Roberto Nespolo News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

patagonia's forests are magical places. here age-old relationships between animals, people and trees still survive. these bonds are needed like never before as these ancient forests face unprecedented threats. at the ends of the earth is a land of extremes. home to spectacular wildlife. for centuries, people and animals have battled for supremacy. but now enemies are becoming allies. together they face new challenges in our rapidly changing world. >> you are at the mercy of the elements. >> this is the story of what it takes to survive. on the edge of the world . patagonia's forests ...

>> but roberto remains optimistic. >> just as the monito has roberto fighting for its protection, other creatures also have champions going the extra mile. she's feeling the power of listerine.

But pudus aren't the only tiny marvels here. this elusive speedster is the monito del monte. it's a marsupial raising its young in pouches like koalas and kangaroos. the monito is the only creature in sowing america to truly hibernate. remarkably, it's lived here virtually unchanged for 60 million years. biologist roberto nespolo studies animal metabolism.

He first discovered one of these puzzling little creatures at the start of his career. the monitos' ability to survive the winter fascinated him, and he made it his life's work to figure out exactly how they pull it off. solve the mystery and it might just help us to better understand our own metabolism. roberto quickly discovered that monitos really know how to pack on the pounds. [ speaking foreign language ] >> like all monitos this tiny critter is nocturnal. to learn its secrets, roberto and his team leave out baited cage traps overnight.

A new study based on hibernating animals has bad news for astronauts going on long-term space travels.