0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall...
0:00:06 > 0:00:09..and THIS is Deadly Pole To Pole.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Ohhh!
0:00:11 > 0:00:13From the top of the world to the bottom.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Whoa! Ha-ha!
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Deadly places.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18Deadly adventures.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20And deadly animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And you're coming with me, every step of the way!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Aaargh!
0:00:30 > 0:00:34This time, our mission begins in the Deep South of America.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38It's a wonderland for wildlife, particularly the cold-blooded kind.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43'We're reeling in some Titanic Texan teeth...'
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Whoa! Oh, my word, it's enormous!
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'..getting blown away by a deadly tornado...'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Aaargh!
0:00:53 > 0:00:55'..and wading in snake-infested swamps
0:00:55 > 0:00:58'searching for these lethal jaws.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:05I'm starting in Texas before continuing my deadly rodeo romp
0:01:05 > 0:01:08across the southern United States,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10ending in Georgia on the East Coast.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18'First up, my crew and I are going fishing for a monster.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21'And in Texas, they make 'em real big.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:24This is the Trinity River. There are plenty of alligators here
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and this would be our most obvious choice, but actually our target
0:01:27 > 0:01:32animal is just as prehistoric, just as big and has even fiercer teeth.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38These muddy waters are rumoured to be home to a giant fish...
0:01:39 > 0:01:45..that looks like an alligator and can grow longer and heavier than me.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48It's called an alligator gar.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'But to show you, first I've got to catch one.'
0:01:56 > 0:01:58We're heading about an hour and a half downriver to the spot
0:01:58 > 0:02:02where Bubba, our guide, reckons the best fishing is.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Already, it's really wild, there's no sign of people whatsoever
0:02:05 > 0:02:09and the river's a kind of murky brown colour.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12It's exactly the sort of place you'd expect to find a monster fish.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19'Very few people venture down this river.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24'Without Bubba guiding us, we'd have no chance of navigating past
0:02:24 > 0:02:26'shallows, sunken logs and rapids.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:35It's got a kind of lost world feel about it,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and I think from the fact that Bubba's
0:02:37 > 0:02:41cut his engines that this could be where we start fishing.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44'Now we just need to hook our dinosaur.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52'Alligator gar are notoriously wily and difficult to catch.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56'They probably won't take the bait while they can see the boats.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58'So we're going to set up our fishing gear
0:02:58 > 0:03:01'and monitor it from 100 metres away.'
0:03:01 > 0:03:03So the way that this is working is we're going to put
0:03:03 > 0:03:06a whole bunch of rods all the way down the shore here,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10places where we think there are fish, and they have a special
0:03:10 > 0:03:12bite indicator that'll tell us if they've got a bite.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19'Now we have to sit back and wait
0:03:19 > 0:03:21'for the alligator gars to start feeding.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28'For hours, our bite detector alarms are silent.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32'But then...'
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- We can hear beeping. - ALARM BEEPS
0:03:37 > 0:03:40One of our lines is going and going fast.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41It's just downriver now.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45'Something's taken the bait.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48'We need to get back to our rod and reel it in.'
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Finally, we have got some action.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59There is definitely something on the end of this line
0:03:59 > 0:04:03and it's pulling out line at a right rate of knots. Look at that.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07OK, here we go.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Yeah, look how much the rod's bending.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16I can feel this is a good-sized, strong fish.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Ohhhh! OK, he's very close to us now.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Whoa! Sorry, Johnny.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- HE GASPS - Wow.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32'It's an alligator gar.'
0:04:32 > 0:04:35That was like seeing a dinosaur come to the surface.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40He's a reasonable size fish. Probably as long as my leg.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Ooh! Ha!
0:04:47 > 0:04:50You can see that when they want to go away,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54the explosive power from the tail is enormous.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00'This prehistoric-looking fish can breathe air out of the water,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02'so we can get a really good look at him.'
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Once we put him back in again, he's going to be absolutely fine,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07be able to carry on hunting.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11And really, the impression of the fish is almost reptilian, it really
0:05:11 > 0:05:16is like a swimming dinosaur. And I can feel under my fingers the really
0:05:16 > 0:05:19coarse, bony scales that act as armour-plating, protecting his body.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I mean, there isn't really a single part of this fish that isn't
0:05:22 > 0:05:26spiky, hard, tough, designed to protect it from all kinds
0:05:26 > 0:05:29of other predators like alligators that occur in these rivers.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Once they get really big, though, there is simply nothing else
0:05:31 > 0:05:34that can take them on and they are the top predator.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36'This may be a big fish
0:05:36 > 0:05:40'but it's not quite the monster I was hoping to catch.'
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Hello.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- VOICE FROM RADIO: - 'It's going across the river.'
0:05:43 > 0:05:46OK, we're going to release this little one and head up there.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49'It's not over yet.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52'Our bite alarms have been triggered upriver.'
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Yes! Fantastic.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Right, now let's go and catch this one's big brother.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02Here we go, hang on.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07'The small gar put up quite a fight.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11'If we've got a big 'un, it's going to be an epic battle to land it.'
0:06:19 > 0:06:22That certainly feels heavier and stronger on the line.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Whoa!
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Whoa, it's pulling the whole boat round! Look at that.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It is dragging our whole boat.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42This is a really, really big fish.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Look how much it's bending the rod. That is just PHENOMENALLY strong!
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Going to have to come up to the surface now.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!
0:06:58 > 0:07:01That is absolutely ENORMOUS.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07There!
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Oh, my word, it's enormous!
0:07:09 > 0:07:13'A vast gullet lined with teeth breaks the surface.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15'Exactly what we'd been hoping for.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19'This fish must weigh almost as much as me.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21'My fishing line just can't take the strain.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25'To land this titan, we need to get a rope around it.'
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Whoa!
0:07:31 > 0:07:35'This is the first time I've tried to lasso a slippery fish.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:41No!
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- Yes, we've got him, we've got him. - Hang on to him now.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Yeah, I got him.- OK.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56'It would be too dangerous to bring this giant,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58'thrashing fish onto our small boat.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03'So we're taking it into the shallows to get a closer look.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:10I have to say, I've never been so overwhelmed,
0:08:10 > 0:08:15so absolutely awed and so surprised by a fish.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19It's enormous. Seven feet long, which is well over two metres.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24Much, much longer than I am tall and it is immensely powerful.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27There's certainly no way that I could lift this myself
0:08:27 > 0:08:30out of the water, it's much, much heavier than I am.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32And...I'm just completely blown away by everything.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36The complete scale of the animal is incredible.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38It's the first time I've had a chance to
0:08:38 > 0:08:41look at the teeth of a really big alligator gar
0:08:41 > 0:08:44and they're some of the most ferocious I've ever seen.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46All round the lips are tiny,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49spiky little teeth for snagging into slippery fish prey, but once
0:08:49 > 0:08:52you get inside of the mouth, they're more like a crocodile's teeth.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56They're long, fang-like, pointed - there is simply no way that
0:08:56 > 0:08:59any prey is getting away once this has got a hold of it.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Wow. Isn't it stunning?
0:09:06 > 0:09:07A fish of this size,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11I mean, really, it has no natural predators other than man.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Even a good-sized alligator is going to leave this well alone,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and it's just free to roam in these waters searching out for other
0:09:17 > 0:09:21fish to feed on, perhaps feeding even on mammals that are coming down
0:09:21 > 0:09:23to the water's edge, certainly on water birds.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29This is the largest freshwater fish on the continent, and I don't think
0:09:29 > 0:09:33that anyone seeing this is going to doubt that for a single second.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The alligator gar, prehistoric wonder,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39with a mouth packed full of teeth, the ability to
0:09:39 > 0:09:43sense its prey in waters where you cannot see anything at all.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47It's a mighty monster with a mighty mouth, and undoubtedly deadly.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52'It's time to let this fabulous fish go.'
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Yes! Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Tough armour-plating.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Reaching three metres long.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11With teeth and jaws to rival an alligator's.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16This is a gargantuan fish like I've never seen before.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25'My next contender is one of the fastest, strongest and most
0:10:25 > 0:10:29'lethal we've ever encountered on Deadly, but it's not an animal.'
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I want to show you something of how nature itself can have
0:10:32 > 0:10:35extraordinary, destructive force.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40We're talking about storm-force winds.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45Found in hurricanes and tornadoes, these winds can reach around 300mph
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and rip through everything in their path.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Tearing up trees, tossing trucks and cars into the air like toys
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and reducing houses to splinters.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Little can match their raw earth-shattering power.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Texas gets more than its fair share of these fearsome winds because
0:11:08 > 0:11:12it sits on the world's tornado hotspot, known as Tornado Alley.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Well, this really puts it into perspective.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22It's torn apart this house almost like it was a doll's house,
0:11:22 > 0:11:28and tossed cars around and caused absolute devastation.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31This here is a testament to what a deadly force of nature
0:11:31 > 0:11:32tornadoes can be.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36It's just too dangerous to experience a tornado like this
0:11:36 > 0:11:37first-hand, so...
0:11:39 > 0:11:43..instead of doing that, we decided to create our own...using this.
0:11:45 > 0:11:51This is an Albatross fighter jet and it's a seriously mean machine.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Powered by an immense jet engine, it can fly over 450mph.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03But we don't even need to leave the ground to show you what this
0:12:03 > 0:12:04baby can do.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10The bit we're interested in is this - the exhaust.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11When this jet fires up,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15wind is going to come out of the back of here of well over 100mph,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17possibly considerably more, and I'm going to try
0:12:17 > 0:12:21and walk up the back and experience how it feels to be in a tornado.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26'I'm no stranger to danger on Deadly.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31'But staring down the barrel of a jet engine
0:12:31 > 0:12:32'is a whole different level.'
0:12:34 > 0:12:35All right, Dan, fire her up.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Here goes nothing.- OK.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43OK, coming up.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Whoa-ho-ho! Argh! Oh, my goodness!
0:12:50 > 0:12:52'The engines are on low thrust,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56'roughly equivalent to a force one tornado, the least severe.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58'But with wind speeds hitting over 80mph, it's already
0:12:58 > 0:13:00'nearly impossible to stand up.'
0:13:02 > 0:13:04When you're in wind like this,
0:13:04 > 0:13:09the first thing that happens is that you start to get rain and water.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Argh!
0:13:12 > 0:13:14'The rainwater is like a wet slap in the face.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'In a real tornado, there'd be giant hailstones -
0:13:17 > 0:13:20'chunks of ice travelling at 300mph.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Argh! My ear defenders have gone.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It's all right. It'll be OK.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32'Next up, this bag of flour is going to simulate dust
0:13:32 > 0:13:34'sucked into our tornado.'
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Aaargh! This is absolutely nuts.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41'Like abrasive sandpaper, even dust
0:13:41 > 0:13:44'and earth can strip the bark off trees...
0:13:47 > 0:13:49'..and blast the paint off cars.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56'The pilot is increasing the thrust.'
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Do you want more power? I still got more.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Come on, I can take it!
0:14:03 > 0:14:06'Wind speeds are now reaching over 150mph.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'I'm now in a category three tornado.'
0:14:13 > 0:14:17'In this wind speed, even soft items caught in the jet stream
0:14:17 > 0:14:20'will have a massive impact force.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22'Using my body as a target, lets find out.
0:14:24 > 0:14:25'I think this is going to hurt.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30'Even a beach ball travelling at this speed
0:14:30 > 0:14:33'looks like it would take my head off.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40'Quite glad my director's a rubbish aim.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43'Let's see what kind of damage a tomato will do.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51'They're coming at me like rockets!'
0:14:51 > 0:14:52Ow!
0:14:55 > 0:14:59'A direct hit, and I've been floored by a supersonic soft fruit.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:09OK, that's it, that's all I can take.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13'I've had to bail out at a category three tornado.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16'The most violent tornado winds are a category five.'
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Oh, my goodness.
0:15:20 > 0:15:26I've just been pretty much blown into the next county.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Um...that was incredible!
0:15:32 > 0:15:35It was a horrifying sensation of what it must feel like to be
0:15:35 > 0:15:38inside the tornado.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I got hit by two tomatoes, soft tomatoes,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and it felt like I'd been shot.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47They just went off like missiles. Um...
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I don't really know quite what to say.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52It's completely taken my senses away.
0:15:52 > 0:15:58But...although this has been rather dramatic, rather exciting,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01obviously, there's a very, very serious side to what
0:16:01 > 0:16:04a force of nature like a tornado can do in real life.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10The path of destruction caused by a category five tornado can be
0:16:10 > 0:16:13two miles wide and 200 miles long.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Those 300mph winds suck up,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22mash up and spew out everything in their path.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Like natural wrecking balls filled with lethal projectiles,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28they blaze a trail of utter devastation.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32To see this destructive force for ourselves, I'm getting well
0:16:32 > 0:16:35out of the way, and we're towing a car into the firing line.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The winds produced by our jet aren't strong enough to blow the car
0:16:38 > 0:16:41away, but can show us what everyday objects can do
0:16:41 > 0:16:44if caught in the wind.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47- JET THRUSTERS FIRE UP - The power is starting to build.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57'Fence posts and timbers turn into jagged javelins.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04'Tiles and even dinner plates are like spinning ceramic blades.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08'But to see the full deadly potential,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10'I need to score a direct hit on the car.'
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- MUFFLED:- Plant pot.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25The flowerpot explodes on impact, showering jagged, serrated
0:17:25 > 0:17:29pieces in every direction. Each one is now its own deadly projectile.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43OK, let's see what utter devastation we've wrought on our car.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Now, this is actually pretty frightening.
0:17:47 > 0:17:53That MASSIVE dent there, from the base of a humble flowerpot.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Just imagine what would be caused by something heavier.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59You have to say, looking at this, that there is no
0:17:59 > 0:18:03doubt that tornadoes, this remarkable force of nature,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06have the power to make us feel incredibly fragile
0:18:06 > 0:18:10and vulnerable, and for that reason they are, without doubt, deadly.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Winds that can reach 300mph.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Packed with lethal projectiles.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21A natural wrecking ball.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Tornadoes have little competition when it comes to violent,
0:18:27 > 0:18:28deadly destruction.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35We're leaving Texas behind and travelling almost 1,000 miles
0:18:35 > 0:18:37to Georgia on the East Coast.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43This state is home to the largest blackwater swamps in the USA.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47They're riddled with biting critters.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50From the small...
0:18:53 > 0:18:54..to three-metre alligators.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00And we're in search of an old Deadly favourite.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02One of the biggest bites in the world -
0:19:02 > 0:19:04the alligator snapping turtle.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09The T-rex of the turtle world,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12alligator snapping turtles are carnivorous meat munchers.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Lying submerged in these murky waters, they ambush fish,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21snakes, even other turtles that swim too close to those jaws.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29'Our best chance of seeing this turtle is to catch one
0:19:29 > 0:19:31'in a trap baited with stinky fish.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37'But we're not going to wait around. We're also putting in the legwork
0:19:37 > 0:19:39'and searching the swamp for a snapper.'
0:19:40 > 0:19:44I can see why people would think that an environment like this
0:19:44 > 0:19:47is like hell. There's lots of biting bugs,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52it's muddy, sweaty, but for me, it's absolute paradise.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Lots of venomous snakes, gators... The only thing is, you have to
0:19:55 > 0:19:58be very careful about where you're putting your feet.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12We've fanned out into a formation to cover as much ground as possible,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15and one of the guys has just shouted out that he's seen a snake.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Oh, this is wonderful.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23OK, the tongue's just started flickering so he knows I'm here,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25he knows that I've seen him.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30So I want to move very, very cautiously.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Hopefully not disturb him.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38OK, he is on the move.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44OK, so what I've got here is a young canebrake rattlesnake.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46It is only young, very small.
0:20:46 > 0:20:53This snake...gets to be as fat as my arm when it's fully grown,
0:20:53 > 0:20:58but that doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve exactly
0:20:58 > 0:21:00the same respect as a fully grown adult snake.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04The venom still has exactly the same toxicity, even though
0:21:04 > 0:21:06it won't deliver quite as much of it with each bite.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11I can just feel a tiny rattle buzzing in my hand.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14It's actually moving right through me, I can feel it in my fingers.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17There's only a few cusps now on that rattle.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Every time it sheds its skin, it'll develop more cusps.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26This is the best possible start, we've not been searching long
0:21:26 > 0:21:28and already we've got our first reptile.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31But the cold-blooded killer we're here to find is on a whole
0:21:31 > 0:21:33different scale.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35So let's put our canebrake rattlesnake back
0:21:35 > 0:21:37and carry on searching.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49No sign of our snapper yet, but I just can't stop finding snakes.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- Got it?- Yeah. Ow.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01- Oh, he's gone in my pocket. - HE LAUGHS
0:22:03 > 0:22:04That wasn't intentional.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07This is a brown water snake.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09It's not venomous, which is why I can handle it like this,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12although it has given me a little bit of a nibble.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14'It's vital to know your snakes round here.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18'This harmless water snake could be easily confused with my next find...
0:22:20 > 0:22:24'..the most feared swamp snake, the venom-loaded cottonmouth.'
0:22:27 > 0:22:32The scientific name of this snake means "fish-hooked, fanged,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34"fish eater".
0:22:34 > 0:22:37So I guess that tells you an awful lot about the biology
0:22:37 > 0:22:39of the cottonmouth.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41The fangs are really shaped like fish hooks,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45and they will snag into slippery prey like frogs and fish,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48which are the chief food item of the cottonmouth.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The name cottonmouth comes from its threat display.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54If this snake ever feels cornered, it'll gape open its mouth
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and show off the bright white interior.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Which looks just like a little ball of cotton.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05That's unusual and surprising enough that it'll startle any larger
0:23:05 > 0:23:06animal, they'll leap back
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and the cottonmouth can make good its escape.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Well, this is a total triumph.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16In fact, one of the most exciting animals you'll find in these swamps.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19So today has already been a massive success.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25'This has been one of my biggest, bumper snake days ever.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29'But it's time to check our traps for the swamp king -
0:23:29 > 0:23:33'the big daddy - the alligator snapping turtle.'
0:23:33 > 0:23:35This one is empty.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38It's all right, plenty more to check.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40Let's see what we've got.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44The answer is...
0:23:44 > 0:23:46not a lot.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Ah, we've got something! Ohhh....
0:23:50 > 0:23:53May not be the turtle we were hoping for,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55but it's proof the traps are working.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'A pretty pair of yellow-bellied sliders.'
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Oh, well.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09This is our last trap.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Oh, no!
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Empty. That's it done.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Luckily, though, we do have a backup plan,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and in this case, it's a pretty good one.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30We've come to an ecology centre where
0:24:30 > 0:24:33they educate people about the local environment and local wildlife,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37and they've got one resident here who is a genuine superstar.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44In this pond is a really big alligator snapping turtle.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47And he's called Big Al for a reason. He's massive.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52So I'm going to take this quite easily.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03There he is.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10Now, the alligator snapping turtle is the largest
0:25:10 > 0:25:13species of freshwater turtle found on Earth,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and this is a true monster.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Look at the size of his head. It's bigger than mine!
0:25:22 > 0:25:26These animals are notorious for having an extraordinary bite.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28The mouth has no teeth
0:25:28 > 0:25:32but it does have an edge to the jaw that is truly scalpel-sharp.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38When you look at the body of the alligator snapping turtle,
0:25:38 > 0:25:43there is not one single part of it that is uniform in colour or shape.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45It's all designed to break up its outline
0:25:45 > 0:25:49and make it merge beautifully with the bottom of the swamp.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53It is some of the most perfect camouflage you will ever see.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57And these animals will spend most of their lives just lying on the bottom
0:25:57 > 0:26:01of the swamp with their mouths open, waiting for prey to come to them.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08The way they entice them is with a remarkable little structure.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11It's called a vermiform, or wormlike structure,
0:26:11 > 0:26:12and it sits on the tongue.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16When it's engorged with blood, it goes pink.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20And it's just like a little wriggling worm or a maggot.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24An enticing little morsel for any fish, frog or bird.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28It'll go right into the mouth of the alligator snapping turtle,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31and when they do, this is what happens.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34CRUNCH!
0:26:36 > 0:26:39OK. Well, that was pretty quick,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42and obviously, you would not want that to be your fingers.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Using a super slow-motion camera, you can see that sharp beak-like
0:26:48 > 0:26:51mouth slices through a carrot like a samurai sword.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55CRUNCH!
0:26:57 > 0:27:01What a sound! The alligator snapping turtle.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05A true legend of Deadly and the mightiest snap in the swamp.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Capable of weighing more than me.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Enticing prey to its death.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Scissoring jaws that slice and dice.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23The alligator snapping turtle is a sneaky swamp chomper.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Join me next time for another Pole To Pole adventure.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Aaaargh!
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd