0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Wo-o-oo!
0:00:05 > 0:00:10And this is my search for the Deadly 60.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12That's not just animals that are deadly to me...
0:00:12 > 0:00:15but animals that are deadly in their own world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19My crew and I are travelling the planet...
0:00:19 > 0:00:21and you're coming with me...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23every step of the way.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29'Deadly.'
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Here on Deadly 60, we have a real sense of the spectacular,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46so we've come to Australia, a place with more incredible,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48venomous creatures than anywhere else on Earth.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51And as it's going to be such an epic programme,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53I thought we'd start in an epic place -
0:00:53 > 0:00:55right at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57It doesn't matter where you go in Australia,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00you can always find something deadly.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04From right in the heart of Sydney, where a toxic terror lurks...
0:01:04 > 0:01:06to the desolate desert centre,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10where the most venomous snake on Earth lives.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14And the forest at Tasmania, where a devil screams in the darkness.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18We're travelling the length of the country to prove that Australia
0:01:18 > 0:01:21is the lethal capital of the world.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Our mission is way inland in the dead, red, centre,
0:01:31 > 0:01:36in search of the most venomous creature we've had on Deadly.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Australia is a very, very big place indeed,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47and the vast majority of it is wilderness -
0:01:47 > 0:01:49what Australians call the outback.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54This is an absolutely superlative place to find venomous creatures,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58and one in particular - the most venomous snake on Earth.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00It's incredibly difficult to find, very shy,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03but I've got quite a good feeling about this.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15The animal I'm looking for is the fierce snake,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18also known as the inland taipan.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21It is THE most venomous snake on Earth, and has enough venom
0:02:21 > 0:02:25in one bite to kill 100 people and its prey in seconds.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28I've wanted to see one all my life,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31but they're one of the most difficult snakes to find.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35The location is so specific, it'll take us several days to get there.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37It's one of the most harsh environments on Earth,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40reaching temperatures of over 50 degrees,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and the snakes are only seen for a few hours in the early morning,
0:02:44 > 0:02:45before it gets too hot.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48But the fierce snake is not the only desert reptile
0:02:48 > 0:02:52that makes a home in this harsh environment.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57In front of me on the road now, is...
0:02:57 > 0:03:00possibly Australia's best-known reptile.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05They're really wonderful animals.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07It's a bearded dragon.
0:03:11 > 0:03:12So...
0:03:12 > 0:03:16he's doing exactly...
0:03:16 > 0:03:19what we're hoping that our snake's going to want to do,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and that's coming out using the surface of the road
0:03:23 > 0:03:27as a real mechanism for warming up at the start of the day.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30You can see the back of the bearded dragon is quite dark.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34It can actually change that colour, so, now, early in the morning,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37it's much darker, much more capable of soaking up the sun's rays,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41and its belly is right down flat getting as much surface area
0:03:41 > 0:03:44down on this warm road as it possibly can.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49And off he scuttles. I love 'em!
0:03:49 > 0:03:53But my heart's set on a far less obvious reptile for the lethal list,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and it's still a few more hours' drive to the dried-out lake
0:03:56 > 0:03:59where the fierce snake rules.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Such beautiful country.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04Unbelievably red.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09It's almost like being on the surface of an alien world.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16And this alien world is home to a desert dragon.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22There's a monitor lizard, a sand goanna, in this bush here.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Should just be able...to grab him.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Wow!
0:04:31 > 0:04:33That is a beautiful animal.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39This little dinosaur is known here as the sand goanna.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44It's actually a kind of monitor lizard. There you go.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Just look at that tongue.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It's forked, exactly like a snake's tongue,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and draws in sense of the environment around it,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55to just figure out what's going on in its world.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Monitor lizards have featured many times on Deadly 60,
0:04:57 > 0:04:58and for very good reason -
0:04:58 > 0:05:02they are superlative predators, but also opportunists.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05They'll scavenge for food that's been killed on the roads out here.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09They'll take eggs, birds, frogs, lizards,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11absolutely anything they can run down.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13They're very quick, great climbers, good at digging...
0:05:13 > 0:05:17I mean, this is an animal that does absolutely everything.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19I think they're wonderful.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23'A marvellous monitor, and things are really hotting up.'
0:05:23 > 0:05:25OK.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Wow!
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Off like a little bolt of lightning.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Finally, we're on the edge of fierce snake country - miles from anywhere.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38Time to find a place to camp.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Perfect! We love it.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50Isn't it wonderful the way the wind has sculpted all these ripples
0:05:50 > 0:05:52on the surface of the sand?
0:05:52 > 0:05:54It's glorious!
0:06:01 > 0:06:07This is just such a dream of a place to go searching for wildlife.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11'And in crimson and gold sunset light, we set up camp.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15'No need for a tent - it only rains a few times a year here.'
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Here it goes.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Easy as fire-lighting gets.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29In the dancing firelight, the crew bed down for the night,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31hoping to sleep soundly in the territory
0:06:31 > 0:06:33of the most venomous snake on Earth.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Let's hope none of the local desert deadlies want to join me
0:06:36 > 0:06:39in my sleeping bag!
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- Night, Steve!- Good night! Sleep well.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54It's about 4:30 in the morning, preposterously early,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and we are in the true outback.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01In just a few minutes, the sun's going to come up
0:07:01 > 0:07:04over the horizon out there, and when that happens,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07one of the most remarkable snakes in the world is going to come out
0:07:07 > 0:07:09of the cracks where it's been spending the evening,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11and try and find a bit of warmth.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14That's only going to last for a couple of hours,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and the place that's going to warm up most quickly
0:07:16 > 0:07:18is going to be the road.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21So...
0:07:21 > 0:07:24this road surface here, at the moment, is quite cool.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Give it half-an-hour or so and that'll be baking.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29The snakes will come up here to bask
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and it's going to be the perfect place to see them.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34So, what we're going to do is just hop into the car
0:07:34 > 0:07:36and cover some miles.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39The warmth radiated from the road will warm up their blood -
0:07:39 > 0:07:42cold after the chilly desert night.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44This kick-starts the snake's metabolism,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46and gives them the energy to start hunting.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49However, the second it gets too hot, they'll slither for shade,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52and our opportunity will be gone.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The snake we're here looking to find
0:07:56 > 0:07:59is an incredibly difficult animal to look for.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02They're very elusive, not massively common,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and really only out in the open for a couple of hours a day.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08But, they are well worth us searching for,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12and it is the most venomous snake on Earth, full stop.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18I mean, I've filmed with some incredible snakes over the years.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23King cobras, black mambas, boomslangs, bushmasters,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27but none of them come even close to this remarkable toxic terror.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31To try and find one,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35we've got absolutely everything we can possibly have on our side.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38We've got two local guides, Kevin and Craig,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41who are absolute snake whisperers.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I mean, if these guys can't find an inland taipan, then no-one can.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47All we've got to do now is just put in the hours
0:08:47 > 0:08:49and keep our eyes on the road.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The sun's still below the horizon, and it's still a bit too cold
0:08:56 > 0:08:59for them to be on the roadside, so I decide to head out on foot
0:08:59 > 0:09:04and look for evidence of their favourite food - rodents.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Yeah, come and have a look at this.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16This is the reason why where we are now
0:09:16 > 0:09:20is such perfect habitat for inland taipans.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23We're actually on a flood plain here.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26It's usually very, very dry, very, very cracked,
0:09:26 > 0:09:31and there's lots of small rodent burrows.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36And during the daytime, the snake's going to be in there hunting.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40And they're absolutely everywhere. The ground is peppered with them.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45The sun's up and the ground temperature's rising.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49So, the clock is ticking.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52We've got everyone out scouring the terrain.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- Good luck, chaps!- Good stuff.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Yeah, good luck, guys!
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And animals that feed on snakes are also up and about.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Aww!
0:10:08 > 0:10:11A wedge-tailed eagle.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Coming across in front of us.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Probably the most iconic bird in Australia.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- N-o-o wa-a-ay!- Wow!
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Snakes aren't the only predators round here.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35There's a brown right here on the left!
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Got a brown snake heading off here.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45It is a speckled brown! Look at THAT!
0:10:49 > 0:10:54Australia is full of highly venomous snakes,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56and perhaps the most feared...
0:10:56 > 0:10:58are the brown snakes.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01They have extremely toxic venom...
0:11:01 > 0:11:05and they are often quite fiery.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08But it's actually flattening the entire side of the body
0:11:08 > 0:11:10and just showing that to me.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Making himself look larger than he actually is.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16And lots of little mock strikes towards me as well.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Now, I know this is quite a small snake,
0:11:18 > 0:11:23but it certainly has the ability, the toxic venom,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27to do me damage, so I'm just going to keep my distance.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32So, on any other morning of snake-searching,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36I would be definitely putting this snake on the Deadly 60 list.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39But the snake that I'm really looking for is so toxic
0:11:39 > 0:11:42that it makes this look like nothing.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46So, I think I'm going to say it's an awesome snake,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48but for now, the speckled brown is just the start
0:11:48 > 0:11:53of what I'm hoping is going to be a classic morning's snake-hunting.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56A fierce snake's venom is at least double the toxicity
0:11:56 > 0:12:01of any brown snake, but we probably only have minutes left to find one.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03How'd you go?
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- Starting to come up now, is it? - The ground's far from hot.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Yeah, we've still got a bit of time.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Yeah.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12'We're still feeling optimistic.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15'It's not time to give up just yet.'
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Stop, stop, there it is!
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Well, I don't actually believe what I'm seeing.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51We have, at the side of the road, the most venomous snake on Earth.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56This...is a fierce snake...
0:12:56 > 0:13:00sometimes known as an inland taipan...
0:13:00 > 0:13:06drawing itself up into a classic threat position.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Head drawn back into an S-shape.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Making out like it's ready to strike. You can come closer, Graham.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18It's OK, it's fixed on me at the moment, not on you.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24This is exactly the snake that we've come all this way to find.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27You see it's tongue flickering out on the air,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31sensing me, sensing whether I'm any threat to it,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34but it hasn't yet made any attempt at a strike.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38But what is fierce about this snake is its venom.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43This has the most toxic venom of any snake on Earth,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and there's a very good reason for that.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It's not, absolutely not, for attacking human beings.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53This is a snake that has never, to our knowledge, killed a human being.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56What it does have, though, is the ability
0:13:56 > 0:14:01to bring down and kill a rat within seconds.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08So around here, there are loads of burrows of rats,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and those animals can be very, very fast.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14So what the fierce snake needs to do is to bite them,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18inject enormous amounts of very, very toxic venom,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and stop them moving, very quickly.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26'Drawing the body into an S-shape prepares the snake for a strike,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30'like a coiled spring with lethal potential.'
0:14:30 > 0:14:32The venom is very complex,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36but the main constituent part is what's called a neurotoxin.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38SNAKE HISSES
0:14:38 > 0:14:41That is a toxin that affects the nervous system,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and it's very, very fast-acting.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48This snake is in absolutely remarkable condition.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52It's about as perfect an example of this species as you will ever see.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59I've been catching snakes for most of my life,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03and I've seen some of the most impressive in the entire world,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05but this, for me, is the most special.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09It's an absolutely phenomenal hunter.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Very rare, very difficult to find,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and THE most venomous snake on Earth.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21There is no doubt that the fierce snake has to go on the Deadly 60.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25You're a very lucky man!
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Very lucky man.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30That's one of the best-looking wild fierce snakes I've ever seen.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Yeah. Far out.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48A rapid strike that will kill its prey in seconds.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59The fierce snake takes one of the top spots on the Deadly 60.
0:15:59 > 0:16:00'Deadly.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:04To show you how diverse Australia is,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08I'm heading as far south as you can go - Tasmania.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11From red deserts to lush forests,
0:16:11 > 0:16:16to see the world's largest carnivorous marsupial.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19With it's fiery temper, a bone-crushing bite
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and devilish growl, it's unique to Australia.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24These nocturnal hunters are elusive,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and due to a mysterious disease, are becoming really rare in the wild,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31so I've come to Trowunna Wildlife Park.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Here, the species is protected and active in the day.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38so I can show you their foul tempers and fierce bites.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41It's the Tasmanian devil.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42TASMANIAN DEVIL GROWLS
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Inside this pen, we have an all-male group,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and likely to be really quite crazy.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52We've also got a chunk of carcass - a wallaby killed on the road -
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and that should get some serious action.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Just like in the wild,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02the addition of food causes all hell to break loose.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I, for one, am not going to try and take the food off them.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07CREATURES GROWL
0:17:07 > 0:17:11They're extremely vocal animals, Tassie devils,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15and that's how they got their name, the devil, because early settlers
0:17:15 > 0:17:18in this part of the world heard their screaming, their wailing,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22and thought there was some kind of spirit ghost off in the wilderness.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Actually, it was these guys.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28The reason they're so grumpy is all about dominance,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and who gets the best bits of meat.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32THEY GROWL
0:17:35 > 0:17:38When they get a hold of a good chunk of bone or sinew,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42you can really hear the crunching sound as their powerful teeth
0:17:42 > 0:17:44just make mincemeat of this.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47They've got a very, very strong bite for an animal of this size,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and although they are primarily scavengers
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and almost all their food is going to be found dead already,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55they are perfectly capable of taking down live prey,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58and will do - lizards, frogs, small mammals, birds,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02pretty much anything they get the chance to get their teeth into.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Even Graham our cameraman, by the looks of things!
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Oh!
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- STEVE CHUCKLES - Watch yourself there, Graham.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And it wasn't just Graham.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Even our small camera took their fancy.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Paul the keeper's just rescuing it for us.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29- Well done, Paul. Done any damage to it?- Doesn't look it.- Eugh!
0:18:29 > 0:18:32It's covered in devil spit.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39CREATURE GROWLS
0:18:39 > 0:18:42In the wild, fighting for food is about survival of the fittest,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45or, in this case, the loudest.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48They use their incredible sense of smell to locate prey and carrion
0:18:48 > 0:18:51from up to 1,000m away.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Once eating, they give a sniffing sound to warn off other Tassies.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58But if the warning's ignored, they launch into a maniacal rage.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00THEY GROWL FIERCELY
0:19:00 > 0:19:03But what makes these devils such good predators is, in fact,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06a strength that belies their size.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11This pen is full of fully-grown animals.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16You're really pretty strong for such a little creature.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Certainly, once the jaws have a hold of something,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23it's quite tough to get them to relinquish their hold.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25CARCASS BONES CRUNCH
0:19:25 > 0:19:29And that crunching sound as those rear teeth go through bone
0:19:29 > 0:19:33- is very, very impressive. - CREATURE SNIFFS
0:19:33 > 0:19:35In fact, for their size,
0:19:35 > 0:19:40they have one of the strongest bites in the animal kingdom.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Your really feel their strength, though,
0:19:42 > 0:19:47and they brace backwards, planting their front feet down on the ground
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and then levering with their whole body weight backwards.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Actually they can generate an enormous amount of force.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58The Tassie devil looks really unusual, like the proportions
0:19:58 > 0:20:01are all wrong, with an enormous head and tiny little body.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03But, that head is so big,
0:20:03 > 0:20:08because it's loaded with muscles that power its brutal bite.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Eugh-h-h! Aww, yuck!
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I'm getting covered in bits of rotten meat.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18CREATURES YELP VICIOUSLY
0:20:18 > 0:20:19Wow.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23That is a very vocal little scrabble, and that's exactly
0:20:23 > 0:20:27where this animal gets its name and its reputation from.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30All of a sudden, things just kick off, and when they do,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33it's very noisy, and really quite frightening.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35BONES CRUNCH
0:20:35 > 0:20:38So, those crunchy, munching sounds are the reason
0:20:38 > 0:20:40this animal has to go on the Deadly 60.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44It can crunch clean-through bone, it has appalling table manners,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47and an attitude well above its size.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Tassie devils - deadly.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56They can sniff out a carcass from up to a kilometre away.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It's the devilish marsupial of the south -
0:21:04 > 0:21:07whirling, screaming, raging, wailing,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10mighty-munching Tassie devils.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11'Deadly.'
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Back in Sydney, the team and I are in Manly Harbour.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19BOAT HORN BELLOWS
0:21:19 > 0:21:20This may seem odd, but here in the city
0:21:20 > 0:21:25is ANOTHER toxic terror - the blue-ringed octopus.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27It might be small,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31but it has a venom 10,000 times more potent than cyanide.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35It's so toxic, that it can paralyse a crab in seconds
0:21:35 > 0:21:37and could easily kill a person.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39They're tiny and brilliantly camouflaged,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43so I've got some extra eyes to help my search - Rob and Nick,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46two blue-ringed octopus experts from Manly Sealife Sanctuary.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50The blue-ringed octopus occurs in coastal waters,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55so I am going to be free-diving to try and find them.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Looking in nooks and crannies, underneath rocks,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59places they might hide out during the daytime.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02If we do find one, we'll have to handle it more carefully
0:22:02 > 0:22:05than we would any venomous snake.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07There are cases of people picking up blue-rings,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11only to die hours later without even realising they'd been bitten.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- Hang on to this one, I'm sure it'll be all right.- Great.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15Thanks very much.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- Tools of the trade. - ROB AND NICK LAUGH
0:22:19 > 0:22:22It's not quite a machete or a snake-stick, is it?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25But the net will keep distance between my fingers
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and the blue-ring's lethal venom.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30This could be one of the most beautiful animals
0:22:30 > 0:22:32we will ever see in the Deadly 60.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35And, actually, one of the most venomous too.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38So, I really have my fingers crossed about this.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42It's quite something that such a miraculous,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44multicoloured mini-marvel
0:22:44 > 0:22:47lives right by the biggest metropolis in Australia.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I wonder if the city workers know what delights
0:22:53 > 0:22:54lurk along their beaches?
0:22:54 > 0:22:58There's so much life down here.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04From tiny brittle stars to stingrays AND a different species
0:23:04 > 0:23:08of octopus, but this one much bigger than our toxic target.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15This place is actually absolutely perfect.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Considering that we're right in the middle of the big city,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20there's loads and loads of marine life down here,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and also lots of places for blue-ringed octopuses to hide.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27There are lots of rocks, chunks of old pipe,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30and plenty of the kind of things that they love to feed on -
0:23:30 > 0:23:34crabs, worms, small fish. It's perfect.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43The blue-ring octopus is not the only creature down here
0:23:43 > 0:23:45sporting chemical weaponry.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Just found something really cool!
0:23:54 > 0:23:57It's a pufferfish.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59They're remarkable animals. Really, really cool fish.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03But the most remarkable thing about them is that these animals
0:24:03 > 0:24:06have a poison in their skin and in their organs
0:24:06 > 0:24:09which is exactly the same as the venom that's injected
0:24:09 > 0:24:11by the blue-ringed octopus.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14To find a pufferfish here while looking for a blue-ringed octopus
0:24:14 > 0:24:16is just crazy!
0:24:19 > 0:24:22For the vast majority of their lives, the blue-rings are drably
0:24:22 > 0:24:26coloured, merging in with their background, practically invisible.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35It takes a keen eye to see, but lurking under a shell,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39our first blue-ringed octopus.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Fantastic! The guys have found one.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51It's absolutely beautiful.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54OK, the idea now is to transfer it into an aquarium
0:24:54 > 0:24:57so we can see it up close.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I can't believe it - success!
0:25:02 > 0:25:06This is the tiny wonder I've come halfway round the world to find -
0:25:06 > 0:25:08the blue-ringed octopus.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12The ones found here around Sydney are called blue-lined octopus,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14because all running down the surface of the mantle,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17you can see great big long neon lines.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Oh, look at that bright, bright colour change. Gorgeous!
0:25:20 > 0:25:23But, they're still in the blue-ringed octopus group,
0:25:23 > 0:25:28and, to show you how it got its name,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32all I need to do is agitate it very slightly.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35And you should see the plainly-coloured animal
0:25:35 > 0:25:40take on incredible, agitated colours.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Bright, neon-blue circles.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Look at that! Wow!
0:25:46 > 0:25:49It's just electric.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54These are classic warning colours, and they're obviously used to
0:25:54 > 0:25:57intimidate animals that might want to feast on a blue-ringed octopus.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00That would be a very, very bad idea,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03because this is one of the most toxic creatures on Earth.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08The glorious neon-flash colours tell other predators to just swim on by.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10It is such a superlative predator.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13It has only one hard part to its body.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16That's a beak, which is kind of like a tiny, miniature parrot's beak.
0:26:16 > 0:26:22And that's located in here, right in the centre of all of those arms.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25And that actually has a special venom that's dribbled onto the beak
0:26:25 > 0:26:29and can be injected into prey - things like crabs, worms,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31even small fish, and it's so potent
0:26:31 > 0:26:35that it's going to make them stop moving almost instantaneously.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38It's only tiny, but it has a bite that's easily capable
0:26:38 > 0:26:41of killing a human being, and has done in the past.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45It really is one of the strongest poisons on the planet.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49The flamboyant blue-ringed octopus, one of the smallest animals
0:26:49 > 0:26:54we've ever had on the Deadly 60, but also, one of THE most venomous.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01These camouflaged predators can stalk their prey unnoticed.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Their hard, parrot-like beak is used to bite their prey...
0:27:04 > 0:27:09chewing in a paralysing venom that would kill an adult human.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The miniature neon predator that could fit in the palm of your hand.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15'Deadly.'
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Now, very important, it goes back exactly where we found it.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27There it is - whale!
0:27:27 > 0:27:32Join me next time as I continue my search for the Deadly 60.