0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to my Nightmares Of Nature.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08I'm Naomi Wilkinson...
0:00:08 > 0:00:10SHE SCREAMS Oh, my goodness.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11..and I'm coming face-to-face with
0:00:11 > 0:00:14the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Oh!
0:00:16 > 0:00:18The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:18 > 0:00:20SHE WHIMPERS
0:00:20 > 0:00:21..your heart beat faster...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25There it is, there it is!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28..and your blood run cold.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Are they truly terrifying?
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Or is there a twist in the tale?
0:00:34 > 0:00:35SEAL BARKS
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Come with me as I shine a light on wildlife's
0:00:38 > 0:00:41deepest, darkest secrets,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Asalam-wa-leikum, Nightmare watchers.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I've travelled to some pretty heinous habitats in my search
0:00:57 > 0:00:58for nature's nasties,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02but nightmare places don't come much harsher than this...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04the Arabian Desert.
0:01:07 > 0:01:08But fear not!
0:01:08 > 0:01:10In my quest to find wildlife that makes your knees wobble,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13we have an expert guide -
0:01:13 > 0:01:14Camilla the camel!
0:01:14 > 0:01:16CAMILLA GRUNTS
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Arabia is over 70% desert,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21but rising from the sands
0:01:21 > 0:01:26there are also some of the shiniest cities in the world.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Temperatures can reach up to 55 degrees
0:01:29 > 0:01:33and the sand surface can soar to nearly 70.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37That's hot enough to kill most animals. So...
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Anything living here is going to have to fight...
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Yes! Bam!
0:01:42 > 0:01:44..be super cunning...
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Watch out! SHE SCREAMS
0:01:47 > 0:01:49..and downright nightmarish,
0:01:49 > 0:01:50just to say alive.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53Oh!
0:01:55 > 0:01:59It looks like we've got quite an adventure ahead of us.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01What could possibly go wrong?
0:02:03 > 0:02:06'Me and Camilla...'
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Oh, it rattles your bones. Ooh!
0:02:09 > 0:02:10'..my trusty...'
0:02:10 > 0:02:13She doesn't want to go up a hill!
0:02:13 > 0:02:14'..professional...'
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Is it doing a wee right now?
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Oh, honestly!
0:02:18 > 0:02:20'..and desert-savvy guide...'
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Phoah, it stinks, as well. Can you smell it?
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Phew! Thanks for that.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30'..are off in search of my first contender.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:32There is one nightmare out here
0:02:32 > 0:02:35that it's very hard to get away from.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38With its ever-shifting sands, scorching heat,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and lack of water...
0:02:41 > 0:02:43My first nightmare of nature...
0:02:43 > 0:02:46is the desert itself.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50The animals of the desert have evolved loads of clever ways
0:02:50 > 0:02:53of coping. There's the hairy feet of the jerboa -
0:02:53 > 0:02:55extra grip for walking.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00The sandfish lizard that can swim away from the sand's
0:03:00 > 0:03:03scorching surface - very cunning.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05And then there's carrying all your energy supplies
0:03:05 > 0:03:08in a special hump, just like Camilla.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11But there is one animal that is without question
0:03:11 > 0:03:14the ultimate desert survivor.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16An animal that overcomes every one
0:03:16 > 0:03:19of this environment's nightmares.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23To find out the lengths one animal has to go to to live here,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I'm meeting up with Greg, who runs
0:03:26 > 0:03:28the Desert Conservation Reserve.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Well, I will just as soon as I get off this camel, anyway.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Thanks, mate. CAMILLA GROANS
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Thank you, Camilla. Thank you. Stay there.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43We're off to check on the reserve's resident oryx herd.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46This is a bit more comfy than riding on a camel.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50There are loads of them!
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Hey, look at their horns!
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Wow.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59These oryx are part of a breeding programme
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and need a bit of food each day
0:04:01 > 0:04:05to supplement the meagre pickings in the desert.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Just a warning when you do get out, you know?
0:04:08 > 0:04:10- They're still wild animals... - Mh-hmm.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13..so you just need to be careful, you know?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15OK.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Please keep your horns away from my bottom.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21THEY LAUGH
0:04:23 > 0:04:26There are a lot of really sharp-looking horns
0:04:26 > 0:04:29everywhere I'm looking. It's a little bit unnerving.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- OK, then, let's leave them to it. - Yeah? OK.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34We'll move back towards the pick-up.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38I imagine those horns could do some serious damage.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Yes. In actual fact, when the males fight for dominance,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44particularly the dominance of the whole herd,
0:04:44 > 0:04:45they can literally kill each other.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- It's happening here, right behind us.- Right behind us, yeah.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Fighting for dominance means that the fittest and strongest male
0:04:55 > 0:04:58will go on to mate with the females.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Living in a place as harsh as the Arabian Desert,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04it's essential that the best genes
0:05:04 > 0:05:06get passed on to the next generation.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10But it's not just those horns making me sweat.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13The dazzling sun and searing heat
0:05:13 > 0:05:14make it pretty uncomfortable
0:05:14 > 0:05:16for us humans.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20So, how do these animals survive in the heat of the desert?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Well, the most obvious one that you can see straight away
0:05:23 > 0:05:25is their colour.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28You know, so the white colour actually helps them in the heat,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- especially in the summertime. - Just reflecting.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Reflecting some of the light.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35And is their facial colouration anything to do with
0:05:35 > 0:05:37dealing with the sunshine?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40That helps in really bright light conditions
0:05:40 > 0:05:42to stop reflection coming into the eye,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44so they can actually see better, so...
0:05:44 > 0:05:48- Like an in-built pair of sunglasses for them.- Yeah, pretty much.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49Do they ever get sunburned?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52No, not at all, cos they've actually got a dark skin
0:05:52 > 0:05:53underneath the white coat.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Although their coat's white, their skin is dark.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Oh, so it is like they're wearing sun cream, as well.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00- Pretty much, pretty much. - Sunglasses and sun cream.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Well protected.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04These animals may be able to overcome the nightmares
0:06:04 > 0:06:08of the desert, but they've still got a bit of work to do
0:06:08 > 0:06:10on their table manners.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11Oh! Ooh!
0:06:11 > 0:06:14You didn't mean to do that, did you?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18OK, just put this last batch for...
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Hold on, what's in here?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Oh, no, look.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26"Can you master the dessert like the oryx?"
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Can I master...? I AM the master of dessert. I like them all.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Black Forest gateau, treacle pudding, profiteroles,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35lemon meringue pudding. I mean, they just eat these plants and things.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- This is hardly going to be nightmarish, is it?- No, no, Naomi...
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- What's the matter?- It says "desert", not "dessert." "Desert."
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Oh.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Master the desert.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49Awkward.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53But never one to say no to a challenge...
0:06:53 > 0:06:58Apparently oryx can travel over 100 miles to find food. Huh!
0:06:58 > 0:06:59I can do that! Woo-hoo!
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Er... Right.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Despite my confidence,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09I'm going nowhere fast.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Come on!
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Oh, yeah. I'm really getting some speed on now!
0:07:16 > 0:07:17Watch out!
0:07:17 > 0:07:19SHE SCREAMS
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Arrgh!
0:07:23 > 0:07:25I think I need to try something else.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30And I'm borrowing a trick from the masters themselves.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32SHE LAUGHS
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Oryx have special splayed hooves,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38which helps them travel across the loose sand.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Just need to get some grip here.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42Help!
0:07:44 > 0:07:47SHE CRIES
0:07:47 > 0:07:49And oryx hardly ever need to drink.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53They simply reabsorb any water that they've already taken on board.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00Oryx can in fact go for over a month without drinking!
0:08:00 > 0:08:01Unlike humans -
0:08:01 > 0:08:03we really need to drink.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Well, oryx have certainly mastered the shifting sands,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11the scorching temperatures, the lack of water, but, sadly, I haven't.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15And that is why the desert itself could stand a very good chance
0:08:15 > 0:08:18of burning off the competition and taking that nightmare hot spot.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29For this next part of my nightmare-searching,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33I've swapped four hooves for four wheels.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Sorry, Camilla.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38I need to cover some distance.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41It's a long way.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Oh, Camilla. CAMILLA GROANS
0:08:44 > 0:08:48I'm going to have some serious making up to do after this.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51My next critter is more intriguing than nightmarish.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55They call it the dinosaur of the desert.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59This dinosaur is in fact the spiny-tailed lizard.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04They live in burrows which they dig in the sand, gravel...
0:09:04 > 0:09:06and even rock.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Like all reptiles, they're cold-blooded.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Now, that means they need the warmth of the sun to heat them up.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16And, brilliantly, their skin changes from black,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19which absorbs the sun's rays, to white, which reflects them.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And then they're ready for a hard day of eating greens.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Nothing nightmarish so far.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38But I'm meeting Damien, who works at Al Ain Zoo,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41and he's promised to show me otherwise.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43All right, there, Damien.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- Hello, Naomi, how are you?- Ooh, you've got one to show me. Hello!
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- I do, I do.- Whoa!
0:09:48 > 0:09:50His face is like a brontosaurus or something, isn't it?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52DAMIEN LAUGHS So, if he isn't dangerous,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55why does he have these super-long claws?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56They build burrows in the gravel,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and you've seen what the gravel looks like around here.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00- Yeah, it's solid.- Yeah.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02It's full of little stones, it's compact like cement.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04And what are their burrows like?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07From the top, you'll just see a crescent-shaped opening.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09But they're actually spiral
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and they're a very wide, shallow spiral all the way down.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- Chances are, the burrow could be up to four metres in length.- Wow!
0:10:15 > 0:10:17So you're a little digging machine.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22And it's these nice, protective, cool burrows
0:10:22 > 0:10:26that shelter the nightmare of the spiny-tailed lizard.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31So, do they live in their burrows all by themselves?
0:10:31 > 0:10:33In any spiny-tailed lizard's burrow,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35you'll find a whole community of other little animals.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39And these squatters in the lizard's burrow
0:10:39 > 0:10:41have some very nightmarish traits.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Using some other inhabitants of the zoo,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Damien has set up a challenge
0:10:48 > 0:10:52to introduce me to these horrendous housemates.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54OK, let's play...
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- Here we go, Naomi. - OK, there it is.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I've got a camera on the end of a nice, long stick
0:11:03 > 0:11:07with a microphone there so we can hear and see on the monitor
0:11:07 > 0:11:09what is in burrow number one.
0:11:09 > 0:11:10Burrow number one.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Burrow number one.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17A nice view, spacious entrance.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18Here we go.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Ooh, what have we got?
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- Can you see anything? - Oh, I can see a snake.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Is it a dangerous snake?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Ah, it's a diadem snake.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- Diadem?- Yes, diadem snake.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And how do they hunt?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40You've watched anacondas and pythons on television hunting before, yes?
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- Constrictor?- They're constrictors,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45so they use their body strength to kill their food.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Adults are quite big, up to about five feet long.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- And they would eat baby spiny-tailed lizards.- Really?
0:11:51 > 0:11:55So, housemate number one in burrow number one.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Watch out, lizards, living with him might be the last thing you ever do.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Here we go.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Burrow number two.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05Burrow number two.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Burrow number two.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Right, let's have a look in here.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Oh, I can see something moving straight away.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18A little frog or something. Is it a frog?
0:12:18 > 0:12:20It's a cousin of the frog.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22This is a Dhofar toad.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26What do they eat?
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Anything small enough to swallow, really, as long as it moves around.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Even small scorpions are a potential meal.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33Wow, they can eat a scorpion?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- They're really not fussy. - And how do they catch that?
0:12:36 > 0:12:40They use their tongue as a sort of projectile missile.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42They kind of catch up with their tongue afterwards
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- and engulf the animal.- Weird!
0:12:44 > 0:12:46So, their tongue goes out, catches it
0:12:46 > 0:12:48- and then they catch up on their tongue.- Exactly, yeah.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50That's crazy.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So, housemate number two in burrow number two.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58The scorpion-eating, missile-firing misfit in the desert.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01OK, Naomi, last one here.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02Burrow number three.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Burrow number three.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- Burrow number...- All right, we get the picture, it is the third burrow.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09We're all right.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Let's have a look.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14RUSTLING I can hear something already.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- It's another snake, is it?- It is.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Look at her writhing around.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Can you hear that through Rich's mic?
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It's really super, super, super large.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27The name of the snake is a saw-scaled viper.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33She's a beauty. She's not hissing,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35she's actually rubbing scales against each other on her body.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37That's why she's forming
0:13:37 > 0:13:39that sort of horseshoe shape.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41I'll just try and see if I can...
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Oh, my goodness, please don't...
0:13:43 > 0:13:45She uses venom to kill her food.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47And is she highly venomous?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Now's not the right time to tell you,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53but this is the most venomous land snake in eastern Arabia.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54Ooh!
0:13:54 > 0:13:56That's got to be a good shot!
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Maybe that's enough for the camera.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02So, this snake would live alongside the lizard.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04You can't believe it, but they would. They do.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Would this snake hurt the spiny-tailed lizard?
0:14:06 > 0:14:08They seem to understand each other.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Spiny-tails are too big for her to eat,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12so the spiny-tail's got no reason to fear her.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16It'd be making this sound all the time, though, wouldn't it?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19A really irritating housemate.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25So, housemate number three in burrow number three.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28If you like venom, this is the snake for you.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30This viper could hold the title
0:14:30 > 0:14:33of the most dangerous snake in the world.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40Spiny-tailed lizards are in fact the only animal to make burrows
0:14:40 > 0:14:45of this size in the desert and not have a taste for meat.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49For nightmare housemates all across Arabia,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52they are the best landlords in the world...
0:14:54 > 0:14:55..if a bit clumsy.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59This dinosaur of the desert spends its days
0:14:59 > 0:15:01eating plants and sunbathing.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05It's more of a gentle giant than a nightmare contender.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06But its lethal lodgers,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10they're enough to give anyone serious sleepless nights.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14So, for providing them with a home, that's why the spiny-tailed lizard
0:15:14 > 0:15:17could dig its way to my deepest nightmare.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Desert skies.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Wide, open spaces.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31And back in the good books with Camilla the camel.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36It's time to settle down to read up on my next nightmare contender.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39All right, then, are you going to sit down here?
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Down you go, down you go.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47See how my camel-whispering skills are coming in handy.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Down you go, that's it.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Well done, Camilla.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Right, you just wait there for me. See you in a bit.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01OK, camel spider.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Not too keen on spiders, but camel spider,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I'm guessing it's called that because it's furry.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Mind you, if it's as friendly as her...
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Oh, it's yellow.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16The same size as a human?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18SHE WHIMPERS
0:16:18 > 0:16:20It eats camel stomachs.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Don't worry, Camilla, I'll protect you.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Chases humans whilst screaming?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29SHE WHIMPERS
0:16:29 > 0:16:32It hunts its prey in the desert at night.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Rarely has a creature sounded so nightmarish.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42But is this menacing reputation deserved?
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Peter is a desert animal specialist.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50He should be able to tell me what's fact and what's fiction
0:16:50 > 0:16:53when it comes to the camel spider.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- Oh, no! - Do you want hold this for me?
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Ahh! Pete, is that alive?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- No, this is not alive. - It's not?- No.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- It's still...really creepy. - Creepy, isn't it?
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Have I got to hold it?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10- Do you want to hold it?- Not really. - Just hold your hand there.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Oh, look how hairy it is!
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- There we go.- If this suddenly started moving, I would freak out.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Don't worry, it's not going to move. It's been preserved for a while now.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- Wow.- These spiders, they run very quickly,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27especially at night, so to catch them and to study them,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30it's very difficult while they're still alive.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34So, with this rare chance to get a really good look at one,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37it's time to get down to business.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Right, there are a lot of myths written about the camel spider.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- I believe so. - I want to know which ones are true.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47So, first of all, does this eat camels?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49No, it doesn't eat camels.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51You're all right, Camilla.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52CAMILLA GROANS
0:17:52 > 0:17:56It does closely relate to the camels because in the desert
0:17:56 > 0:18:01the camels tend to be the only piece of shade during the day.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- Oh, I see.- They get entangled to the hair of the camel.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08So when the camel stands up, there the camel spider goes.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10They don't eat the camel, they just get stuck in the hair.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- And go for a ride.- And go for a ride, that's all they do.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15So, really, when I get on Camilla,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17I should be checking her over for spiders.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19That is the best thing to do.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24OK, good start for the camel spider.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25On to myth number two.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Right, clearly this one is not as big as a human,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30but do they grow that big?
0:18:31 > 0:18:33SHE WHIMPERS
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- No, they hardly don't grow that big. - Good.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So you don't have to worry that they're bigger than you
0:18:39 > 0:18:41as they don't get much bigger than this.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- And are they venomous?- They're not.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47They don't have any venom glands or anything.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It's starting to sound as if camel spiders aren't nearly as bad
0:18:51 > 0:18:52as I was led to believe.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Look, lovely.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58One more myth to go.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Do they chase humans, screaming?
0:19:02 > 0:19:03If you start running away,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06he'll start running after you looking for the shade.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- That's where the myth starts, where they chase you.- OK.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10'And the screaming?'
0:19:10 > 0:19:12You will scream if it starts chasing you.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13Yeah.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16So, myths busted.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I'm starting to feel this spider doesn't deserve
0:19:19 > 0:19:20its terrifying reputation.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Until...
0:19:23 > 0:19:25..Peter point something out.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28From the eyes to the front to the little black bits,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30that is all the mouthparts.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- There are four big mandibles in the front.- Yeah.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35And those are like serrated blades.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38So what they do is they up and down,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40OK, so they cut the pieces
0:19:40 > 0:19:44and then they've got a forward and backward motion
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- to cut pieces of the prey, OK? - Like sawing it up.- Sawing it up.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52What would they eat with those jaws?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55They go for scorpions. They can go for mice.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56Mice?
0:19:56 > 0:19:59They're very good climbers in the trees,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03- so they go and they raid the nest of the birds as well.- Birds too?
0:20:04 > 0:20:06In the case of the camel spider,
0:20:06 > 0:20:11it seems that fact can be even more gruesome than fiction.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Well, we may have busted some myths about the camel spider,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17but it's still not very high on my list of loveliness.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21In fact, I'd go as far as saying, with its ginormous jaws
0:20:21 > 0:20:23and its creepy ways,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27it could scuttle into first place on my nightmare leaderboard.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Whoa!
0:20:33 > 0:20:35For my last nightmare contender,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39I'm leaving the desert behind and venturing into the city.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Now, don't get the hump, but no camels allowed, I'm afraid.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47You're going to have to stay here. Here you go, Mohammed.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Why the long face?
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Don't worry, I'll be back. Let's go, crew.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00There is a substance in Dubai that threatens the very existence
0:21:00 > 0:21:02of the sparkly city.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It eats away at buildings,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07it can strip the paint from cars...
0:21:08 > 0:21:10..spreads disease and smells...
0:21:12 > 0:21:13..horrible.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17The substance I'm talking about is pigeon poo.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26It could turn this modern, shiny metropolis into...
0:21:26 > 0:21:28well, a bit of a nightmare.
0:21:29 > 0:21:35A city like Dubai is crammed with food, water and perches -
0:21:35 > 0:21:38every mod con a pigeon could wish for.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40And numbers of these winged rats,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43as the locals call them, are soaring.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48A single pigeon can produce up to 12 kilos of poo each year.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Add all the pigeons in this city together
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and they could fill a double-decker bus with their poop.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Imagine that descending from the skies!
0:21:58 > 0:22:01But Dubai has a secret weapon
0:22:01 > 0:22:03in the fight against this poo invasion.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07I give you Mr Fisher the peregrine
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and his owner David.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16So, David, tell me, what has this beautiful bird got to do with
0:22:16 > 0:22:18the big poo problem they've got down there?
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Peregrine falcons in the wild eat pigeons.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- Ahh!- And so, even though Mr Fisher doesn't eat pigeons,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- these pigeons don't know that. - Brilliant. So he's a pigeon-scarer.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30He's a pigeon-scarer par excellence.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32- Absolutely.- And we won't tell the pigeons he doesn't eat them.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- Keep it a secret.- Don't tell the pigeons, that has to be a secret.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- They don't need to know that. - They do not.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40So, shall we see him in action? He looks like he's raring to go.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- He is raring to go. - And this bird can go fast, can't he?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45He can. He's capable of, in theory,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47speeds of around 300 kilometres an hour.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Seeing Mr Fisher hurtling out of the sky towards them
0:22:51 > 0:22:55should be enough to convince any pigeon to go elsewhere.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58I just need to put another little piece of equipment on him,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01which you can see here. This is his radio tracking device.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03And that doesn't hurt him at all?
0:23:03 > 0:23:07No, it doesn't hurt him at all, he's just wearing a rucksack.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- And he's so keen. - Look at him, he can't wait.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12He really can't wait, he's raring to go and see these pigeons.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Don't blink or you might miss this. Hello!
0:23:14 > 0:23:17A little stretch of the wings.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19- A little poo.- Exactly.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- Just...- Lighten the load a little bit. And he's off.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Be afraid, pigeons. Be very afraid.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29The way he's flying now, as you can see him,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33with his wings set like that, that is scary to the pigeons.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- That's the perfect falcon silhouette.- Right.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39But they also can sense, with that style of flying,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42that he doesn't really mean business.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45What we have to do is make the pigeons think
0:23:45 > 0:23:48that Mr Fisher is hunting.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49I'm going to swing this around,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52and it's Mr Fisher's favourite thing to chase.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54When we show him this food, his attitude changes.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55That really freaks everybody out.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57We'll see if we can grab his attention again.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- I don't know where he's gone. - I don't know where he's gone.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- I think he's disappeared behind the building.- Mr Fisher!
0:24:02 > 0:24:04No, he's front left, look.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- Where should I stand? - There's perfect.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09If you're there, you'll get a haircut from the falcon.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Here we go. Let's give him a spin. Come on, Fish!
0:24:12 > 0:24:13HE WHISTLES
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Here he comes, here he comes. Quick haircut.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- And another. Nobody move. - Straight round.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27You can hear his wings as he flies by. Whooo!
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Now we've got his attention, you see, we're getting this nice
0:24:31 > 0:24:34sort of sprint work which upsets the pigeons so much.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- Getting a bit lower. - HE WHISTLES
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Whoo!
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- Did you see that? - Yeah, we'll do another one.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- It's like a fighter pilot.- Good lad.
0:24:44 > 0:24:50Mr Fisher is actually only in our shot for a fraction of a second.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Well deserving of the title fastest animal on the planet.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It's amazing, when he came in,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02he sort of just twisted that way and then that way and then upside down.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03We call it the corkscrew.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07- A little genius.- He's a very clever little soul, there's no doubt.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10How often do you need to fly him to keep the pigeons away?
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- We fly the falcons here five days a week.- So it's a full-time job?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15It's very much a full-time job, yeah.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18And do you think just a few falcons are enough
0:25:18 > 0:25:20to have a big impact on this shower of poo?
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- It absolutely is.- Yes!
0:25:23 > 0:25:25- Thanks.- Well held!
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- Hey, Mr Fisher.- Is he all out of puff?- He's out of puff.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32He's huffing and puffing. What's he doing with his wings here?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35It's called mantling. What he's trying to do is hide the food
0:25:35 > 0:25:36from the whole world.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38It's mine and you can't have it.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41And in the falconry world, we consider it very bad manners,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45actually. But we're going to forgive Mr Fisher today.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- He's worked hard.- He's worked hard
0:25:47 > 0:25:49and we've got so many new faces today.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52And Mr Fisher's got some friends here as well, hasn't he?
0:25:52 > 0:25:55He has, yeah. We've got a few falcons here today.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- Any chance I could have a go? - There certainly is.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59Giving it a go.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Give us your best scare-a-pigeon face.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Urghhh!
0:26:05 > 0:26:07It's not going to... SQUEAKING
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Is that your scare-a-pigeon sound?
0:26:09 > 0:26:10You need to work on that.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Raring to go?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Ooh! Good luck, Joe.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15Whoo-hoo!
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Hee-hee!
0:26:21 > 0:26:24By the time this lot have shown what they can do,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27the pigeons will be left quaking in their little shoes.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33You do not want to be sitting there.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Look who's behind you.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And as the last pigeons leave the area
0:26:39 > 0:26:41with their tails tucked between their legs,
0:26:41 > 0:26:46it's time for David and his falcons to pack up for the night.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49These falcons have certainly got their work cut out,
0:26:49 > 0:26:50keeping this city shiny.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Ughhh!
0:26:51 > 0:26:55And this toxic, stinky, corrosive pigeon poo
0:26:55 > 0:26:59could well soar into the heady heights as my worst nightmare.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00Ughhh!
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Joe, you'd better get straight back up there, mate.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- WHISTLING - Hold on.- Stand him still.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Act like a good camel.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Well, after all that nightmare hunting,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19this Arabian adventure has reached its end.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22So I've just got to choose which horror is going to top my list.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26While that camel spider really did make my skin crawl...
0:27:27 > 0:27:30..and all that pigeon poo left a lot to be desired...
0:27:33 > 0:27:37..this time, my nightmare top spot goes to the spiny-tailed lizard
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and his horrendous housemates.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43And you agree, don't you?
0:27:43 > 0:27:44She does.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47BRAYING
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Pardon?
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- What's that?- That's one of our extras run away.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58"I'm hungry and he won't let me have any.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00"And I really like that green stuff."
0:28:01 > 0:28:03"No, no, no, no."
0:28:03 > 0:28:06It's only you, you're the only one moaning.