Shh.

Can you guys be quiet?

I'm watching a live stream.

Well.

Hey, y'all.

My name is Hyatt Mamoun, and I'm a wildlife filmmaker, born and raised in the Deep South.

And I'm taking y'all with me on a wild adventure across South Carolina to reveal the hidden secrets that this wild state has to offer.

Wait wait wait wait wait.

See that?

Now check this out.

This is so cool.

So, what are you waiting for?

Hop on it.

Let's get outside in the wild, wild south.

Our adventure begins here in Appalachia.

This ancient mountain range is 480 million years old.

And stretches from Alabama all the way on up to Canada.

And here in the South Carolina up country.

There's a little slice of some of the most incredible biodiversity hotspots on our planet, the Great Smoky Mountains.

And you can see why they've got that name.

These mountains are home to over 10,000 different species of plants, animals and fungi.

And this time of the year is extra special.

Ma'am.

Oh, you shooting?

Yes!

Oh!

Hey, y'all.

Isn't this view amazing with all the red and yellow leaves?

Well, that's because it's fall, y'all.

Now, most of the year, the leaves around here are green due to the presence of chlorophyl.

What is chlorophyl?

Chlorophyl is a green pigment that plants make to help them get energy from the sun so they can grow.

As the season changes, the days get shorter and colder, which makes the trees break down.

All that chlorophyl.

With all the chlorophyl gone, it reveals all the leftover pigment that was already there.

Even in the summer, it was just covered up by all that green pigment.

Sugars that the leaves have left behind will combine with different chemicals that each species has, making them all different colors.

And I've got the best place to see them all.

Let's go.

Now we just gotta make it in time for sunset.

But first we've got a few pit stops to make along the way.

You just wait for this one.

Oh, man, look at this, guys.

So crazy looking.

This is a Juro spider.

They're not native to the region.

They actually came from Asia.

I know they don't belong here, but you can't help but look at how gorgeous they are.

They have these golden sparkly webs, which gives them the nickname Golden Orb Weavers.

Now, this guy is huge.

He's about this big.

And when the wind blows, he's like, la laaaa And then, oh, we're in the river.

And then he stops and then hangs on and relaxes.

And then the wind blows again.

La laa.

Anyway, do y'all know what helps make Appalachia one of the most biodiverse places on this planet?

It's actually a rainforest.

And no, I don't mean the kind with toucans.

It's a temperate rainforest, which means that it has tons of, you guessed it, water.

These mountains have a vast network of streams and rivers which are home to so many, one of a kind critters and plants.

And you can tell by all these rocks.

This makes great habitat.

Oh.

Oh, guys.

Okay, y'all look at this.

This is actually a really unique species of plant called a Beggar's Tic.

Now, you can see why they call them a tick.

Because they're stuck to you like a tick.

These are actually the seeds.

These are also known as the devil's tick.

And you can see why with the little horns right on top.

You see right here these two little horn like structures, these are called papii.

Now the Papii stick to any sort of animal or human or, honestly, your pants or whatever.

And because of you and me and any sort of animal that passes by, this plant is able to transfer its genetics way far beyond where it sits.

Isn't that so cool.

You know, there's nothing finer in life than spending time picking around a creek.

You never know what you can find when you spend some time.

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait.

Come look at this guy.

He's so cartoonish.

This is a queen crater land snail or Appalachia.

Chilhoweensis And they are the largest species of land snail.

East of the Rocky Mountains.

Y'all look at how cool he is.

He's very cute, and he's very slimy.

Look at his antenna there.

Now, those are actually his eyes on the very end.

I can feel him actually kind of suctioning onto my fingers, but isn't he adorable?

Look at how can you like a cartoon snail?

And now I'm going to put him back right where I found him, so he can continue his little journey right down the mountain.

Wipe that on the jeans.

All right, let's go.

You know, this unique biodiversity doesn't just mean plants and animals.

Fungi love it here, too.

Well, on our way to our amazing leaf spot, we pass by this gorgeous, gorgeous, fairy like tree stump.

But within that, there's this bright, bright orange mushroom just hanging out with all the other ones.

This blobby little neon shroom is called witch's butter.

It thrives in deciduous forest that get tons of rain and easily find its favorite food decaying wood.

All right, y'all, it's getting close to golden hour, so we gotta hurry up and get to the spot.

But first, we got to pay a quick visit to one of my favorite critters in the Smokies.

Now, this species is called a dusky salamander.

There you go.

There we go.

I have to make sure I keep my hands really moisturized because their skin is extremely sensitive.

Now, while he does look like a lizard, he actually whoa isn't related to a lizard at all.

Now, salamanders are amphibians and dusky are an entirely loveless species.

He actually can breathe out of his skin.

And because of this, these critters require super specific conditions to survive.

And their presence is a sign of a healthy ecosystem, which makes them an indicator species.

If there's any sort of change in the environment, they're the ones to show it first because they are so, so sensitive.

Isn't he so, so cute?

All right, now we gotta go.

Let's go.

Now we got some shots to get.

All right, y'all, this is the spot.

This is Table Rock or in Cherokee, Sah-ka-na-ga This part of the park is known for putting on one of the best leaf peeping displays in the entire state.

And the best way to see it.

It's how the birds do.

Oh my gosh, y'all look at this.

I have the polarizer on.

These mountains are full of life.

So many stories of critters, great and small, play out around us every day.

And y'all can see them too.

All you got to do is get outside and slow on down.

Stick around a little bit.

And don't forget the little guys.