Crocodiles Deadly 360


Crocodiles

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This is Deadly 360,

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the show that pits three of the world's deadliest predators

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against their prey,

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examining their hunting strategies and their escape tactics

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from every angle.

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By delving beneath the fur and feathers we find out

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why a hunt succeeds

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and why they sometimes fail.

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One thing is certain,

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prey animals are anything but sitting ducks.

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Their defensive strategies keep them alive.

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And push predators to the limits.

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Prepare for Deadly 360.

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This is a Deadly 360 mission control,

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where all of today's action and analysis takes place.

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We have access to some of the most enthralling hunts

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that have ever been caught on camera.

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I've recreated three of the most exciting

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and analysed them from a variety of different angles

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in true 360 degree style.

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The predators we're looking at have to find and catch food

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or they just won't make it.

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In the wild world,

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simply managing to survive is the greatest challenge of all.

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I present to you the crocodiles.

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In today's line-up we meet the Nile crocodile,

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an armoured ambush hunter.

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We also meet the caiman, a fishing expert from South America.

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And in the waters of Australia,

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we reveal the world's largest crocodilian,

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the saltwater crocodile.

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A reptile that's not afraid to jump for its prey.

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Three crocodiles, three very different hunting strategies,

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all deadly.

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They look invincible,

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but there's a continual arms race going on in nature

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which ensures that prey animals are always evolving

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spectacular ways of taking care of themselves.

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Today's line-up of defenders include the wildebeest,

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a long-distance runner with a surprising turn of speed.

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And the most feared fish of them all, the piranha.

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Plus, in Australia, we investigate the fruit bat's escape techniques.

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So, I've introduced you to all of our contenders,

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now it's time to meet our first deadly duo going head-to-head.

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The first predator is the daddy of all the African reptiles,

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the Nile crocodile.

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Perfect planned ambushes are their speciality.

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And up against it is this, the wildebeest.

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They may look like big, bulky beasts, but don't be fooled.

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They are extremely agile with some pretty nifty moves.

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But which animal has the edge in the race for life?

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It's time to go Deadly 360.

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We join this hunt to find the wildebeest at the water

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taking a well-earned drink after trekking hundreds of miles

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across the plains in search of fresh feeding grounds.

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But they are unaware of the danger lurking underneath the water.

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It looks like the prey is in serious trouble.

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But how did it get there and is there any chance it might survive?

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To answer these questions,

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we're going to have to wind back to the start of the hunt

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and find out what's happening that leads up to this strike.

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The first thing to show you is where in the world they live.

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Well, this hunt happened in east Africa, in the Masai Mara.

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The Mara River flows 245 miles through the plains

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and is crucial to grazing animals like the wildebeest.

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Around 1.3 million cross this river on their annual migration.

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The Mara also provides refreshment on their marathon journey

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as they are unable to go without water for longer than a few days.

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But this also happens to be home to the Nile crocodile.

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He's always on the lookout for a meaty meal

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and the wildebeest have just wandered into his backyard.

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So, we've set the scene,

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but how do these animals operate in this environment

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and what attributes do they have

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that might tip the balance in their favour?

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Crocodiles may look prehistoric but they have hi-tech weapons on board.

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And don't be fooled by their drowsy demeanour,

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crocodiles have explosive speed.

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Once they've locked on to their prey, jaws slam shut

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with a bite that's probably the strongest in Africa.

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With all that to help it hunt,

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you'd think our predator would have no trouble making a kill,

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but our prey also has some pretty nifty means of defence.

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Wildebeest have superb escape tactics.

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First, living in a herd has its advantages.

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They know that if they stick together

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it's harder for attackers to single one out.

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Add to that their reactions

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and the ability to leap 2.5 metres in the air and it's no easy target.

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Well, based on all of that,

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I'd say this is going to be a pretty interesting hunt.

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Let's see how it unfolds.

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We join the beginning of the hunt down at the Mara River.

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The crocodiles are ready and waiting

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for an event that will last for the next two weeks.

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The wildebeest migration needs to cross the flow.

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And they've arrived.

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But it takes a lot of skill and cunning

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to sneak up on this number of wildebeest,

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and Nile crocodiles are the masters of ambush.

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The crocodile's body shape is critical

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in allowing it to hunt prey that's out of the water

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while it remains submerged.

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The eyes and nostrils are on the top of the head

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so the whole body can stay under water but it can still see its prey.

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Now it's clocked where the animals are,

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it's going to drop under the water, close the eyes

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and go into complete stealth mode.

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The water is too murky for it to use its sight under water anyway

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so it switches to using tiny pressure receptors on the jaw

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which pick up vibrations made by animals at the water's edge.

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This enables it to sneak right up close.

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Meanwhile, having travelled hundreds of miles on their migration,

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the wildebeest need to drink.

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They are now in the crocodile's sight.

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So what means of defence do they have against an attack?

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Wildebeest haven't really evolved to escape from crocodiles.

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Their main predator is lions so their body shape is very much built

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to get away from that land-based predator.

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They've got this huge set of horns and very large head

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and this huge muscular neck is to support that weight.

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But it also means they've got a lot of muscle at the front

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which is great for springing away with the front legs.

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It can drive backwards with great force and speed

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and that's going to give it a real chance of escape,

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even from a prehistoric predator like the crocodile.

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Let's see what happens.

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Right, back to the hunt.

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With the wildebeest finally at the river,

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the crocodile has just one chance to make a kill.

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If he's successful today,

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it will be enough food to keep him going for a year.

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Even if the croc does manage to catch its prey,

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that's only the start of the challenge.

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A crocodile's jaws don't move side to side,

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they only move in the vertical plane.

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They need to take a bite, engage those massive neck muscles

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and then start rolling around

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to tear chunks of flesh out of their prey.

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Sometimes you might have four or five crocs

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all getting stuck into one animal.

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Each one can devour as much as a quarter of a tonne of meat

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in one sitting.

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Which is kind of like me eating 150 hamburgers. Nice!

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There are very few animals that have skulls as dramatic

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as you will find in a large crocodilian.

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This one belongs to a Nile crocodile.

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I've worked out the length of this animal based on this skull.

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About four metres long, which means that it was a male.

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Females don't get to be that big. And it is incredibly impressive.

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First of all, that's down to the boniness of the skull.

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It is incredibly heavy.

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But also the massive muscles that drive that bite.

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Those are fixed here.

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They're like balloons at the back of the jaw

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and they come right in to the inside of the skull.

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They can close that jaw with phenomenal force.

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The teeth are pretty spectacular too.

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Crocodiles have between 60 and 80, usually,

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and those are continually replaced throughout its life.

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A crocodile of this size could have gone through 45 sets of teeth,

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continually replacing them as they're broken while it feeds.

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Right, let's go back to the hunt.

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After positioning himself just a few metres from the wildebeest,

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he's now ready to make his move.

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A crocodile can capture prey within about a body length,

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but he's got to hit his target first time.

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He swipes his muscular tail.

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This will launch him with explosive speed out of the water.

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Wow! That has to be worth an action replay.

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OK, you can see the crocodile is pretty much exploding

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out of the water, jaws wide open.

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To protect the eyes, he has to close them,

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and that means he's striking blind.

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As soon as one of the animals reacted,

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all of the others go off at the same time

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and our crocodile has missed.

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In fact, he's in danger of getting stomped.

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Let's watch that back again. You can see that as the croc lunges,

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the wildebeest are leaping about 2.5 metres into the air.

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That really is one lucky wildebeest.

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This gives a signal to everyone in the herd

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and they are all scattering in every different direction.

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The croc's cover is pretty much blown.

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He's going to have to wait for a long time

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before they come back down to drink.

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The Nile crocodile's ambush attack is successful about 30% of the time,

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which is pretty good, really, especially when you consider

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this animal could go without a meal for many months.

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It really seems that although the wildebeest was lucky this time,

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in the future, he might not get away with it.

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So the Nile crocodile may have explosive speed,

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punching power and deadly jaws...

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..but the wildebeest's safety in numbers, reactions

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and agility really prove they are no easy meal.

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Now on to our next pair of hunters locked in a battle for survival.

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This is the black caiman,

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an aquatic athlete with quite a turn of speed.

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And up against it is this,

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the most feared fish of all, red-bellied piranhas.

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But which has the edge in the race for life?

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It's time to go Deadly 360.

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Once again we join the action in the final stages of the hunt.

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The caiman has detected the prey and is ready to strike.

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The next few seconds will decide the outcome.

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Well, based on size alone, it looks like the prey is done for,

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but don't give up hope just yet.

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It's very rarely as simple as that.

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Let's rewind to the start of the hunt and begin our investigation.

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So where are we?

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We're travelling west across the Atlantic to South America

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and the largest tropical rainforest on earth,

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where the Amazon River flows,

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bringing with it an abundance of wildlife.

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This is home to the caiman.

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They live in these freshwater habitats

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where there's plenty of prey to hunt.

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And piranha are also a common sight in these waters.

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Living in shoals of around 20 or 30, they tend to hang about

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in the same areas of the river, feeding mostly on fish,

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but they're not afraid to attack anything en masse.

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So that's our location,

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but what sort of attributes do our predator and prey have

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that will give them an advantage in this kind of environment?

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Firstly, there's the caiman's scissor-like jaws,

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designed for snapping at prey.

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Add to that a tail that measures 40% of its total length

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and propels him through the water at speed.

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And, finally, his aquatic tricks.

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They really have to be seen to be believed.

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So those are the weapons

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our predator will be unleashing on its target.

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But what about the animal in the firing line?

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What has it got to protect itself?

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Well, the piranha's first defence are these - scalpel-sharp teeth.

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They're designed to slice through and tear off flesh in one movement.

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Add to that sheer weight in numbers and nippy speed

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and they're certainly no pushover.

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OK, now we have all the background, let's get the hunt under way.

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It's mid-morning and the caimans are basking in the sun.

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Like other crocodilians, caiman are cold-blooded

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and rely on the sun to recharge their batteries

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and get them moving.

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But how does this work?

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The caiman has special flat, bony plates that run down its back.

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These act almost like solar panels, absorbing the heat from the sun.

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This can be used as energy, which the caiman needs to begin hunting.

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And when it does go hunting, it demonstrates superlative agility.

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The secret to this is in its muscles.

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Crocodiles have muscles which are perfect

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for short bursts of explosive speed.

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That explosive speed is all down to special adaptations

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in the caiman's body shape.

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OK, I didn't want to bring a fully-grown black caiman

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into the studio because they can get to be over five metres long

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and they could have eaten the cameraman

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so I've got this rather delightful hatchling.

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He's no more than a few months old and, at this size,

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will just be feeding on insects and aquatic invertebrates,

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but the body plan is basically the same so it allows me to show you

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where he gets that incredible explosive power.

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The tail is flattened and, at the base,

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it's very broad and packed full of muscle.

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Whereas, at the tip, it's much more slender

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and really it's pretty much just scales.

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All the force is being generated up here

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and the tail moves side to side in a sinuous kind of movement,

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but it can be thrashed

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to drive the crocodile forward with enormous speed.

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Right, let's see them in action.

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Back in the hunt, the caiman's patrolling the waters,

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keeping an eye out for a meal.

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While he's cruising, let's check out the piranha's defences.

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The first mechanism the piranha has for evading predators

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is sticking together in a shoal.

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There are lots of eyes watching out for danger

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and it means a predator has to struggle to pick out one fish.

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In fact, it's possible that piranhas, en masse,

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could attack the caiman, causing it to give up its meal.

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Also, the piranha's shape is hydrodynamic.

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That means it's very streamlined in water.

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If you look at the top and the bottom of the fish, it's keeled,

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very like the underside of a boat.

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They can accelerate to incredible speeds very quickly.

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In fact, they would probably be the equal of any speedboat.

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I've had a lot of encounters with piranhas.

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They're quite common fish in the area they occur.

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But this one in Argentina was probably the one

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that showed off those extraordinary jaws and super sharp teeth

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to its very best effect. Have a look at this.

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I'm now about to show you one of the most awesome sets of gnashers

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you'll ever see in the animal kingdom.

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Hopefully without losing one of my fingers.

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Ooh!

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Look at those!

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The teeth are fiercely, fiercely sharp

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and they interlock with the teeth on the upper jaw here,

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forming a vicious trap that it uses to munch into other fish

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and animals that are unlucky enough to be struggling in these waters.

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And to show you just how sharp their teeth are, watch this.

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Did you see how it went through that?

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That was like a chainsaw through chocolate!

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That's what I call sharp.

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It's clear that our predator is up against a formidable prey species

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but what can tip the balance in its favour?

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Caimans are in the alligator family and have a short and a broad snout

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which give them a powerful bite.

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If you look inside the mouth, they have between 72 and 76

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cone-shaped and very sharp-ended teeth.

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These are great for snatching prey but not very good at chewing it

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so everything has to be swallowed whole. Not great for a piranha(!)

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Let's rejoin the hunt.

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The caiman has a potential meal in its sight,

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but to pick one out is no easy task.

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He relies on a clever tactic to break up the shoal.

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It's time for a bit of head-banging.

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So what on earth is going on here?

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Whoa!

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Let's take a closer look at this.

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Using huge muscles at the base of the tail,

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he's powering himself through the water,

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down into the fish and causing total panic

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but, in the commotion, has he caught himself a fish?

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Success! That hunt was pretty much perfect.

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So two of the most feared predators of the Amazon basin

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with two of the most impressive sets of teeth came face-to-face

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and, this time around, the caiman was victorious.

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The piranhas' shoaling, sharp teeth and swift swimming

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wasn't enough against the caiman's mix of athletic agility,

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snap strength

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and pace.

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This is our last deadly duo locked in a battle for life or death.

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For the predators, it's the largest of all living reptiles,

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the saltwater crocodile.

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Unlike the Nile and the caiman, these guys live in fresh water

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and sea water, making them phenomenal predators.

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Up against it is this, one of Australia's largest bats,

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the black flying fox or fruit bat.

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But which animal has the edge in the race for survival?

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It's time to go 360.

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It's the final moments of the hunt. The bats are roosting, unaware.

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The croc has locked on to its prey and is about to spring an attack.

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The bat looks like a sitting target.

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If we freeze the action at this crucial moment,

0:20:200:20:22

who do the odds favour, the predator or the prey?

0:20:220:20:26

To find out, let's take it back to the start

0:20:260:20:28

and examine the hunt in forensic detail.

0:20:280:20:31

First up, let's find out where this is all happening.

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We're travelling further south to Australia

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and the Northern Territories.

0:20:390:20:41

These waters are abundant with wildlife.

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It's these animals that attract the cunning salty.

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He's an opportunistic hunter, capable of taking anything

0:20:500:20:54

that enters his territory, whether that's in water or on dry land.

0:20:540:20:58

And along these rivers live Australian fruit bats.

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Living in colonies tens of thousands of animals strong,

0:21:010:21:05

they enjoy a plentiful supply of fresh food

0:21:050:21:07

from the tropical forests.

0:21:070:21:09

So that's the location, let's meet the animals.

0:21:100:21:14

This is a crocodile who creeps up on his tea.

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His tail can measure 50% of the body length

0:21:190:21:22

and can launch him three metres out of the water.

0:21:220:21:25

The jaw has 68 teeth

0:21:250:21:28

that are driven downwards with a force of two tonnes.

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It looks like we're dealing with a sophisticated hunter.

0:21:340:21:37

How is the prey going to stay out of this predator's clutches?

0:21:370:21:41

This fruit bat is one of the largest bats to be found in Australia.

0:21:420:21:46

With excellent eyesight,

0:21:460:21:47

they can see up to six metres away even in dim light.

0:21:470:21:50

They have a wingspan of over a metre

0:21:500:21:53

and can fly at speeds of up to 25mph.

0:21:530:21:56

Handy when they need to make a quick getaway.

0:21:560:21:59

So we have two very different animals,

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but which one is going to come out on top in this hunt?

0:22:020:22:05

Let's find out.

0:22:050:22:06

As day breaks, the fruit bats are returning

0:22:080:22:10

after a long night foraging on fruit and nectar.

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Many bats roost in holes, out of sight of predators,

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but these are too big, so they have to sleep out in the open.

0:22:180:22:21

The salty needs to plan his attack as bats are very sensitive prey.

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Waiting until they're roosting gives him the best chance.

0:22:270:22:30

He'll also have to get much closer to the colony

0:22:300:22:33

and to do this, he needs to be invisible,

0:22:330:22:36

so he heads underwater.

0:22:360:22:38

As the croc starts swimming in deep water, his whole body shape changes.

0:22:410:22:46

It pulls the legs into its side to increase its streamlining.

0:22:460:22:49

All of the swimming power is coming from the tail.

0:22:490:22:51

That is until he gets down to the river bed.

0:22:510:22:54

While he's on the bottom, he'll walk along using his feet.

0:22:540:22:58

To be able to stay underwater for such a long time,

0:22:580:23:01

the crocodile has some very neat adaptations.

0:23:010:23:05

A crocodile's mouth, which is bristling with teeth,

0:23:050:23:08

is anything but watertight.

0:23:080:23:11

While it's at the surface, to prevent it swallowing water,

0:23:110:23:14

it shuts off the back of the throat with a valve

0:23:140:23:16

and can breathe through its nostrils.

0:23:160:23:18

Once the crocodile dives and is completely submerged,

0:23:180:23:22

it's going to have to rely on its last breath of air.

0:23:220:23:24

To make the most out of that it will slow its heart rate down

0:23:240:23:28

to as little as two or three beats per minute.

0:23:280:23:32

It also makes sure that the blood is only being sent

0:23:320:23:35

to the vital parts of the body.

0:23:350:23:37

The rest of it is pretty much in suspended animation.

0:23:370:23:41

Because of this amazing ability

0:23:410:23:43

to make the most of the oxygen that's left in its body,

0:23:430:23:46

they can stay submerged for as much as two hours.

0:23:460:23:50

Right, let's see a crocodile in full effect.

0:23:500:23:53

The salty has positioned himself under the tree of roosting bats.

0:23:550:24:00

He's now got to pinpoint the position of the fruit bat,

0:24:000:24:02

and this is where he relies on sight.

0:24:020:24:05

Crocodiles actually have three eyelids.

0:24:050:24:09

There's the top and the bottom ones.

0:24:090:24:11

These protect the eyes, particularly when it's hunting,

0:24:110:24:14

but the third one is incredibly clever.

0:24:140:24:16

This is called a nictitating membrane.

0:24:160:24:19

It's semi-transparent and, underwater,

0:24:190:24:21

if the visibility is good,

0:24:210:24:23

it can still see using this when it's submerged.

0:24:230:24:26

It's almost like a pair of goggles.

0:24:260:24:28

With the potential meal in sight, the salty now comes to the surface.

0:24:290:24:34

This is the critical moment. If the fruit bat spots him,

0:24:340:24:38

he will fly off and, once it's airborne, they'll be gone.

0:24:380:24:42

I've actually got a fruit bat in my hand right now.

0:24:450:24:49

Unlike the insect-feeding bats, they don't echolocate,

0:24:490:24:52

so it means their other senses have to make up for that.

0:24:520:24:56

The eyes are much larger and much more acute

0:24:560:24:59

than you'd find on an insect-feeding bat

0:24:590:25:02

and that's going to be an advantage

0:25:020:25:04

if a crocodile is coming flying up at you from below.

0:25:040:25:07

But the main weapon this animal has is its powers of flight.

0:25:070:25:11

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly

0:25:110:25:15

and they are exceptionally good at it.

0:25:150:25:17

So this fruit bat will be hanging upside-down from a branch

0:25:170:25:21

using those claws there, on the rear legs.

0:25:210:25:24

When it decides it wants to take off, it will let go,

0:25:240:25:27

and then spread these sublime wings.

0:25:270:25:33

If I open that, you can just see that thin skin membrane

0:25:330:25:39

which is in between the fingers.

0:25:390:25:43

Using the membrane in between those fingers,

0:25:430:25:46

it can flap and fly exceptionally well.

0:25:460:25:50

Possibly well enough to escape a crocodile. Let's see.

0:25:500:25:54

We're into the final stages of the hunt

0:25:550:25:58

and the crocodile's patience has been rewarded.

0:25:580:26:01

A bat is roosting several metres above him on a low-hanging branch.

0:26:010:26:05

Unaware of the danger below it, the bat is now vulnerable.

0:26:060:26:11

But will it spot the crocodile before it leaves the water?

0:26:110:26:15

OK, here it goes.

0:26:150:26:18

It uses its enormous three-metre tail

0:26:180:26:21

to push itself off the riverbed,

0:26:210:26:23

generating enough power to propel it vertically out of the water.

0:26:230:26:27

Whoa! I'm just going to show you that in slow motion. Look at this.

0:26:270:26:30

Look how far that crocodile

0:26:300:26:32

has managed to propel its body out of the water. That's phenomenal.

0:26:320:26:36

The fruit bat has just noticed the crocodile coming

0:26:360:26:40

at the last second but, honestly, he never stood a chance.

0:26:400:26:44

A message to the fruit bats out there,

0:26:440:26:46

roost a little higher off the water.

0:26:460:26:49

The saltwater croc made the most of its opportunity

0:26:500:26:53

but there's no doubt that this single, large, noisy strike

0:26:530:26:57

will have scattered the entire fruit bat colony,

0:26:570:26:59

so he's not going to be eating any more of them today.

0:26:590:27:02

It's a very small meal for a saltwater crocodile

0:27:020:27:05

so it's difficult to say he's really been victorious.

0:27:050:27:08

The fruit bat's sight, nifty flight and speed

0:27:080:27:13

meant it wasn't easy prey for the croc.

0:27:130:27:16

But his ambush attack, wily skills and crushing jaws

0:27:160:27:21

were on target today.

0:27:210:27:24

The crocodilians have been around for about 200 million years.

0:27:280:27:32

They've seen the arrival of the dinosaurs

0:27:320:27:34

and the disappearance of the dinosaurs and they are still here.

0:27:340:27:37

There's a reason for that.

0:27:370:27:39

These animals are survivors, with speed, power and patience.

0:27:390:27:44

That's all we've got time for.

0:27:450:27:47

Join us next time as three more pairs of animals go head-to-head

0:27:470:27:50

and we analyse the action Deadly 360-style.

0:27:500:27:53

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:28:020:28:05

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0:28:050:28:08

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