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Cast adrift in the far reaches
of the Southern Hemisphere

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lies a continent separated
from all other lands...

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..for 45 million years.

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Evolving in isolation,

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nature has created
a unique world of wonders.

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Spiders that dance...

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..birds that spread fire.

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Where bouncing beats walking and
youngsters are carried in pouches.

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It's a world where
animals have had to adapt

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to surprisingly diverse landscapes,

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and thrive in its vibrant seas...

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..even making their homes
amongst the growing concrete jungle.

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In this episode, we travel
to Australia's far flung corners...

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..to discover how these
contrasting landscapes each create

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their own set of challenges.

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And find out what it takes
to survive

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in Earth's Magical Kingdom.

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Australia is a land defined
by its vast, hot outback.

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But in the southernmost regions,
desert gives way to snow.

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On the country's highest peaks,
the Snowy Mountains,

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winter temperatures plummet
to well below zero.

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Reaching over 2,000 metres,

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this range spends half the year
beneath a blanket of snow.

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Only the toughest stay
to see out a winter up here.

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This echidna has hibernated on and
off through the coldest months,

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emerging at the tail end of winter
very hungry.

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But there's no food here
for an insect eater.

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To get around this problem,
this solitary mammal,

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twice the size of a hedgehog,
has the remarkable ability

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to lower his body temperature
to below five degrees Celsius.

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Conserving energy, he requires
less food to get by.

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It's a lonely march
on an empty stomach,

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until the thaw,
when he can feed again.

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As the warmer days of spring arrive,

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rivers begin to flow
down the mountain.

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For the echidna, springtime brings
the promise of food

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after the winter's famine.

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But one obstacle still stands
in the way of a full belly.

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A fast flowing one.

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Using his long beak as a snorkel
and large feet as paddles,

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he's perfectly capable
of a river crossing.

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This adaptable little creature
evolved tens of millions of years

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ago and is the most widespread
of all Australia's native animals.

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He will now spend
18 hours a day foraging,

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using his highly sensitive nose
to hoover up ants and termites

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wherever he can find them.

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The echidna is a monotreme,

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believed to have evolved
from a platypus-like ancestor.

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Despite the platypus being furred,
duck-billed and truly aquatic,

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the pair still share
some unique characteristics.

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They are the world's only
egg-laying and milk-bearing mammals.

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But only the platypus
forages underwater,

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using electrical receptors
in his bill to find prey.

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The platypus is one of Australia's
evolutionary masterpieces...

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..a finely tuned hunter
and a living fossil,

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whose family existed at the time
of the dinosaurs.

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But it's the mammals that came later
in the evolutionary calendar

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that now dominate the grasslands
and forests that radiate out

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from the base of
the Snowy Mountains.

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The marsupials.

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Most familiar of them all
is the eastern grey kangaroo.

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The weight of a man,
but head and shoulders taller,

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this top-ranking male
is displaying his might.

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The challenge here isn't
finding food or facing the elements,

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it's social harmony.

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He scent marks his territory with
sticky secretions from his chest,

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leaving no-one in any doubt
that he is in charge of this patch.

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He presides over a harem
of nine breeding females,

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all with at least one joey.

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But despite their posturing,
males are not the driving force

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behind this extraordinarily
successful species.

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That accolade belongs to the female,
and her uniquely marsupial pouch.

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While one joey is starting
to explore the world,

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a tiny baby is already developing
in his mother's pouch.

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Each joey feeds
on a different teat,

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depending on their stage
of development.

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High in carbohydrates
for the newborn...

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..or high fat for the older joey...

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..who is being forced to spend
more time outside the pouch...

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..giving his mum and new sibling
a break.

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At ten months old,
it's time for the youngster

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to watch and learn what it means
to be male in the 'roo world.

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Too small to join in,
he must learn by example.

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Important techniques include
scratching...

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..grappling...

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..rapid fire punching...

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..head dodges...

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..kung fu kicks...

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..tail balancing...

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..the sneaky headlock...

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..and knowing when to admit defeat.

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For now, it's safest to practise
on his long-suffering mother.

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With the young joey now almost
permanently out of the pouch,

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she is ready to fall pregnant again.

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A fact not lost on the amorous
dominant male.

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He will pursue her relentlessly
for days,

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much to her irritation.

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But rival males
are a constant threat.

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This time, it's no play fight.

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Maintaining his status
as the dominant male is so taxing,

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he may only hold on to his position
for a year.

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In a large society, achieving social
harmony is always a challenge.

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But the fact that it is
a large society

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demonstrates that kangaroos
are doing well.

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There are now millions of them.

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They are among the few
native animals to benefit

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from the increase
in agricultural grazing land

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and the decline of Australia's
natural apex predators.

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Australia's top carnivore,
the Tasmanian tiger,

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was hunted to extinction
in the early 1900s.

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And the grand hunter from the skies,

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Australia's own eagle, has come
perilously close to the same fate.

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Australia's wedge-tailed eagle
is one of the world's largest.

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For years, it was mercilessly
persecuted.

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Inaccurately portrayed
as a prolific killer of lambs.

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With a bounty on its head,

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up to 30,000 eagles
were killed each year.

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Eagles are now protected,

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and most farmers accept that they
are no threat to their livestock.

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They are now affectionately
known as wedges,

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and their calls echo
once more across farmland.

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Australia's biggest bird of prey
has a chance of a comeback.

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Thanks, in part, to a devastating
legacy of European settlers.

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Fluffy eagle fodder.

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Brought here 150 years ago,
and now in plague proportions.

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The wedge-tailed eagle is a stunning
avian predator.

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With a two-metre wingspan,

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the wedge-tail can soar
to heights of 2,000 metres

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and carry half her 5kg body weight
in her huge talons.

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Her eagle eyes
pick up something curious.

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An eastern long-necked tortoise.

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Despite his almost-impenetrable
shell,

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he's not taking any chances.

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She's sure that rock was moving.

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Baffling!

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The eagle resumes her search
for an easier target.

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This time, a more familiar one.

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In some parts of Australia, rabbits
make up 90% of the eagle's diet.

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The tortoise, zero.

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And eagles are now
the farmer's friend.

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Helping to keep
the rabbit populations down.

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By helping to solve one of man's
self-inflicted problems,

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wedge-tailed eagles
have earned their survival.

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But there's one species
that offers us nothing more

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than its charming existence.

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And its plight is far less visible.

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100 miles southeast of Perth

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lie the Dryandra Woodlands.

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Covering just over 100 square miles,

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they are tiny
by Australia's standards,

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but they are critically important.

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This stand of wandoo eucalyptus

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is one of the last strongholds

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of an enchanting creature that once
roamed the entire continent.

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As the morning sun hits the carpet
of wild flowers

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and insects begin
massing on the forest floor,

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a small marsupial
is making its first move.

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The shy and secretive numbat.

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The closest living relative
to the extinct Tasmanian tiger

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is on a termite hunt.

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She needs 20,000 termites
to fill her belly.

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Back in her den
are four rapidly-growing pups

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that she has fed through the night.

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The young are eight months old

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and starting to become curious
about life beyond the burrow.

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One is bolder than the rest.

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She's begun to explore
the tree stump fortress

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protecting the burrow exit.

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Her siblings follow,

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trembling as the cool morning air
hits their fur.

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Each day, the leader inches closer
to the fortress walls.

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Now, she has her first glimpse
of the world beyond.

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Every new sound is startling,

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heralding a potential threat.

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They are wise to be cautious.

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Numbats once ranged widely
across Australia.

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Today, there are fewer than
the famous endangered snow leopard

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or giant panda.

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They need something that is now
in short supply.

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Undisturbed woodland,

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with plenty of logs
filled with termites.

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The adult female
uses her worm-like tongue

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to extract tasty morsels
from hard-to-reach crevices.

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Each day, she'll swallow
10% of her own body weight.

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Her young are getting braver,
and revelling in the sun.

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Their rounded snouts,
suited to milk-feeding,

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are becoming more elongated
by the day.

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Within a month, they, too,
will be reliant on termites.

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So the job of working out
what is food and what is not

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is the lesson of the day.

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Except for one of them.

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The intrepid explorer wants
to discover

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what lies beyond the wall...

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..while her siblings stay
cautiously close to the burrow.

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She'll keep wandering further
from the burrow

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until, one day, she leaves her
mother's territory for good,

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perhaps crossing paths with
other young numbats,

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also emerging from hollows
in this forest.

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Together, they carry the survival
of their entire species

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00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:38,440
on their shoulders.

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Over the past 200 years,
habitat loss

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and predation by invasive species

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has led to numbats disappearing
from 99% of their previous range.

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There are now fewer than 1,000
left in the wild.

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Where Australia's ancient ecosystems
are left intact,

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animals thrive.

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In Far Northern Queensland,

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a remnant of the world's
oldest rainforest

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runs like a green ribbon
along the coast.

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Older even than the Amazon,

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Australia's fertile tropics
date back 180 million years.

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Their year-round heat and humidity
provide the perfect condition

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for all manner of species to thrive.

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00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:05,880
But that doesn't mean life is easy.

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00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,440
Competition for the spoils
is the challenge here...

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00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,240
..even on the forest floor.

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00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:18,400
Dark and damp...

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00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,480
..only 2% of sunlight
finds its way here.

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00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:31,320
Yet these conditions are perfect
for thousands of species of fungi.

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As they battle to dominate
every surface,

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they create a mystical display
of mycological magic.

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They break down wood
and fallen leaves,

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returning nutrients
to the soil...

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..while slime moulds
hunt down the fungi

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and turn them into nutrients too.

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It's a live fast, die young
existence on this forest floor.

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Fungi are the unsung heroes
of the rainforest.

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They're true recycling pioneers.

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Feeding the hungry forest
for millions of years,

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they've helped it become one of
the Earth's evolutionary hot spots.

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00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:45,680
It's in these rainforests

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that Australia's mammals
first emerged

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and then spread far and wide
across the continent's grasslands.

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But there is one kangaroo

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that has never left
its rainforest home.

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A shy creature, rarely seen
on the forest floor...

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..because its home is high
in the gallery.

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00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,320
A tree kangaroo.

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00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:54,360
This young male has evolved for life
in the trees,

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00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:57,760
with large, strong arms,
big, curved claws,

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00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:59,960
and a tail as long as his body.

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But even 20m up, he's still
clearly a kangaroo...

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..if a little less agile than most.

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At almost two years old,
he's only recently left his mother

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to find his own territory.

246
00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:52,800
Unlike his ground-dwelling cousins,
he will live a solitary life,

247
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,640
only seeking a female
when it's time to mate.

248
00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,960
But he's finding it hard
to make the break.

249
00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:02,600
He can hear his mother
in a nearby tree

250
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,680
and crosses the canopy to reach her.

251
00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:09,560
But it's not a warm welcome.

252
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,680
She doesn't want him near,
and moves away.

253
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,280
Her tough love makes sense.

254
00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:30,480
At eight months, her youngest joey
has started to leave the pouch

255
00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,440
and is exploring her highwire
world.

256
00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:39,360
She's wobbly enough.

257
00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,440
Teenage sibling might
topple her altogether.

258
00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:54,480
With his mother fully occupied,

259
00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,080
he'll have to accept
he's now an adult

260
00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,120
and it's time to go it alone.

261
00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:08,560
And space is something that is
in short supply in the rainforest,

262
00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:11,960
where almost half of Australia's
colourful bird species

263
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,080
are competing to raise
the next generation.

264
00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:25,520
They use forest treasures
to build elaborate nests.

265
00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,960
The sunbird uses bark and seeds...

266
00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:42,320
..while the fawn-breasted bowerbird
creates an eye-catching structure

267
00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,400
with leaves to charm his mate.

268
00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:04,920
This female eclectus parrot

269
00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:09,080
has laid her eggs in
a much sought-after tree hollow.

270
00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:15,280
Her green mate will deliver
food to her

271
00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:17,280
so she can stay on guard duty.

272
00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,800
High and dry, the hollow is safe
from flooding and predators.

273
00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:30,120
It's the perfect spot
for her precious clutch.

274
00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,800
It should be a textbook incubation.

275
00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,200
COCKATOOS SCREECH

276
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,120
But the neighbours nobody wants

277
00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:54,080
are looking to move
into this leafy suburb.

278
00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,560
The sulphur-crested cockatoo.

279
00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,000
COCKATOO SCREECHES

280
00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,960
Loud, assertive and ready to lay,

281
00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,400
this pair want the hollow
for themselves.

282
00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:22,120
But the eclectus that is lucky
to raise even one clutch a year

283
00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,360
isn't easily intimidated.

284
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:47,920
As the day heats up,

285
00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:52,200
temperatures inside the nest
reach more than 30 degrees Celsius.

286
00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:03,160
And with their own body heat raising
the temperature further,

287
00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,240
it soon becomes too hot
for her eggs.

288
00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:20,600
She has no option but to leave
to let things cool.

289
00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,040
It's a big gamble.

290
00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,160
If the cockatoos get inside,

291
00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,920
they will smash the eggs
to make room for their own.

292
00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,600
It looks as though all is lost.

293
00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:48,200
The eclectus will lose her chance
to raise chicks this year.

294
00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,360
BIRDS SCREECH

295
00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:57,400
But not here and not today.

296
00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:59,800
Victory belongs to the eclectus.

297
00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:07,560
Such are the challenges
of raising the next generation

298
00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:11,200
in the competitive environment
of the rainforest.

299
00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:23,960
But it's not just about
having a place to raise a family.

300
00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:27,240
It's also about being heard
above the din.

301
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:34,840
Songbirds originated in Australian
rainforests 24 million years ago.

302
00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:42,480
And some of nature's great vocalists
are still to be found here.

303
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:45,920
BIRDS CALL

304
00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,040
But there's one species
that has developed

305
00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:56,280
a way of communicating

306
00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:59,720
that is far in advance
of anything witnessed elsewhere

307
00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,360
in the avian world.

308
00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:05,880
The palm cockatoo, or palmy,

309
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,880
is known for its superior
intelligence and longevity.

310
00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:18,320
It has a brain to body weight ratio
comparable to a dolphin

311
00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:20,280
or a great ape,

312
00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:22,960
and it can live for over 50 years.

313
00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,960
Like its parrot relatives,
it, too, nests in tree hollows.

314
00:34:31,240 --> 00:34:36,320
This proud pair work in shifts,
with one parent always on guard.

315
00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:42,800
They mate for life,

316
00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:44,440
and like all successful marriages,

317
00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,480
that means good communication
is the key.

318
00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:54,840
The pair greet each other
with a kiss

319
00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,960
as they swap guarding
and foraging duties.

320
00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:14,080
The hard fruits of
the nonda plum tree

321
00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,320
are too tough for most birds.

322
00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:19,800
But the palmy has one of the largest
and strongest beaks

323
00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:24,240
in the bird world - so large,
it never quite closes.

324
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:44,120
As the female returns
to the nest, her belly full,

325
00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,800
she offers a distinct knock
to say, "It's me."

326
00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:52,480
KNOCKING SOUND

327
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,640
But her mate works harder still
to message his partner...

328
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:11,360
..communicating in a way
no other bird,

329
00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:14,040
indeed, no other wild animal,
is able.

330
00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:22,960
The male palmy has an ability
long-thought exclusively human.

331
00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,320
He fashions a drumstick...

332
00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:44,240
..and deliberately beats out
a rhythm.

333
00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:56,040
Each male has his own individual
drumming style.

334
00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,160
Why he does it is unclear.

335
00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:08,240
Perhaps it's a show of strength
to ward off competitors,

336
00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:12,720
or a message to his partner
that she need look no further -

337
00:37:12,720 --> 00:37:16,560
he and his nest are best.

338
00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:23,280
Rainforests thrive because
of their stable climate.

339
00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:28,080
The opposite is true of
the Northern Monsoon Region

340
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:31,160
that covers almost a quarter
of the continent.

341
00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:34,400
Here, the land seesaws
between two extremes...

342
00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,960
..the floods of the summer's
wet season...

343
00:37:44,240 --> 00:37:49,000
..and the raging fires that can burn
for months through parched winters.

344
00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:57,760
It is these extremes

345
00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:00,440
that have helped sculpt
some dramatic landscapes.

346
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:12,880
Savannas sweep across more than
1.5 million square kilometres...

347
00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,280
..intersected by permanent
tidal rivers...

348
00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,560
..the hunting ground
of the saltwater crocodile.

349
00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:58,120
This male, known locally
as Casanova, has been top cock

350
00:38:58,120 --> 00:38:59,960
on this river for decades.

351
00:39:03,240 --> 00:39:06,880
He has 60 teeth,
measures over 4m long

352
00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:10,040
and weighs almost three quarters
of a tonne.

353
00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:17,840
Now in his late fifties,

354
00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:20,880
he might be considered an old croc.

355
00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:25,560
But that hasn't stopped him
learning a new trick.

356
00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:34,000
Casanova has adapted to the presence
of humans in an unexpected way.

357
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:37,960
He has learned to associate

358
00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:43,240
the rumble of a boat engine,
filled with delicious tourists,

359
00:39:43,240 --> 00:39:45,080
with dinner.

360
00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:46,880
Life jackets, yeah?

361
00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:48,480
They're situated just up there.

362
00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:50,560
I'm not even going to show you
how to put one on.

363
00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:52,160
Does anyone know why?

364
00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:57,640
Crocodiles are attracted
to bright colours, OK?

365
00:39:57,640 --> 00:39:59,040
And splashing. So, um...

366
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:01,400
And there's about 5,000 crocodiles
in this river.

367
00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:02,760
If you end up in the water,

368
00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:04,880
you won't have time
to drown anyway. Yeah?

369
00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,200
So number one,
avoid going in the water.

370
00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:09,920
But if we do,
life jackets are useless.

371
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:17,560
It's fair to say Casanova makes
quite a splash with the tourists,

372
00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:21,840
who come to see him put his natural
hunting abilities to use.

373
00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:33,000
A wave-like thrust,

374
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:36,960
created by hundreds of muscles
working in tandem,

375
00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:38,880
push against the water.

376
00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:52,400
He finishes the leap with a snap
of his jaws,

377
00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:56,560
exerting the strongest
down force of any animal.

378
00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:09,360
..lizards, snakes, birds
and mammals...

379
00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:11,600
She's ready to go now.
Look at this.

380
00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:13,840
No mucking around.
Here we go, here we go.

381
00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:22,760
JAWS SNAP LOUDLY

382
00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:36,160
To avoid a crocodile attack
is very easy.

383
00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:38,240
You stay back 6m
from the water's edge

384
00:41:38,240 --> 00:41:39,800
and you never enter the water.

385
00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:43,760
Those two simple things -
never get attacked by a crocodile.

386
00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:46,720
Although that is a very complex
thing to comprehend

387
00:41:46,720 --> 00:41:47,960
for some people.

388
00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:01,160
On this river,
crocs have a seemingly easy life,

389
00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,840
but it's not entirely
without its challenges.

390
00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:10,400
Despite being Australia's
apex predator,

391
00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:13,000
crocodiles are relentlessly
hunted...

392
00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:17,600
..by the March fly.

393
00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:23,720
At just 2cm long,

394
00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:26,520
it's thousands of times smaller
than its prey.

395
00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:40,800
It seeks out weak spots
in the croc's armour,

396
00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:46,040
and bores its scissor-like proboscis
into the soft skin below.

397
00:42:56,440 --> 00:43:01,680
An anticoagulant in the fly's saliva
prevents the blood from clotting.

398
00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:07,920
And the fly then
sucks up the blood

399
00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:09,960
with its fleshy mouthparts...

400
00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:18,600
..filling to bursting point
on its victim's rich, cold blood.

401
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:26,760
The delicate three-layered eyelid

402
00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:29,600
is particularly vulnerable
to attack.

403
00:43:34,240 --> 00:43:36,640
Nostrils are targeted too.

404
00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:42,880
Each bite is a painful irritant,
and there are plenty of them.

405
00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,160
From this perspective,

406
00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:49,840
the menacing croc is reduced
to an involuntary blood donor,

407
00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:53,760
although it does have one
pest-control strategy.

408
00:43:57,760 --> 00:43:59,360
Mud.

409
00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:06,680
Not only a barrier to flies,

410
00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:11,920
but also a salve to soothe
irritating bites...

411
00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:20,960
..at least for a moment.

412
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:28,000
In the end, the flies always
find a weak point.

413
00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:35,120
The crocodile has had
to change very little

414
00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:37,760
since the time of the dinosaurs,

415
00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:40,240
but it isn't perfect.

416
00:44:40,240 --> 00:44:43,400
With legs this short,
there's always going to be an itch

417
00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:45,880
that just can't be scratched.

418
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:57,200
While the croc fights daily battles
with its flies...

419
00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:02,320
..other creatures of
Australia's Monsoon Region

420
00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:06,000
face the challenges
presented by changes of season.

421
00:45:09,240 --> 00:45:11,520
Birds migrate,

422
00:45:11,520 --> 00:45:15,640
moving with the dramatic pulses
of the wet and dry.

423
00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:21,440
Other creatures, unable to flee
inhospitable seasons,

424
00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:24,480
must remain and face the elements.

425
00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:42,960
On the flood plains of Maningrida,
the monsoon will soon arrive.

426
00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:48,680
This region is home

427
00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:51,280
to one of the most remote
communities in Australia.

428
00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:56,800
The children here enjoy
a playground of epic proportions

429
00:45:56,800 --> 00:46:01,240
and they have discovered
an extraordinary web of life

430
00:46:01,240 --> 00:46:03,080
beneath their feet.

431
00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:07,960
In just one small area,

432
00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:14,480
they've helped scientists identify
an astonishing 46 new spiders,

433
00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:16,560
including one tarantula.

434
00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:24,240
Like most spiders, they have
eight eyes and eight legs.

435
00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:28,680
But what sets these tarantulas apart
is their dashing red coat.

436
00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:46,120
Almost every metre of this
flood plain has a spider burrow...

437
00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:50,880
..forming a megacluster
of ambush hunters.

438
00:47:04,240 --> 00:47:09,080
This female has settled down to wait
for the perfect dinner guest.

439
00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:20,480
She's spun a series of silk trip
wires around her burrow entrance.

440
00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:45,320
And she'll strike only when success
is guaranteed.

441
00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:48,920
This longheaded hopper is lucky.

442
00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:03,600
Once in the tarantula's
eight-legged grasp,

443
00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:05,440
there's no chance of escape.

444
00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:12,560
She injects toxic venom
into the grasshopper

445
00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:14,920
with her one-inch fangs,

446
00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:19,800
dealing the unfortunate victim
a final, paralysing blow.

447
00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:25,880
THUNDER RUMBLES

448
00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:29,880
Rumbles outside suggest her world
is about to be drenched.

449
00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:35,360
The monsoon has arrived.

450
00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:48,040
As pressure builds, electric charges
begin to spark and fire.

451
00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:55,520
Each thunderstorm releases
an atomic bomb's worth of energy.

452
00:48:55,520 --> 00:48:58,360
THUNDER CRASHES LOUDLY

453
00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:15,120
A flood makes its way
towards the plain.

454
00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:24,200
For a creature that lives
underground,

455
00:49:24,200 --> 00:49:26,000
this could spell disaster.

456
00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:43,480
But she's no ordinary tarantula.

457
00:49:43,480 --> 00:49:45,720
She won't flee her burrow.

458
00:49:47,240 --> 00:49:50,560
This spider is evolved
to cope with flood.

459
00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:55,320
She has her own silvery
life support system.

460
00:49:56,440 --> 00:49:59,320
Her hairy coat traps air bubbles,

461
00:49:59,320 --> 00:50:02,840
providing the perfect
backup air supply

462
00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:05,800
as she breathes through holes
in her abdomen.

463
00:50:17,680 --> 00:50:19,880
Like a cosmonaut in space,

464
00:50:19,880 --> 00:50:22,880
she has created
her own atmosphere.

465
00:50:25,520 --> 00:50:28,160
Her discovery is so recent,

466
00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:30,000
she has no official name.

467
00:50:31,680 --> 00:50:35,880
She's simply referred to
as the "diving tarantula",

468
00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:38,920
a truly unique
Australian phenomenon.

469
00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:47,280
Nobody knows what her underwater
endurance limit might be,

470
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:51,520
but the monsoon floods
may last for four months.

471
00:50:56,800 --> 00:51:01,280
Scientists estimate there are
25,000 diving tarantulas

472
00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:03,000
on this one flood plain.

473
00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:16,320
When the wet season ends,
the floodwater recedes,

474
00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:19,440
leaving a vivid and
replenished survivor.

475
00:51:26,880 --> 00:51:31,720
It will soon be the dry season's
turn to repaint the landscape.

476
00:51:31,720 --> 00:51:34,680
Months will pass without rain.

477
00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:36,600
The land will be parched.

478
00:51:39,240 --> 00:51:43,320
But for some, this challenge also
presents an opportunity.

479
00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:03,560
Traditional burning of
the grasslands by Indigenous people

480
00:52:03,560 --> 00:52:05,840
has occurred for thousands
of years.

481
00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:11,480
It triggers germination and prevents
uncontrollable wildfires

482
00:52:11,480 --> 00:52:13,200
later in the season.

483
00:52:20,240 --> 00:52:22,920
The dry grass ignites quickly

484
00:52:22,920 --> 00:52:26,360
and the flames move on,
leaving the trees intact.

485
00:52:35,360 --> 00:52:38,960
The rising smoke has not
gone unnoticed.

486
00:52:44,640 --> 00:52:46,520
A black kite has been drawn in.

487
00:52:53,440 --> 00:52:56,600
The rangers have prepared
an easy meal...

488
00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:01,760
..an exodus of creatures
fleeing the flames.

489
00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:18,600
Out in the open, they are
a prime target for aerial attack.

490
00:53:36,640 --> 00:53:41,480
But the pleasure of solitary dining
will be short-lived.

491
00:53:41,480 --> 00:53:44,120
The smoke signal has spread
far and wide

492
00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:47,080
and the black kite
is soon joined by others.

493
00:53:52,040 --> 00:53:53,520
Hundreds of them.

494
00:54:15,240 --> 00:54:19,320
and talons clash over the spoils
below.

495
00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:27,800
Soon, the insect supply
will be exhausted.

496
00:54:27,800 --> 00:54:31,520
But these kites have a clever way
of obtaining more.

497
00:54:33,920 --> 00:54:35,680
They've developed a technique

498
00:54:35,680 --> 00:54:38,600
that has become immortalized
in local folklore.

499
00:54:41,600 --> 00:54:46,560
This has led them to being called
the firebird, or "karrkkanj".

500
00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:11,080
TRANSLATION:

501
00:55:58,680 --> 00:56:00,800
These ingenious pyromaniacs

502
00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:04,920
have been seen creating new fronts
during bushfires,

503
00:56:04,920 --> 00:56:07,000
expanding their hunting area

504
00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:09,400
and flushing out fresh prey.

505
00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:28,000
Apart from humans,

506
00:56:28,000 --> 00:56:30,960
they are the only animal known
to harness fire

507
00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:32,880
for personal gain.

508
00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:43,720
Despite being one of the world's
most common raptors,

509
00:56:43,720 --> 00:56:48,200
it's only here in Australia
that black kites play with fire.

510
00:56:56,200 --> 00:57:01,600
Like its landscape, Australia's
wildlife is dramatic and magical.

511
00:57:03,680 --> 00:57:06,200
We've seen how animals survive
here...

512
00:57:15,440 --> 00:57:17,240
..through intelligence...

513
00:57:22,760 --> 00:57:23,680
..unique evolution...

514
00:57:25,600 --> 00:57:27,400
..and adaptability.

515
00:57:33,040 --> 00:57:34,920
Some are thriving...

516
00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:45,680
..while others are on the brink
of extinction.

517
00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:57,960
Each individual faces
its own set of challenges.

518
00:58:04,400 --> 00:58:07,640
But it is the challenge
of the modern world

519
00:58:07,640 --> 00:58:10,880
that is proving to be
the biggest test yet.