Animal Survival Tactics and Ocean Warfare | Extra Long Documentary

[dramatic orchestral music playing] [male narrator] All the millions of animal species on Earth... are armed with a weapon of some kind. Deployed to catch their prey... evade a hunter... or secure a mate. This weaponry gives animals the edge they need to endure. Finely-tuned over millions of years of evolution, only the strongest contenders remain fighting, in the battle for survival. [dramatic music continues] More animal warriors compete in the world's lush jungles and dense forests, than anywhere else on the planet. But it's a home riddled with hiding places... and elaborate escape routes. This complex hunting arena demands

some of the deadliest weaponry... in the world's great animal arms race. [bird screeching] [insects trilling] [sinister music playing] Deep in the jungle, the greatest dangers lurk... unseen. [crocodile grunts] Weighing in at half a tonne and armed with the most powerful bite of any species, the female saltwater crocodile is a deadly predator. In Borneo, South-East Asia... she is queen of the jungle. However her prey also comes well armed. Protected by many cautious eyes and ears. [screeches] They can quickly melt back into the forest. A confusing maze of vegetation. In a flat out chase across this complicated

hunting arena, crocodiles know they will lose. So they wait for their prey to come to them. [birds chirping] [grunting] A small herd of bearded pigs presents an opportunity. Pigs are intelligent, and fast. [squeals] But the crocodile is patient. [grunts] She is an expert ambush hunter. Although the reptilian brain is small, crocodiles are capable of studying the habits of their prey, and coming up with a plan. When the time is right, she goes undercover. Manoeuvering her considerable bulk beneath the surface. No easy feat for such a mammoth hunter. As close as possible to the bank, she

freezes. By slowing her heart rate, the crocodile can stay like this for up to an hour. [suspenseful music playing] She won't attack unless the pig wanders into the strike zone. [pig squeals] Sixty sharp teeth snap shut on the pig, and she pulls it under into a death roll, drowning and dismembering her victim. It's been the perfect ambush, showing off the crocodile's successful mix of strength and strategy. Planning a hidden attack from beneath the cover of water is one thing... but how does a hunter creep up on its prey from the river's edge? [suspenseful music playing]

In the depths of the Amazon jungle in South America, potential hiding places are everywhere. And on each tree sits a sentry. [various animals vocalizing] The rest of the forest works together alerting all to the presence of an invader. [screeches] In this case, a jaguar. The largest cat in the Americas. Armed with the strongest bite of all the big cats relative to size, a jaguar can kill prey instantly with one powerful bite. And unlike most cats, they're not afraid of the water. As good swimmers and able to rip through scales and tough skin, jaguars are the

only felines who regularly hunt reptiles. A member of the turtle family, the terrapin carries a safety bunker on its back. Overlapping plates of keratin form a barrier around its vital organs. If threatened, the terrapin will retreat inside, so the trick is to creep up on it undetected. [dramatic music playing] [chatters] [chatters] Today has been a success. But only two percent of the jungle's protein is found on the forest floor. Because most animals rarely leave the safety of the canopy. [gentle piano music playing] Famous for their excruciatingly slow speed, sloths spend most of their lives in

the treetops. And never do anything in a rush. In Central America's Costa Rica, this female and her pup are on the search for some succulent leaves. But sloths are picky eaters. So it takes time. [gentle piano music playing] [birds chirping] Moving at such a measured pace is actually quite difficult. Sloths are surprisingly strong, and have a vice-like grip. Good for getting around, but also deployed as a weapon to evade their enemies. [dramatic music playing] On the forest floor, a jaguarundi approaches. Although one of the smaller cats, she's still large enough to take on a sloth.

Her otter-like tail gives her incredible balance, and her slender build makes it easy to scale trees in an instant. Like most hunters, she responds to any sign of movement... so the sloth freezes, shielding her pup from view. Suspended only by their arms, a sloth can hold its position in mid air for over ten minutes. Long enough for even a sharp sighted cat to lose interest. Algae growing in the sloth's fur completes the camouflage. A close shave. This time, slow and steady wins the race. [ethereal music playing] Back in the Amazon River... some predators have learnt

to hunt as a team. Giant otters communicate constantly with one another. They are a small, tightly-knit family, made up of a lead female and several generations of her offspring. Only by working together with military precision, can they quickly capture their prey. Because these otters are fish-eaters, and in these streams, nothing is faster than a fish. Webbed back feet make the otters strong swimmers, and thick whiskers guide them to the fish by sensing tiny vibrations. Some targets have already been identified. The troop begins driving the fish downstream. The young ones hang back, watching the adults. Their

ability to learn from one another is key to the otters' successful cooperation. The fish school together, seeking safety in numbers. But this is exactly what the otters are waiting for. They herd the fish towards a dense patch of aquatic plants, and the trap is set. [dramatic music playing] When predators work together, they can bring down even the most slippery prey. [birds chirping] Further south of the equator, dense jungles give way to the open forests and woodlands of Australia’s east coast. [parrots screech] Here, predators must rely on camouflage to surprise their prey. [suspenseful music playing] The

venomous death adder... armed with some of the longest fangs of any snake, and one of the fastest strikes. He can attack in a quarter of a second… faster than the blink of an eye. [dramatic music playing] It's rare to ever see one on the move, for the adder never actively hunts. Instead he has a secret weapon for tricking prey to their deaths. His taper-thin tail acts as a lure, mimicking the movement of a tasty insect. The weapon is so deceptive, even death adders in less forested areas use it to entice their prey. It's been a

long time between meals, and nearby is a perfect target. A skink, on its own hunt for flies and moths. In one second, a skink can cover ten times it’s own body length. Good for catching flying prey and escaping danger. This adder is no match for its speed so instead he hunkers down and sets his trap. All it takes is the smallest twitch. To a skink, it is simply irresistible. [suspenseful music playing] The skink is in striking range and yet the adder holds his position. Even this close, the lizard could still escape. The adder pumps the

skink's body full of neurotoxic venom. First the lizard is paralysed, then his lungs begin to fail. The adder’s tempting tail has done its deadly job. [ethereal music playing] For those seeking to avoid capture... Australia’s open forests have fewer places to hide. So some animals have evolved impressive defensive arsenals. Like the heavily armoured echidna. They belong to an ancient order of mammals called monotremes, egg laying mammals. And have existed here unchanged for over fifteen million years. A testament to the effectiveness of their bristling defenses. [bright music playing] They also have their own offensive weapons. A sensitive

beak picks up electrical signals emitted by the insects they prey upon. Once their target is in range, they deploy a rapidfire tongue, fifteen centimetres in length and covered in sticky mucous. To get his fill, this male has to eat over 40,000 ants and termites a day. [birds chirping] Sometimes his meal fights back. A nest of meat ants. With their troops numbering in the tens of thousands, meat ants devour anything in their path... Dead or alive. They are also highly territorial, and will sacrifice their lives to defend the nest. The echidna’s spines are no defense against

these miniature warriors, but his swift tongue can inflict heavy damages in just a few seconds. [up-tempo music playing] So he’s planning a shock and awe assault on this ant fortress. As soon as he enters the nest, the ants sound the alarm. A forward line of guards swarm the enemy. The ants might be small, but they can inflict painful bites and the have the weight of numbers. The echidna is repulsed. Ridding himself of the remaining fighters is no easy task. Even animals as well armed as the echidna can find themselves outmanoeuvred. In many forests, those with

even less protection have evolved to survive... under the cover of darkness. [ethereal music playing] They seek safety in the night... [owl hoots] But they are mistaken. [ethereal music playing] The barn owl is the master of the night sky. Its large eyes are extremely sensitive in low light. But his real weapon is a sense that can penetrate even the darkest of nights. The owl's heart-shaped face channels sound into his ears, like a satellite dish used for ultra-precision hearing. It is put to the test tracking the careful movements of the owl's favourite meal... The common house mouse.

Widespread on every continent outside Antarctica, the mouse is one of the most successful mammals on the planet. It stays beneath the grass, with access to a maze of escape routes on a miniature scale. Huge, round ears pick out any tell-tale sign of danger. Yet even the most vigilant mouse can give itself away. The owl has detected its target, but the hunt is far from over. One sound from its wings, and the mouse will be down one of its emergency exits in a heartbeat. So the owl has evolved into one of the quietest fliers in the

animal kingdom. [suspenseful music playing] Most bird wings have a hard edges that whip the air as they move. The barn owl's wings however are frayed at the ends, softening the passage of the air. They ghost through the trees without even a whisper. [mouse squeals] The barn owl eats about four rodents a night. That's almost 1,500 kills a year. No wonder it’s such a well-honed hunter. [insects trill] Mice are not the only animals who try to hide amongst the undergrowth. In fact most of the creatures here use the foliage as cover. Insects make up eighty percent

of all species on the planet… and the majority of them are found in forests. Such tiny prey are best hunted by tiny predators. [eerie music playing] Spiders kill 800 million tonnes of insects each year... Double the amount of meat and fish consumed by humans. [eerie music continues] This is warfare waged on an industrial scale… And yet these miniature battles are rarely seen close-up. A portia spider. One of the most highly skilled micro hunters. Her first weapon is an incredible way of getting around. Able to leap 50 times her body length, escape seems impossible when it

comes to portia... But she isn't one for the chase. She prefers food which sticks around. Portia is a spider-hunting specialist. Double her size and with huge fangs full of venom, the St. Andrew’s cross spider is a dangerous target. Other hunters have tried and failed. [dramatic music playing] Preparing for this hit will take some time. So portia deploys her second weapon… Camouflage. She waves her bristly legs in front of her. To her short-sighted prey she probably looks like a leaf fluttering in the wind. And so unseen she can conduct her surveillance. For portia has a third

secret weapon... She is a mastermind. Although her brain is no larger than a sesame seed, portia can think ahead... And formulate a plan of attack. [dramatic music playing] She starts with a deception. Plucking strands of the web to imitate struggling prey, she tries lure the cross spider closer... But he’s not falling for the trick. Onto Plan B. It's time for a more direct approach. [dramatic music playing] Insects are armed with weapons unimaginable in larger animals. -[birds chirping] -[insects trilling] A grasshopper has enormously long legs, built for leaping out of trouble. If it were the size

of a human it could travel nearly thirty metres in one jump. [bright music playing] Which is why this chameleon must make a covert approach. Using eyes that can see in 360 degrees, she can zero in on her target... Without even moving. There's no need to get any closer. Her tongue lashes out at two and a half thousand metres per second. That's seven times faster than a speeding bullet. It’s one of the quickest weapon deployments in the animal kingdom. Combined with deadly accuracy, a chameleon rarely misses. To compete against predators with such supercharged weapons, many forest

insects have evolved sophisticated defence systems. The iridescent hue of the peppermint stick insect, precisely matches the leaves of the screw pine tree where she makes her home. The tree provides for all her needs, shelter and an abundance of food… But enemies abound even in the land of plenty. A jungle huntsman. One of the fastest eight-legged hunters on the planet. The stick insect can't fly, so she has no way of escaping him. But she is armed and ready to defend herself. Two small glands on her neck are loaded with a sticky, minty fluid. She has her

own inbuilt water cannon, and she's not afraid to use it. [suspenseful music playing] Her timing is crucial. If she shoots too early, she will miss her target and deplete her ammunition... So she braces until the very last moment. A burst of spray that can reach half a metre and it's all over in an instant. But only momentarily. [dramatic music playing] It seems all is lost for the stick insect... Yet the huntsman doesn’t seem so sure. Peppermint is revolting to spiders, and now his meal is covered in it. The sweet-smelling stick insect will live to see

another day. -[insects trilling] -[birds chirping] Tiny weapons can certainly pack a punch. But the proboscis monkey of Borneo prefers things on the larger end of the scale. He sports one of the most bizarre animal appendages, an enormous nose. A weapon of seduction. While to the untrained eye, it may not seem appealing... to female proboscis monkeys this is the picture of an alluring mate. [bright music playing] His oversized nose, which stretches below the mouth, signals that he’s a large, strapping beast, with a higher sperm count than other males who aren't so well endowed. Which is why

he’s the dominant male in charge of a large harem of females and young. He keeps the troop together by calling out to them. [groans] Here, his nose helps again, producing an enchanting baritone, that females are powerless to resist. [groans] [bright music playing] But the calls have also attracted some unwanted attention. A gang of bachelor males hoping to get in on the action. [monkeys screeching] Such incursions cannot be tolerated. The crack of broken branches should be a warning signal... but one of the bachelors comes closer still. [screeching] So the dominant male unleashes his fury... Armed with

over 20 kilos of muscle and sharp canines… He’s a formidable enemy. [dramatic music playing] [screeches] The gang departs, leaving the dominant male to his ladies. [grunts] He wins this round, by a nose. [ethereal music playing] Males hoping to attract females must tread carefully. Their elaborate displays can also attract the wrong kind of attention... leaving them in the firing line. Surprisingly one of the most complicated performances, is put on by the tiniest of males. The itsy-bitsy peacock spider of Australia. Measuring just five millimetres long, he’s one of the smallest arachnids on earth. But this spider’s got

style. With a brilliantly coloured abdominal flap and ultraviolet hues, this showstopper is dressed to impress. He’s already caught the eye of a female... But he won't pass on good looks alone. He must master one of the gaudiest courtship displays of any animal. [Latin music playing] He moves into position… and begins. [Latin music continues] The spotlight becomes his world and the male gives it his all, because on this stage the stakes are life or death. If he impresses the female, he’ll be allowed to mate with her. But if he fails, the female will eat him. It's

not just a visual display, the male is also sending good vibrations through the ground to his lover, in the hope she will also get her groove on. The male approaches the end of his routine... and just like a gymnast he holds his final position. With bated breath he awaits her verdict. This time, it's a ten out of ten. Not only has the male saved his neck, he is allowed to pass on his sperm, which he does by gently scooping it into the female using his pedipalps. Although female peacock spiders are difficult to win over, they

are loyal. Once a she has mated, this female is unlikely to take another dance partner. From the dance floor... to the gladiator’s arena. Home to miniature warriors, prepared to battle to the death to win the hand of a female. [dramatic music playing] With giants horns longer than two-thirds their body size, rhinoceros beetles are armed with some of the most elaborate weapons of any animal. Far from the subtle art of seduction, these horns are used for grabbing, shoving and throwing rivals in an attempt to secure the best females. This contender is on the way to a

female waiting on a branch down below. But first he’ll have to force his way through. Another huge male thinks he is the king here. [hissing] He won’t tolerate a rival. -[hissing] -[dramatic music playing] Each tries to topple the other, using their two-pronged horns as a ramming device. [hissing] -[hissing] -[dramatic music continues] As the brawl continues, on a nearby log, other fighters begin circling each other. A different species of rhino beetle, they are armed with two strong tusks, and grapple like wrestlers. Each variety of beetle has their own unique fighting style. The key here is to

use the tusks to launch an opponent clear of the ring. It’s a throw down. An easy victory. Meanwhile in the other ring, the fight is still underway. Although on a miniature scale, this is a battle of giants… Slamming into each other with crushing force. Defeated. [dramatic music playing] [birds chirping] [tweets] The arms race between males produces the biggest weapons of the animal kingdom. In comparison, females are often smaller and less well-armed. [tweets] However there are some species where it’s the females who are all powerful. [suspenseful music playing] In the northern rainforests of Australia, a female

cassowary towers over her mate. Almost two metres tall, she is also stronger, more aggressive and has larger weapons. She’s the queen in this part of the forest, with a defined territory and several males with whom she mates. She’s been courting this male for several weeks... and today has laid a clutch of eggs. Now it’s the male who takes charge. The queen heads back into the jungle to woo her next suitor... while the male is left to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks once they hatch. Yet this father is inexperienced, and he soon abandons the

nest in search of a drink... leaving the eggs dangerously exposed. [tense music playing] For on the outskirts of the queen’s territory, a rival females lurks, hoping to topple her rule. With no territory of her own, the rival’s chances of breeding are nil… Unless she can find a way to lure a male away from the queen. Destroying the monarch’s eggs would be a daring move. Yet, eliminating the competition is the only way for this female to ensure her bloodline will reign. The male returns... but he is too small to take on a larger, assertive female. So

the rival gets to it, undisturbed. The dirty work done, she will now attempt to mate with the male. An illicit liaison carried out while the queen is away. [suspenseful music playing] The battle of the females is just beginning, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. [thunder rumbles] For failing to raise young is an evolutionary full stop for the individual. A dead end. -[birds chirping] -[dramatic music playing] And that’s why many parents use all the weapons at their disposal to keep their young safe. Especially in the first, highly vulnerable hours after birth. [dramatic music continues] Crocodiles are

surprisingly diligent and protective mothers. A female guards her nest for eighty days. Any would-be egg raiders face half a tonne of angry crocodile. [grunts] Armed with a bone-crushing bite and lightning fast reflexes, mother croc never lets her guard down. Sleeping literally with one eye open, only shutting down one half her brain at a time. [owl hoots] Vigilance is crucial, for tonight her eggs are about to hatch. [gentle piano music playing] [grunts] [grunts] [gentle piano music continues] When they emerge, the hatchlings are just under 30 centimetres long. They are able to hunt immediately... but at this

size they are more likely to become the meal. [kestrel screeches] Incredibly, their mother switches off her instinct to strike at reptiles of this size, turning from deadly predator into heavily-armed bodyguard. [kestral screeches] [hatchling grunts] [gentle piano music continues] As dawn breaks, the young enter the water... and mum struggles to keep tabs on everyone. Hunters for these bite-size babies are everywhere. Like a great egret patrolling the river bank. [sinister music playing] [hatchling grunts] Their biggest threat is other crocodiles. Crocs will hunt anything that moves, even their own brethren. One juvenile male can’t resist the temptation. -[hatchling

grunts] -[dramatic music playing] The threatened hatchling sends out a distress signal to its mother, who reacts in an instant. This time, the hatchling is saved, but as the newborns head upstream, protecting them becomes more even difficult. For every 100 eggs the mother croc lays, only one hatchling will make it through the next few years. [uplifting music playing] Food in the jungle will always be elusive. The hunted as well-armed as the hunter. Others will be locked in constant battles with their rivals. Or face threats to their young lurking around every corner. In the world’s most complex

hunting arena. -[insects trill] -[bird chirps] [ethereal music playing] [grunts] A female cheetah on the prowl. Her weapon is extreme speed. With a slight build, flexible spine, long legs and huge heart and lungs... her top speed is 93 kilometres per hour. The fastest hunter on land. Yet out in the open even she has little hope of success. [bird screeches] Her home is the vast plains of the African savannah. Here, prey is plentiful but they can detect threats from miles away. And are either equipped to fight, or built to flee. Predators cannot rely on physical prowess alone.

They also need a game plan. [ethereal music continues playing] First, the cheetah uses the tall, summer grass as cover. Her target is a nearby herd of Thomson’s gazelle... Her favourite prey. Yet the gazelle are in an open patch. Armed with acute hearing and sharp noses, they’re on the lookout for trouble. If spooked, they can take off at speeds up to 77 kilometres an hour. Slower than a cheetah, but only over a short distance. The hunter can maintain her top speed for just ten seconds. So she must inch closer. Fifty metres out from the gazelle, she

enters the strike zone. [dramatic music playing] Not even close. More weapons are deployed for the battles between predator and prey, than for any other event in the natural world, but one side always has to lose. And surprisingly, it's usually the hunters. Soon the cheetah will be desperate... because she has a new generation of warriors to feed. Her cubs are only three weeks old, and still completely dependent on her. It will take two years to fully train them up to competent hunters. A huge investment that will take its toll on their mother. Many predators put extraordinary

amounts of time and energy, into preparing their young for the battlefield. The animals they prey on, however, must be ready to run for their lives in a matter of minutes. [ethereal music playing] Within an hour of birth, all hoofed animals are up and walking. The urge to keep up with the herd is strong, for on the African plains there is always safety in numbers. It's a defensive strategy, which drives some of the largest gatherings of animals on the planet. A herd creates confusion during an ambush, and minimises the risk of any one individual coming under

attack. Even elephants, the largest land animals in the world, form groups. Especially to protect their young. Zebra foals are raised in tightly-knit herds, fiercely protected by a dominant stallion. Armed with bone-crushing kicks... and a ferocious bite... stallions will not hesitate to attack hyenas and other threats to their harem. These pre-emptive strikes are often the best form of defence. However, hyenas are not the most formidable hunters on the open plains. [ethereal music playing] A lioness, the undisputed queen of the African savannah. Weighing in at 180 kilos she’s not only the largest African carnivore, she has one

weapon that makes her almost unstoppable. [sinister music playing] She hunts in a group. Lions are the only big cats to consistently hunt in teams. As a unit, they saunter across the plains provoking fear amongst the enemy ranks. [zebras barking] The zebra pull together. A shield wall of hooves and strong teeth protecting a foal. [dramatic music playing] But they must hold their nerve. This is why lions hunt as a team... to intimidate. With the herd spooked, the lions separate. One will lead the final charge while the others form a cordon around the target. [dramatic music intensifies]

-[lion roars] -[zebra yelps] [growls softly] Lions succeed due to a combination of brute force and teamwork. The whole pride comes together to share the spoils. They can gorge on up to a quarter their own body weight if left undisturbed, so they share food grudgingly. [ethereal music playing] Far from the bounties of Africa's rich plains, is the world's driest continent outside of Antarctica... Australia. Its vast arid interior, known as the outback, covers a land mass larger than the entire European union. There is little food on these open plains. Only one mammal is able to survive here

as a top predator... the dingo. They often hunt in packs, but this juvenile male has been pushed out of his childhood den, and must now search for his food alone. Using a highly sophisticated sense of smell, he can trail targets from hundreds of metres away. Prey is so sparse the dingo has been weaponised as a long distance hunter. Today his nose has led him to a hefty prize... a small herd of feral pigs. [pigs grunting] The adults are large and have strong teeth. They could easily rip open a dingo. Especially an inexperienced one. There a

few piglets, but they are well-protected. He needs to separate them. -[dramatic music playing] -[pigs squeal] He flushes the pigs out into the open. On the run, the herd might leave a piglet behind. The adults guard their young... but dingoes are armed with incredible stamina. They can keep up a high speed chase for over four kilometres. Few predators have such endurance. One female and her piglet finally pull away from the group, and the dingo is in hot pursuit. He’s not strong enough to tackle his prey to the ground, so instead he must snap at the foot

to try injure a leg. A near miss. But he still has some energy in reserve. [dramatic music continues playing] [piglet squeals] [piglet squeals] A tiring, well-won victory. Stamina is a powerful weapon for any hunter, and is wielded effectively by the dingo even at this young age. [ethereal music playing] On such arid lands, water is as hard to find as food. Drinking holes are oases for thirsty travellers, like giant flocks of budgerigars making their way over the plains. [screeching] Recent rains have boosted the population, but drought has now returned, forcing tens of thousands of individuals to

congregate at one shrinking waterhole. [dramatic music playing] It’s the only water for hundreds of kilometres. As the budgies descend, brown falcons prepare for battle. Armed with a powerful hooked beak, they can sever the neck bones of small birds with one bite. The budgerigars can see the danger, but they must quench their thirst. The falcons move in, hoping for an easy meal... but the budgerigars don’t go down easily. [screeching] Like a shoal of fish moving at high speed, the entire group suddenly shifts and changes direction. The super flock presents as an impenetrable wall. A confusing blur

of bright green and beating wings. Together the budgerigars are a daunting, united force. [dramatic music continues] The falcons change tactics and dive through the swarm. An attempt to generate panic. It’s psychological warfare, and frantic budgerigars collide in mid-air, dropping from the sky like stones. The hunters swoop in on the fallout. Wave after wave of budgerigars run the gauntlet. [dramatic music intensifies] While it seems like an unfair fight, thousands of budgerigars will make it through. For them, sticking to the flock has proven a winning defense strategy. The battle between prey and predator, is not the only

threat animals have to contend with. For some the dangers are even closer to home. A female wedge-tailed eagle returns to her nest after a successful hunt. Three days ago she was feeding two chicks, but wedge-tailed eagles are born fighters, and the battle begins in the nest. Chicks can devour half their body weight each day. So to cut the competition, the first to hatch is driven by instinct to kill off its siblings. As the first-born and largest of the chicks, it usually succeeds. [chick chirps] For some the arms race starts even within the family. [ethereal music

playing] Further inland, in the heart of Australia, temperatures can push 50 degrees centigrade. And even in a good year, rain will only fall a couple of times. Such extreme conditions require extreme weapons, like these cone-shaped pits engineered by one desert dweller. With their perfectly angled slopes, these craters are insect death traps... with an ambush predator at the centre. Ant lion larvae attack with venomous pincers. However their striking distance is short. Passing ants just have to stay out of reach. Armed with six long legs, if it were the size of human an ant could clock 50

kilometres per hour. But the slopes are treacherous, and the ant’s feet begins to slip in the fine sand. [dramatic music playing] It’s then the ant lion opens up the catapults, raining volleys of boulders down on its victim’s head. [dramatic music continues] The ant is done for. Death craters are not the only dangers ants face in the desert. With such little food on offer, many larger animals also hunt for insects. Australia’s aptly named thorny devil, looks as though he is truly armed and ready for battle. [bright music playing] Although he feeds exclusively on ants. His short,

sticky tongue can lap up over a thousand a day. His impressive armour however is used to face another foe... deadly thirst. Too tiny to travel long distances to water, the thorny devil instead harvests his own. When the desert is covered in dew, his spikes collect the water and funnel it down grooves into his mouth. For some, the arms race is more about surviving extreme conditions. Although the devil’s thorns also help to deter predators. A good precaution, as more venomous hunters are found here than anywhere else on planet. [sinister music playing] The deadly eastern brown. He

preys on small rodents. Yet from his fangs flows venom that would fell a human within minutes. So potent is his bite it seems a bit of overkill for prey as small as a mouse. But rodents are quick, and snakes have no limbs or strong jaws to restrain their quarry. They must kill with just one strike. [sinister music playing] He hunts actively, patrolling the desert. Today, however, it is he who needs to be cautious. A giant is on the prowl. A two-metre long, venomous killing machine, and one of the largest lizards on the planet... the perentie.

[sinister music playing] Rodents are not enough to fill such a beast. He is a cold-blooded snake killer. His forked tongue picks up a chemical scent trail left by the eastern brown. Unlike the snake, he can also raise himself up on all four legs to catch glimpses of fleeing prey. Both weapons arm the perentie to chase down fast-moving targets, even when they go underground. It is not known whether perenties are immune to venomous bites. Perhaps they are just brave. [sinister music playing] It takes one brute to take out another. [ethereal music playing] With such monsters on

the prowl, some have changed their entire existence in order to survive. Like the world’s ancient mammals, who once went underground to escape the danger of the dinosaurs, they live under the cover of darkness. [owl hoots] The tiny, fat-tailed dunnart comes out in the dead of night. Although just nine centimetres long, this marsupial is, surprisingly, a ferocious hunter. [owl hoots] Her game of choice is insects. But how does she track them down at night when they are so well-camouflaged? She has an astounding super power. One possessed by only a handful of mammals... ultraviolet vision. Most leaves

reflect ultraviolet, but insects do not. So to a dunnart, the profile of a grasshopper stands out like a black spot. An easy victory for a predator with secret powers. [owl hoots] It is thought that dunnarts could belong to an ancient order of mammals, for whom such abilities were common. A weapon she has retained in order to survive in such a desolate landscape. Some animals of the plains have to survive not the blistering heat, but the freezing cold. On the prairies of North America, winter comes hard and fast. [wind howls] This coyote has spent the summer

months fattening up on an abundant supply of prey. Armed with keen vision, a sharp sense of smell, and a top running speed of 60 kilometres an hour, he is a formidable opponent. But soon the burrowing rodents he savours will be locked away under metres of snow. The coyote’s entire range has been blanketed. All that is left is a deafening silence. [wind howls] The vole makes snow and ice it’s shield. Burrowing deep beneath the surface, the family stays warm and is close to its food stores. They smugly bunker down for the cold months ahead. Above ground,

the coyote is not deterred. [wind howls] With most of his weapons rendered useless, He must rely on his precision hearing. [dramatic music playing] Timing is everything. Launch too soon and the vole escapes. He must wait until his radar locks perfectly onto his target. The coyote is armed to exploit even the silence of winter. [coyote howls] The change of the seasons always brings with it new challenges. As snow begins to melt on the prairies, bison come together in their thousands. Soon the males will fight in one of the greatest pitched battles on the planet. Sheer bulk

is their weapon of choice. Each weighs over a tonne. The head alone is a massive 180 kilos. Swung by a powerful neck, it becomes a terrifying battering ram. The enemy they face is not a predator, but one another. In skirmishes that will determine which males will be able to mate. [grunting] [dramatic music playing] [ethereal music playing] However the fighting has its costs. By the end of the rut, the males will have fought so often, and so hard that they’ve lost a quarter of their body weight. They emerge from the season battered and starved. This juvenile

male is so exhausted, he couldn’t keep up with the herd, so he’s been left behind. As the largest animals on the prairie and wielding fearsome horns, bison usually command respect from predators, but one this weak draws attention. [sinister music playing] A gray wolf emerges from the woods. He sizes up his enemy. Even a frail, bison bull is a formidable opponent, and could gore and kill a wolf. [wolf growls] The wolf however is a highly discerning hunter. A predator whose most useful weapon, is the ability to assess quickly the odds of overcoming its prey. If he

has judged correctly, the wolf will feed for days. However if he has miscalculated, he is now risking his life. The bison is surprisingly agile. With most of its weight centred over the front hooves, it can pivot quickly. The wolf's reaction speed is faster. Only just. Keeping him millimetres from the bull's deadly horns. [dramatic music playing] The pair duel for over four hours. [bison grunts] Finally, the bison succumbs to exhaustion. The wolf has chosen his target well. [ethereal music playing] Despite the dangers of male-on-male combat, it’s an incredibly common phenomenon across the world. And nowhere else

is that more obvious than on the fertile plains of Africa. While males are almost always ready to mate, females are often unavailable. Either pregnant or with young at foot. With not enough females to partner with, many males have developed extraordinary weapons to fight for the right to reproduce. [dramatic music playing] Horns are the most popular choice. They come in a variety of shapes... But relative to the size of the individuals who carry them, all of these weapons are massive. Males haul them around all year to use them for just a few short weeks, when the

in the rutting season, their swords are finally unsheathed. [dramatic music continues] Competition on the African plains can be so fierce, some prefer to just get above it all. Standing at over five metres high, giraffes are the tallest living land mammal. And almost half their length is in their neck. Most people assume this is so giraffes can tower over other herbivores on the plains, to feed on tall trees their rivals can’t get at. However long necks can also be used for combat, and are put to use by male giraffes with devastating effect. This young bachelor will

soon be in his prime. To establish his position, he can’t just sit on his haunches. If the bachelor wants a hope of mating, he must challenge another to a duel. Pushing and shoving they size each other up. [pensive music playing] Then they begin shelling out jabbing blows. With skulls as heavy as 13 kilos and adorned with short horns, a well-targeted hit can shatter bone. Clashing their necks like swords, each tries to land a knockout strike. [dramatic music playing] The bachelor’s rival begins to tire. He pauses... and without much fanfare moves away. The young bachelor is

victorious. [ethereal music playing] Elsewhere, the ritual of male combat gets even stranger. In Australia, female red kangaroos have spent 12 months rearing their young to maturity. Soon the joeys will become independent, and that means their mothers will be ready to mate again. In the off-season, the males have spent their time building up their enormous biceps. Kangaroos are some of the most muscular animals on the planet. Over half their body weight is pure muscle. These bodybuilding giants flex their chests to impress the females and intimidate potential rivals. However, it’s not all just for show. When two

evenly matched competitors come face-to face, they assess each other’s ability to throw dangerous punches... And powerful double-legged kicks. If neither is willing to back down, it's game on. [dramatic music playing] The less dominant male usually initiates the fight. Powered by his strong tail, he can unleash over ten kicks a minute to destabilise the larger male. Heads are flung back out of reach of razor-sharp claws. The larger male seems willing to finish things off... but the aggressor keeps the attacks coming. Not ready for another beating, the larger male throws in the towel. Male competition produces the

largest weapons in the animal kingdom, but many females are well-armed in different ways. [gentle piano music playing] In the Australian outback, a superb fairy wren feeds her newly-hatched chicks. Their dashing father is also devoted to them. Fairy wrens mate for life... but the female is not willing to put all her eggs in one basket. She has the smarts to attract more than one male. [chirps] [chirps] In total she has three young lovers, all still sprouting their adult plumage. These bachelors provide food for the family. It’s a successful covert operation run by a motherly mastermind. With

four males providing for her young, their survival is almost guaranteed. [tweets] In return she mates with her lovers, mixing up the genetic diversity of her chicks. Her dedicated mate doesn’t seem to mind, because he also has romances on the side. In fact fairy wrens are so promiscuous, the majority of chicks aren’t related to their father at all. The arrangement seems to work for everyone, and ensures fairy wrens as a species survive where others may fail. Not all relationships are so harmonious. It’s a sad fact that lying, thievery and murder are successful strategies in the war

for survival that is the natural world. Strategies employed even by some of the species we admire the most. [gentle piano music playing] The mother cheetah has finally had some luck. She’s taken down a young Thomson’s gazelle. She searches for a hidden spot where she can feed in peace. She is cautious... and for good reason. A pride of hungry lions is on the prowl. As the largest predators in Africa, lions don’t need to make all of their kills. They are partial to daylight robbery. Usually the cheetah avoids hunting when these thieves are in the neighbourhood. On

the open plains there is nowhere to hide from them. But with cubs to provide for, she’s taken a risk... and now she faces an ambush. [dramatic music playing] The thugs quickly take possession of the carcass, and dig in for a feast. In close combat, strength dominates over speed. As the sun soars over the plains, the cheetah faces a new threat. [dramatic music playing] Fire is the most indiscriminate killer of all. A grassland blaze can sweep across the plains at twenty kilometres an hour. Devouring everything in its path. On the way back to her cubs, the

cheetah has been stopped in her tracks. She’ll have to wait it out. [dramatic music intensifies] [dramatic music ends] Hours later, the mother finally approaches the thicket where she last left her cubs. She moves them every day or so for safety. [melancholic music playing] She hears a sound... Something’s not right. The lionesses are lying in wait. The cheetah tries to circle around... provoking a charge from one of the lions. She backs off, but not too far. She won’t abandon her cubs. However her worst fears have already come true. Her cubs are dead. Killed by the lions.

The removal of future enemy soldiers while they are still defenseless young is not uncommon. One out of every two cheetah cubs are eliminated by lions. The mother can do nothing but watch. The battle is lost for the cheetahs, but the war for survival goes on. [melancholic piano music continues] Usually those with the biggest weapons systems succeed. Yet sometimes, somehow, the underdogs manage to cling on. Hours later, the female cheetah hears a sound in a nearby tangle of grass. [cub mews] A tiny survivor scrapes through. [uplifting music playing] Only by keeping her wits about her, will

the cheetah be able to protect her remaining cub. Even the fastest hunter over land needs more than one weapon to thrive. Strategy is what will determine her family’s survival, in the most exposed animal arms race on the planet. Today 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Oceans were the world’s first battlegrounds... and they are still the largest. The Oceans vast blue wilderness favours prey armed with the ability to slip away into the depths. [dramatic music playing] But hunting becomes easier for predators when they work together. [dolphins clicking] Dolphins are among the most intelligent

animals on the planet... their large brain is their most powerful weapon. -[energetic music playing] -[dolphins clicking] These bottlenose dolphins not only communicate with each other using clicks and squeaks, they also use precise echolocation, that works like sonar, to find their prey... schools of fish that may be as far as 200 metres away. When fish detect predators approaching, they either try to flee... Or form a tight defensive school, called a bait ball. They hope predators will be confused by the twisting and turning silvery bodies. Each fish tries to stay as close to others as possible... rapidly

changing direction as if driven by some central intelligence. But there is none. Against the intelligence of the attacking dolphins, they stand no chance. -[dramatic music playing] -[dolphins clicking] The dolphins break up the bait ball. [dolphins clicking] It reforms... only to be broken again and again. [dramatic music intensifies] Individual fish picked off. The defensive strategy of the baitball is triggered by the onslaught of predators. In the oceanic arms race, individual predators usually have the advantage, while prey have the numbers. The open ocean is the world’s largest desert, and conserving energy is a tactic that can be

as important as finding the next meal. [ethereal music playing] Weighing over two thousand kilograms and ten metres long, whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea. She feeds only on one of the ocean’s tiniest creatures... plankton. In most of the oceans, plankton is scarce. But at seasonal hot spots like this one at Ningaloo reef off north-west Australia, it’s abundant. In some areas, plankton can be so plentiful, it can be seen from space. [uplifting music playing] The whale shark must swim across the entire Indian Ocean to arrive at Ningaloo. Her secret weapon is knowledge. She

knows the ocean currents, the conveyor belts of the sea. And she’ll ride these currents, expending minimum energy between meals. Exactly how she knows just when and where plankton will be, remains a mystery. [gentle music playing] But once she arrives, she gorges. Opening her metre-wide mouth as she rises through the plankton cloud, she takes in tens of millions at a single gulp. She must eat an average of twenty one kilos every day. Even though billions upon billions of plankton are consumed, their strategy of vast numbers and virtual invisibility, has seen them survive for millions of years.

[ethereal music playing] The numbers game is played by a great variety of marine creatures. [dramatic music playing] Once a year, spider crabs on the Australian south-east coast mobilise into armies. They are here to upgrade their defensive armour. For extra protection, they march towards the shore in their tens of thousands. But in these shallow inshore waters, there are enemies everywhere. A smooth stingray is on the hunt... and spider crab is on the menu. [dramatic music playing] For almost the entire year, spider crabs have a hard exoskeleton, like a suit of armour, to protect them. But as

they grow their armour becomes too tight, and the crabs must change into a new one through a process called moulting. It can take up to an hour to shed their shells... and at least a week before the new shell hardens. Their defences are down. The patrolling stingray seizes the moment. [dramatic music playing] The eyes on the top of their heads are of little use... so for the final strike the stingrays rely on their acute sense of smell. The naked crabs pile one on top of the other... a few are sacrificed to protect the many. [dramatic

music continues] [seals bark] Off the southern coast of Australia, a female sea lion hunts plentiful but highly elusive prey. She needs to kill at least ten kilograms of fish a day. She hunts alone... but she’s equipped with highly sensitive whiskers, that detect the slightest movements of her manoeuvrable prey. [dramatic music playing] When a fish can make a sudden change of direction, she can react in less than a third of a second. But this skilled hunter is also hunted. The sea lion has a thick layer of fat that shields her from the icy water. It also

makes her an enticing target for predators seeking a high-calorie feed. [dramatic music playing] Her nemesis is the great white shark. Four hundred million years of evolution has perfected the ultimate marine killer. A great white can grow up to six metres, and weigh almost two thousand kilograms. They are immensely powerful. On attack, they push through the water at up to sixty kilometres an hour, and with jaws containing five rows of serrated teeth that are replaced weekly, their destructive force is awesome. But sea lions are observant, intelligent and also fast in the water. So the shark must

outsmart them, using cunning as well as violence. Camouflage helps the shark reduce the distance between it and its prey. Then, to close for the kill, the shark uses a fiendishly clever battle plan. Great white sharks are the only animal other than humans known to use the sun when they hunt. Like fighter pilots, they press home their attack with the sun behind them, so their prey is blinded by the glare. By the time the sea lion realises she’s in mortal danger... it’s too late. Immense power coupled with intelligence are formidable weapons. The open ocean may be

a vast desert, but like all deserts there are oases. [ethereal music playing] Coral reefs occupy less than two per cent of the ocean, yet support a quarter of all marine animals. Rivalling even the Amazon for species diversity. These salt water sanctuaries are the rainforests of the sea. And it’s here that marine animal arms races are at their most merciless. On Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the lion fish’s key weapon is deception... it hides in plain sight. Its prey are alert and ready to take off at the slightest hint of danger, so the lion fish’s tactic is

to be deliberately slow and conspicuous. The prey are lulled into a false sense of security. [ethereal music playing] The stripes and long, fanned fins confuse and mesmerise. It’s a form of disruptive camouflage, that disorientates smaller fish until they can no longer judge how close their predator is. Beautiful, and deadly. The stone fish hides from its prey in a very different way. It looks exactly like a lump of coral or encrusted rock. The perfect disguise for a deadly ambush predator. But the stone fish is not only a deceptive killer, its defences are among the most formidable

in the sea. [eerie music playing] Protected by 13 toxin laden spines, this is the world’s most venomous fish. Even when they see the stone fish, would be predators know to stay well clear. Once its ambush has been set, the stone fish waits. [eerie music continues] The attack is over in the blink of an eye. Ocean arms races are not always about speed, or force. Sometimes slow and steady can win the day. The Pacific bluebottle drifts passively with the wind and currents, but has deadly tentacles that can capture prey. It’s not a jellyfish, but a colonial

creature called a siphonophore, four different organisms joined in an intimate alliance. The venomous tentacles catch and kill any prey they touch, another part digests food, while the third organism handles reproduction. The only part of the blue bottle, also called a man o’ war, that is above the surface, acts as a sail. Deadly both in offence as well as defence, this strange mix of creatures seems invincible. But in any arms race there are always countermeasures. And one bizarre sea slug, the Blue Glaucus, has developed an immunity to the bluebottle’s venom.. In a slow motion ballet of

death, the glaucus, armed with a strong hinged jaw and razor sharp teeth, anchors itself to the bluebottle and slowly devours it. The glaucus then takes its prey’s toxins, and stores them in special sacs at the ends of its finger-like appendages, where they become a recycled weapon and a crucial part of the glaucus’ own defences. Chemical warfare is one of the most ancient manifestations of the animal arms race. [ethereal music playing] In the shallow waters that fringe Indonesia’s rich archipelago, a cone shell moves slowly and with deadly intent. This exquisitely beautiful armour protects a battery of

deadly weapons. A hyper-sensitive prey detector, and a harpoon loaded with lethal venom. The cones shell’s siphon is a large tube, that can detect the chemical signals released into the water by potential victims. The siphon locks onto a wary and agile target. Slowly the cone shell creeps closer. Its harpoon is locked and loaded. The payload is venom, a deadly cocktail of around a 100 different toxins, so lethal that one drop can kill ten adult humans. A small fish has no chance. The final weapon is its cavernous mouth. [ethereal music playing] [bright music playing] The Peacock Mantis

Shrimp brings a very different array of weaponry to the arms race, the most powerful punch on the planet, coupled with the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. [bright music continues] While humans and most other animals have three photoreceptors, this shrimp has an incredible 16. It can see both the infrared and ultraviolet ends of the visible spectrum. With stalks that allow both eyes to rotate 230 degrees, very little can slip past unobserved. A small crab, a favourite prey, stumbles into range. It relies on its exoskeleton armour for defence. [dramatic music playing] But the mantis shrimp

has two large and incredibly powerful clubs, that can deliver a punch with the force of a. 22 calibre bullet. The strike is so fast that the water around the club boils. The crab’s shell is no match for this knockout blow. [dramatic music continues] But the deadly fists of the ocean’s lightweight boxing champ, are about to go up against an eight armed opponent. The common octopus depends on crustaceans, like the mantis shrimp, for food. Each of her limbs are loaded with strong suckers to drag her prey toward a deadly beak at the base of the tentacles.

At only 10 centimetres, the mantis shrimp is small, but it’s not one to back away from a fight. Counterattack is often the best defence. [dramatic music playing] The octopus didn’t see that coming. But she has a trick up her sleeves for her next assault. [magical music playing] Octopus have a superpower in their armoury that others can only dream of. She’s a shapeshifter. She has light-sensitive proteins in her skin. They send messages straight to pigmented skin cells, that determine colour and even texture. [mystical music playing] Her camouflage reacts almost instantly to her surroundings. She changes her

appearance before she even knows what she’s transforming to. It’s one of the most effective concealments in the animal arms race. And octopuses need it. They are at the top of the menu for many apex predators, and require their full range of defences to survive. They deploy mimicry... camouflage... stealth. With no bones, they can occupy the tiniest of bunkers, and can beat a strategic retreat behind an inky smoke screen. Octopus are the masters of deception. Defeated by her last prospective meal, she’s on the hunt again. This time she decides that ambush will be the better tactic.

The crab’s external armour is made of keratin, that protects them from most predators. But the octopus isn’t like most predators. Victory! [crunching] Now she deploys her concealed and deadliest weapon, a needle sharp beak, the only hard part of her body. [crunching continues] The crab’s armour is no protection. [crunching continues] Once again the octopus can hang up her cloak of invisibility. [crunching continues] In the battle for survival, there are times when the urge to reproduce, plays directly into the jaws of the predator. [sinister music playing] Every few years, female green sea turtles must come to land

to breed. Some make remarkable journeys of over 1500 kilometres, to return to the same beaches on which they hatched. Tiger sharks know this, and they also return to those same nesting beaches. The tiger is armed with speed and rows of serrated teeth that can both cut and saw, perfect to break through the shell of a turtle. But he is a cautious predator... and waits until the time is just right to attack. The turtles choose night to come ashore. It’s cooler and they feel protected by the cloak of darkness. [ethereal music playing] Females can weigh up

to 300 kilograms. On land, unsupported by water, laying eggs is a tiring process that can take all night. [gentle music playing] Exhausted, she returns to what she hopes is the sanctuary of the ocean. [seagulls squawk] [dramatic music playing] The tiger shark is one of the very few predators able to bite through the turtle’s protective shell. [dramatic music continues] Timing is everything. With so many turtles in one place the hunting is easy. Most underwater weaponry is used in the fight for food, but some is deployed to claim and defend territory. The Sarcastic Fringehead looks unremarkable, until

threatened. Then he transforms into an alien-like creature, using his enormous mouth to intimidate the competition. [dramatic music playing] Living along the Pacific coast of North America, he makes his home in burrows... or anything available. Here is where he spends most of his time, guarding his shelter diligently. But if another fringehead dares to show interest in his domain, a turf war breaks out. [dramatic music playing] They size each other up, flexing and snapping their oversized jaws. If the intruder doesn’t back down, the incumbent exposes his needle like teeth. Eventually bluff gives way to combat. It’s a

battle of gaping mouths. [dramatic music continues] The larger Sarcastic Fringehead wins the day. The loser admits defeat and retreats. For fringeheads, bigger is always better. Size matters too in the battles that break out every spring, on the beaches of northern California. [seals barking] Breeding season for these Northern Elephant Seals. Males fight for the chance to mate. [barking continues] Weighing in at over two thousand kilograms, this large male is the beach master. His size is his most effective weapon. [dramatic music playing] Warning any interlopers to stay away from his harem of over 50 females, his roars

are amplified by his large proboscis. [roars] Bellows that can be heard four kilometres away. Brimming with youthful confidence, a younger male feels ready to mount his challenge against the beach master. He has desperation on his side... he must win if he is to breed. [roars] As they close for battle, the beach master once again shows off his enormous size and power. He hopes to win by intimidation. [roars] But this competitor isn’t backing down. [dramatic music playing] Each draws blood with their sharp canine teeth. [dramatic music continues] The smaller females must keep clear of combat, or

risk becoming collateral damage. [roars] Over years of fighting, the males’ skin scars and thickens. The beach master has greater protection than his younger challenger. As the battle rages, a third young male joins the contest for mating rights... by coming in under the radar. While the beach master is occupied, the young male sneaks in and makes his move on a receptive female. They have just enough time to mate... before the beach master beats his challenger into submission. [roaring] [dramatic music continues] The sneaky male slips away unscathed. Unaware his harem has been compromised, the beach master reasserts

his mating rights. Mangrove lined tropical shores, are the battlegrounds for a fish that is quite literally out of the water. [comical music playing] Mudskippers have opted out of the underwater arms race. One of the only fish capable of living for extended periods out of water, at low tide, mudskippers leave the sea to feed on worms, bugs and small crustaceans. On the mudflats, there are fewer species competing for resources. Mudskippers’ battles are between themselves. Large eyes on the top of their heads, give them almost 360 degree vision... to keep tabs on all potential rivals. When one

male sees another intruding on his domain, he raises his dorsal fin. A battle flag announcing his intention to engage. [comical music continues] And if the intruder doesn’t back off, the incumbent mudskipper opens wide. It’s a gaping war. The males threaten, chase and bite at each other in a contest of size and strength. [comical music continues] The mudskipper is one of the only fish in the world to walk away when beaten. [insects trilling] The water channels that thread their way to mangrove lined coasts, are also the scene for interspecies skirmishes, and some extraordinary animal weaponry. Lurking

close to the surface, an archer fish lies in wait. The black marks along his back help him to blend with the shadows. Keen eyesight allows him to detect prey above the water’s surface. But how to reach it? This fish is a sniper... and can hit a target over a metre away. Amazingly, he can adjust his aim to allow for the refraction of his target’s image, as light passes from air to water. The archer fish must be deadly accurate. Crickets have powerful legs and can easily jump out of range. His ammunition is cheap so he can

afford to be trigger happy. Bullseye! [gentle music playing] Outright conflict is only one consequence of the underwater arms race. Strategic alliances and intrigue also feature in struggles for survival. Perhaps the fish with the most allies is the Blue Streak Cleaner Wrasse. At only ten centimetres long, it makes a bite size snack for many reef inhabitants. But predator and prey have negotiated a truce. The cleaner wrasse performs a “peace dance” for his prospective ally, a moray eel. The Giant Moray Eel is the largest of the eels, reaching up to 2.5 metres in length. With two sets

of sharp teeth, he is well equipped to take on octopus, crabs, and fish. [tense music playing] But with the cleaner wrasse he engages in a terrifyingly intimate trade. The wrasse eats parasites and dead tissue from the eel’s hard to reach places. And in return for the wrasse’s cleaning services... the moray refrains from eating him. But another fish wants to share the benefits of the alliance without paying a tribute. The false cleaner wrasse is a fraud. He mimics the peaceful cleaner wrasse, both in appearance and by the dance that lulls other fish into thinking he is

harmless. But he is not. He has large, curved canines on his lower jaw, and likes to feed on living flesh. The disguise enables the false wrasse to get close enough to young and inexperienced fish to mount a surprise attack, and steal a quick bite of scales and skin before its victim knows what hit it. Deceitful, yet effective. All of the ocean species bring unique weapons to their battles for survival, but very few are able to use the same weapons to fight in different ways. Bottlenose dolphins have the intelligence to adapt their hunting strategies to counter

the defences of local prey. Here on the coast of North America, they are known for a highly risky battle plan... stranding. [dramatic music playing] Their sophisticated communications allow them to work as a team. One dolphin surfaces, watchful for danger and on the lookout for a suitable beachhead. Their prey of choice is mullet. Mullet can leap out of the water as they attempt to escape, but the dolphins use this to their advantage. Advancing in small groups, the dolphins herd the fish toward the shore... and shallow water. [screeches] Once in position, the leading dolphin emits a vocal

cue to launch the operation. They attack in perfect formation, driving the fish toward the shore with a powerful wave of water. The mullets’ aerial escape strategy is futile. In the shallows, the dolphins are able to pick off their stranded prey. Every dolphin rolls onto its right side, creating a uniform barrier and minimising the mullet’s escape. Others also benefit from the dolphins’ clever manoeuvres. Called ‘strand feeding’ this hunting tactic is passed down from mother to daughter. Males prefer to hunt alone. [dramatic music playing] But it is dangerous. Dolphins risk stranding themselves. It takes at least six

years for a mother to allow her daughter to practice strand feeding without her. [dramatic music playing] In this big blue battleground, every creature has its own array of weapons for finding prey, or avoiding becoming prey themselves. An arsenal of gaping mouths with dagger-sharp teeth... knock-out punches... and super speed... give some animals an edge in the underwater arms race. But the greatest survivors are those who can learn and adapt. In the world’s largest arena, intelligence is the key to victory. [uplifting music playing]