0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to my Nightmares Of Nature.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07I'm Naomi Wilkinson!
0:00:07 > 0:00:10SHE SCREAMS Oh, my goodness!
0:00:10 > 0:00:14And I'm coming face-to-face with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16SHE SHRIEKS
0:00:16 > 0:00:18The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:20 > 0:00:21..your heart beat faster...
0:00:23 > 0:00:24There it is! There it is!
0:00:24 > 0:00:26..and your blood run cold.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Aren't they truly terrifying?
0:00:32 > 0:00:33Or is there a twist in the tale?
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Come with me as I shine a light on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45And see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Ola! Welcome, nightmare enthusiasts, to Brazil!
0:00:52 > 0:00:54One of the biggest countries on earth.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56It's got beaches,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58it's got jungles,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00it's got cities.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Plenty of space, then, for a multitude of monsters.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06So, hop on board the... HONKS HORN
0:01:06 > 0:01:09..Brazilian beast bus with me and my roadies.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And let's go and find some.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Our road trip will take us down the busy east coast of Brazil.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Along the way, we'll be battling with venomous vermin,
0:01:23 > 0:01:28stinky scavengers and...balletic beauties?!
0:01:28 > 0:01:29Eh?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Well, to find out what the balletic beauties are all about,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37we're going to have to briefly abandon the beast bus for something
0:01:37 > 0:01:39with hardier wheels.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47When I'm not nightmare hunting,
0:01:47 > 0:01:52there's one thing I love to do and that's to dance.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54CLASSICAL MUSIC
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Ha-ha! So, there is one bird
0:01:58 > 0:02:01I have always deeply admired for its fancy footwork,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04but it's not a bird I ever thought I'd ever be crossing paths with on
0:02:04 > 0:02:08this programme, because it is so far away from the stuff of nightmares.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12In fact, it's the stuff my sweet dreams are made of.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Ah! Who wouldn't want to be a flamingo?
0:02:19 > 0:02:22The prima ballerinas of the bird world.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27Pretty in pink and gorgeously graceful.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Their beautiful ballet is the envy of any dancer.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36So, please tell me, what have flamingos got to do with nightmares?
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Time to find out.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42Follow me!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Oh, I just had a thought. Do you think they'll see me coming in this?
0:02:52 > 0:02:54That'll do it. Cheers, guys.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58At times, this coastal lagoon
0:02:58 > 0:03:01is home to hundreds of these dainty dancers.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Local guide Batista is going to introduce us to the flock.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10With a bit of translation help from our linguistic legend, Roberta.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13This is so exciting!
0:03:13 > 0:03:18I'm seeing flamingos in the wild for the first time ever.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19So, they're called Chilean flamingos b-
0:03:19 > 0:03:21they've come all the way from Chile?
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- SHE TRANSLATES - They've come all the way from Chile to Brazil.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27There are also flamingos from the Andes as well.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Wow. Because you think of flamingos,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32you don't think they'd be very good flyers.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33They are very hardy animals.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37They can fly long, long distances.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Their huge 1.5-metre wingspan means that they can fly all
0:03:41 > 0:03:42through the night without a break.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46They travel here for their summer holidays.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53They come here because it's warmer, and there is enough food for them
0:03:53 > 0:03:57to feed. They come to relax a little bit from the cold weather.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Uh, unlucky, flamingos.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03- It's usually very hot.- Yeah. - Not today, but they don't mind.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- HE SPEAKS PORTUGUESE - They can adapt very well.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08They could have just come to the UK.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11This is what we're all like on our summer holidays,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13braving it out on the beach. SHE SHIVERS
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Our flamingos don't seem the least bit bothered, though.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24That's because these dainty dancers are so adaptable,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27they can survive both in frozen mountain lakes
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and in boiling volcanic lakes, too.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35- They're strong, tough.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37They're a bit like me, really.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Dainty but daring?
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Girly but...grrr.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I think I'd make an incredible flamingo.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Oh, no.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Am I sure?
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Yes, I think I am, why?
0:04:52 > 0:04:56"Are you ready for your flamingo initiation?"
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Well, for once, that doesn't sound too bad, so, yeah, go on.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I'm up for that.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Ooh, it's a bit squidgy.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12Flamingos spend many hours a day standing in cold, cold water.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14So far, not too bad.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16SHE GASPS
0:05:16 > 0:05:18That's just mean.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21To stay warm, they stand on one leg,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26curling their foot up into their feathers so that only the other leg
0:05:26 > 0:05:28touches the icy lake.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- Are you any warmer, Nomes? - No, not really.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33I'm getting a cold foot.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39But there's more to being a hardy flamingo than braving the cold.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Ooh, thank you!
0:05:42 > 0:05:43Thanks.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49These big birds are rugged enough to survive in some of these saltiest
0:05:49 > 0:05:50places on earth.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54They drink fresh water but, when they eat,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57they also take in a lot of salt.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Bon apetite...
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Too much salt isn't good for anyone.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11So they push the salty water out through their nostrils by pumping
0:06:11 > 0:06:13their tongue up and down several times a second.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16SHE SPEAKS NONSENSE
0:06:16 > 0:06:18I can't do that.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Is there anything a flamingo does that I can actually do?
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Flamingos fish for their food by scooping water up with their bills.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30A built-in sieve sifts out
0:06:30 > 0:06:33nutritious algae from the mud and the silt.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Fish.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45I give up.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51So in this mud is algae.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55It's... It's so super tiny, you can't even see it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58But that's what flamingos like to eat.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It is full of beta-carotene -
0:07:00 > 0:07:03the stuff that turns carrot orange.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06And it's also the stuff that gives flamingos that lovely
0:07:06 > 0:07:08pinky-orange colour.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12So you're saying to me, if I want to be like a pink flamingo,
0:07:12 > 0:07:13I've got to eat that?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- Fish! - I'm not doing that! I give up.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19I do not want to be a flamingo any more.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Flamingos, your lives are a total nightmare!
0:07:22 > 0:07:23Purely because of your lifestyle,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27you could hop to my number one nightmare spot.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Bleurgh.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Back in the Brazilian beast bus,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38we're leaving the dunes behind us and travelling into civilisation
0:07:38 > 0:07:40to grab a spot of lunch.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44We're not the only ones who head into the city for a snack.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Our next contender is a regular visitor to homes right across
0:07:48 > 0:07:49the Americas.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Where they get up to all sorts of mischief.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58These pesky pests are scavengers.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04Breaking into houses to scoff any food they can get their claws on.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Including the dog's dinner.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08It's stained the carpet.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11The opossum.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Looks pretty harmless to me.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17But the locals here in Brazil seem to think it's a nightmare.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Let's go and find out why.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22They think it's an ugly animal.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Ugly? I'm going to write ugly down. Ugly.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Ug-ly.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32He seems that he's very dangerous, because it's make like this...
0:08:32 > 0:08:35SHE RASPS Oh, yeah, scary.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39People usually think that these animals stink.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- Got it. Thank you. - You're welcome.- Stinks.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Ugly! Scary!
0:08:45 > 0:08:50Stinks! Clearly not very popular.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53I'm taking my list to a rehabilitation centre,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55to find out if these accusations are true.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02Jefferson takes in up to 30 injured opossums a day in breeding season.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Oh, it's tiny!
0:09:06 > 0:09:08So these are little opossums. Hello!
0:09:08 > 0:09:12This brother-and-sister duo are just three months old.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15They're a bit funny-looking, aren't they?
0:09:15 > 0:09:16What has happened to these two?
0:09:16 > 0:09:18HE SPEAKS PORTUGUESE
0:09:18 > 0:09:22The mother was killed by a dog and they also got her.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- This one has lost... - All of the tail?- All of the tail.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Oh, my word. Poor little thing.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31They look so sorry for themselves, though.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32I really want to help.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36My first job is to bandage up their broken tales.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Oh, my goodness, it feels fragile in my hands.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Sorry, sorry, sorry.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Look at that, that we've just put on you!
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Are you pleased with that new accessory?
0:09:50 > 0:09:55It's like, "What have you put on my bum?"
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Well, so far, these cuties are not exactly
0:09:58 > 0:10:00living up to their reputation.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Accusation number one...
0:10:03 > 0:10:05It's an ugly animal.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11How can that face be a nightmare of nature?
0:10:11 > 0:10:13OK, so what about the hissing part?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17HE SPEAKS PORTUGUESE
0:10:17 > 0:10:19They are scared of being seen as food by us,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21so they open their mouth...
0:10:21 > 0:10:23It's just a way to defend themselves.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25They do have quite sharp teeth.
0:10:25 > 0:10:2750 of them, to be precise.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33They only attack if they feel very threatened.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35But they won't, they won't attack a human being.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- So they'd only bite to defend themselves?- Yes.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44Their sharp claws and heavy tail are not weapons, either.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Just tree-climbing implements to get at food.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Speaking of which...dinner time!
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Om-nom-nom. Taste nice?
0:10:53 > 0:10:54There you go.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59So, not ugly and not bitey.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01So what about the whiffy bit?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03This animal stinks!
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Well, that's just down to confusion.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09In Portuguese, the word "opossum"
0:11:09 > 0:11:12is very similar to the word for skunk.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Opossums don't stink.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Except in one very special situation.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24When they think their life is in danger, they play dead.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25Is that opossum dead?
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Their body goes stiff,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34their top lip curls back and they emit a foul smell.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- Oh, God, pick it up. - I ain't touching that thing!
0:11:37 > 0:11:40After a few minutes, though, or a few hours,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43these tiny tricksters will come back to life.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- He's opened his eyes.- He's a good pretender. He's the best.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53So it seems that this little pair are more threatened by us
0:11:53 > 0:11:56than they are a threat to us.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Look at these two now.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Look at them.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Yes, they might make a mess of your house, but they're only searching
0:12:03 > 0:12:06for food, and that very weird trick they have of playing dead
0:12:06 > 0:12:08and letting off a stink bomb will only happen if they're
0:12:08 > 0:12:11really frightened and trying to protect themselves from predators,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15so I don't think these little fluff balls are mean enough to take my
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Brazilian beast crown.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27Next, our road trip takes us into the Atlantic rainforest,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31brimful of some of the most dangerous animals in Brazil.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35But two in particular vie for the top deadly spot.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39So, what are you picturing? Jaguar? Puma?
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Pit vipers? Tarantulas?
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Yes, they do all have the potential to be lethal and, yes,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45they do all roam Brazil's jungles.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48But, no, it's none of those.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51The creatures I'm going to introduce you to
0:12:51 > 0:12:54pack a super-sized deadly punch.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58In the Brazilian rainforest, would you rather be attacked by...
0:13:00 > 0:13:03..a caterpillar or a frog?
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Confused?
0:13:09 > 0:13:14Well, to help us decide, I've drafted in two scientists.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Modelled by Doctor Fan Hui Wen, we have the most deadly caterpillar,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Lonomia Obliqua.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25AKA the assassin caterpillar.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26In the frog corner,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29we have Doctor Carlos Jared
0:13:29 > 0:13:33with his Bruno's casque-headed frog, AKA,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35well, just Bruno for short.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Oh, and by the way, he's a she.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Let's kick off with 30 assassin caterpillars.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45What is so scary about this caterpillar?
0:13:45 > 0:13:47In each spine, we have venom.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50When you touch or compress the spines,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55the venom can be injected and, in fact, the venom can kill people.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02This venom can make bleeding every part of your body.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04- The brain...- Yeah.- ..the skin, or internal -
0:14:04 > 0:14:06bleeding that you cannot see.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11Whoa! Hui's job is to make a life-saving antidote
0:14:11 > 0:14:14to their venom, to cure the hundreds of people
0:14:14 > 0:14:17spiked by these killer critters every year.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22You can see how people would mistake them for bits of the tree.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Kind of moth-looking, isn't it?
0:14:24 > 0:14:26How do most accidents happen?
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Well, children, because they like to climb the trees,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31or because they are so cute.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36- Yeah!- They want to touch, they want to play with them.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Are there any other caterpillars that kill people?
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- No, not in the world. Just this one. - This is the only one?- Yeah.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Well, so far, in the Would You Rather? game, the answer is,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I would rather not, thanks very much.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53This frog is going to have to be pretty beastly
0:14:53 > 0:14:54to beat the caterpillar.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Round two! Step forward, Bruno the frog!
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Carlos, what is Bruno's superpower?
0:15:03 > 0:15:08This is 25 times more venomous than the pit viper.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16Like most frogs, Bruno contains poison but, very unusually,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19he can inject it into a predator's bloodstream,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21just like a snake or spider can.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26That makes him not just poisonous, but venomous.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- How does it do it?- The head of the animal has many, many,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37many little spines, you see?
0:15:37 > 0:15:38- Yeah!- Yes.
0:15:38 > 0:15:44- Spiky head.- And when the predator tries to swallow the animal,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49the animal puts the spines in the mouth of the predator.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50- From its head?- Yes.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55But the spines are covered with poisonous glands.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58So he goes to take a bite of nice, tasty frog
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- and gets a mouth full of spiny, venomous poison?- Yes.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04It's possible to take one of this...
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- You're going to take it out of the...- Yes.- Are you sure?
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- Yeah, yeah.- This could kill a person.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Carlos has first-hand experience of frog stings.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Some much less toxic cousins of Bruno's once
0:16:17 > 0:16:19injected him with venom.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21I feel all the arm,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23very, very, very strong pain.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28Five hours close to death.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33- That's not funny! - Yes, it is very problematic.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Do you want to take the frog in your hand?
0:16:36 > 0:16:38No, not really.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- Um...fine, I'll do it with a glove. - Yeah. Wow! This glove!- Yes!
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Well, you did say it's pretty dangerous.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Go on, then.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50OK.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Wow.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54SHE SHUDDERS
0:16:54 > 0:16:57For the record, unlike the caterpillar,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59there's no antivenom for Bruno.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01You're just staring at me.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05How quickly could it kill you?
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Only a little part of venom, if you inject immediately...
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- It would be instant, you think? - Yes. Yes, yes.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19- But no problem with spikes with this type of glove.- It would...
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Do you think I'm safe?
0:17:21 > 0:17:24You're completely safe, yeah.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Good!
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Well, Bruno, you are sweet by name, but not by nature.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Would I rather be spiked by a killer caterpillar, or skewered by a frog
0:17:37 > 0:17:41with venom 25 times stronger than the pit viper?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Um, neither, thank you very much.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46That's cheating. You have to choose!
0:17:47 > 0:17:49I can't. I'm sorry.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51You, assassin caterpillar and you, dear Bruno,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53before you get out of your tank... Argh!
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Don't leave me with my worst nightmare! Help!
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I'm relieved to say that, on the face of it,
0:18:02 > 0:18:07my next contender isn't half as terrifying as the previous duo.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10In fact, it's a jungle jewel.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13When I'm at home, I love feeding the birds and, here in Brazil,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16there is one of very special backyard birdie
0:18:16 > 0:18:20that I'm extremely excited to meet. To feed them, I don't need this.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24I need this. Acucar.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Now, in case you don't speak fluent Portuguese - obviously, I do -
0:18:28 > 0:18:30that means sugar.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32You guys are really lucky you've got me.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35A lot of presenters would not have known that.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38So it's no wonder these feathered friends are little sweeties.
0:18:40 > 0:18:46Intrigued? The smallest species are the size of your little finger,
0:18:46 > 0:18:51weigh less than a penny coin and they all hum when they fly.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Hummingbirds!
0:18:54 > 0:18:55What a nightmare of nature, eh?
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Wow. This scene may look idyllic,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07but it contains clues to what
0:19:07 > 0:19:09makes these tiny terrors a nightmare.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Hummingbirds are quite simply superfast.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Watch this. Right, Steve, see this Hummingbird here?
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Your challenge is to try and follow it with the camera.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Good luck.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25SHE LAUGHS
0:19:25 > 0:19:26Where did he go?!
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Their hearts beat a thousand times a minute.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38And the smallest species flaps its wings 80 times a second.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44They're like really flappy parents, aren't they?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46"Come on, get your shoes on! We've got to go out the door,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48"you were supposed to be at Brownies 40 minutes ago!
0:19:48 > 0:19:51"Hurry up, get your tea! Come on!"
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Slow down, man. You're giving me a headache.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57It may look funny to us,
0:19:57 > 0:20:02but this frantic fluttering is the key to their nightmare potential.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Moving this fast uses a lot of energy.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Which is why these are eating sugar dissolved in water.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Which is the closest thing to what they love to eat in the wild -
0:20:12 > 0:20:16nectar. That sweet liquid found inside flowers.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22To stay alive at this speed, they need so much nectar,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25they have to feed all the time.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30In the wild, though, there often aren't enough flowers to go around,
0:20:30 > 0:20:35so, to feed all the time means they have to fight off the competition.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Yes, hummingbirds fight.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46They will guard their precious food by charging and body-slamming
0:20:46 > 0:20:48intruders to chase them away.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51And if that doesn't work, they'll use their beaks
0:20:51 > 0:20:53and claws as weapons.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00On rare occasions, it can be a fight to the death.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03So I think it's fair to say these hovering heavyweights don't really
0:21:03 > 0:21:06like one another.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08What you are seeing here is a battle.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11A full-on fight to the front of the lunch queue.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15And that is one brawl I would not want to be in the middle of.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Which is why the hot-headed Hummingbird
0:21:17 > 0:21:21could hover around the top of my worst nightmare list.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28My final beast of Brazil seems to follow me around the world
0:21:28 > 0:21:31everywhere I go.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Argh! They're everywhere!
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Millions of people die every year because of this nightmare.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42It is the most deadly animal to humans on the planet.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Yup, it's the mosquito.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Mozzies spread diseases like malaria, yellow fever,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Zika virus and dengue fever.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58When they suck up the blood of someone who's ill,
0:21:58 > 0:21:59they suck up the virus, too.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03That infection will then be passed to the blood of everyone else
0:22:03 > 0:22:05they feast on.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10One place we're sure to find these crafty killers
0:22:10 > 0:22:12is in this Brazilian research institute.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Controlling the mozzy microscope is Luciano.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Look...at...those.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Before we go any further,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30there aren't any that are carrying unpleasant diseases in here?
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- No, no, they are OK. They are born here.- Good.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35- No diseases. - I'm pleased to hear that.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37So, obviously, these ones are dead,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40because we would never be able to get a close-up look at them living?
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Right, right. They'd be coming to you and biting!
0:22:44 > 0:22:46- And we don't want that.- No.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48This is a female mosquito,
0:22:48 > 0:22:53and what you see here is the mouth part, called proboscis.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54When the mosquito bites,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58the whole thing goes inside your skin, like, when they bite.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00- Right up to their face?- Yeah, right.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Inside the proboscis are two tubes, like straws.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09One sucks the blood, the other injects an anaesthetic,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11which means we don't feel a thing.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Until it's too late.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- How long do they drink for? - A few minutes.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- A few minutes?!- Yeah, a few minutes.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22- I could make a cup of tea in a couple of minutes.- Yeah.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24And they could just be feeding on you that whole time and you don't
0:23:24 > 0:23:27- know?- Yeah.- Ooh!- Yeah!
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Well, I hope the males have some redeeming features.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35Males are quite different, because they have this brushy antenna.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39They have lots of sensors here that will sense where the female is.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42But they don't bite people, so, males,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46they just go for flowers and then they suck nectar.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- Only the females bite? - Only the females bite.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- That's in all mosquitoes?- Yes.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- So, OK, the males don't bite? - Don't bite.- So, apart from that,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57that's the only endearing quality they have?
0:23:57 > 0:23:59- Yes.- There's nothing good about mosquitoes.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- Nothing. Is there?- No, there is!
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- You think?- Yeah.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Luciano's mosquitoes are heroes.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10They're being used as a weapon to fight a deadly disease called
0:24:10 > 0:24:14dengue fever, which kills hundreds of Brazilians every year.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17As eggs, each one of these mozzies
0:24:17 > 0:24:20was injected with this special bacterium
0:24:20 > 0:24:23which blocks the dengue virus.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Whenever they have this, they don't transmit the virus.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28The virus cannot replicate, cannot grow.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32So you're basically giving the egg of the mosquito a vaccine,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35like I would have an injection against a disease?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- It's a bit like you're doing that to the eggs?- It's very similar, yeah.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- Mosquitoes are vaccinated. - That's pretty clever.- Yeah.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43But for these tiny terrors to be effective,
0:24:43 > 0:24:47they need to breed out in the big, wide world,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49where they can spawn a population
0:24:49 > 0:24:53of squeaky-clean, disease-free offspring.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Do you want to help our team? To release mosquitoes?
0:24:56 > 0:24:57Do I?!
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Do I?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Luciano's sidekick, Gabriel,
0:25:03 > 0:25:08has a batch of 10,000 superhero mozzies ready for release.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10To breed, they first need to feed.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13And dawn is when they're most active.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14Lucky residents.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- So, how many have you got in there? - I've got 50 here.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- 50?- Yeah.- And will they fly away, or will they go straight...?
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- No, they fly away.- Definitely? You promise?- Yeah, I promise you.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34These mighty mozzies could save hundreds of lives.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35And off they go.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Ooh, straight towards you, Steve, sorry!
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- Bye!- They are free now!
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Anyone been bitten yet? We all all right?
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The residents are happy to oblige.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54A few bites from these harmless mosquitoes
0:25:54 > 0:25:58is a good trade-off for not living in fear of deadly dengue.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00Do it.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07- Quite enjoying this now.- Yeah. - Never thought I'd say that.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Well, I've spent my lifetime avoiding mosquitoes at all costs.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13I've had vaccines,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I've taken pills to protect me from the diseases they carry,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I've cowered under nets, I was absolutely convinced
0:26:19 > 0:26:22that mosquitoes would be my worst nightmare.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24But, now, to learn that scientists
0:26:24 > 0:26:27are using these disease-spreading devils
0:26:27 > 0:26:30and turning them into healthy healers, well,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32it just flips the whole thing on its head, really.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I'm not sure it's enough to outdo all the bad done by the rest of the
0:26:35 > 0:26:38buzzing bunch, but will it be enough to swat it
0:26:38 > 0:26:40from the nightmare hot spot?
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Our road trip has run its course. It's time to find out which Latino
0:26:48 > 0:26:52leviathan will take my Brazilian beast crown.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Well, there were those fairy-tale flamingos.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57I definitely do not want to be one.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01But I don't think I'll ever cease to admire their fancy footwork.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03The hovering Hummingbird,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06they may harass each other where they're trying to eat their dinner,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09but watching them was pretty magical.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Ordinarily, the mosquito would definitely take it
0:27:11 > 0:27:14for all its efforts to terrorise me over the years,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16but even they might have redeemed
0:27:16 > 0:27:20themselves by spreading the love rather than the lurgy.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23So, without a doubt, my worst Brazilian nightmare has got to be
0:27:23 > 0:27:25that poisonous, prickly duo -
0:27:25 > 0:27:28the assassin caterpillar and Bruno the frog.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31You can't have two. You've got to pick one!
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I know, I'll toss a coin. Hold on.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Heads, it's caterpillar, tails, it's the frog.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39It's the caterpillar.