0:00:06 > 0:00:09Welcome to my Deadly Top Ten.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Woah!
0:00:14 > 0:00:17A chance to choose the most extreme, mass-attacking, defending,
0:00:17 > 0:00:23airborne, and super-sensing animals on the planet!
0:00:23 > 0:00:27All deadly in their own world and occasionally deadly to me!
0:00:27 > 0:00:28Argh!
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Who do you think will be number one Of the Deadly Top Ten?
0:00:37 > 0:00:40In this countdown, I'm looking at the most incredible super senses
0:00:40 > 0:00:43in the world of deadly hunters.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Animals with extraordinary hearing, sight, touch, taste
0:00:47 > 0:00:50and even predatory senses we can only imagine.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53They use these talents to hunt through murky waters,
0:00:53 > 0:00:58amongst sand dunes, out in the ocean and even the dead of night.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59Look at that!
0:00:59 > 0:01:03With super senses like these, nowhere is safe!
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Welcome to Deadly Top Ten Super Senses!
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Starting us off is a bizarre-looking creature
0:01:14 > 0:01:18with a highly specialised snout for unearthing its prey.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20It's the giant anteater.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24But in order to sniff one out, we'll need some helicopter help.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Woo hoo!
0:01:31 > 0:01:35The anteater is a natural oddity. It has terrible hearing
0:01:35 > 0:01:37and is almost blind, but makes up for that
0:01:37 > 0:01:39with a phenomenal, super sense of smell,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43crucial for finding food in these vast grasslands.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Look at that! OK, we need to fly as slow and low as we can.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52The chopper is great for finding our lolloping anteater.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Oh, my goodness!
0:01:55 > 0:01:59But to see that nose in action, I'll need to take a closer look.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01So we're going in on foot.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04And if we approach quietly from downwind,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08the anteater won't be able to tell we're here.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09(Just come up to here.)
0:02:12 > 0:02:16He's feeding, so we can creep up even more
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and get to see him snuffling about undisturbed.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23(Look how close he is.)
0:02:23 > 0:02:26This has got to be one of the most remarkable,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29one of the most bizarre creatures in the whole world.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32This is absolutely perfect for us
0:02:32 > 0:02:35because the wind is coming from him, towards us.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37They have a great sense of smell.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40He's got his snout right down an ant-hole.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43The long, pointed snout locks in on the wafts of scent
0:02:43 > 0:02:47coming from ant and termite nests, like an ant-seeking missile.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Looks like he's feeding but he's actually even...
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Looks like he's feeding around the branches of the tree.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Just can't believe how close we're getting!
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Whilst preoccupied hoovering up ants, he isn't bothered by us,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03but once the wind changes
0:03:03 > 0:03:07and he catches a whiff of me and the crew, he's off.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Look at that.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12He's just stopping to check me out every five metres or so.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Nose in the air, look, there you go, he's got me.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20'So smell is the super sense that gets the giant anteater
0:03:20 > 0:03:21'the number ten spot.'
0:03:23 > 0:03:25But why does it need such a great sense of smell?
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Well, take a look at what's on his menu.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Termites!
0:03:29 > 0:03:32These ant-like insects live in hardened termite mounds
0:03:32 > 0:03:35as tough as concrete, so the anteater needs to sniff out
0:03:35 > 0:03:37the best place to break and enter.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Their noses are 40 times more powerful than ours,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44which means they can pinpoint their attack perfectly.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Armed with one of the largest claws of any mammal,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50they neatly rip open the mound, and poke in their ridiculously long,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53sticky, termite-tasting tongue to lap up a meal.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59But within just 30 seconds, the soldier ants are on the attack.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06The anteater's tongue darts in and out 150 times a minute,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08snacking on several thousand termites.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12But when the soldiers start biting, the anteater trundles off
0:04:12 > 0:04:13to sniff out another meal.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The giant anteater is a hairy hoover of ants and termites.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25It uses its super-sensing nose and sense of smell to target its attack.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32At number nine on the list is a bizarre Amazonian specialist -
0:04:32 > 0:04:35the pink river dolphin.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It's one I'm very excited to meet.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Ah look at that, look!
0:04:41 > 0:04:43I don't believe it! Look, look, look!
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Normally you're lucky just to catch a glimpse of these in the wild,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50let alone get to go swimming with them!
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Look at that!
0:04:51 > 0:04:54These dolphins are used to being fed from here,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56so come over to investigate.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I think it's probably worth just slipping straight in.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05The river water is stained brown by the vegetation
0:05:05 > 0:05:08but that doesn't matter, as they don't use their eyesight to hunt.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Hello!
0:05:12 > 0:05:15The water's like sort of warm cola here.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19These animals have huge brains.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22They're really intelligent.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24And if there's a free meal on offer,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27why waste time and energy on going out and hunting?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30But as soon as I've finished feeding them
0:05:30 > 0:05:34they'll be off, catching fish for themselves.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Oh, crikey!
0:05:37 > 0:05:38You tell him!
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Whoa!
0:05:47 > 0:05:49STEVE LAUGHS
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Amazing! He just decided he wanted Rich's boom pole,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56the sound man, look at him! He's going for it again!
0:05:56 > 0:06:01They're acrobatic, they're brainy, and they're beautiful.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04But why are they in my top ten?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Well, their super sense is called echo location, making a sound,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and listening to it bounce back off objects in front of you.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18The idea is simple, but these dolphins take it to another level.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21They have large, swollen foreheads, called melons,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24which send out high-frequency pulses of sound.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30The clicks are deflected by objects underwater, like branches or fish,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34and back to the dolphin, whose jawbone acts like an antenna,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37and builds up a picture of their underwater world.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Using this sense, the river dolphin can pick out objects
0:06:42 > 0:06:45as small as a pin, in the murkiest waters.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Their echo location even works at top speed to help them snatch fish!
0:06:54 > 0:06:58In at number eight is a pair of light-fingered fishermen
0:06:58 > 0:07:01with super-sensing hands.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05The raccoon and the yapok, two predators who hunt in the dark,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07using their impressive sense of touch.
0:07:10 > 0:07:11First up, the raccoon.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16An opportunistic masked bandit who'll look anywhere for a meal.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23This one's hunting for a shellfish supper in a stream.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26As it's dark, his eyesight isn't much use,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30and he can't even smell well through the water.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33He pads his front paws around over the rocks, feeling for food.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Touch is the raccoon's most powerful sense
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and takes up as much brainpower as we use for sight.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Each fingertip is lined with very, very fine hairs,
0:07:48 > 0:07:53like miniature whiskers, which feel the contours and outline of shapes.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57This way, the raccoon can identify a clam in amongst rocks.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Or work out how to tackle a spiny crayfish
0:07:59 > 0:08:04by forming a three-dimensional mental map,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and actually "seeing" with its hands!
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Super senses at its fingertips.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19So if the raccoon has hairy fingers to rummage around in the shallows,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22what sensory trick does the yapok have up its sleeve?
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The yapok is a fish hunting opossum
0:08:29 > 0:08:33found in the freshwaters pools and streams of the Amazon forest.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44It's a real aquatic specialist with dense, waterproof fur,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48webbed back feet and a long tail, all perfect for swimming.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50But it's the Gollum-like front feet
0:08:50 > 0:08:54that are the yapok's super-sensing weapons when it hunts for fish.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59It swims with its arms outstretched, with long, furless fingers,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03groping for and grasping any fish it finds.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Those fingers are so good, the yapok can shut its eyes when hunting,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and relies purely on its whiskers and weird fingers
0:09:10 > 0:09:12to find its way and snatch its supper.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24So from our touchy-feely, super-sensing double act,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27which one will make it on the list?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29The yapok is freakishly brilliant
0:09:29 > 0:09:34but the raccoon's sensitive digits work both on land and underwater,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36so I think he steals it for me.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42We're storming down the top ten list.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44So far we've seen a super-sniffing anteater,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46a river dolphin using its head to hunt,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50and a raccoon with deadly digits.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52So who could beat all that to number seven?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56It's a unique freak with some equally unusual super senses.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57It's the duck-billed platypus -
0:09:57 > 0:10:00a surprisingly deadly underwater hunter.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05Oh, there he goes!
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Right, he's instantly getting busy.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15'His webbed feet are paddling like crazy, checking out the tank.'
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Ahh! Ha-ha-ha! He's gone right between my legs!
0:10:19 > 0:10:23So this is how a platypus hunts in the wild, in freshwater streams.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Just searching around from side to side.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Almost like someone on a beach with a metal detector.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35'He's searching for invisible electrical signals from his prey
0:10:35 > 0:10:37'when he's hunting underwater.'
0:10:44 > 0:10:46This platypus' rubbery bill
0:10:46 > 0:10:49is packed with two special kinds of receptors.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53It can close its ears, nose and eyes and still hunt under water!
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Firstly, the touch receptors help the platypus feel its way around,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03whilst the electro-receptors pick up small electric charges
0:11:03 > 0:11:07from the muscles of any crustacean prey.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09The bill's packed with 100,000 receptors
0:11:09 > 0:11:14that scan forwards and down, like a barcode reader,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16probing and searching ahead of it.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21It's so efficient, a platypus can catch half its body weight a day.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27So the beaver-tailed, web-footed, electro-receptive platypus
0:11:27 > 0:11:31may be strange, but you can't deny its super senses!
0:11:34 > 0:11:36We're "hotting up" now at number six,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40as the next animal on the list can detect heat.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It's the blood-sucking vampire bat.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46And it uses its super sense to locate a hot dinner.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48The crew and I try and get a closer look.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50Eugh, yuck!
0:11:52 > 0:11:56In the darkest corners of the cave, fluttering shapes catch my eye.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Right. Let's see what we can get.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Woah! Look at him whirling around
0:12:25 > 0:12:28to try and get his huge canine teeth into my fingers!
0:12:32 > 0:12:39OK. So that is the face that all the fuss is about, the vampire bat.
0:12:39 > 0:12:45So up above me now is a roost of about 30 or 40 vampire bats
0:12:45 > 0:12:49and at night, they'll take wing.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Using that remarkable wing membrane,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59and fly out in search of a warm blood meal.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05They use these ridiculously sharp teeth at the front of the mouth.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08I don't want my finger too close, because I know I'll get bitten.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12But they shave away a portion of hair from the animal
0:13:12 > 0:13:16that they're going to be feeding on, and then bite a tiny hole
0:13:16 > 0:13:18and then lap away at the blood that leaks out,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21and their saliva keeps the blood flowing.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24It's what's called an anticoagulant.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27And they take in about, about a soup spoon of blood
0:13:27 > 0:13:29which doesn't sound like very much,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33but when you look at the size of this tiny bat,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37actually for its body weight, that's an enormous meal.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40And like me drinking 70 pints of juice.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44But before they can start feeding,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47they have to find the best place to take a bite
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and that's when their super sense comes in.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52They can switch to heat-seeking mode.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Specialised areas on their noses
0:13:56 > 0:13:59are sensitive to tiny changes in temperature,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02so can pinpoint where blood runs close to the skin.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05These bats have found the rump is the best cut,
0:14:05 > 0:14:10and swarm around the white-hot areas, waiting to strike.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12A surgical nip starts the blood flowing,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and in just 15 minutes, they're full.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19And this little piggy doesn't feel a thing.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Which is all pretty gross!
0:14:23 > 0:14:26We're half way through my countdown,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30and have encountered a nifty nose,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32echo-locating dolphins,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34a racoon that sees with its hands,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36the bizarre bill of the platypus
0:14:36 > 0:14:38and even a heat-seeking vampire bat.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42But what other strange super senses do I have in store?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46In at number five is a crafty desert specialist
0:14:46 > 0:14:49that uses its whole body to track down its prey.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53It's the sneaky, stalking sand-swimmer snake!
0:14:55 > 0:14:58In desert sands, this hunter's body is perfectly adapted
0:14:58 > 0:15:00for swimming through the sand.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Its face is streamlined,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08its eyes are scratchproof
0:15:08 > 0:15:13and it even has flaps in its nostrils to stop sand getting in!
0:15:13 > 0:15:17But how is a hunter supposed to find its prey
0:15:17 > 0:15:20if it can't see where it's going when diving in the dunes?
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Well, this snake's toughened scales
0:15:23 > 0:15:26are each packed with receptors that detect vibrations in the sand.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Yes, this snake can actually see with its skin!
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Gliding through the grains of sand,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42the snake settles into an ambush position and waits for dusk.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Desert creatures like this scorpion
0:15:44 > 0:15:47can't help but disturb the surface as they scamper over the sand.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51The snake "feels" these tremors like seismic shockwaves
0:15:51 > 0:15:56all over its skin, building up a picture of what's moving overhead.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00So it inches closer, pausing to feel for more vibrations,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02and closing in on its quarry.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06The scorpion has no idea what lies beneath.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Using its super sensing scales,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11the snake can tell the faintest movement of its prey.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20It finishes the hunt with a venomous bite and crush from its coils.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26Its scales are this serpent's secret weapon.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Fighting for the number four slot are two mammals
0:16:29 > 0:16:34each with phenomenal hearing, and sets of ears to match!
0:16:34 > 0:16:37It's the bat-eared fox versus the long-eared bat
0:16:37 > 0:16:39but which one will make it on to the list?
0:16:41 > 0:16:43First up is the fox.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Stalking the dry grasslands, it's a highly specialised insect hunter,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52kitted out with serious surveillance equipment.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00They can use their mammoth ears to listen for insects underground.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Folded forward, furry ears trap and channel the smallest sounds
0:17:06 > 0:17:09down to super-sensitive ear drums,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13meaning they can pick up the minute rustlings
0:17:13 > 0:17:15of prey several centimetres underground.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17It's almost as if they have x-ray ears.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28They'll snaffle up grubs, bugs and even termites, one by one.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Their super-sensitive ears mean they can listen in to lunch,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33and hear the sound of supper.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Hearing insects underground is pretty impressive,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45but how about the long-eared bat?
0:17:45 > 0:17:48How does its heightened hearing match up? Let's take a look.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Like most nocturnal bats, this one uses sonar to fly around at night.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Its clever echo-location helps it navigate tangled woodland
0:18:04 > 0:18:07but that isn't the super sense it uses to hunt.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12It's equipped with giant, paper-thin ears
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- over a third of its body length -
0:18:14 > 0:18:19perfect for hunting its favourite snack - moths.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Some moths can hear the clicks of a bat's sonar
0:18:23 > 0:18:26so this long-eared bat can turn its off,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29switch to stealth mode, and just listen.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Those enormous ears can pick out the smallest movements of the moth.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Hovering with senses locked on, the ears isolate other noises,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41so can pick out the faintest rustle.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47And it gets its reward!
0:18:51 > 0:18:54So who's the winner the bat-eared fox with long ears,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57or the foxy, long-eared bat?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00It's a close call, but with the fox able to hear insects
0:19:00 > 0:19:02wriggling under the soil,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05it just beats the bat and makes it to number 4.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09We're getting near to the top of the list now,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and up next at three is a hunter with two super senses.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14It's the tarsier
0:19:14 > 0:19:17a miniature jumping primate with a real spring in its step.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19(Johnny, Johnny where's Johnny?)
0:19:19 > 0:19:21(Come in here.)
0:19:23 > 0:19:25And it's giving us the bounce-around.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28(Oh, there he goes.)
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Tarsiers can leap over three metres,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and are totally at home in these forests at night.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36They don't half move. Look at that!
0:19:37 > 0:19:40They're certainly keeping me and the crew on our toes.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Oh!
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Whoa!
0:19:54 > 0:19:58The most remarkable, bizarre, little gremlin I've ever seen.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01It's kind of almost like a hodge-podge,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04a mix of other nocturnal animals.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10Those huge eyes and the swivelling, turning head,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12are very much like you'd see in an owl.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17The great big, thin, membranous ears and those sharp teeth.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21They're more like those you'd see on a bat.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24And like bats, these guys love munching insects.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28He's spotted it, straight away. Go on.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29This is incredible.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36He's sprung in.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37Look at that, he's just a metre above my head.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Look, he's getting ready to spring.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Yes! Oh!
0:20:47 > 0:20:50That was awesome.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53And he's going to settle down over there somewhere
0:20:53 > 0:20:55and munch his way through that huge cricket.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Tarsiers are the only totally meat-eating primates on Earth.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00And they need their super senses
0:21:00 > 0:21:03to catch their meal in almost complete darkness.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06His ears are just moving in every direction,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09just focusing the sound, almost like a satellite dish.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12And he's spotted something.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15He kind of sees something,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18you can see his ear focus on it, then his head goes around.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20He sees it with his eyes and then, boing!
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Just pounces off and grabs it.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31The tarsier's huge eyeballs, each one the size of their brain,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35are superb at picking out movement - even in the faintest light.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43And their perky ears can move independently, to pick up
0:21:43 > 0:21:47the ultrasonic rustlings of moths and crickets in the canopy.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Combined, these two super senses lock on to prey
0:21:50 > 0:21:54like a homing device, and then bounce in for the kill.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57Spiky teeth finish it off.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06So which super sense makes it to number two?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It's a supreme stealth hunter. The Nile crocodile.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15This monster killer is kitted out with sharp eyesight
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and a well-developed sense of smell.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23But the super sense that puts them near the top of my list
0:22:23 > 0:22:24is far more subtle.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30The edges of their jaws are studded with black dots,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33knobbly sensory pits that work as pressure detectors
0:22:33 > 0:22:36for picking up movements and vibrations in the water.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Each pit's packed with highly sensitive nerve fibres
0:22:41 > 0:22:44that are constantly "feeling" the water, ready to pick up
0:22:44 > 0:22:47traces of movement that mean it's time to launch an attack.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55These pits work like the eyes and ears of crocs
0:22:55 > 0:22:58as they lie in wait at murky watering holes.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Crocodiles are ambush hunters.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Even a monster croc can hide itself in just 30 centimetres of water.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08They can stay submerged, for up to three hours, just waiting.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14They'll inch into position painfully slowly,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and wait for those pits to tell them
0:23:17 > 0:23:21that that the prey are within millimetres of their jaws.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24MUSIC - "Phat Planet" by Leftfield
0:23:32 > 0:23:35And then, at the right moment, they lunge forward.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Sensory pits allow this huge reptilian hunter
0:23:44 > 0:23:47to creep up on its prey to within launching distance
0:23:47 > 0:23:50by feeling its way, with its face!
0:23:57 > 0:24:01We're nearing number one, so it's time for the super senses countdown.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Not to be sniffed at,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06the termite terminating giant anteater is at ten.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Pretty in pink at number nine, it's the echo-locating river dolphin.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Hands-on at number eight, it's our soft pawed racoon.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Crustacean catching seven is the duck-billed platypus.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20At number six is the bloodthirsty vampire bat.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Burrowing its way in at five is the sinister sand-swimmer snake.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Sensing vibrations in the floor at four, it's the bat-eared fox.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Bouncing in at three is the boggle-eyed, bug-munching tarsier.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Toothy two is our patient, pit-using predator the Nile crocodile.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40The animal with the ultimate super sense
0:24:40 > 0:24:44is probably the closest thing in the natural world to an alien -
0:24:44 > 0:24:45the cuttlefish.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51Their bizarre enhanced eyesight
0:24:51 > 0:24:55is what makes these mesmerising molluscs deadly predators.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59And as I dive down to meet some, all eyes are on me.
0:25:12 > 0:25:18Here in the shallows, the cuttlefish have gathered together to mate.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21This genuinely is one of the weirdest creatures in the seas.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26There are giant cuttlefish absolutely everywhere.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29You can't move without seeing 30 or 40 of them just disappear.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32I think actually one's nibbling on my leg!
0:25:38 > 0:25:41The giant cuttlefish is like an underwater chameleon.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46They can change their colours through camouflage
0:25:46 > 0:25:48to completely match their background.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50But also they can do it to describe their mood
0:25:50 > 0:25:53just like a chameleon can.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58This is amazing!
0:25:58 > 0:26:02To us, it might seem to be all about looks with the cuttlefish,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05but it's not just their displays that make them out of this world.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10MUSIC - "Dr Who" by Smerins Anti-Social Club
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Their alien eyesight is their incredible,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23almost extra-terrestrial weapon for hunting.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Their pupils, shaped like Ws, scan the sea floor for prey
0:26:26 > 0:26:29yet surprisingly for such rainbow warriors,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31they're completely colour-blind!
0:26:31 > 0:26:33But don't be fooled,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36their eyes are amongst the most developed in the animal kingdom
0:26:36 > 0:26:40and instead of seeing colour, they see polarised light.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Through water, light gets bounced around off different surfaces
0:26:46 > 0:26:50like the outline of a fish or crab.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53The cuttlefish's strange super-sensing vision means
0:26:53 > 0:26:56it can see this scattered light like a black and white image,
0:26:56 > 0:27:01making animals that think they're hiding stick out like a sore thumb.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Their eyesight's crucial to helping them copy their surroundings
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and put on the most astonishing displays of mimicry.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10They're masters of disguise,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13literally changing shape and colour to stalk their prey.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20This sneaky cuttlefish has puckered up to match itself perfectly
0:27:20 > 0:27:24to a piece of seaweed, floating slowly along the ocean floor.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Once within range, this all-seeing alien invades the space further
0:27:29 > 0:27:31by launching its sucker-lined tentacles in a deadly strike.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Even an armoured crab is no match
0:27:35 > 0:27:39for the all-seeing, spaghetti-armed cuttlefish.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Our outright winner at number one.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46So that's it, Deadly Top Ten Super Senses sorted.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Don't forget to join me next time for more Deadly Top Tens.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Who's going to be the next Deadly number one?
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd