0:00:02 > 0:00:04Hold on, mes amigos!
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Bienvenidos!
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Arriba, arriba! It's show time.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Let me introduce you to a crazy carnival of creatures,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13from fabulously freaky frogs to hollering howler monkeys
0:00:13 > 0:00:15to manic, meat-eating plants.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Es magnifico! And, what's more, they're all connected to each other
0:00:19 > 0:00:23in this wonderful world of wildlife by funny, fabulous, fantastic facts.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26- ALL: Get on with it!- Oh, sorry.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Tres, dos, uno! Es la hora...
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Just looking around you, you get to see
0:00:43 > 0:00:46that the world is full of many weird and wonderful things.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49- Wouldn't you agree, Barney? - Yeah, I would agree.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53We're in Latin America and you have with blue nail polish on!
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Um, excuse me! I think you'll find it brings out the blue of my eyes.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59- Really?- Anyway, you can talk!
0:00:59 > 0:01:02What's with those ridiculous sunglasses?
0:01:02 > 0:01:06I think you'll find these are what's known as funky sunglasses. Yes,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08everyone wears them here. I think you might need some,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- stop that weird thing you do with your eyes.- Hey!
0:01:11 > 0:01:14How can you say I'm weird, when you're sat there,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17like a freak, with your feet in a bowl of jelly and custard?!
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Well, what can I say?
0:01:19 > 0:01:21My feet were a trifle hot!
0:01:21 > 0:01:22I think it's set.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27- Freak!- Whatever, it worked, didn't it? My feet are nice and cold.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Anyway, today's show isn't about us freaky weirdos.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Speak for yourself!
0:01:32 > 0:01:35- It does link quite nicely to today's theme.- Ah, yes.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37From the ugliest frog...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Ew!
0:01:39 > 0:01:42..to a unique freak marsupial...
0:01:42 > 0:01:43..to an inflatable bird.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Latin America's got the lot.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49So, without further ado, let's open the freak factory!
0:01:49 > 0:01:53- I need to get out of here. Could you give me a hand, please?- Urgh!
0:01:57 > 0:02:00And what better way to open the freak show
0:02:00 > 0:02:02than with a crazy critter who certainly knows
0:02:02 > 0:02:04how to make an impression.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Ha! "Nose" how to make an impression.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I see what you've done there. Check out that hooter.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Yeah, and he's very proud of it too,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14because this is the sword-billed hummingbird
0:02:14 > 0:02:16who unsurprisingly has a bill like a sword.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- Do they fight with it?- No, this sword isn't for swishing about.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It's for eating with, or rather drinking with -
0:02:22 > 0:02:23like a straw.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28The beak of the sword-billed hummingbird
0:02:28 > 0:02:30can be over ten centimetres long,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32which is four times longer than its body.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35That's like me having a mini bus for a nose.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39- He-he!- Exactly.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41It's the only species of bird to have a beak
0:02:41 > 0:02:43longer than the rest of its body.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46- Why do they need a nose that long? - You mean a beak?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- Yeah.- Ah, Professor Piranha has the answer.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Hummingbirds feed on nectar, a sugary syrup made by flowers.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57The sword-billed hummingbird can reach into the bottom
0:02:57 > 0:03:00of the longest flowers that other hummingbirds aren't able to.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02So he will always have a meal to himself.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Thanks, Professor. But in order to feed on this nectar
0:03:07 > 0:03:10they don't only need a really long beak,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13they also need a really long tongue to lap it up.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Wow! That is me being really fast.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Hummingbirds can take up to 12 slurps a second.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21It allows them to get enough energy
0:03:21 > 0:03:24to keep those wings moving so quick and to keep them warm.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26That is freaky, but fast.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29There is one drawback with having such a long beak though.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- What's that?- Most birds use their beak to clean their feathers,
0:03:33 > 0:03:38but this bird has to groom itself with one foot
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- whilst hanging on to its perch with the other.- Looks wobbly.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Do you know why hummingbirds hum? - Something to do with their wings?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47No, it's because they don't know the words.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Ugh! Very funny(!)
0:03:49 > 0:03:52What better way to start the show than with a freaky,
0:03:52 > 0:03:53feathered nasal humdinger.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55So, what's next?
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Well, how about a view like this?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Amazing, isn't it?
0:04:01 > 0:04:06You can't beat the beautiful scenery of termite mounds standing proud.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Cor, listen to us getting all arty-farty about some lumps of mud.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13But these weird lumps of mud are the perfect picnic spot...
0:04:14 > 0:04:16..for out next freak.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Hey! Hey! Hey! What does he think he's doing?
0:04:20 > 0:04:23This is the anteater, he is a freaky muncher.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27To him, a termite mound is basically a mud-covered lunch box.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Oi, you nasty home wrecker.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Just like a bully on the beach destroying everyone's sandcastles.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Leave the termites alone.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Yeah, yo, yo, yo, listen to the lady, wise guy.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Yum, yum, yum, very tasty.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44It's all in a day's work for the anteater.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47He's got three long claws on each foot
0:04:47 > 0:04:51which are perfectly adapted for this demolition work
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- so he can get his nosh. - How does he eat with that mouth?
0:04:54 > 0:04:58His funny-shaped mouth is home to a funny-shaped tongue.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01It's like roll of double-sided sticky tape.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04It is perfect for poking into the mounds
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and mopping up lots of termites.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08SCREAMING
0:05:08 > 0:05:15- Up to 35,000 a day.- A very freaky, but useful tongue, then.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Yeah, and its weirdness doesn't stop there.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Its not got any teeth so uses hard growths
0:05:21 > 0:05:24inside its mouth to bite the mites.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27It even walks in a freaky way too.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30On its knuckles just like a gorilla.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32IMPERSONATES GORILLA
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Yeah, something like that.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37It walks awkwardly to protect those long claws on each foot.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39They are key to its survival.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41This show is getting freakier by the minute.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Mr Anteater, welcome to the freak parade.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46But what's the connection?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49The termite-munching, gorilla-trotting anteater
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and the super-long sword-billed hummingbird
0:05:52 > 0:05:55both have freaky long noses.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- What are you doing? - I'm eating banana and bonding
0:05:58 > 0:06:00with the howler monkey. Look how cute he is.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Yeah, which is why he's not supposed to be on this show.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- But he's so cute.- Put him down.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09We're looking for freaky things, remember.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Oh, yeah. Freaky things. I forgot about that, sorry.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14How's about this, then?
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Er, what is that?
0:06:19 > 0:06:22This is the hoatzin bird.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26You find it around the swamps and mangrove areas of the Amazon.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28No, I think you'll find it's a scruffy little rag
0:06:28 > 0:06:31with freaky hooks on the end of its wings.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Yes, but it has these baby dinosaur-like claws
0:06:34 > 0:06:39to help it cling on to the branches and move through the trees safely.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43The local people even have a freaky nickname for this bird.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46What's that? Ugly, claw-y wing thing?
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Actually, it looks more like a Cedric.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- They call it the stink bird. - Hmm, I wonder why?
0:06:53 > 0:06:55The hoatzin bird is a total vegetarian
0:06:55 > 0:06:59and thanks to the way its stomach ferments its diet,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01the bird releases a rather pungent odour.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Excuse me.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Similar to the smell of cow poo.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Nice(!)
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Not to the locals, who avoid it just like lots of predators,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13except the capuchin monkey.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I love a smelly bird, I do.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20The hoatzin chick has another trick up its feathery sleeve.
0:07:20 > 0:07:21If its in danger of attack,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24it jumps out of the tree and into the water below.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Arggh!
0:07:26 > 0:07:28That wasn't clever, it's going to drown.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33Don't worry, it uses those freaky extra claws to climb back up again.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Ta-daaa!
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Oh, I see. Quite clever then, really.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40But claws on wings, still freaky.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44By the time it reaches adulthood, the claws are gone.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47But that still doesn't make it very good at flying.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It will only fly short distances.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53Haha! That's got to hurt.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57So, the baby hoatzin makes the most of its extra claws
0:07:57 > 0:08:01climbing everything in sight, occasionally letting go.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04And sneaking out past Mum to play with his mates.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Here we go. Steady. She doesn't see me.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Nearly there, boys. Nearly there.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- Oh, Mum!- Looks like he's grounded.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16You might want to sit tight, mate.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The smelly old hoatzin and the large-nosed anteater
0:08:21 > 0:08:26are connected cos they both have handy, but utterly freaky claws.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Up next, a right little monkey.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- You like all creatures great and small, don't you?- Yes.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35- Just like you.- Eh?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- Well, you're great. - Why, thank you very much.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40And...you're small.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46- I'll ignore that.- Oi, don't get SHORT with me.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Allow me to introduce to you a mini marvel.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51That's not funny either before...
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- Er, where is it?- You've got to look really hard to find it.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03- There you go. How about that? - Way-hey! It's a monkey!
0:09:03 > 0:09:04It's a mini monkey.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07This is the pygmy marmoset, which never grows up.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It's the smallest monkey in the world.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- How small are we talking? - Hold your hand out.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- That small.- Wow! That is small. - I know.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22At just 16 centimetres high, it can even fit in my pocket.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Well, nearly.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32So it's a pocket primate and a teeny tiny record breaker.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34But it's certainly not a branch breaker.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37It's so small, it's as light as a feather
0:09:37 > 0:09:40so can climb along the thinnest of branches.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Hmm, bit of a lightweight, then.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Unlike most monkeys, these pocket primates have sharp claws
0:09:47 > 0:09:50to help them hold on tight to those little twigs.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Aw, look at those itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny little feet.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Something else you've got in common with the pygmy marmoset.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00I'll ignore that.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Those feet enable it to creep up on its dinner without it noticing.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Do-do-do, lovely day for a picnic.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Look, that grasshopper hasn't noticed a thing.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- SHE GASPS - I think he has now!
0:10:14 > 0:10:15Where's he gone?
0:10:15 > 0:10:20He's a little hungry, so most probably grabbing another snack.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Ah, some monkey nuts, perhaps!
0:10:22 > 0:10:24- Uh, no, he's trying to eat that tree.- Yep,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28and it'll never do it, because that bark is bigger than its bite. Ha!
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Terrible! Which is exactly how that tree bark must taste.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Oh, no. This tree produces a type of gum
0:10:34 > 0:10:37which our pygmy marmoset, rather strangely, loves.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Gooey, gooey gum tree!
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Eugh! That is one little freaky eater.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47- Yep.- So he loves gooey gum from the gooey gum tree,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49he's got tiny claws on his tiny feet
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and you can pop him in your pocket, the little poppet.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- That was a nice rhyme. - Well, thank you very much.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59And he's a freaky record breaker, being the smallest in the world.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Just like you, Barney!
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Hee-hee-hee!
0:11:03 > 0:11:06So both the marmoset and the hoatzin are both freakazoids
0:11:06 > 0:11:09who use their little claws to hang out in trees.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Up next, an underwater miracle magician.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17This little freakster is so freaky
0:11:17 > 0:11:20it's baffled and boggled many a scientist.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Now, this sounds intriguing.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25This is the axolotl.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Looks like a tadpole-y, underwater-y, lizard-y type thingy.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Yep, I think that pretty much sums it up.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35The axolotl is a member of the salamander family.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And you will only find him in a few lakes
0:11:37 > 0:11:40high above sea level in Mexico.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41All right?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43They spend their entire lives in water.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46You could say they're the Peter Pans of the underwater world.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50You mean they wear green tights and have a fairy as their best friend?
0:11:50 > 0:11:53No, I mean they never grow up. They actually have stunted growth.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Within a few weeks of being born,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57they are fully equipped with all they need.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Ah, hey. What's going on here? It's a party.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Ah, yes, the axolotl's lake is also a very popular boating lake.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Look at them having fun.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Not much fun for Mr Axolotl, though. Lots of boats mean lots of danger.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17And this little fellow has had a bit of an argument with one of them.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19No, his leg's been chopped off!
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Hey, don't worry, Barney. They have powers you could only dream of.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27What, you mean like being able to lick your own elbow? How cool!
0:12:27 > 0:12:29No, they have the power of regeneration.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Refrigeration, wow, that's very cool.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34No, regeneration! Look.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- I'm sorry, do my eyes deceive me?- Nope!
0:12:39 > 0:12:43They have the amazing power to re-grow limbs in just a few months.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48They can re-grow body parts just like that? That's incredible!
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Hey, Gem, if only axolotl could talk.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Why, so they could tell scientists exactly how they regenerate?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Er, no. It could tell me how it keeps those gills
0:12:57 > 0:12:59so nice and pink and fluffy, they're gorgeous!
0:12:59 > 0:13:02You're not taking this seriously, are you?
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Without those pink, fluffy gills,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07it wouldn't be able to breathe in a lake at such high altitude.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- Ah, fluffy but useful.- Yep.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12So the rather extraordinary, limb-growing axolotl
0:13:12 > 0:13:14is connected to the pygmy marmoset
0:13:14 > 0:13:17because they both have stunted growth.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23So, we've had weird claws, half-plucked birds, freaky tongues.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27I tell you what, this show is building up to be quite a freakfest.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28Yes, but how did we get
0:13:28 > 0:13:31from a humdinger of a bird to limb-regenerating lizard?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Well, we started with the sword-billed hummingbird,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39so-called because of that rather long beak.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40That connected to the anteater
0:13:40 > 0:13:43because they both have extremely long tongues.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Ah, yes. And the anteater linked to the little hoatzin bird
0:13:47 > 0:13:50thanks to their rather strange-looking claws.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And it was those claws that helped the hoatzin climb trees,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55which is exactly what the mini marvel,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58the mini marmoset monkey is good at doing.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02A very cool little dude indeed
0:14:02 > 0:14:04who, just like the axolotl, has stunted growth.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10So, there we go. Five freaksters revealed, five more to go.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15OK, time to head off to the border of Peru and Bolivia.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20- Why?- To find Lake Titicaca and the Lake Titicaca frog.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Yeah, all right, are you trying to give me nightmares?
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Oh, hello.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26Cute, isn't he?
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Cute? It's fair to say he was at the front of the queue
0:14:29 > 0:14:32when they were handing out ugly vouchers.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34That's a bit harsh.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Well, he may look a bit odd
0:14:36 > 0:14:39due to the extra bit of skin flapping around.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42A little bit? His skin's ten times too big for him.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Well, that's for a reason.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Lake Titicaca is not only South America's largest lake,
0:14:48 > 0:14:49it's also one of its highest.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54- I'm not with you.- Well, like all frogs, it breathes through its skin.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- OK.- Now, because its home is at high altitude,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59there is very little oxygen in the lake.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Ah, I know what this is. The more skin it has,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05the larger the surface area to soak up plenty of oxygen.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07You've got it!
0:15:07 > 0:15:12Well, that's freaky, but it's clever. Why all the press-ups?
0:15:12 > 0:15:15To help the flow of around its body to get more oxygen.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17So, without all that skin,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- it simply wouldn't survive in a high-altitude lake?- Yup.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26- And the more skin you have, the more you can eat.- Er, excuse me?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Oh, yes, you can't beat a bit of wafer-thin Titicaca skin.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31He loves it.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Oh, I think I'm turning as green as a frog watching that!
0:15:38 > 0:15:42So the freaky, flappy-skinned self-eating Titicaca frog
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and the Peter Pan axolotl are connected
0:15:45 > 0:15:48because they are both high-altitude breathers and underwater weirdoes.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Next, a rather mixed-up mammal.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55(OK, nice and quiet.)
0:15:55 > 0:15:58We're venturing off into the still of the night.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Hey, it's dark. I can't see a thing!
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Yeah, which is perfect for our next freaky friend.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Time to switch to night vision.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Aw, he's a little cutie.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Yeah, and he loves to swim.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12# I'm a little cutie and I love to swim. #
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Oh, and catch fish.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Hey, that was good.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19"Yeah, I love to catch fish!"
0:16:19 > 0:16:24Very cute, but I thought we were looking for freaksters.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Ah, well, this is the yapok.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30It lives in the streams of the Amazonian rainforest.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Er, nothing weird about that, Barney. It's rather sweet, in fact.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Ah, but he's very confused.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39"I'm very confused."
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Aw, what's up with the little fella?
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Well, just look at those freaky, froggy front feet for starters.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Hmm, they do look a bit odd.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Yeah, and note the ridiculously silly ducky-webbed back feet.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Ooh, that is very weird.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Barney, I don't think he really knows what he is.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01I'll tell you what he is - a unique freak.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04"Arriba, arriba!"
0:17:10 > 0:17:11He's a cool, unique freak
0:17:11 > 0:17:14because he's the only swimming marsupial in the world.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16"I'm one of a kind."
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Surely he can't decide what he wants to be.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22A guinea pig, a frog or a duck!
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Or a guinea duck.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25Yeah, could be.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28But hang on. If you say the yapok is a marsupial,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30it must have a pouch like a kangaroo.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Yeah, but the yapok spends a lot of time in the water,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37so it has a rear-facing pouch which it can seal to keep watertight
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- and protect its babies. - Very clever, my little weird one.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It uses little ducky feet to speed through the water
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and those sensitive froggy front fingers to feel for fish.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47"Gotcha!"
0:17:47 > 0:17:51However, despite the yapok's aquatic adaptations, bizarrely,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53it must close its eyes underwater.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Then perhaps it should keep a mask and snorkel in that pouch.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00The good thing is, it can swim around all night
0:18:00 > 0:18:01and won't go wrinkly like you or I.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- Its fur is so thick, its skin doesn't even get wet.- Wow!
0:18:05 > 0:18:08A freaky furry wetsuit to go with its back-to-front pouch,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11froggy front fingers and ducky-webbed back feet.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13And it's those freaky front feet
0:18:13 > 0:18:17which connect both the Titicaca frog and the yapok,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20despite the yapok rather freakily being a mammal.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25And from freaky feet to a rather odd-shaped head.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27The waters around Latin America are overflowing
0:18:27 > 0:18:30with some totally awesome sights.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32"Oh, totally awesome, dude!"
0:18:32 > 0:18:34From the eye-poppingly wonderful...
0:18:34 > 0:18:36"Excuse me, coming through."
0:18:36 > 0:18:40..to the downright weird, they all call this home.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43And if it's underwater freakies you want,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45check out the hammerhead shark.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Wow, I think you've hit the nail on the head here, Gem.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It's famous for its rather weird-shaped head.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55- Yeah, and do you know why he's swimming on his own?- Why?
0:18:55 > 0:18:57He's a LOAN shark.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58Very funny(!)
0:18:58 > 0:19:01It looks like his head has been stood on.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05But that odd shape keeps it ahead of the game when it comes to survival.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Oh, yeah, does it use it to build a nice shark home?
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Inside that head, you'll find high-tech equipment
0:19:11 > 0:19:14which has crowned it the underwater hide-and-seek champion.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17- Take this little goby. - Nah, I'll leave him, thanks,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- he looks rather happy there. - Ah, perhaps not for long.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Hammerhead sharks love a little goby or two.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25"Oh, no, they don't, do they, man?"
0:19:25 > 0:19:27But he'll never find him.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29He's so tiny and blends perfectly with the seabed.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31"I'm blending in, man."
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Which is why the hammerhead has these super-sharky sensors.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38That head acts like a metal detector.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Or a goby detector, in this case.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42"Oh, you're joking!"
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Yup, the underside is lined with thousands of electrical detectors
0:19:45 > 0:19:48to pick up the slightest electrical impulses.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Are you telling me that goby's battery-powered?
0:19:50 > 0:19:54"Batteries? I'm running on fear, man!"
0:19:54 > 0:19:55The goby can stay as still as
0:19:55 > 0:19:57it likes, but it still needs to breathe,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59and every time it breathes,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02it lets out tiny electrical pulses from its gills.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Well, that's not going to help.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11"With my funny-shaped head, I will hunt you down!"
0:20:11 > 0:20:14"Oh, no, man. I'm going to be a fish supper."
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Oh, no. Say goodbye to the goby.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Not so fast.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Time to call in Captain Crab.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27"Never fear, for Captain Crab is here!
0:20:27 > 0:20:31"Shoo, sharky fella, shoo!"
0:20:31 > 0:20:33"Crabsticks."
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Whoa, Captain Crab has scared off the hammerhead shark.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Yup, sharky was disturbed and has given up the ghost.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41You mean goby.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43"Thanks, Captain Crab."
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So that rather uniquely-shaped head
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- is there for a very important reason.- Oh, yes.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51- It's good to see the nice little goby survived.- Don't be daft.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52Sharky came back later.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53"Goby!"
0:20:53 > 0:20:55MUNCHING
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Ah, well, plenty more fish in the sea.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03So the odd-shaped hammerhead shark is connected to the yapok
0:21:03 > 0:21:07because they are both one of a kind - unique freaks.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11So, our next freaky fur-brain comes from the Amazon Basin.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14What? How does it do that? I mean, it would never fit in my basin.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Actually, come to mention it, why does no-one ever talk
0:21:17 > 0:21:19about the Amazon Bath or the Amazon Toilet?
0:21:19 > 0:21:21No, not that kind of basin.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25No, the Amazon Basin is the term given to the massive area of land
0:21:25 > 0:21:28drained by the Amazon River.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Oh, I see.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Ah, yes, but can you see what this is?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Ah, you're being cryptic, very arty-farty.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- But I think I know.- Go on, then.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43It's a monkey.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45One freaky hairy monkey
0:21:45 > 0:21:48which has been bathing in far too much hair tonic.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52This is a uakari monkey. They all have that odd long hairy coat.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54The freakiness doesn't stop there.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Oh, what's that?! It looks like it's about to explode!
0:22:15 > 0:22:19That rather freaky bright-red face is there for a reason.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- Erm, what's that? To make it look totally and utterly ridiculous?- No,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25it shows other monkeys, especially the ladies,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28just how fit and healthy he is. The redder, the better.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32- He looks more angry than healthy. - He would be angry if you grabbed
0:22:32 > 0:22:36- his fruit and nuts.- Why?- The more unripe fruit and nuts he can eat,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39the redder the face and the better he looks.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- Ah, I see.- Brazil nuts are a favourite and,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44thanks to some awesomely powerful jaws,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47he can crack open the toughest of nuts.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Unlike most monkeys, uakaris have very short tails.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53However, it doesn't stop them leaping
0:22:53 > 0:22:57over ten metres through the trees - they are totally fearless.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00"Woo-hoo!"
0:23:00 > 0:23:02"And away!"
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Which is a good job when you look like a rather strange hairball
0:23:06 > 0:23:09with a freaky bright-red bony baldy head!
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Perhaps he shaved it for charity.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14So it's simple to see that the funky uakari monkey
0:23:14 > 0:23:17shares something pretty obvious in common with the hammerhead shark.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19They both have funny freaky faces.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23And from freaky faces to freaky feathers.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26OK, Barney, time to head off to the Galapagos Islands.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Ah, situated off the north-western edge of South America,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31described as the land that time forgot
0:23:31 > 0:23:34because of all its weird and wonderful islanders.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Yup, and here's a feathered-freak which is sure to amaze.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41OK, so what freak-beak have we got?
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Surely all birds are just feathery?
0:23:43 > 0:23:45This isn't just any bird.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48The frigate bird has a fierce reputation.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Is it a black belt in karate?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Nope.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54It simply loves fast food on the wing.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57"Just bobbing about on the waves."
0:23:57 > 0:23:58Oh, look out!
0:23:59 > 0:24:00Oh, a little too late.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03- "Oh!" - That was a sitting duck.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Wrong. That was a tiny storm petrel.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09"Oh! Can you not squeeze so hard, Mr Frigate?"
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Thanks to a rather weird-looking hook-like beak,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17they can simply pluck food from the sea without even dipping a toe in the water.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- What a clever little fella. - They're not that little.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23That wingspan can be up to 2.5 metres.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25That's the length of a small car!
0:24:27 > 0:24:31And plucking food from the water has its dangers.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32If those huge wings hit the water,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35it would struggle to flap its way back up into the air
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- and probably drown. - "Oh! That hurts!"
0:24:38 > 0:24:40But the freakiest thing is this...
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Wow, it's swallowed a whoopee cushion!
0:24:43 > 0:24:47No, it's inflated its chin to kind of hypnotise the ladies.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49That bright-red chin says...
0:24:49 > 0:24:52"Come to me, my lover. You know where it's at.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54"Come and get it."
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I think it says he's got a sore throat
0:24:57 > 0:24:59and should not be thinking about the ladies.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01He's in the mood for love.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03The males inflate their throat pouches
0:25:03 > 0:25:06to make them irresistible to the passing females.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Oh, yeah, look, it's worked! Just like magic.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15He's even getting her to tidy up his nest!
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Maybe she'll move onto the ironing next.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Now she's using it as a nice soft pillow.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Well, I bet she's tired after doing all of his housework.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28That hooky beak and whoopee-cushion chin
0:25:28 > 0:25:30certainly make it one freaky frigate.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Yup. And the freaky frigate is connected to the uakari monkey
0:25:35 > 0:25:38because they are both funny-coloured redheads.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Well, I'm officially freaked out.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Yeah, I can see that. It's because we have just seen
0:25:45 > 0:25:48some of the most freaky animals that Latin America has to offer.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51That will be why. How did we start with hummingbirds?
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Well, we opened up the freak factory with the sword-billed hummingbird,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01which connected to the anteater,
0:26:01 > 0:26:06because they both have extremely long tongues.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And the anteater linked to the hoatzin,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11thanks to some rather strange-looking claws.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16And those claws help the hoatzin climb trees,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20and that's exactly what the mini marmoset monkey is great at doing.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Yeah, he's a very cool little monkey dude,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24who is connected to the axolotl,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26because they both have stunted growth.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28What are you looking at me for?
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Next it was the rather gross-looking Titicaca frog.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36- "Oh, hello." - Which linked with the axolotl
0:26:36 > 0:26:39because they both live at high altitude but underwater.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Yup. Then webbed feet connected the Titicaca frog
0:26:42 > 0:26:45with the rather confused-looking yapok.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Confused but cute. And also unique,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51which is something it shares in common with the hammerhead shark,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54being both unique freaks.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Next up, the uakari linked nicely with the hammerhead
0:26:58 > 0:27:01because they both have rather funny-looking heads.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03You said it. And finally, the frigate bird
0:27:03 > 0:27:06decided it likes the uakari's face so much,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08it would have a bright-red neck too.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Which links us back quite neatly from the frigate to the hummingbird,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16because they both have freaky beaks.
0:27:19 > 0:27:25- What a great show. - OK, Gem, what freaky animal am I?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Well, you're quite short so are you a yapok?
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- No.- Well, you're very small, so are you an axolotl?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33- No!- Ha-ha!
0:27:33 > 0:27:36All right, then, you are a miniature marmoset?
0:27:36 > 0:27:39No, Gem! Think about it. What have I got on my head?
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Look. Ham.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43Ham-on-head.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44Ham-on-head.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I'm a ham-on-head. Hammerhead. Hammerhead shark!
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I'm a hammerhead! Why do I even bother?
0:27:49 > 0:27:52All right, half-pint, don't get short with me!
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
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