant, the bird regurgitates nuts and drills them into the ground; it can bury as many as 98,000 in a season.

Beavers (05:31)

Beavers cultivate a massive, self-sufficient vegetation patch to stockpile food for winter. It can fell a cottonwood tree within hours and create dams that reach over 500 meters in length.

Credits: Round Planet: Yellowstone (00:29)

Credits: Round Planet: Yellowstone