0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall!
0:00:04 > 0:00:07You can call me Steve.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12I'm on a mission to find the Deadly 60 -
0:00:12 > 0:00:14that's 60 deadly creatures.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16I'm travelling all over the world.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21And you're coming with me every step of the way.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23- Ah! - HISSING
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Shark!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Aaah!
0:00:29 > 0:00:31So, where are we this week?
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Well, we're about...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37there, in South Africa.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40This place is absolutely crawling with deadly creatures,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42and it's the perfect place to start my journey.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45WIND WHISTLES
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Right, that's enough of all that pretty stuff.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55There are countless animals on the planet
0:00:55 > 0:00:57but only 60 can make my list,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01and the first is one of the deadliest in South Africa.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06And to get close to them, I'm taking to the kayak.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Whay!
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Aah-ha-ha!
0:01:24 > 0:01:27The first animal on my list lives just downstream from here.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30The animals that make it onto my deadly list
0:01:30 > 0:01:33may be deadly in their own world, or could be deadly to humans.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Like these - hippos.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40While I try and find them, have a look at this.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04More people die from hippo attacks in South Africa
0:02:04 > 0:02:07than from any other mammal.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11But someone who lived to tell the tale is Robert.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13So, Robert was saying he was out...
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- It was at night-time, yes? - It was ten past seven.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- Ten past seven?- Yeah. - Ten past seven at night.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Robert was out here in the fruit plantation -
0:02:22 > 0:02:23these are lemon trees behind us -
0:02:23 > 0:02:27and a hippo just came charging out of the trees,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30- and you...climbed up here?- Yes.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34As you were climbing up the tree,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37- the hippo caught you with its tooth...- Yeah.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40And then it fixed my leg and the tree.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42That was my leg.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- So, the bite went through your leg and then through the tree?- Yeah.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- That's where you see this cut here. - Yes, yes.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50That is amazing! Sorry, do you mind if I look?
0:02:50 > 0:02:55'If you're having your tea, you may want to look away now.'
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Well...
0:02:57 > 0:03:00If any of you out there
0:03:00 > 0:03:05have any doubt whatsoever that the hippo can be a lethal creature,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07you don't need to see anything more than this.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Having told you everything I just have about wild hippos,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18you probably think I'm out of my mind
0:03:18 > 0:03:21to be getting this close to one, and you'd be right.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24But Jessica here is a very special hippo indeed.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28She's the only one in the world you could ever get this close to.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Oh, my life! She's coming out the water! Look at this!
0:03:32 > 0:03:37You would probably instantly assume that we're in a zoo or safari park,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39but this is a totally wild river
0:03:39 > 0:03:42and wild hippos pass through here every single day
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and socialise with Jessica here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Give us a nice big smile, Jess.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52You see those two huge, gargantuan incisor teeth
0:03:52 > 0:03:54at the side of her mouth there.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59They actually slot in to these two lumps on the top of her head here,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03and they really don't serve any purpose for feeding at all.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05They're purely for fighting and for defence.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10And on a male, these can grow to an enormous size.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13I've actually got a couple here.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17If you can imagine those inside Jessica's mouth.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22THAT is a weapon to be truly frightened of.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Jessica was just two days old
0:04:25 > 0:04:29when she was rescued by Tony and Sheila...and their various dogs.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33The river flooded and Jessica was separated from her mother
0:04:33 > 0:04:34and washed up on a bank.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37She's been part of the family ever since.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Now this is one of the most extraordinary animal encounters
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I've ever had in my life.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53The thing that's surprising...
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Obviously, I've never touched a hippo before,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58but it's the sensation of the skin.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03It's really very soft, almost slimy,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05and hippos have a whole range of substances
0:05:05 > 0:05:09that they almost sweat out onto their skin
0:05:09 > 0:05:11which serve all kinds of purposes.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It's thought that some of this stuff that they sweat out
0:05:14 > 0:05:16acts almost like sun block.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17She keeps snorting at me,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21and because the diet is so heavy in greens,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24believe me, it's a bit pongy!
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Here's one for your mates -
0:05:26 > 0:05:31"hippopotamus" actually translates as "water horse".
0:05:33 > 0:05:36You may have a cat or dog which sits on your lap.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38But imagine dealing with this.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43TONY: OK, don't come too close.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44- SHEILA:- At-at-at-at...
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Don't worry, don't worry.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48SHE SPEAKS IN DIALECT
0:05:48 > 0:05:51SHE SPEAKS REASSURINGLY IN DIALECT
0:06:10 > 0:06:15I have to say, in a whole lifetime working with animals,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18this is the weirdest thing that I've ever seen.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20THEY CHUCKLE
0:06:20 > 0:06:22You are sitting with a hippo on your lap
0:06:22 > 0:06:24in your front room!
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Tell me some of the fun things about having a hippo round the house.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Well, having a hippo round the house...
0:06:33 > 0:06:36she breaks the base of your mattress and...
0:06:36 > 0:06:39She breaks...?! You have her in your bed?
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Yeah, well, if you leave the door open or with the key in the door,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45she unlocks it herself.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47- She unlocks the doors?!- Yeah!
0:06:47 > 0:06:49She goes into the room, she gets on the bed,
0:06:49 > 0:06:54and, well, there goes another...bed, the base.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55You can hear it cracking.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57It's unbelievable!
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Just when I thought this story couldn't get any stranger!
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- You share your bed with a hippo! - THEY CHUCKLE
0:07:02 > 0:07:04That's crazy!
0:07:04 > 0:07:07TRUMP!
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Meanwhile, back to my mission. I'm on the hunt for wild hippos -
0:07:20 > 0:07:24some of the most dangerous and unpredictable animals in Africa.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27We've had a report that there are two downstream.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Our first hippo... just around this corner.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41He's a big 'un. He's spotted us as well.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44HIPPO SNORTS
0:07:44 > 0:07:45Ooh!
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Don't know if you head that sound
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but that was a very audible threat to us.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58He's gone under the water.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00This is where we've got to be careful
0:08:00 > 0:08:03because we don't know where he's gonna come up again.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08There he is. He's surfaced right in the middle.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Huge exhalation of air and water there.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16He's come back up again.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18He's looking straight at me.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Don't really want to get any closer than this.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31The thing is, despite him being such an enormous bulk,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33he could be pretty much anywhere here.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34He could pop up right next to me.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I'd actually rather keep this shallow bit of water
0:08:38 > 0:08:40between the two of us.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45This is quite nerve-wracking.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It may seem that he's the one that's nervous,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58but actually, there's no doubt who's more at home in this environment.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It's definitely him.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04That huge breath of air, that's not just him emptying his lungs.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06That was meant to scare me.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10It's starting to get dark now, they'll be getting more active,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and pretty soon, looking to come out of the water.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14This is THE most dangerous time,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and I'm certainly not hanging around
0:09:16 > 0:09:20with an animal that could bite my boat in half
0:09:20 > 0:09:21that could be right underneath me.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25'Well, we found our wild hippo, so I'm heading back upstream
0:09:25 > 0:09:27'to where I can get out.'
0:09:27 > 0:09:28Look, he's just there!
0:09:28 > 0:09:31He's come past us!
0:09:31 > 0:09:33I don't believe it!
0:09:33 > 0:09:35He's just sat in the river...
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- That's the other one? - MAN: That's another one.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42'Another hippo's appeared, blocking my exit.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44'When he dives, I can't see anything.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46'I'll need the eyes of the crew.'
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- He's just about 20 metres in front of you.- 20 metres?
0:09:49 > 0:09:51He's just in line with my arm here.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53He's coming.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55PEOPLE SHOUT OUT
0:10:01 > 0:10:04INDISTINCT SHOUTING
0:10:04 > 0:10:06'This is a serious situation.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10'I can't go upstream, I can't go downstream.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12'I'll have to try and find a way out.'
0:10:12 > 0:10:15He's coming right at you!
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Steve, go back the way you came.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20See the reeds in front of you?
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- Yeah?- Follow my arm - he's just in the water...
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- He is?- ..just here. Just here.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- So, you cannot come down here, OK? - That's fine.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- There he is.- 'It's as though he knows he's blocking my exit.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35'I can't do anything but sit and wait.'
0:10:38 > 0:10:39They are SO unpredictable.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42You have no idea what they're gonna do next.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- Turning... - 'I can't wait any longer.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50'He's turned and he's coming for me.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52'Now I've seen a possible exit.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56'It's a shallow stream and not somewhere I want to get stuck.'
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Just be quick.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59Go! Go, go, go!
0:10:59 > 0:11:01He's coming towards you, mate.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03FRANTIC SHOUTING
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I tell you what...
0:11:16 > 0:11:20That just shows you, you can never be complacent with wild animals.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25And it also shows why hippos have to be on the Deadly 60.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27HE SIGHS
0:11:27 > 0:11:29That was too close for comfort.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34The hippo has to be on my Deadly 60 list
0:11:34 > 0:11:36because of its huge size,
0:11:36 > 0:11:37its awesome speed
0:11:37 > 0:11:40those lethal teeth and its unpredictable nature.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45Just as well I had the team to help me out of a really tight spot.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50- Reg, that inflatable hippo worked a treat!- Perfect!
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I don't know what he was worried about. Just...
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Deadly 60 might not just be about
0:12:04 > 0:12:06the animals that are dangerous to people,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but you couldn't come to South Africa and not do snakes.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Some of the most exciting snakes in the world are found in this area.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16So, to show you as much about them as possible,
0:12:16 > 0:12:17I've come to Khamai Reptile Park
0:12:17 > 0:12:20to meet an old friend and a great hero of mine,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23and if you think that I'm a bit obsessed with snakes,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26trust me, you haven't seen anything yet.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Where is he?! He's gone!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- Hello!- Don! How are you?
0:12:32 > 0:12:34- DOG BARKS - Oh, my goodness! Deadly dog!
0:12:34 > 0:12:38We've been checking out some of the snakes here in the park
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and we've narrowed it down to three contenders
0:12:41 > 0:12:42for the Deadly 60 list.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46SNAKE HISSES
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Even people that are passionate about snakes, like Donald and I,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51can never really agree
0:12:51 > 0:12:54on what the most dangerous snakes in South Africa are,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57so we're gonna have a good look at these snakes in detail.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- What better place than the snake pit?- Yeah!
0:13:03 > 0:13:07I have to say, Don, this is a genius idea of yours
0:13:07 > 0:13:11to have this chat surrounded by deadly venomous snakes.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13The sound man doesn't look too happy about it!
0:13:13 > 0:13:16I'm scared!
0:13:16 > 0:13:20We're talking about a lot of snakes that potentially could harm humans,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23but there's only one in the whole of Africa
0:13:23 > 0:13:26that could actually eat a person. All these other ones,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30if they strike you, if they get venom into you,
0:13:30 > 0:13:31they're only doing it from defence,
0:13:31 > 0:13:36but a rock python, potentially, could kill and eat a person.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38You stink! You smell terrible!
0:13:39 > 0:13:42You smell like perfumes, you smell like soaps, you smell like clothing.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Pythons don't eat that.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47If you don't go bath for a month or two, maybe.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51You're talking about a snake that can be as long as a limousine,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53as fat around as my waist is,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55it's got that strength, that ability,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57to choke the life out of a creature.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01And then, you know, once it's done that,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03it can pretty much dislocate its entire jaw,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06walk its mouth over prey that's phenomenally big.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07Not a big lad like you, no.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10You're not gonna be eaten by an African python.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15When they strike and you see all of those massive rows
0:14:15 > 0:14:18of recurved, needle-sharp teeth, that can be really scary.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Scary, yes, but appearance doesn't portray aggression.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Here's a python.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26STEVE LAUGHS
0:14:26 > 0:14:27That's not fair!
0:14:27 > 0:14:32You can't bring a little cuddly one like that into the equation!
0:14:32 > 0:14:34You're totally blowing my argument, Don!
0:14:34 > 0:14:37OK, fair enough, I'm gonna give you rock python.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39What's your next argument?
0:14:39 > 0:14:44The black mamba's got to be the most dangerous of the snakes.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46This really is an awesome creature.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49It's the largest venomous snake in Africa,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53growing up to four-and-a-half metres,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57and if you were trying to run away from it, it could overtake you.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01The name black mamba refers to the black lining of its mouth.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06It actively hunts its prey and there's enough venom in one bite
0:15:06 > 0:15:09to kill as many as 20 or 30 men.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11It's quite a nasty way to go,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I would imagine, being bitten by a black mamba.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Black mamba's got a neurotoxin, nerve-affecting venom.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It's gonna kill you within 15 minutes to maybe two hours.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23When you speak about other snake venoms, it takes hours
0:15:23 > 0:15:25or days to kill.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But, it paralyses, so stops breathing, stops heart,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and you are then clinically dead.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34OK, I tell you what I'll go for. It's the rinkhals.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40To show you a rinkhals in action, we've taken one
0:15:40 > 0:15:43to the bush outside the sanctuary.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46This is a fiery snake!
0:15:46 > 0:15:50You can see he's rearing up towards me, ooh!
0:15:50 > 0:15:53And just flicked venom all down my arm!
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Certainly not as accurate as you see in some spitting cobras,
0:15:56 > 0:16:01but if it goes in the eyes, it's gonna be just as effective.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Now... Look at that!
0:16:03 > 0:16:04Ooh! Perfect.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08He actually flicked venom straight at me.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Actually, a little bit went into my mouth.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14You can taste is has a kind of rusty taste to it.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17'The venom can't harm me unless it gets into my bloodstream.'
0:16:17 > 0:16:20That actually did go right into my mouth.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24What I'm trying to do is restrain the head.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27To actually give it an impression of what would happen
0:16:27 > 0:16:30if an animal was to attack it, what it would do.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36So, I'm just gently hoping that I'll be able to hold the head down...
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Wow!
0:16:40 > 0:16:42OK...
0:16:44 > 0:16:47And he just spat straight at the camera.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51I think there are a few flecks of venom just on the outside
0:16:51 > 0:16:52of the lens hood.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58'This isn't hurting the snake but it does allow me to show you
0:16:58 > 0:17:00'how incredible it is.'
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Now... With the head restrained,
0:17:03 > 0:17:08and the snake really feeling like it has nowhere to go,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11the next thing that the rinkhals does...
0:17:13 > 0:17:15..is play dead.
0:17:19 > 0:17:20Look at that!
0:17:20 > 0:17:24From the ferocious, agitated, moving snake we had before,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28it's gone totally limp, so this
0:17:28 > 0:17:31is the rinkhals last line of defence.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It's been fast, quick, and aggressive. It spat venom at me.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Now, it's just playing dead.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43No motion whatsoever and any animal that won't take dead prey
0:17:43 > 0:17:46is not gonna be interested, it's gonna leave it alone.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Anything that will and gets up too close is gonna get a nasty surprise,
0:17:51 > 0:17:52and probably a bite.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Now that's what I call a clever snake.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03That's brains! People think of snakes
0:18:03 > 0:18:05as being creatures with tiny, insignificant brains,
0:18:05 > 0:18:10that are stupid, and only think about eating and sleeping and getting warm.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12The rinkhals proves it is absolutely not true.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17So, is it the rock python, with its incredible strength and size?
0:18:18 > 0:18:23Fast, furious and highly venomous, the black mamba is a true contender
0:18:23 > 0:18:24for the deadly title.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Or is it the rinkhals, with its venom-flicking ability
0:18:28 > 0:18:29and deadly tactics?
0:18:29 > 0:18:34I think the black mamba gets my Deadly 60 stamp,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36but I mean, I throw it open to you lot. What do you think?
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Yeah, black mamba. We agree with you, Steve. I agree with you.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Whatever you say, Steve. You're the expert.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Black mamba - sorted.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I don't want you to think this series is only about animals
0:18:50 > 0:18:51that are dangerous to people.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55After all, you've as much chance of being hurt by a wild animal
0:18:55 > 0:18:57as you have of being struck by lightning...
0:18:57 > 0:18:59whilst wearing a gorilla suit.
0:18:59 > 0:19:05What it is about is animals that are dangerous in their world.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07If you're an insect, a chameleon
0:19:07 > 0:19:11is the most dangerous animal in the world.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12Yuck!
0:19:17 > 0:19:20My team here in South Africa's nearly up but before we leave,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24we're headed out into the bush to check out some possible contenders
0:19:24 > 0:19:26for the Deadly 60 list.
0:19:26 > 0:19:32Oh, wow! OK... Move very carefully now,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36because...there's something below our feet
0:19:36 > 0:19:40that's gonna be able to sense our movements.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43If you come here... just looking down there.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46This hole in front of me...
0:19:47 > 0:19:51..might look pretty innocuous...
0:19:52 > 0:19:58..but it's actually the burrow of a very beautiful spider.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01See if we can get her out to say hello.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06Ground round here's pretty hard, so in heavy rains,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09these burrows could flood.
0:20:09 > 0:20:17The spider may well come running out so let's see if we can replicate that
0:20:17 > 0:20:20using our water.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Oh, wow!
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- ..Extreme close-up so it doesn't matter...- OK.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38OK, so, as you can see,
0:20:38 > 0:20:43I've just slipped my knife in underneath her, so she can't retreat.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Ground's good and soft, so it shouldn't damage her burrow,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Let's see if we can get her out.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Come on, beautiful...
0:20:56 > 0:20:57Here she comes.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01Look at that!
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Isn't she gorgeous?
0:21:03 > 0:21:07This is a baboon spider.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12In many parts of the world, spiders in this group are known as tarantulas
0:21:12 > 0:21:15but not here in Africa.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20You can see these are the creatures of many people's nightmares
0:21:20 > 0:21:25but she's actually such a gentle creature.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30Moves so slowly, so carefully, and absolutely beautiful.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34One of the most remarkable things about spiders like this
0:21:34 > 0:21:36is that they can live to a ripe old age.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39This one here, I wouldn't like to hazard a guess
0:21:39 > 0:21:42but they're certainly known to live to 35 years...
0:21:42 > 0:21:44which is just extraordinary.
0:21:44 > 0:21:51Curiously, the venom glands on spiders of this size
0:21:51 > 0:21:54are actually held at the top of the fangs, here,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and they're much smaller for their size
0:21:56 > 0:22:00than you find on even the spiders in the back of your garden.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01If I was to get bitten by this,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04the venom is not actually gonna do me much harm.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06What would, would be the fangs.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10They're about the size of the claws on a domestic cat,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13they're very sharp, if they were to puncture your skin,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15it would really, really hurt.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Most people perceive big spiders
0:22:18 > 0:22:22as being terrifying, dangerous, evil monsters
0:22:22 > 0:22:25but can you actually think of anything
0:22:25 > 0:22:27which is less threatening to humans?
0:22:27 > 0:22:32I mean, she is just behaving better than a pussy cat.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36And therefore, definitely not in my Deadly 60.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Aw, lovely smell of wild herbs...
0:22:42 > 0:22:43Ooh!
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Got something.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49This is gonna be the only... Ow!
0:22:51 > 0:22:52This...
0:22:52 > 0:22:54..is a flat rock scorpion.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58And...it's got quite a pinch on it!
0:22:58 > 0:23:03But it's actually really the pussycat of the scorpion world,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05as far as the sting goes.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07The rule of thumb is to look at a scorpion
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and look at the size of its pincers.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11If those are big, like this one here
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- he's trying to get hold of me with those -
0:23:14 > 0:23:16those are gonna be its primary weapon.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20The great thing about this flat rock scorpion is that even though
0:23:20 > 0:23:23his sting really isn't very potent,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25because he has these massive powerful pincers,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29he'll flatten himself inside a crevice and if other scorpions
0:23:29 > 0:23:33which might have much more potent venom come near by,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35he can literally tear them apart.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37So, although he's not very harmful to us,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40he is quite potentially harmful to other scorpions
0:23:40 > 0:23:43and that's gotta make him a candidate for the Deadly 60.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56'With so much more to see, we decide to keep going on into the night.'
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Ray Mears, eat your heart out.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04The bush really comes alive at night so I'm gonna go out
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and find out what we're sharing the camp with.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Ooh, on my shoe...
0:24:19 > 0:24:24That is a very pretty, tiny little gecko.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29We've only been out for a couple of minutes and already, we're seeing
0:24:29 > 0:24:33a whole host of animals that we haven't seen around during the day.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35This stick insect is just one of them.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40You may have noticed that I have two different colours of torches -
0:24:40 > 0:24:46the white bulb on my head and this purple light.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51Hopefully you'll see quite soon why I've got this.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56He's coming right towards me!
0:24:56 > 0:24:59With a little luck, I might not even have to wrangle him!
0:24:59 > 0:25:03It's exactly the species we're hoping to find as well.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Oh!
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Ooh!
0:25:21 > 0:25:22OK...
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Gotta hold my nerve here...
0:25:24 > 0:25:30Cos I'm getting pinched but the pinch is not the problem.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32I can hold him down.
0:25:32 > 0:25:38This is the scorpion I was really hoping to find round here.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Now I'll show you why I've been carrying this torch around.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I get rid of my normal light...
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Look at that.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53This is one of the most curious things about scorpions -
0:25:53 > 0:25:57their exoskeleton, their skeleton on the outside of their body,
0:25:57 > 0:26:02has this amazing glow when it's put under ultraviolet light.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06The reason for this, probably, is that because all invertebrates
0:26:06 > 0:26:09see really well in this kind of light,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13that a scorpion that's hiding in a crevice can see another one
0:26:13 > 0:26:16by seeing that ghostly green glow.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Now, you'll notice that I haven't got this one on my hand,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21like I did the other one,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and nor am I trying to get it to sting me, for the very simple reason
0:26:25 > 0:26:28that if it did, erm...my trip would certainly be over.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33This is probably one of the most venomous scorpions in Africa,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and if you look at the size of the pincers and the size of the tail,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41you'll see that it's exactly reversed from the scorpion I had earlier.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44The tail's big and fat, the pincers, small and thin.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48This one here has a really nasty punch.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53One of the most extraordinary things about this particular species
0:26:53 > 0:26:55is that it doesn't stop there.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57It can actually flick its venom as an attacker,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and it can be really, really accurate,
0:27:00 > 0:27:06so I've gotta say, this extraordinary creature is going into my Deadly 60.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12This scorpion is one of the very few in the world that could kill me,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15and if it didn't, it would almost certainly put me out of action
0:27:15 > 0:27:16for a long time.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19More importantly, its large tail and sting,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21laden with powerful neurotoxic venom,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25combine to make this scorpion extremely deadly in its own world.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Join me next time when I continue my quest to find the Deadly 60.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:53 > 0:27:56E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk