Lethal Weapons Deadly Top 10

MUSIC

'Welcome to my Deadly Top Ten.

'A chance to choose the top ten fiercest, fastest, most tactical,

'toxic and well-armed animals on the planet.

'All deadly in their own world and sometimes deadly to me.

'Who do you think will be number one of my Deadly Top Ten?'

'In this countdown I'm choosing my top ten lethal weapons.'

That is a set of gnashers.

'Ultimate talons, tusks, muscles,

'stings and even leafy goo.

'Fabulous weapons used to hunt and fight.

'But it's not all about awesome artillery and fantastic firepower.

'There are some surprising gadgets to watch out for

'as we battle it out for number one.'

'Time for my top ten lethal weapons countdown.

'Swooping into ten is an eagle with truly terrifying talons,

'the African fish eagle.

'In South Africa, I met up with a stunning young bird called Bono.'

Bono was taken from the wild as a chick illegally.

Luckily, he was rescued and he spent his days happily in a rescue centre near here.

I can tell you that he's quite heavy.

It's quite a strain keeping him on my wrist.

He's got gigantic breast muscles like huge pecs

which drive those wings, and the main weapon is those talons.

They are like razor blades.

Feeling that with my finger,

you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of those.

'In the wild, eagles rely totally on these talons to survive.

'Fishing eagles patrol African lakes and rivers,

'keeping an eagle eye out for prey.

'Once into an attack they swing their feet forward,

'stretch out their toes... and with unbelievable precision,

'lock talons on to their slippery targets.

'Though they mainly eat fish, they use their lethal weapons

'to snatch small birds from the sky and even to grab flamingos.

'These talented talon-masters are so efficient,

'they spend as little as ten minutes a day hunting.

'That's what I call super weapons.

'Next up for nine are two giants who fight with huge teeth,

'the hippo and the African elephant.

'Which is going to win the place on the countdown?'

Jessica is a very special hippo.

She's the only one in the world you could ever get this close to.

Oh, my life, she's coming out of the water. Look at this!

You would probably assume that we're in a zoo or a safari park

but this is a wild river.

Wild hippos pass through every day and socialise with Jessica here.

Give us a nice, big smile, Jess.

You see those two huge, gargantuan incisor teeth at the side of the mouth?

They actually slot in to these two lumps at the top of her head here.

They don't serve any purpose for feeding,

they are purely for fighting and defence.

'Male teeth grow even bigger.'

I've got a couple here.

If you can imagine those inside Jessica's mouth.

That is a weapon to be truly frightened of.

'Bull hippos use these over-sized gnashers

'in dramatic clashes over territory and breeding rights.'

MUSIC

'Talk about a clash of the titans!

'These three-tonne giants are especially aggressive

'in times of drought when the rivers become really crowded.

'Such big teeth can inflict painful-looking stab wounds

'and these battles can go on for days.

'It's best to stay out of the way whilst all this drama's going on.

'Thanks to their terrifying teeth, hippos are truly deadly.

'So, how will the elephant's teeth match up?

'Elephants are armed with a trunk and tusks -

'devastating tree-smashing artillery.

'But it's when bull elephants decide to fight each other that tusks become deadly weapons.

'The bulls joust with them like medieval knights.

'Each is risking severe injury.

'These fights are about gaining power.

'The winner will be crowned king bull.

'Tusks are modified teeth which grow throughout an elephant's life.

'Bull tusks grow up to three metres and can weigh twice as much as me.

'Tusk fighting is such an important skill

'that even baby bulls will have a go.

'Rather than deadly tusk fighting,

'it's more like head banging instead.

'But, when they grow up, they'll be brandishing

'some of the most impressive weapons in the whole of the animal world.

'How on earth do I choose between two real mega-beasts?

'It's a tough call but, with their earth-shaking bull fights,

'I'm going for the elephant.

'Slinking in to eight is an underwater hunter

'who has a tongue with super powers. It's the queen snake.

'In the rivers of the eastern USA, the queen snake thrives

'on a specialised diet of crayfish and crayfish alone.

'Food definitely fit for a queen, but quite a tricky meal to catch

'since crayfish are armour-plated and equipped with powerful pincers.

'But this royal serpent is one step ahead as she is armed

'with an incredibly sensitive forked tongue.

'Her weapon is used to exploit a chink in the crayfish's armour -

'the time when it's most vulnerable.

'When it moults.

'As crayfish grow, they must shed their hard shell.

'This happens once every three to four weeks.

'When they emerge, they are soft and defenceless.

'It's now that the snake has its chance.

'Soft crayfish look no different to hard-shelled ones,

'but they emit very different chemicals.

'Her tongue is so sensitive,

'it can taste these chemicals leaking from soft crayfish.

'Armed with her tasting weapon, she's able to track them down.

'She's got it! Those thrashing legs can do her no harm at all.

'She can swallow it whole since it's as soft as a boiled egg.

'Fine dining made possible by her sensitive,

'soft shell-detecting tongue.

'What a weapons stash this is turning out to be!

'Terrifying talons, titan tusks

'and an underwater taster tongue.

'It's an even stranger weapon next.

'Winkling it at seven, it's the animal whose weapon

'is its dastardly, deadly finger, the aye-aye.

'I'm dying to get a closer look at this strange digit and show you how it works.

'This research station in Madagascar

'is the perfect place for a close encounter.

'It's a bit spooky getting so close to such a bizarre-looking primate.'

Crikey!

I think she thought my finger was something edible for a second.

When it comes down to it, they are pretty fierce.

The aye-aye is a very specialised feeder.

If you look at that front foot,

you'll notice the middle finger is kind of weird-looking.

It has no flesh, no muscle,

it's just one long, jointed, pencil-like digit.

Look what he's doing now. Look at that.

Just using that finger to dig out

little grubs that are beneath the bark.

That is crazy!

'At night, the aye-aye hunts for grubs living deep inside wood.

'It taps on trees with its middle finger and listens for cavities

'where wood-boring insect larvae might be moving under the bark.

'Aye-ayes have excellent hearing,

'helping them detect something tasty hiding inside the trunk.

'Once the grub's located, the aye-aye rips through the bark

'and the special skeleton finger is deployed as a fishing hook.

'It's so slim and dextrous that this finger can squeeze through

'the tiniest of gaps and bend around the tightest corners

'to scoop out the grub from its hole.

'Who needs a penknife when you have such a powerful finger as a weapon?

'Shooting in at six,

'an insect with the most powerful sting in the world, the bullet ant.'

These are bullet ants.

They're called bullet ants because being stung by one

feels a bit like being shot.

They've got the most painful toxin,

the most painful venom of any insect.

I'm just watching to make sure they don't run up my trouser leg.

I can confirm the bullet ant's just about the most painful experience

because I've been stung by these many times.

The reason for its sting isn't for overcoming its prey.

They spend a lot of time hunting in the canopy or on the ground

and they usually use their powerful jaws to overcome their insect prey.

The sting really is used for getting rid of animals that might want to hunt them.

And the reason it's so painful is just really so that

if something big sticks its nose into the bullet ants' nest,

it'll get stung and think that it's in real danger.

Now, because I've been stung by these so many times before,

I know that if I get stung again,

it's going to hurt a lot

but it's not going to be dangerous to me.

I won't have an allergic reaction. If I didn't know that,

I wouldn't do what I'm about to try now.

And I suggest that if you ever go anywhere with bullet ants,

please don't try this. I'll see if I can get one of these little fellows...

One of these little fellows! They're huge, what am I talking about?

Biggest ant in the world!

I'm going to see if I can get one of these ants to walk over my hand

without biting me.

OK. So, I've now got the world's

most painful stinging insect on my hand.

And I have to say, I am very nervous.

Although I've been stung by these before,

I can remember how badly it hurt.

But if you look at it up close,

it's one of the most awesome creatures. An animal this size...

Look at it, cleaning its antennae there. Isn't that beautiful?

Running them through his mandibles, keeping them clean.

Those are his primary sensory mechanisms as he's running along.

It is just extraordinary that an animal of this size

has a sting that is powerful enough

to incapacitate an animal the size of me.

I mean, think how many times bigger I am than this ant.

But one little sting is going to have me

absolutely crying on the floor.

That has to be one of the absolute miracles of mother nature.

'Time to check our weapons.

'We've had the fish eagle's talons.

'Elephant tusks.

'Queen snake's tongue.

'Aye-aye's deadly digit.

'And bullet ant's sting.

'Can you guess which weapons are next

'as we battle towards number one?

'Well, next up is a Deadly first.

'Two predatory plants.

'The European sundew and the North American Venus flytrap.

'Don't be fooled by their beauty.

'Both have massive meat-eating weapons.

'Lurking in the marshy wastelands

'lives a breathtakingly beautiful plant.

'The sundew.

'Their firework tentacles are laden

'with deadly, sticky gel.

'This carpet of flowers is actually a deathbed for careless insects.

'Unsuspecting mosquitoes emerge in huge numbers from the boggy water.

'And the sundews are ready.

'The dazzling sticky-tipped globes are sweet-smelling and attractive.

'Careless mozzies are soon stuck fast to the squishy stalks.

'The more they wriggle, the worse it gets.

'These plants are hungry for animal tissue,

'so as the insect struggles, the sundew tightens its grip.

'As more and more tentacles envelope the prey,

'the droplets spread across its body.

'Eventually the insects drown in sticky fluid

'and the plant digests its dinner. What a way to go!

'The Venus Flytrap is a very different beast altogether.

'These are the jaws of death. Piranhas of the plant kingdom.

'And they use an explosive snap-happy strategy.

'Venus makes herself very attractive

'by oozing nectar across the brim of each leaf.

'But any visitor must watch out,

'for these tiny hairs are trip switches for a dangerous device.

'If the insect touches one hair, it can carry on feeding.

'But a timer has been set.

'A second contact detonates the system...

'..and the insect is destined for a messy end.

'Prison bars seal them in

'to their leafy tomb,

'where they're sucked dry and digested.

'What a ferocious bit of foliage!

'Well, I'm absolutely blown away by all that flower power,

'but for me, the Venus Flytrap's steely jaws

'really do steal the show.

'Swooping in at four is a bird with ultimate surround sound hearing.

'The Great Grey owl.

'The owl's challenge is to locate rodents

'under the snow in a seemingly empty landscape.

'It's listening out for tiny rustling sounds.

'Deep under the snow, this lemming makes minute noises as it moves.

'Far too weak for human ears to respond to,

'but this owl has the ultimate amplifier.

'Its face acts like a satellite dish,

'able to pick up micro sounds.

'The dish is formed by a ring of stiff feathers.

'They collect and reflect noises towards the ears,

'which are hidden on either side of the owl's eyes.

'It's like having a giant cupped hand behind each ear.

'To find the hidden lemming, the owl scans with its dish-like face.

'As soon as the lemming makes a noise, the owl can home in.

'It locks onto its target like a sound-seeking missile.

'Soft, stealth feathers ensure the owl is silent in its flight.

'Nothing interferes with its hearing.

'The head remains focused on its target at all times,

'even if it has to fly around obstacles.

'The lemming has no idea of what's going to hit it.

'Now it unleashes its lethal talons.

'This lemming's game is over.

'With its extraordinary audio sound-scanning face,

'the owl rarely misses its target.

'There's simply nowhere to hide from the Great Grey owl.

'Throwing its muscles in at three is a giant snake.

'The python. Its deadly weapon is a killer squeeze.'

That's heavy!

'The biggest one I've ever met was an reticulated python in Borneo.'

The reticulated python is the longest snake in the world.

Believe it or not, the anaconda from South America can get larger

and heavier bodied than this.

But in terms of pure length,

the reticulated python has it.

I have to say this is the thickest,

heaviest-bodied retic I've ever seen.

'It's called reticulated because of its repeating pattern

'of diamond markings along its body. Reticulations.'

Crikey!

I tell you what, it's a good job it's quite tame, isn't it?

If this was snappy, I wouldn't be quite so keen

to be handling it like this.

Do I need to worry when its head starts heading towards me?

-He's getting used to you.

-Yeah.

So this snake's been held in captivity for about 15 years,

so it's not very aggressive. Believe me, I wouldn't be handling it

if this was a wild snake.

The reticulated python can get to be actually much bigger than this.

The longest recorded specimen was about 28 feet.

This one's about 20, so it would be an extra me

plus a bit more.

And I have to say, this isn't even constricting me,

but just the pure weight and power of it...

Look at that on my leg.

This is how a reticulated python kills its prey,

by wrapping some coils around the animal and as it breathes out,

the retic clenches a bit more and every time the animal breathes out,

it clenches more and more and more and more until eventually

there is just no lung space left and the animal suffocates.

'Although the muscular coils are its main killing weapon,

'the python then has the problem

'of swallowing prey,

'which can be as large as an antelope.

'Luckily, it has hyper flexible jaws

'and an amazing skull which allows it to walk its face along its meal.

'It can even engulf the horns.

'Strong stomach acids and enzymes

'then digest the meal, skin, hooves, horns, the lot.

'A tad gross perhaps, but necessary.

'The python can't risk its meal rotting inside its body.

'This truly is an awesomely armed reptile superpower.

'A seriously squeezing snake.

'So, what could beat those muscles?

'Well, with both ferocious teeth and claws,

'at number two, the grizzly bear.'

BEAR ROARS

'Grizzlies are built like tanks.

'They have many weapons in their ferocious toolkit,

'but it's their massive teeth

'and claws the size of kitchen knives

'which makes them top of the food chain predators.

'During the annual salmon run in Alaska,

'grizzly bears gather to dine on this fishy feast.

'They're seriously smart when it comes to using their weapons.

'Pouncing on fish in shallow water is how the experts do it.

'In autumn, salmon are so abundant, even this little guy has a go.

'He's already learning the skills

'he'll need to survive as an adult.

'Away from the feast on the riverbank, some ingenious grizzlies

'have taken their weapon wielding skills to the next level.

'In this coastal landscape,

'bears have had to learn to become beachcombers.

'With their keen sense of smell,

'they can sniff out clams 30cm down in the sand.

'They then use their paws as shovels to dig down to their prey.

'Finally, their claws become

'dexterous and delicate can openers,

'as they unlock the clams from their shells.

'A tasty treat courtesy of a beastly set of clever cutlery.

'So if the great grizzly's claws are two

'and python's coils were only at three,

'who on earth has the ultimate weapon?

'It's definitely a deadly surprise.

'Time for the top ten lethal weapons countdown.

'Razor-sharp ten, fish eagle's talons.

'Bull-fighting nine, the elephant's tusks.

'Tasty eight, the Queen snake's tongue.

'Squirmy seven, the aye-aye's finger.

'Agonising six, bullet ant's sting.

'Snap-happy five, the Venus Flytrap.

'All ears at four, the Great Grey owl's hearing.

'Mighty three, the python's muscles.

'Tearing in at two, the grizzly's claws.

'And at number one, it's a kung-fu ninja.

'The praying mantis.

'Armed with not just one, or two,

'but an entire arsenal of weapons.

'They may be mini, but armed with their monstrous weapons,

'the mantis is an adept assassin.

'Equipped with some brutal spines and killer mouthparts,

'capable of demolishing animals twice their own size.

'I've come to prime mantis habitat to show you exactly

'how they wield their wily weapons.'

Look at that!

It's like something out of a monster movie.

Those eyeballs really are

the best eyes you'll find in the insect world.

This is probably the very last thing that a butterfly or a moth

would ever see in their life,

would be those eyes and these mouth parts.

Look at those brutal spines.

Those are the mantis's chief way of catching its prey

and at the moment, the forearms are drawn into the side of the body,

just ready to spring open like a steel trap

and catch any soft-bodied insect flying close by.

With reflexes so quick,

these really are living booby traps.

There's no doubt the praying mantis has ferocious artillery,

but they also use their wardrobe as a weapon.

Masters of disguise, camouflage is their ultimate weapon,

allowing them to transform into almost anything,

even an orchid flower.

But there's one mantis who steals the show

in this deadly fashion parade.

It's called the pebble mantis and it really lives up to its name.

It's taken camouflage to the extreme.

Its skin is even pitted to look like gravel.

Able to withstand the severe desert heat,

it stands brandishing its weapons totally undetected.

This cricket has attracted some unwanted mantis attention.

It doesn't even have a clue.

After gobbling up every mouthful,

it cleans and polishes those primary weapons, ready for the next target.

The praying mantis. A master of disguise.

Absolute alien when you look at them close up.

And to a flying insect, the equivalent of a great white shark.

Don't forget to join me next time for more Deadly Top Tens.

Who's going to be the Deadly number one?

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