0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to my Nightmares of Nature.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05WOLF HOWLS
0:00:09 > 0:00:10I'm Naomi Wilkinson,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and I'm coming face to face with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19The ones that make your spine tingle.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Aaah!
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Your heart beat faster.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Waaaah!
0:00:24 > 0:00:26And your blood run cold.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28What's that noise?
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Are they truly terrifying?
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Or is there a twist in the tail?
0:00:32 > 0:00:33Aaaaah!
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Come with me as I shine a light on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Oooh! Aaah!
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49We're in Australia!
0:00:49 > 0:00:51In the red centre.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54It's a classic desert landscape.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Sand, sun, soaring temperatures,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and wherever you get extreme environments,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00you get extreme animals,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02which means this is the perfect place for me
0:01:02 > 0:01:04to go looking for some nightmares of nature!
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Our Aussie adventure will take us from the remote town
0:01:11 > 0:01:14of Alice Springs out into the blistering heat of the desert.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Along the way, we'll be checking out the nightmare credentials
0:01:19 > 0:01:21of the nation's most famous resident...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25..hunting down a prehistoric monster...
0:01:27 > 0:01:30..and braving the deep desert for a scary sleepover!
0:01:30 > 0:01:31Oh!
0:01:37 > 0:01:41But first I have a date with an unwanted urban invader.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47The desert surrounding Alice Springs is home to some of the most venomous
0:01:47 > 0:01:49and dangerous creatures on earth.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52I'm talking about snakes!
0:01:52 > 0:01:55And during the summer, some of those snakes head into town
0:01:55 > 0:01:56in search of shelter.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59So the people who live round here need to be on the lookout
0:01:59 > 0:02:01for nightmare house guests!
0:02:07 > 0:02:11But what do you do if you find a snake in your back garden?
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Well, you call for help. You call for this man.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16This is Justin. Hi, Justin.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Justin is a member of the emergency snake call-out team.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23You're going to introduce me to some of the snakes
0:02:23 > 0:02:24that you've caught right here in town.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Yeah, so this guy here is one of our Stimson's pythons,
0:02:27 > 0:02:28a very common little snake.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30- And is he safe? - He's very safe.- OK.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31These guys are nice and relaxed.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33So pythons, on the whole, aren't dangerous?
0:02:33 > 0:02:34No, no venom in pythons at all.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37We're not on their menu, so you're quite safe.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39And is this the sort of size that they grow?
0:02:39 > 0:02:41No, that's a small one.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43We do get these.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46A couple of metres of python.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48This is one of our Centralian carpet pythons.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Is this as big as they can grow?
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- They'll get a little bit bigger than this. This is a healthy size.- Wow!
0:02:53 > 0:02:56But as you can imagine, going out to the back porch
0:02:56 > 0:02:58and this thing's hanging off your veranda.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59Yeah! That would give you a fright.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00Yeah, absolutely.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03There's not a spot in the house that they don't get.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04Lounge rooms, bathrooms.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06We've had them curled up in shower recesses,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09we've pulled out about 20 of those out of toilets!
0:03:09 > 0:03:11So people would go to sit on the toilet and find one of these?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Yeah, so it's rather funny watching them run out
0:03:13 > 0:03:16with their pants down sort of thing, so...
0:03:16 > 0:03:17Ha-ha!
0:03:17 > 0:03:19So, pythons aren't generally dangerous to humans.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20No, not at all.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22But you do come across other ones that are.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Yeah, oh, absolutely.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27We get plenty of highly venomous snakes in Alice, as well.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'And that means I won't be getting too close
0:03:29 > 0:03:31'to Justin's next garden guest.'
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Righty-oh. This is one of our common brown snakes,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44so this is the second most venomous snake in the world.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46SHE GASPS
0:03:47 > 0:03:51A couple of milligrams of his venom is enough to kill an adult.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53So this is a really dangerous snake.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Yeah, absolutely.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57They're actually a little bit nervous, more than anything else.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58I don't think he's as nervous as I am.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Why do these snakes come into town?
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Generally, its because of food, so like during summer,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08if we have a long, hot, dry summer where there's obviously
0:04:08 > 0:04:11no rainfall around, the food's going to start coming into town
0:04:11 > 0:04:13following the water source.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So, of course, our snakes here, they're following the food.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19And if you find a snake what should you do?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21The most important thing is just to leave the snake alone
0:04:21 > 0:04:25and all you need to do is give us a buzz and we'll come and do the rest.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28From his base in centre of town,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32Justin is on standby 24 hours a day, ready to remove any unwanted guests.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34PHONE RINGS
0:04:36 > 0:04:39And as soon as the next call comes, it's action stations.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Call! Call! Call, call. Let's go, let's go, there's a call.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Is it far away?
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Just out of town a little bit.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50'A rapid response requires a high-tech, high-speed,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52'state-of-the-art snake-mobile.'
0:04:55 > 0:04:56Pop in, Scott.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'It could do with a little more leg room in the back, though.'
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Get in and see what we've got to deal with.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19I'm staying so close to you!
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'Today's lucky customers are the Armistead family.'
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Hello.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Hey guys, what have we got here? Look at that. There we go.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Where, where, where?
0:05:29 > 0:05:30One of my real mates.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31SHE GASPS
0:05:31 > 0:05:34'All snakes can swim and this highly venomous Western Brown
0:05:34 > 0:05:38'has decided to take a cooling dip in the Armisteads' pool.'
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Did you find him?
0:05:39 > 0:05:40No, my dad did.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42So what's it like living in a neighbourhood
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- where there are venomous snakes? - It's exciting, it's good!
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- You don't mind it? - No, not at all.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Justin's been out here several times, picking up similar sort of snakes.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52So you're pretty used to seeing big snakes.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53It's not a problem for you at all?
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Not really. Nah.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Where am I best to stand?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00You can stand there, you can come in.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Well, I just want to be where I'm safe.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04- You can hold the bag if you want. - No, I don't want to.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05- You don't want to hold the bag? - Is it safe?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- Yes, it's safe. You hold the bag like that.- Are you sure?- Yeah.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10It's not going to leap up and bite?
0:06:10 > 0:06:11Nah, he shouldn't, he shouldn't do today.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14He's been in the pool, so he's had a bit of a cool off.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17You can see how fluently they go through the water.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Lift that bag up for me, yup, just keep it off the ground.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27That's it, beautiful. Just hold him there for two secs.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29He can't come slithering out of there, can he?
0:06:29 > 0:06:30No, he shouldn't do.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33Can he bite through that bag?
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Yeah, he can come through that, so I need to be always a bit cautious
0:06:36 > 0:06:38when I'm doing this just to make sure
0:06:38 > 0:06:39I can see where his head's going.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Cos if he comes up the bag I'll just let the bag go.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46So that's all tied and secure.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47What's the plan for him now?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50So what I'm going to do is, we've got some selected areas out of town,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52so we'll just drive out of town,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54we put him down and let him go and give him a second chance.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56All in a day's work for Justin.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Well, it seems that the people here in Alice Springs are OK
0:06:59 > 0:07:02living in snake central, but for me, the thought of finding
0:07:02 > 0:07:06one of the most venomous snakes on the planet in my own back garden...
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Sorry, that's got to be a contender for my worst nightmare of nature!
0:07:13 > 0:07:15We can't come all the way to Australia without meeting
0:07:15 > 0:07:18one particularly bouncy resident.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Yes, it is the most famous Australian animal of all -
0:07:21 > 0:07:23the kangaroo!
0:07:23 > 0:07:28'There are over 25 million kangaroos of all shapes and sizes
0:07:28 > 0:07:30'found across this vast country.'
0:07:30 > 0:07:35'But the one I really want to see is the largest, the red kangaroo,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39'because this massive marsupial has a mysterious nightmare quality.'
0:07:45 > 0:07:49'But before I get to grips with a fully-grown red roo in the wild,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52'I'm meeting up with kangaroo carer Jemma.'
0:07:52 > 0:07:54'Jemma is part of Wildcare,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58'a local organisation helping to look after orphaned baby roos.'
0:07:59 > 0:08:03This one's about eight months old.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Oh! My word, how cute is this!
0:08:06 > 0:08:08That one's about seven to eight months.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Seven to eight months. Oh, you're beautiful!
0:08:12 > 0:08:13Hello.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15It's like unwrapping a Christmas present!
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Oh, yours looks ever so cosy.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19It's like we've wrapped it up to make it feel like
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- it's in its mother's pouch, then. - Yes.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25So how, Jemma, do you look after a baby kangaroo?
0:08:25 > 0:08:29We give them powdered milk that we stir up in a bottle
0:08:29 > 0:08:32and you have to shake it until there's no lumps.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- Hmmm. Who likes lumpy milk?- No-one.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37And how many bottles do you have to feed them everyday?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Well, these ones have three bottles a day, one just when we get up,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44one at around noon and one before we go to bed.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47And do they sleep when you sleep?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Yes, they sleep when we sleep and they sleep most of the day.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52They don't wake you up in the middle of the night?
0:08:52 > 0:08:53- No.- Oh, that's good.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57So what is the worst part of having to care for a kangaroo?
0:08:57 > 0:09:01The worst part is probably if they have diarrhoea.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Oh! Yeah, that would be gross. That would be gross.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07During the night, Wingelena here wears a nappy.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Oh, does she?
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Yeah.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- Ah, so she's just like a human baby in some ways!- Yes.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Drinking milk from a bottle and wearing a nappy.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18There you go. Are you hungry?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21You are absolutely adorable.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Oh, I'd like to take you home.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27You'd fit in my suitcase.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Yes, you would.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36'After a quick bite to eat it's time for a little exercise.'
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Oh, there's one.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Are you ready to watch, Acacia? This is what you do.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45Like that.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Acacia! Acacia!
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Like this!
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- Oh!- Oh!
0:09:57 > 0:09:59She can definitely move faster than me.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Can she? She can outrun you?
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Yep! Hey!
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Oh, oh, and she's off.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Of course, Wingelena is not going to stay
0:10:11 > 0:10:13this cute and adorable forever.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16When she's old enough, she'll be released out into the world
0:10:16 > 0:10:19to fend for herself, so to get the full picture, I'm going to have to
0:10:19 > 0:10:23head out myself and see if I can find some adult red kangaroos.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26'We're leaving Alice Springs behind
0:10:26 > 0:10:29'and heading into the dry and dusty outback.'
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Everyone keeping your eyes peeled for kangaroos, then.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42There's one over there. Over there, there, stop.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Where, where?
0:10:44 > 0:10:45Over there. By those trees, just the ears.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47There it is! Quick, get out.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Slowly, slowly, slowly.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49OK. Quietly.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00'I'm hoping on foot I'll be able to get in for a closer look.'
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Hopping might look like a bizarre way of getting around,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12but it's actually a very efficient method of travel.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Adult kangaroos can travel at speeds of up to 43 miles an hour,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21and they can cover ten metres in one single bound.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23That's the length of about two cars.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30The adult males, the bucks can be extremely powerful.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33They stand about six foot tall, that's about two metres,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and they weigh about 90 kilos.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37That over one and a half times my weight.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44'And all that bulk makes an angry adult a frightening prospect.'
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Red kangaroos aren't generally dangerous to humans,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51but the adult males do possess one nightmarish quality.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52They love a good punch up!
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Kangaroos are champion boxers of the animal world!
0:12:10 > 0:12:13During the mating season, the males will often fight over
0:12:13 > 0:12:16potential mates, jabbing at their opponents with their muscular
0:12:16 > 0:12:20forearms and launching brutal kicks their powerful legs.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36And from here, seeing the size of those legs, I would not
0:12:36 > 0:12:40want to be on the receiving end of a kick from one of those.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I'm actually feeling quite nervous now getting this close to such
0:12:46 > 0:12:48a large wild animal.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Not knowing whether it's going to come straight for me,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55or hop away nervous of me.
0:12:55 > 0:12:56Don't know.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04'Thankfully, it seems like these roos aren't in fighting mood.'
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Well, having seen them as gorgeous little babies,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12I didn't think there was any way I could ever think that kangaroos
0:13:12 > 0:13:16are scary creatures, but now having seen them in the wild,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I think an adult, fully grown male, bouncing, punching,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24kick-boxing red kangaroo, could be my worst nightmare of nature.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33'Australia has over one-and-a-half million square miles of desert,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35'including some of the harshest,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38'most unforgiving environments on the planet.'
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'But there are plenty of animals here that have learned to cope with
0:13:41 > 0:13:43'the nightmare of desert life,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'and to find out just how they do that,
0:13:46 > 0:13:47'I'm going to go out into the sand
0:13:47 > 0:13:52'and the blistering heat, to experience it for myself,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56'so I've got my sun hat, my sun-screen, my water and my camel!'
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Hello.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00CAMEL GRUNTS
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Oh! Oh!
0:14:08 > 0:14:11'Camels are an ideal form of desert transport.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14'Their heavy padded feet move easily over soft sand.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18'They can march for several weeks without a single drink of water
0:14:18 > 0:14:21'and they conserve energy on their long desert treks
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'by storing it as fat in their humps.'
0:14:29 > 0:14:32So the camel is a classic example with how to deal with
0:14:32 > 0:14:34the nightmare of desert life,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37but there are lots of species that are native here in Australia
0:14:37 > 0:14:41that have also learnt to cope with life out here,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and I've got my sights set on a decidedly devilish desert dweller!
0:14:47 > 0:14:50'Hidden away in the scorching sands of the outback
0:14:50 > 0:14:53'lurks a terrifying monster from a lost world.'
0:14:59 > 0:15:03'Covered from head to toe in evil-looking spikes and horns,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06'it stalks the dunes in search of its prey.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:08'This is the Thorny Devil.'
0:15:09 > 0:15:13'Is anyone safe from this prehistoric nightmare?
0:15:16 > 0:15:20'Reptile expert Rex is brave enough to show me this desert devil.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26'But how will he handle such a ferocious fiend?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30'Oh, not quite as big as I expected!
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Isn't he a funny looking thing!
0:15:32 > 0:15:35So he looks a bit like a prehistoric dinosaur,
0:15:35 > 0:15:36but a very, very small one.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Why has he got all these spikes and horns all over him?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42A couple of reasons. It makes him camouflage a little bit easier.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43It's also for protection.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Yeah, I can't imagine many things would want to have that
0:15:46 > 0:15:48in their mouth, cos that's so sharp.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51So what would try and eat this little guy?
0:15:51 > 0:15:52Mostly birds.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57'So those points and prongs are actually the devil's main form
0:15:57 > 0:16:00'of defence, but that's not all.'
0:16:00 > 0:16:03What's this unusual lump here on the back of its neck?
0:16:03 > 0:16:05That happens to be a second head.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Basically what happens is that if a bird comes to attack him,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10he gets his real head, he sticks it between his legs, that lump
0:16:10 > 0:16:13obviously stands up and you can see it's got two horns coming out of it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- Horns, yeah.- They match the horns on the head.- Yeah.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Now, if it gets ripped off it'll heal over.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20It never grows back, but it gives them a second chance of life.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- That's so clever. - Very clever.- Yeah!
0:16:23 > 0:16:25'Spikes and two heads!
0:16:25 > 0:16:28'This lizard just gets stranger and stranger.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31'Even its walk is rather odd.'
0:16:35 > 0:16:38When they're walking, they walk like little wind-up toys.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40They sort of stop and start, stop and start
0:16:40 > 0:16:42and they generally walk with their tail up in the air.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43If you've got a bird up in the sky,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45the bird's looking for running movement,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48so when these guys walk they actually break their movement up
0:16:48 > 0:16:50so they look like a leaf being blown in the wind instead.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57So it seems that this lizard's nightmarish look
0:16:57 > 0:16:59is all to do with defence.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Its spikes help to make it an unappetising mouthful.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Its false head is a decoy to confuse attacking birds.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10And its strange walk helps to make it look like
0:17:10 > 0:17:13a leaf blowing in the wind. What does he eat?
0:17:13 > 0:17:15His main food source is little black ants.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18We have hundreds of species of ants here in central Australia
0:17:18 > 0:17:22and they only eat a few of them, so they're actually quite fussy.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24But they eat bucketloads of them.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Some of these can eat thousands of ants a day.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31'And this devil in disguise has one more amazing secret survival skill.'
0:17:34 > 0:17:36So he's got a fascinating way of drinking water.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Nice little puddle of water there.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43And I'll just plonk him in there and we'll see what happens.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Let's see if he has a little bit of a drink for us.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51See the colour stripe has now changed colour.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54That's actually water, just gone straight up his back leg.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55Oh, no way!
0:17:57 > 0:17:59So the water has gone up his feet, onto his back
0:17:59 > 0:18:03and then it's going to gradually come down to his mouth.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Yeah, he's turning all sort of orangey brown around the sides.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09So he's using his whole body a bit like a giant straw,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11just sucking all that water up?
0:18:11 > 0:18:12Exactly right.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16'The water is transported by the skin to the devil's mouth,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19'providing him with the fluid he needs to survive.'
0:18:21 > 0:18:25So I guess it's a bit like if your skin was made of tissue paper.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28And you can see just how the tissue paper just draws that water upwards
0:18:28 > 0:18:31because it's got thousands, millions of tiny little channels on
0:18:31 > 0:18:35the surface of the paper, so that's just like the thorny devil's skin.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36Exactly the same.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40'This means the devil can literally suck moisture out of the earth -
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'a handy ability when you live in the dry heat of the desert.'
0:18:46 > 0:18:47The thorny devil.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49He may look like a prehistoric dinosaur,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51but actually, I think he's pretty cool.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I don't think he's going to be my worst nightmare!
0:19:05 > 0:19:09'Well, the thorny devil may not be half as scary as it looks,
0:19:09 > 0:19:14'but there are plenty of things waiting out in the desert that are!
0:19:14 > 0:19:18'To find them, we're heading even further away from the safety
0:19:18 > 0:19:20'and comfort of civilisation.'
0:19:23 > 0:19:25So we've driven way out into the desert,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29the nearest major town, Alice Springs, is around 300 miles
0:19:29 > 0:19:31in that direction, it's going to be getting dark soon,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34the temperature is rapidly dropping,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37so I'm just starting to wonder where I'm going to be sleeping tonight.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42What, right here?
0:19:42 > 0:19:43Yup.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44You are kidding!
0:19:46 > 0:19:49'We're going to camping out in true Outback style.'
0:19:49 > 0:19:52'That means no tent, just a sleeping bag
0:19:52 > 0:19:56'and a couple of plastic sheets to protect us from the weather.'
0:19:57 > 0:20:00It's a beautiful sunset, but I don't actually want the sun to set
0:20:00 > 0:20:04because then it will get dark and then it will be frightening.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11'This far into the desert, we could easily end up sharing our campsite
0:20:11 > 0:20:14'with any number of nocturnal nasties,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18'including dingoes, spiders, centipedes and giant ants.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21'And as if that little lot isn't scary enough,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23'Rex has some more bad news for me.'
0:20:24 > 0:20:26We just went for a quick walk and found some firewood,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28but not only did we find some firewood,
0:20:28 > 0:20:29we found some lovely scorpion holes.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33So there'll be scorpions all round here.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35And I would say they're fairly active.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41'Scorpions are another desert specialist.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45'They're eight-legged arachnids, just like spiders,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47'and they're built for the kill with not one,
0:20:47 > 0:20:51'but two potent weapons, a pair of sharpened pincers at the front
0:20:51 > 0:20:55'and a super-charged stinger, laced with venom, on their tail.'
0:21:04 > 0:21:06'Just the thought of what's out there
0:21:06 > 0:21:09'is enough to make my blood run cold, but there's worse to come!
0:21:11 > 0:21:16'Local guide and arachnid enthusiast Danny is actually going to show us
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'what's lurking around our campsite!
0:21:22 > 0:21:26'He's brought some special UV lights to help spot the locals.'
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Now, remember, they can be big and they can be tiny.
0:21:41 > 0:21:42Oh!
0:21:47 > 0:21:51'Scorpions are one of the only animals that glow under UV light.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53'No-one's entirely sure why,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'but it certainly makes these scary stingers stand out.'
0:21:58 > 0:21:59And he packs a wallop.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03So even that tiny little one would give you quite a bite?
0:22:03 > 0:22:04Yep, quite painful.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Because their pincers are so small, they pack a bigger punch,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10simply because they don't have the strength to hold their prey,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13so their venom's got to be a lot stronger.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14So their tail's their...
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Their tail's their real weapon.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18They're quite common around here.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20This particular one,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23I think is one of the most common species in Australia.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26So he'll have brothers and sisters knocking around here somewhere?
0:22:26 > 0:22:27He certainly will.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30That's made me more worried that these are so tiny.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32That could easily go into my sleeping bag!
0:22:39 > 0:22:40That's number two.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41SHE GASPS
0:22:41 > 0:22:42There's number three.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48There's number four, that's number six, how many was that,
0:22:48 > 0:22:49was that eight, eight?
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- Was it eight?- That's eight.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Eight. Don't leave me on my own.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56OK, just be on the lookout for death adders, as well.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Oh, are you joking?
0:22:59 > 0:23:02'In just half an hour, we find over 20 scorpions
0:23:02 > 0:23:04'within crawling distance of our camp,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07'and some are bigger than others.'
0:23:07 > 0:23:10What's this? So what sort of scorpion is this?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13That's a Urodacus. Urodacus scorpion.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16Wow!
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- Have to pick him up see. - Be careful.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23Oh!
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Oh, he was on guard, then.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- See now he's pinching me. - Oh, oh!
0:23:29 > 0:23:32How does this guy compare to the tiny little one
0:23:32 > 0:23:33in regards to how venomous he is?
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Because he's got the stronger pincers,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38he doesn't need to immobilise his prey.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Cos they're so much bigger and so much more powerful,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42he can just start to eat his prey live.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45So that teeny little one would do you so much more damage?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Yes, yes for sure.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50If you get that, see his mouthpiece, his mouth bits there.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51Oh, yes!
0:23:51 > 0:23:52Two little claws.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Please don't come and visit me in my sleeping bag tonight.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04'And just when I thought scorpions were all I had to worry about...'
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Oh, I've got eye shine.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08What does that mean?
0:24:08 > 0:24:09What is it?
0:24:09 > 0:24:11I think it could be a spider.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Oh, no. Oh! He's big!
0:24:14 > 0:24:16That's a wolf spider.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18They do get bigger than this.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20How much bigger?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Round about twice that size.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23No! Oh.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25That is a good-looking animal.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Not when it's in your tent.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Do they move really fast?
0:24:30 > 0:24:32They are pretty quick.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35'Armed with impressive fangs,
0:24:35 > 0:24:40'wolf spiders deliver a painful venomous bite causing swelling,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42'irritation and nausea.'
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Ah! I'm actually going to have nightmares tonight!
0:24:48 > 0:24:51'Now that I know the area is absolutely crawling
0:24:51 > 0:24:55'with scorpions and spiders, I head back to camp for a very
0:24:55 > 0:24:57'careful inspection of my sleeping bag.'
0:25:00 > 0:25:02This is like a thorough check.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13I know these guys are going to be asleep in two seconds
0:25:13 > 0:25:15and I'm just going to be wide awake for the rest of the night,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18thinking things are crawling all over my face.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21This is going to be a long night!
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Might put that completely over my head.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45What was that?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09I'm going to keep hearing things
0:26:09 > 0:26:11and seeing things that probably aren't there.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21How do I turn it off?
0:26:26 > 0:26:30'After one of the longest nights of my life,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34'the sun finally peeks over the horizon.'
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Right, time to get up!
0:26:35 > 0:26:37But I did it!
0:26:39 > 0:26:43I think I got about four minutes' sleep, if that!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I slept all night, very tense, just thinking something was going
0:26:47 > 0:26:50to run over my head all night or bite my leg off.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53Can't be too careful.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00'I'm tired but elated to have survived my scorpion sleepover,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02'but will it be my worst nightmare?'
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Thankfully it is time to pack up and head home,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14but not before I pick my worst nightmare, so was it -
0:27:14 > 0:27:16a killer snake in your house?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19A kickboxing kangaroo?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Or a thorny desert devil?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27But even after meeting all of those beasties,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30I'm afraid I'm going to have to give my Australian outback
0:27:30 > 0:27:31worst nightmare of nature to...
0:27:31 > 0:27:33The scorpion sleepover!
0:27:39 > 0:27:41How do we make it sit down?
0:27:41 > 0:27:42Gotta say hoosh down.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Hoosh down! Jimbo, hoosh down.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Hoosh, Jimbo, hoosh!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Hoosh, Jimbo, hoosh!
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Go on, down, hoosh!
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Hoosh, come on, Jimbo, lie down, hoosh, hoosh.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Yes, so the camel is a classic example of how to... Oh.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Hoosh, Jimbo!
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd