Joanne Ashman

What did you learn that most fascinated you?

For part three, we filmed boxer crabs that live in the Red Sea. These little crabs hold tiny anemones hostage on their claws, using their toxic tendrils for protection. If an individual loses one, it tears the surviving anemone in half and both sides regenerate via asexual reproduction. It’s an ingenious strategy.

Were there any particularly memorable filming moments?

Yes – coconut crabs on Christmas Island. They are known as ‘robber crabs’ as they are naturally inquisitive and supposedly steal anything. We thought they would be easy to film if a few items were laid out to pique their interest, but to start with they weren't bothered. After waiting for hours, we finally broke for lunch, which happened to be a Chinese. No sooner had we sat down than 10 of these enormous creatures appeared from nowhere and got stuck in.

Which are the most memorable sequences?

The promiscuous female prairie dogs are great – you really root for them. There’s also a lovely sequence of hummingbirds in Ecuador. These birds usually have long beaks to drink nectar from tubular flowers, pollinating them in the process, but there’s stiff competition for the best food sources. To sidestep this, the wedge-billed hummingbird uses its shorter beak to pierce any flower it chooses and ‘rob’ its nectar without pollinating it. It’s cheating, showing that animals don’t always follow expected patterns.