Original subtitles

The Australian Outback

is home to a variety of reptilian inhabitants.

And having an encounter with one is often

a matter of finding yourself walking in the right place

at the right time.

Today, we are exploring the outlying borders of Meandarra.

A remote rural town that boasts over 350 square miles

of pristine Outback.

The terrain is a rugged, seemingly endless maze

of sparse and scraggly underbrush, which

for the most part, is incredibly unforgiving

when it comes to hiking.

So right now, we are out exploring in some back country.

And we're searching for diurnal species of snakes and lizards

right now.

King browns, bearded dragons, sand goannas,

skinks of various sorts from the blue tongue to the shingleback.

And this is a pretty unique environment.

Very dry.

Look at this.

All of the branches just break apart.

It is like a giant tinderbox out here.

COYOTE PETERSON To help aid

against the environmental challenges,

we are exploring along an experienced team

of animal specialists.

Lockie Gilding and Max Jackson from Australian Wildlife

Encounters.

Working under special permits, they

will be helping us navigate the landscape as we attempt

to get a variety of reptilian inhabitants

up close for the cameras.

Some good stuff to flip over right here.

Guys, right here.

Look at this. Look at this.

A snake. You got a snake?

No, no, no!

It's a skink!

Looks just like a snake.

Look at that right there. Where?

Nestled down right in the crux of that log.

You see it?

I thought it was a snake up over the top of that.

That is actually-- that's a blue tongue skink.

Hold on. You got a good shot on it?

Yep.

Now, they're not real fast, but they will oftentimes give

you a great defensive display.

Let me see.

Hi, buddy.

Let's get you out of there.

Here we go.

Come this way.

Ope, it's getting in the grasses.

Oh, no!

Wait.

Where'd it go?

OK, he's coming this way.

Hi, buddy. Right here.

Look at it. Look at that.

Look at that.

That is what they will do.

They will rear up their heads and show you

that distinctive blue tongue.

That's incredible.

Look at that tongue.

All right, I'm going to pick it up

and let's bring it over here.

Oh, without getting it-- there we go.

Hi, buddy.

How are you?

Look at that lizard.

OK, here, back up a little bit.

Wow, this is great.

The blue tongue skink.

Now this is one of the species I hoped we would

encounter here in Australia.

When it comes to skink species, I

would say that this is not only one

of the most common, but also one of the most iconic.

The name, blue tongue skink, you guys can

imagine where that comes from.

Let me sort of blow some air in front of its nose

and see if I can get it to stick its tongue out.

You guys ready?

And they use that tongue-- there you go.

You see that?

Sensing my hand right now.

There you go.

Tasting my hand.

Turn a little bit so you can see it there, Mario.

Not aggressive at all.

Look at that.

But oftentimes, when you find them on the ground,

their first defensive posture is to rear their body around, open

up that mouth and go [hisses].

Display that large blue tongue.

Now they're not venomous, but that blue tongue is aposematic,

potentially warning a predator that, you don't

know if I'm venomous or not.

And if I am and I bite you, it's going to be a really bad day.

But this lizard is completely harmless.

Now oftentimes, here in Australia,

people will see these reptiles in their backyard.

And they'll call Animal Services and say,

I've got a snake in my backyard.

Somebody come and remove it.

But it's more likely a skink than it is a snake.

And you can see why people oftentimes misidentify them.

If I hold those legs down to the side,

it looks just like the body of a snake.

And even when they move through the environment,

their general locomotion that propels them forward

makes them look like a snake.

Here, I'm going to set it down on the ground

and watch the way that this reptile moves.

Are you ready?

Yep.

You got a good shot there?

I'm going to let it go.

Kind of just glides through the environment.

Yeah.

And the scales are incredibly smooth.

And because they're so smooth, that allows them to easily

glide over the underbrush, underneath logs, over rocks,

you name it.

These creatures are constantly on the move.

Little nomads spending their day searching for food.

Wow.

That is one really awesome looking lizard.

Now one thing that's really cool about this lizard species

is that they are ovoviviparous.

And what that means is that they give birth to live young.

Now, the blue tongue skink will give

birth to anywhere between two and six baby skinks.

And do you guys know what baby skunks are called?

Skinklets?

Actually, that would be a really

good name for baby skinks.

But it's technically called a litter.

I guess maybe if it's a litter, like puppies,

maybe an individual skinklet is called a pup?

I don't know. I like skinklets.

I like skinklets better.

Let's officially call them skinlets.

Can we talk about those little back legs?

They're pretty cute, aren't they?

Yeah, let's take a look at those.

Let's see your legs, buddy.

Look at those little stumpers.

Now, they do have really sharp claws.

And they're capable of climbing up and over logs, rocks,

fit through narrow crevices.

They're opportunistic omnivores, which

means they're always on the move searching

for small little insects, arachnids.

And sometimes, even feasting on plants.

And look at the length of this lizard.

A little over a foot long.

And this is about average size for full grown adult.

And it's really hard to distinguish between the males

and the females.

But typically, the males grow just a bit bigger

than their female counterparts.

And look at that tail.

Short and stubby.

And this lizard is not capable of dropping its tail,

like some lizard species.

And some species of skink actually

store fat in their tails, similar to that

of a gila monster.

And they will actually live off of that fat during times

of drought and a lack of food source.

That's interesting.

They have really large ear holes on the back side

of their heads.

So I imagine they must have great hearing.

And because their bodies are so low to the ground,

I imagine they sense a lot of movement in their environment.

So let's say something like a dingo were to come across,

it could probably feel it from quite a distance away,

and then be able to scurry underneath a log

or into a burrow.

Oh, actually, you know what?

This skink has ticks on it.

I don't know if you can see that.

Zoom in on the side of its head there.

It has two ticks.

Is that what that lump is?

Yeah, those are two ticks stuck on the side of its head.

Actually, buddy, you want us to help you out?

I can remove those ticks for you.

Now, that is a parasite on the reptile.

And actually, I'm going to help you out.

I'm going to remove your ticks.

'Cause those ticks are just feeding off of this animal's

blood right now.

Hold on a second.

Actually, Mario, can you hold the skink?

Stick your hand out here for a second.

Hold on to the skink.

I'm going to get a multitool out of my bag.

Aw, poor little guy.

Got parasites on him.

OK, go ahead and bring him back here.

Now, this is not going to hurt the lizard in any way.

And actually, they almost look like scales.

OK, I'm going to just hold him down like this.

Might need two hands on that.

Nope, I should be able to get them.

This one right there is a little tick.

Got it.

That's one. I know, buddy.

I know.

I think he knows that we're helping him out.

Oh, gosh.

That one's really in there.

Got it.

Oh, that's no good.

That's no good.

I got your ticks, bud.

Look at that.

All right, I'm just going to flick

those off back into the wild.

Don't worry.

I won't flick them at you guys.

This way, please.

That way?

All right, ready?

There they go.

All right, that is one happy skink.

Does that feel better now that you don't have ticks on you?

Look at the coloration of the eyes.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Golden on the outside and that dark black pupil.

They have excellent eyesight during the day.

And now the tongue is starting to come out.

You guys noticing that?

That big, blue tongue.

And they're using that to sense their environment.

They use that to help detect chemicals which

helps them find their food.

Wow.

This was pretty awesome coming across one

of the most iconic lizard species

here in Australia, the blue tongue skink.

I'm Coyote Petersen.

Be brave, stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

The bizarre nature

of the blue tongue skink.

With its short stumpy legs, snake-like movements,

and big blue tongue, certainly classified

as one of the most unique reptiles

we have featured on the Brave Wilderness channel.

And while they are often misidentified in Australia

for being snakes, it's important to remember that these lizards,

despite their aggressive display,

are only interested in escaping human interaction

and should always be considered harmless.

For anyone the dreams of adventure,

there's arguably no greater place on our planet

than the Australian Outback.

This vastly remote stretch of wilderness

is the perfect place to encounter

some of the country's most recognizable animal species.

And if you are a fanatic of reptiles,

this is your dream come true.

On this expedition, we're traveling nearly 300 miles

from the sprawling city of Brisbane

and out toward the sparsely populated town of Meandarra.

From there, we'll venture further

into the bush with the hopes of tracking

down one of its largest reptilian inhabitants,

the monitor lizard.

These ancient looking reptiles are rather common.

However, they're elusive nature, coupled

with perfectly designed camouflage

can make them incredibly difficult to find.

To aid in this epic quest, we have

teamed up with two of the country's

top reptilian enthusiasts.

Lockie Gilding and Max Jackson, who own and operate

Australian Wildlife Encounters know

these wild stretches of remote territory better than anyone.

And their expertise when it comes to locating monitor

lizards is unprecedented.

Working under their special permits,

we have one collective goal in mind,

do whatever it takes to track down and safely catch one

of these phantom-like lizards.

So Max, when it comes

to searching for monitors, what is the telltale sign

that we're in the right area?

I mean, what are we looking for right now?

The monitor lizard

is an iconic reptile that has long

been on my wish list of animals to feature on

the "Brave Wilderness" channel.

And this would be the first time in my life

where that wish stood a chance of coming true.

When I spring out of the car to catch a monitor,

I'm going to need both hands.

So we're going to try to get the initial catch

shot from my shoulder instead of a handheld camera.

I just know that if I'm fumbling around with a GoPro,

I stand a better chance of actually being bitten.

Let me tell you what you don't want to happen when working

with a monitor, for those razor sharp teeth to slice

into your arm.

It will send you to the hospital and you

will be getting stitches.

So we're going to the shoulder cam on this one, guys.

All right, man, you ready?

Let's do it.

It's monitor time.

Monitor right there.

Right there.

Turn the car around.

Yep, right back there up on that edge.

This is it, guys.

OK, definitely monitor right up on the edge of the road here.

There's a monitor on the side of the road.

No way.

He dove-- he dove into here.

That's right where he was going.

Man, what happened, Coyote?

Well, we saw a small monitor, another one about that big.

I mean, lightning quick.

We drove past it.

It actually stayed on the road.

And as we got close, put its head up, whoosh,

just like that.

Got down into a burrow.

Not a chance of catching that one.

Sprinted after that one.

COYOTE PETERSON Did I

forget to mention that monitor lizards are incredibly speedy?

In fact, for their size, these lizards

are one of the fastest reptiles in Australia.

And after witnessing the speed of our first target,

I soon began to realize that catching a monitor lizard

was going to be a lot more difficult

than I had previously imagined.

Late afternoon was creeping in as sharp beams

of sunlight cut through the trees with a blinding effect.

I could feel the window of lizard catching opportunity

beginning to close.

Yet, my hold on hope remains strong.

- Oh, yeah. - Right there.

Right there. Slow down.

Slow down.

All right, let's go. Everybody go.

Move slow.

Move slow.

OK, guys, we've got a monitor just in front of the vehicle

here.

Going to approach slow.

Right now, it is just holding its ground.

COYOTE PETERSON In a flash,

the lizard sprang into action.

Keeping up with a monitor lizard as it speeds

through tangles of branches and briar patches

is virtually impossible.

And it was only a matter of time before one of two things

happened.

Either the reptile with dive into a burrow

and disappear out of reach, or it

would retreat high up into a tree, which

is exactly what this one did.

You see it?

Yeah, it's up there.

Oh, I see it.

It's right here up tree.

Up a tree. Right up the tree.

Right here.

COYOTE PETERSON As I peered up

the trunk of the towering tree before me,

only one thought came to my mind.

Catch that lizard.

So as I have done before, without a second of hesitation,

I began to scramble up the tree.

Careful.

You might make it jump.

He's going to jump

to this other section here.

He's at the end of that branch

that your left hand's on.

He's at the end of that branch.

Man, I've got him.

But he is locked on to the end of this branch.

Got him.

Nice catch.

Got it!

Yeah!

Woo!

That might be a most epic catch of all time.

My only question is, how am I going to get back down?

Hold on.

I'm going to put it in my pocket.

Just kidding.

Hi, buddy.

All right, guys, I've caught the monitor.

Now it's just a matter get back down out of this tree with it

in my hands.

This is a bit of a precarious scenario right here.

Careful.

Bit of a scrape on my--

on my man berries there.

Not a problem.

I have got the lizard.

Come on [inaudible].

Oh.

No, no.

I got it.

Ah!

Ow!

Easy.

Go slow.

Go slow.

Ah!

Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

Yeah!

And that is how you climb a tree to catch a monitor.

Whoa!

That was epic. That was epic.

A bit out of the range here.

Oh, man.

That was amazing.

I told you guys I was going all in

to catch one of these lizards.

Wow.

It's a sand monitor right there.

The Gould's sand monitor.

The quintessential goanna.

Let me catch my breath, guys.

Wow.

Man, get one more high five.

That was awesome.

That may be the fastest I have ever climbed

a tree without branches.

And the thing that really helped me with there

was all of the grippy bark on the side of that tree

and the general arced angle.

Yeah, my arms are ripped up, but it was absolutely

worth it to catch this reptile.

This is a sand monitor, commonly known as a goanna.

And it is an ancient looking creature.

I have dreamed about being able to get one of these reptiles

up close for the cameras.

Now, they do get significantly bigger than this.

But you can't really top a catch of that magnitude.

Wow.

I just have to take a second to absorb

in the beauty of this reptile.

Look at that skin.

Little tiny scales in all that speckled patterning.

Now, I know in the past, I've compared some lizard species

to dinosaurs.

And as we know, dinosaurs evolved into birds.

And a lot of times you guys call, but Coyote, lizards

aren't really dinosaurs.

No, they are not.

But they are so similar in design.

Just look at the head of that creature.

I feel like I'm looking at a velociraptor right now.

That long neck and those intelligent eyes.

And I'll tell you what.

These creatures are intelligent, almost

problem-solving intelligent.

Now, all monitor lizard species have a forked tongue.

That forked tongue helps them navigate their environment,

and also to find and detect their prey.

And when it comes back into their mouth,

similar to a gila monster, they have

what's called a Jacobson's organ in the roof of their skull.

And as the tongue runs over that organ,

it tells them-- almost like a little computer-- your food is

this way or your food is that way, or something

is getting close in your environment

that you should flee from.

Typically, you won't find sand monitors climbing trees.

They're terrestrial species.

But in an instance like that, where it's evading a predator,

if a tree is the best way to escape,

that's exactly where it is going to go.

Wow.

Look at those front forelimbs.

Can you guys see those claws?

Razor sharp, almost like the talons of a bird of prey.

And they have grappled onto my arms

in several different places.

I'm actually really happy that I wasn't sliced

up more than I have been.

These creatures are voracious predators.

They will eat pretty much anything.

They will eat small rodents, they will eat insects,

arachnids, other lizards, eggs.

And they will even eat dead animals.

So a lot of times, you will see these lizards out

on the roadsides feeding on dead carcasses.

Whether it be an emu or a kangaroo,

that is fair game for a creature like this

to just dig into those guts and have a feast.

And this is one healthy lizard.

Let me turn it upright like this for you

so you can see it's back.

And it is just holding on to me about as tight

as I am holding on to it.

Look at that.

Locked in place.

And there is so much muscle structure in the tail

and the center of this animal's body.

This is a male, a young one.

They can grow substantially longer than this.

I would say it's about three feet in length

from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail.

Look at that coloration.

You see all the yellow speckling along the sides of the legs,

and then that yellow tip of the tail?

That's one way that you can easily distinguish this monitor

as compared to some of the other species

that are out here in the bush.

Excellent eyesight under the light of day.

Excellent hearing.

Incredible speed.

This is an apex predator when it comes to the reptiles that

can be found here in Australia.

So cool, guys.

Can you believe that we actually caught a monitor?

I am beside myself right now.

And we have been working long and hard today, the sun

is getting low in the sky, it couldn't

be the more perfect scenario to get this reptile

up close for the cameras.

Whoa! I can't believe you guys.

I'd give you high fives right now,

but I need both hands on the lizard

to make sure that it doesn't spin around and give me a bite.

But this truly is one of the reptiles

we hope to get in front of the cameras here in Australia.

And we finally did it.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave, stay wild.

We'll see on the next adventure.