Wild Scandinavia

Hidden amongst the mosses, a surprising creature stalks the undergrowth... Laugakngul, Iceland's pool spider.

Only the size of a thumbnail... these spiders are amongst the smallest of the wolf spider family.

They're found all over the world, normally dormant in winter, here they live a very different life...

The constant heat allows these spiders to defy the seasonal clock.

Thriving, even in the middle of winter.

But there are limits even here.

Wolf spiders must walk a perilous line between the worlds of ice and fire.

One wrong step means being boiled alive... or swept away in the current.

Not everyone lives to see the summer... ...but stray too far from the hot springs and a much colder death awaits.

Luckily, their prey is also marooned.

These flies are hot spring specialists, feeding on nutrient rich algae.

Wolf spiders earned their name from their predatory hunting technique.

It's sometimes hard to see the association.

Even the most hopeless spider gets lucky sometimes.

They might not be agile hunters, but in this warm oasis, they have the luxury of time.