0:00:03 > 0:00:05My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09And this is Deadly Pole To Pole.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Oh!
0:00:11 > 0:00:14From the top of the world to the bottom.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Whoa!
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Deadly places.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Deadly adventures.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21And deadly animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And you're coming with me, every step of the way!
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Argh!
0:00:31 > 0:00:34This time on Deadly we've made our way to Trinidad.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37A Caribbean island with an Amazonian flavour,
0:00:37 > 0:00:42in search of wildcat wonders and cold-blooded killers.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46This may be the Caribbean, but it's no beach holiday.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Argh, no!
0:00:48 > 0:00:52We're in Trinidad's jungles, sweating it out to bring you
0:00:52 > 0:00:55the best of Deadly.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Great find!
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Don't move a muscle.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04And on the hunt for a murderous-looking mouth.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14Trinidad lies about ten miles off the coast of South America.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Its rich forests are blessed with every kind of predator.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19It's deadly in paradise.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23But we begin in the jungle sweatbox.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28First up, it's a classic carnivore.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I've seen their kind in Africa.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38And in India.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43But we're here to find Trinidad's very own wildcat.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It's very rarely seen,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50exquisitely beautiful, and it's called the ocelot.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Ocelots are the epitome of stealth and athleticism.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59They hunt mostly at night,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02bounding or clambering into the tree tops,
0:02:02 > 0:02:03where they stalk monkeys and birds.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Their victims are dispatched with a bite to the neck.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Our local guide has seen ocelot tracks in this area.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18They live somewhere in this region.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23But finding one will be near-impossible.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27They keep well clear of humans, and are pretty perceptive.
0:02:27 > 0:02:33Our best chance is to set hidden cameras along the forest trails.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39OK, there's a faint
0:02:39 > 0:02:44but very real animal trail that's running through here.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45So, in all probability,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47small mammals are coming through on the ground
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and the ocelots could well be following them.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53So I'm going to place my first camera trap on this tree here.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00These camera traps will be our eyes in the forest.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Their motion sensor will be
0:03:02 > 0:03:05triggered by any animal that walks in front of them.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08If ocelots are using this trail, we'll see them.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14To maximise our chances we're spreading the cameras far and wide.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Ocelots can have a territory of 20 square miles.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It's tough-going, and my Deadly crew
0:03:21 > 0:03:24aren't always as agile as an ocelot.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Argh!
0:03:35 > 0:03:38This river should be an easier path.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Streams are like natural
0:03:41 > 0:03:44highways through the forest, and not just for us,
0:03:44 > 0:03:45probably for ocelots, too.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I can just see an animal coming down here
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and walking around this corner to avoid the water.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58This is our last camera trap.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01So we head back to the main trail.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04But we've only gone a few hundred metres
0:04:04 > 0:04:07when I turn to a little Deadly detective work.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Ooh, look at this.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17There's been a kill made here.
0:04:17 > 0:04:24There are feathers here, from black-and-yellow birds,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26and just up above us
0:04:26 > 0:04:31are the beautiful nests of a black-and-yellow weaver bird.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36And this, here, looks to me to have been taken by a mammal.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Looking at the end of each of these feathers, they've been neatly
0:04:40 > 0:04:41bitten across.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45If a bird of prey, like a hawk, had made this kill,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47it would have plucked the feathers out whole
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and there certainly wouldn't be any spit on them.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53It's entirely possible that this animal has ended
0:04:53 > 0:04:55up as prey of an ocelot.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01No other predator fits the profile. It's a definite
0:05:01 > 0:05:03clue, and hints that our feline
0:05:03 > 0:05:05find may be stalking these trails.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- That's good.- That IS good.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17It'll be an all-night stakeout.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21So the crew and I set up camp.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27And we're not the only ones cuddling up to our campfire.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32(That's fantastic.) These are lantern click beetles.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36There are dozens of them brought in by our bonfire.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40'Not a place to be if you don't like bugs.'
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Look at those jaws.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45'But perfect for us.'
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Great find!
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Yes, no, yes, no. Here we go.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Goodness it's really unusual that you see
0:06:04 > 0:06:06a tarantula as mobile as this.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11This is avicularia.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14The pink-toed tarantula.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21And it's about as hairy a spider as you'll ever see.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Kind of looks like it's wearing a blue woolly jumper.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28And there's probably lots of arachnophobes at home
0:06:28 > 0:06:31who are sitting there going, "What on earth are you doing?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34"That's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."
0:06:34 > 0:06:39But actually I've had it running over my hands and it's
0:06:39 > 0:06:41never at any stage come close to biting me.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Actually, it's a remarkably gentle beast.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48'The next find is much smaller.'
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Ah, look at that.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55'But this one, I won't be taking into my hand.'
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I was wandering around through these bushes,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03using my ultra-violet torch to look for wildlife.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08This has a very special quality. It makes scorpions glow in the dark.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12There's over 1,000 different species of scorpion in the world
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and very few of them are any danger to human beings at all.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18This is one of the few.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22This is a centruroides scorpion.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25This is one of the only scorpions that could potentially kill a human
0:07:25 > 0:07:29being and in this part of the world it causes an awful lot of damage.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Lots and lots of people get hurt by it, a lot of them
0:07:31 > 0:07:35end up in hospital and every once in a while someone gets killed
0:07:35 > 0:07:38by that tiny, little scorpion.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And it's no more than about ten metres away from where
0:07:41 > 0:07:44we're sleeping. So tomorrow morning I'm going to be
0:07:44 > 0:07:48shaking out my boots very, very carefully.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- It's been moving. - Yeah, there he goes.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Next morning, after a good breakfast and thoroughly
0:08:03 > 0:08:05checking our boots, we're back on the trail.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12It's time to check our camera traps
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and see if we've had an ocelot visitor.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21And now I'm going to have a little look and see what we've got.
0:08:21 > 0:08:28We have our first animal. It's a small rodent called a paca.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Just wandering right through the frame, having a little sniff around
0:08:34 > 0:08:38and something's ears,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41in the bottom of shot. What's that?
0:08:42 > 0:08:44It's a possum!
0:08:46 > 0:08:51Marsupials, big rodents, plenty of ocelot food.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53But no trace of the animal itself.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02But we're not going to move on till we've seen one with our own eyes.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09This rescue centre is home to many ill,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13rescued and orphaned animals, and inside here
0:09:13 > 0:09:17we have an ocelot whose mother was injured, and now offers us
0:09:17 > 0:09:20the best possible opportunity to get up close to this remarkable cat.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Ah, look at that.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31- Shall we try, what do you think? - Yeah.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35They've allowed us to step inside the ocelot's enclosure
0:09:35 > 0:09:38to meet this classy little carnivore.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41The keeper's joining us to make sure we're safe.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43The cat may not be that big,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46but is a wild animal with sharp claws and teeth.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49In the wild
0:09:49 > 0:09:52it would just slink off into the shadows,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54but here it's a different story.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56OCELOT GROWLS
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Ocelots are very vocal cats.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00They have a whole range
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and repertoire of different sounds they make.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05This, though, is one to let us know
0:10:05 > 0:10:08that we need to pay her some respect.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16And you can see that as this young female is investigating us,
0:10:16 > 0:10:21she's straining her neck forwards and very deliberately
0:10:21 > 0:10:24drawing in smells into the nose, you can see the nose pulsing.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30'Sense of smell is vital for ocelots.'
0:10:31 > 0:10:34They use it to keep tabs on their prey, their territories,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and on each other.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Huge eyes help them see in very low light. At night
0:10:40 > 0:10:44they have a huge advantage over sleeping monkeys and birds.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49The long canine teeth deliver the killing bite.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53Stouter teeth in the back of the jaw
0:10:53 > 0:10:57slice through flesh, bone and gristle.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00It may not rival the big cats in size,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04but it's a perfectly formed jungle hunter.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18Ocelots mostly feed on small mammals, but they'll also eat birds,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21substantially larger mammals.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23They'll even catch fish and amphibians.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I mean, really this is an animal that will make
0:11:26 > 0:11:29the most of just about anything it can find in its habitat.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I'm going to get batted any second.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38I mean, look at those teeth.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46The ocelot. Climbing clambering cat of the rainforest nights.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Exquisitely beautiful and deadly.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54'Agile hunters of the tree tops.'
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Teeth as tools for different hunting tasks.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Using dark as a weapon against sleeping birds and monkeys.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Small cat, big attitude!
0:12:13 > 0:12:18'Trinidad is an island, surrounded by Caribbean seas.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22'So our next target is a titanic ocean voyager.'
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Argh, no!
0:12:28 > 0:12:33It's the largest marine reptile in the world, the colossal
0:12:33 > 0:12:35leatherback turtle.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40They can reach the size of a compact car
0:12:40 > 0:12:41and travel thousands of miles
0:12:41 > 0:12:44across open oceans. But even more impressive
0:12:44 > 0:12:49is their diet - jellyfish, including THE most venomous animal in
0:12:49 > 0:12:54the world, box jellyfish. A tiny touch of a tentacle could
0:12:54 > 0:12:58stop a human heart, but leatherbacks
0:12:58 > 0:12:59wouldn't think twice.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03They chomp down jellyfish like they're...well, jelly.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10This bay is one of the best places in the world to see these
0:13:10 > 0:13:14ocean wanderers as they come ashore to breed.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19'But getting close enough to film a swimming leatherback
0:13:19 > 0:13:20'is going to be tough.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23'My crew's boat engine will scare them away
0:13:23 > 0:13:25'so I need to try the stealthy approach,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27'in my paddle-powered kayak.'
0:13:29 > 0:13:32My hope is to manoeuvre as close as I can in the kayak and then,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36and this is a real long shot, I'd love to just quietly slip
0:13:36 > 0:13:38over the side with the underwater camera and try
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and get some footage of them underwater,
0:13:41 > 0:13:42but that is a really big ask.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Turtles have to come to the surface to breathe,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53so everyone on board is looking out for their football-sized head.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'But these waters are home to other wonders.'
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Bottle-nosed dolphins!
0:14:06 > 0:14:09There's a pod of maybe 30 of them
0:14:09 > 0:14:11and they love nothing better than coming in
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and surfing around the bow wave of a boat.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17I reckon any day
0:14:17 > 0:14:20where you've got dolphins dancing around your kayak
0:14:20 > 0:14:21is definitely a good day.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Just minutes later my eagle-eyed crew spot a huge flipper,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28it's just what we're after.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Steve, turtle.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- Turtle on the surface. - Oh, there's one there!
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I'll paddle over there.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45- CREW MEMBER:- I see, I see.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- CREW MEMBER:- There, there, there.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50CREW MEMBER: Dead ahead, dead ahead.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53'I try to paddle in as quietly as possible, but...'
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Can't see him any more he must have dived.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59'Busted! It drops its head and dives.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01'Leatherbacks are champion divers,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03'they can dive almost a mile straight
0:15:03 > 0:15:06'down and stay under for over an hour.'
0:15:07 > 0:15:10We've been cruising around the bay for about an hour now
0:15:10 > 0:15:13and seen several turtles at the surface.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Dead ahead, dead ahead.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22But getting close to them is proving really, really tricky.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24There, there, there, there, there.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27They're up for such a short period of time.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29He's gone back down, no, he's gone.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31He's coming up.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34No, lost him, he's gone.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35And when they go,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37they go at a remarkable speed for an animal of that size.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It's going to be a long day.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47'We're close to giving up, when a leatherback
0:15:47 > 0:15:50'surfaces just metres from our boat.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:52There's one there!
0:15:52 > 0:15:56'It's our best view yet of this prehistoric beast.'
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Still there, Steve.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03'But the really impressive bit is hidden below the waves.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06'If I can just approach it with the underwater camera.'
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Bobbing above the spray, I get as near as I dare.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16With the sea as green and murky as cabbage soup,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I can barely make her out in the gloom.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24The massive ridged shell isn't hard like other sea turtles,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26but leathery,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29that's where leatherbacks get their name.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31It must be two metres end-to-end.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35But before I can get a shot of her head, she dives.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42I doubt my plan's going to win me wildlife filmmaker of the year!
0:16:44 > 0:16:45'Luckily, there's
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'always a plan B, if I can get in to shore without drowning.'
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Argh, no!
0:16:53 > 0:16:54That was a graceful landing(!)
0:16:55 > 0:16:59We gave it our best shot and we're not done yet,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02because a couple of hours after the sun goes down, things are going
0:17:02 > 0:17:06to totally change and the turtles are going to come to us.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15'After months at sea gorging on jellyfish,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18'female leatherbacks come ashore at night to lay their eggs.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24'Using night vision cameras so we don't disturb the nesting turtles,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28'we see this sea monster emerging onto the land, as they have done
0:17:28 > 0:17:30'for millions of years.'
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Oh, look at that!
0:17:36 > 0:17:41This animal coming ashore here is every inch a dinosaur
0:17:41 > 0:17:44and they've been around since before the days of T-Rex
0:17:44 > 0:17:48and all the other dinosaurs. Tens of millions of years.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58We're surrounded by dozens of animals,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I can feel sand splashing up on
0:18:00 > 0:18:02to me from one that's digging right behind me.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08'There could be as many as 200 turtles visiting
0:18:08 > 0:18:09'this beach tonight.'
0:18:11 > 0:18:12They're about to get run over.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16And you can also hear them breathing as well.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20'Inside this bucket-sized mouth,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25'is a leatherback's most lethal adaptation.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30'It may look like something from another planet
0:18:30 > 0:18:33'but those backward-facing barbs snag slippery jellyfish
0:18:33 > 0:18:36'and prevent them escaping. You can't get this big
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'without being a successful predator.
0:18:41 > 0:18:47'Leatherbacks can eat my body weight in jellyfish in one go.'
0:18:47 > 0:18:50The ocean-spanning, deep-diving,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52jellyfish-munching leatherback turtle.
0:18:52 > 0:18:58One of the largest reptiles on earth. Prehistoric and deadly.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02'Weighing almost a metric tonne.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07'With a big appetite for highly venomous jellyfish.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11'Capable of diving almost a mile straight down.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15'Lethal leatherbacks are turtley...'
0:19:15 > 0:19:18(Deadly.)
0:19:20 > 0:19:22But that's more than enough beach time.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Deadly is all about sweat, blisters and bug bites.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28So it's back to the jungle,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32to find some very different reptiles. Snakes.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36It's getting towards the end of the day, light's fading fast
0:19:36 > 0:19:38but that's going to act in our favour.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42The majority of snakes will hunt under the cover of darkness.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45So, as it starts getting dark, they're going to be most active
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and most obvious to us.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52'There are 47 different species of snake on this small
0:19:52 > 0:19:55'island but we're hoping for one in particular.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59'The venomous fer-de-lance.'
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Within their range, the fer-de-lance's toxic bite puts more
0:20:06 > 0:20:09people in hospital than any other snake.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14So we need to be careful where we're walking.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16And this place is snake central.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19Where's Steve?
0:20:19 > 0:20:20- Steve?- Yep, coming.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Oh, yes, I do.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30OK, so I've got red-and-white bands, which instantly tells me
0:20:30 > 0:20:34to be careful, but it's not a coral snake.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39That's cool. OK. Wow.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Well, there are lots and lots of snakes around this area that
0:20:43 > 0:20:46exhibit this colouration
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and the reason for that
0:20:49 > 0:20:52is that they're mimicking highly venomous coral snakes.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57The coral snakes have a potent venom,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00even more toxic than the fer-de-lance.
0:21:00 > 0:21:06'Unlike this little imposter, whose bite is no worse than a bee sting.'
0:21:07 > 0:21:10The idea is that by looking like
0:21:10 > 0:21:13a highly venomous snake, all the other animals learn
0:21:13 > 0:21:14to leave you alone.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Right,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19this is prime hunting time for this pretty little snake.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22So I'm going to let it go on its way.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29That's not bad, ten minutes, first snake. Good result.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Wakey-wakey, this place is snaky!
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Dead leaf, katydid or bush cricket?
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Is there any better camouflage in the world?
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Whoa!
0:21:48 > 0:21:51How about that? And look at how long those
0:21:51 > 0:21:52antennae are.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Snake, guys.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59'And this time, something more substantial.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03'Dangling from a tree like a Christmas decoration.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05(Ah!)
0:22:05 > 0:22:07It's a tree boa.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11I don't need my snake hook because it's not venomous.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14'Boas are constrictors.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16'They crush prey in coils of the body.
0:22:16 > 0:22:22'No venom, but a nasty bite, so handle with care.'
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Do you know, it's remarkable that a snake like this
0:22:26 > 0:22:29could be so beautifully,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32perfectly camouflaged in the tree that it's sitting on,
0:22:32 > 0:22:37but when you get it out in the open, it has wonderful colours!
0:22:37 > 0:22:42It's almost like it's been burnished in gold!
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Usually with these snakes, once they figure
0:22:44 > 0:22:47out that you don't mean them any harm
0:22:47 > 0:22:49and they've got some of their body supported,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52because that's when they feel most comfortable, they calm down.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55There you go.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59So this snake is arboreal, that means it lives in the trees
0:22:59 > 0:23:03and you can see how well adapted it is for that.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06It's very, very strong, it's quite long and thin
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and it can hold its entire body length on the tiniest of boughs
0:23:10 > 0:23:14and that enables it to get right up into the tree tops
0:23:14 > 0:23:16where it can feast on things like birds
0:23:16 > 0:23:20and bats, any small mammals that might be unwise enough to run
0:23:20 > 0:23:22nearby.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25OK, up you go.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28'It's enough to fill me
0:23:28 > 0:23:31'with confidence that a fer-de-lance is out there waiting.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35'Time for sweat, blisters and bug bites.'
0:23:43 > 0:23:46The forest has a very different feel this morning.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49It rained quite heavily a few hours ago, everything's damp
0:23:49 > 0:23:53and so all of the creatures that love the wet have come out,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55particularly the frogs and you can hear lots
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and lots of frog calls off in the distance
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and when you get frogs out, you get the things that feed on frogs
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and that means snakes.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08'And they aren't the only animals that like things damp.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Great.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Look at that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17It's not really the kind of place you expect to find a whopping,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19great, big mud crab.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21These live in burrows but
0:24:21 > 0:24:23they dig into sandy banks
0:24:23 > 0:24:27and they'll spend most of the day in there unless, like now, it's good
0:24:27 > 0:24:31and wet and they only come out to the edge of their burrows at night.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Look at those pincers. He could give you a really nasty nip.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Let's give it a try.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Quite glad I didn't put my little finger too close to that.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47HE LAUGHS
0:24:51 > 0:24:54The fer-de-lance's whole life, its hunting
0:24:54 > 0:24:57and defence, relies on not being seen.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00'To spot a green-brown snake in a green-brown world
0:25:00 > 0:25:03'is nearly impossible.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04Nearly!
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Don't move a muscle.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10'It's only months old,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14'but the venom is just as strong as a two-metre adult.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'I must not get bitten.'
0:25:23 > 0:25:29This beautiful little snake is the reason why you have to wear boots
0:25:29 > 0:25:32when you're wandering through this part of the rainforest.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36It's a fer-de-lance, or tropical lancehead.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Now this one's a hatchling. It's only very young, maybe
0:25:39 > 0:25:41two or three months old, but it still has a venom
0:25:41 > 0:25:44that's perfectly capable of harming a human being.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47At this size it's going to be hunting for things like small
0:25:47 > 0:25:49frogs and lizards,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52but once it gets to be fully grown it could be longer than I am tall,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56over two metres long, and it'll be feasting on mammals and birds.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And they are an animal that you have to be very wary of in this
0:25:59 > 0:26:02part of the rainforest,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05because they sit and they wait for their prey to come to them.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Now, that means if you step near to them they won't flee,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12but if you step right on them they'll probably
0:26:12 > 0:26:16strike at you in defence and when that happens it could be bad news.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Animals this size...
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Oi, ya, ya.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29That's cool. OK.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33And you see there, the fangs, there you go.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Coming out, they're genuinely
0:26:36 > 0:26:38needle-sharp, they're hollow
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and they inject a venom which hits your circulatory system.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47It leaves people that are bitten with
0:26:47 > 0:26:51wounds that can fester and last for a very, very long time.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54People even lose their limbs because of it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Very beautiful but very, very deadly indeed.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07A green-brown snake in a green-brown world.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Highly toxic venomous bite.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16Strikes first, asks questions later.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19A good reason to tread carefully in Trinidad's jungles.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Join me next time as I continue
0:27:25 > 0:27:27my journey on Deadly Pole to Pole.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Whoa!