0:00:01 > 0:00:03My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06People call me Steve!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11I'm on a mission to find the Deadly 60.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Ow!
0:00:12 > 0:00:1560 deadly creatures from around the world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19You're coming with me every step of the way!
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Ow!
0:00:29 > 0:00:32We're here, in Brazil, South America,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35home of the Samba and the Savanna.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Think Brazil, think colour, rhythm and passion.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50And it's not just the people. The wildlife is out of this world!
0:00:51 > 0:00:55We've come to the top of Brazil, to the open grasslands.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Joining me on this wildlife stage are my band of explorers.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01On camera...Mark.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Our sound man is Rich.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Dudu, our guide.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Making the tea is Charlie. Just kidding, Charlie!
0:01:13 > 0:01:16So, time to check out the area
0:01:16 > 0:01:20and pick the best spots to find deadly animals for my list.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22It's an early start, but it's worth it
0:01:22 > 0:01:26cos I'm getting to use my favourite big boy's toy!
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Brazil's grassland savannas are unimaginably vast,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35about the size of a small country.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38If we were to stick to walking or using the trucks
0:01:38 > 0:01:41we wouldn't even scratch the surface!
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Luckily, though, we don't have to.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46We can get a bird's-eye view!
0:01:51 > 0:01:53I love it!
0:01:53 > 0:01:54Woo-hoo!
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The area I'm flying over is open grassland.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04It's very wet and humid
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and the animal stars here are definitely birds.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Look at that!
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Amazing! Look at all those pink ibis
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and storks and egrets!
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Fabulous!
0:02:23 > 0:02:26'There are so many species of birds here
0:02:26 > 0:02:28'there's bound to be a few deadly ones.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31'I'll be back on the trail of some of them later.'
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Wow, that was stunning!
0:02:36 > 0:02:39'As well as the grassland, there are patches of jungle.'
0:02:39 > 0:02:41This is almost like a waterfall.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I guess when there's more rain, that'll be really impressive.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48'It's what South America is famous for.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52'But it'll be best explored on foot when I'm back on the ground.'
0:02:52 > 0:02:55That is amazing! What a place!
0:02:55 > 0:03:01I think helicopters are the best method of transport in the world.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07In fact, would you fancy buying me one for Christmas, Mark?
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Yeah (!)
0:03:09 > 0:03:10- Yes?- About that big!- A little one!
0:03:10 > 0:03:12A toy one!
0:03:12 > 0:03:16OK, that's all right. Better than nothing!
0:03:16 > 0:03:18I love it!
0:03:19 > 0:03:21'I've checked out the lie of the land.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23'Now it's down to business.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27'We're on the track of the next deadly animal for my list.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:31What I'm looking out for is just one wild animal
0:03:31 > 0:03:33that we're desperate to find here,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37that I stand a chance to see from the air - it's big enough.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40I'm keeping my eyes peeled.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43'It's so big, it's known as a giant.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45'It wasn't too long before we spotted one.'
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Look at that! We need to fly as slow and low as we can, Dudu.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54'The giant in question is a giant anteater.'
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Oh, my goodness!
0:03:57 > 0:04:00'This is an animal only found in South America
0:04:00 > 0:04:01'and one I've been dying to see
0:04:01 > 0:04:05'because they're incredible and unusual predators.'
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I can't believe how close we are!
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Look at that! This is ridiculous!
0:04:11 > 0:04:13He is right next to us!
0:04:16 > 0:04:20I think we should leave him alone cos we're maybe stressing him out.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Our best way of getting close to a giant anteater is on foot.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26OK, Dudu.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30That was incredible!
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Absolutely unbelievable!
0:04:36 > 0:04:38'So now we know the area they're living in,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40'we're gonna track them on foot
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'and on the way I'll show you their favourite food
0:04:43 > 0:04:45'and exactly what makes them so deadly.'
0:04:48 > 0:04:50These bright orange boulders
0:04:50 > 0:04:54that you can see littered around all over these fields
0:04:54 > 0:04:57are not actually made of real rock.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01In fact, they're created by insects. These are termite mounds.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08Inside here are hundreds of thousands of tiny insects.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12They make them themselves out of chewed up soil or sand
0:05:12 > 0:05:15and termite spit.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'It doesn't sound much like a good building material,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22'but these guys construct a mound as hard as concrete.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24'And this is the problem for an anteater.'
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I'll try and show you quite how hard these can be.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30If I take this bush knife...
0:05:32 > 0:05:37..you can see it's a bit dusty and it's coming away in chunks...
0:05:39 > 0:05:41..but not easily at all.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Also, as you see, although I've taken off a fair bit already,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50I still haven't come to any insects.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54'Don't worry. The termites can rebuild this damage in minutes.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59'But how does the anteater get at the termites deep in the mound?
0:05:59 > 0:06:02'And how do they avoid the fearsome soldiers?
0:06:07 > 0:06:13'The soldiers will sink their massive jaws into any intruders.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15'But the anteater is well prepared.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'Firstly, they can sniff out insects
0:06:28 > 0:06:32'with a sense of smell that's 40 times more powerful than ours!
0:06:32 > 0:06:34'When they find them, they rip into a mound
0:06:34 > 0:06:38'with some of the longest claws on any living mammal.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40'They only need to break a small hole
0:06:40 > 0:06:44'because they have the most ridiculously long sticky tongue,
0:06:44 > 0:06:49'perfect for hoovering up 30,000 small insects a day!
0:06:51 > 0:06:55'By feeding at each mound for a short period of time,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59'they're long gone before the soldier termites start biting.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01'And don't be fooled by their insect diet.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03'They can stand as tall as a man
0:07:03 > 0:07:08'and have been known to kill jaguar and even people in a death hug.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12'We'll have to be very careful approaching them on foot.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20'To try and spot one in the long grass, we keep our eyes peeled.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24'And it pays off.'
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Well spotted! Good job!
0:07:34 > 0:07:37'We need to prepare carefully and quietly
0:07:37 > 0:07:39'before we lose sight of it.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:45We're all just gonna move very quietly -
0:07:45 > 0:07:46that means you, Rich, OK?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51I think we've got a good chance of getting close to it
0:07:51 > 0:07:54if we just move carefully.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59'Anteaters have poor eyesight,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'but they will hear and smell us if we're not careful.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07'Luckily, the wind's blowing towards us as we approach it.'
0:08:11 > 0:08:13The ground round here is recently burnt
0:08:13 > 0:08:16which means that it's all quite crunchy.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20A bit like walking on Rice Krispies!
0:08:20 > 0:08:25Not the ideal ground when you're trying to creep up on an animal.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29We're right by a road as well
0:08:29 > 0:08:32so even though there's not been much coming past here,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34it's still a little bit noisy.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38'We've lost sight of the anteater.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41'So Dudu and Charlie are gonna try and head him off.'
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I think Dudu's just seen it.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47We're coming round to stop it going any further.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52Hopefully we can get Steve and the rest of the team quite close.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56He's feeding.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Feeding?- Yeah, right there.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02'Guys, can you hear me, over?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05'Dudu and I are level with the anteater now.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08'We are level with the anteater. Over.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:12I can't see it at the moment, Charlie. Is it still in the trees?
0:09:12 > 0:09:18'It is in some trees, in a thicket of three or four. Over.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24'He is actually feeding at a tree at the moment. Over.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Ah, there they are. There they are.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35We're going round this way.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39'Keep coming around towards us.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:40Mark! Mark!
0:09:44 > 0:09:45There he is.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51No more than about 20 metres away from me.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54It's one of the most bizarrely shaped animals in the world.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58It's making a beeline right for us! Look at that!
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Incredible galumphing gait.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Coming over to the right.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13'But our anteater had smelt us coming and was off.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16'Someone on the crew must need a shower!
0:10:16 > 0:10:19'However, we soon spotted another animal.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22'And this one had no idea we were there.'
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Just go up to here.
0:10:37 > 0:10:38Look how close he is!
0:10:38 > 0:10:41This has got to be one of the most remarkable,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44one of the most bizarre creatures in the world.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47This is absolutely perfect for us
0:10:47 > 0:10:51because the wind is coming from him towards us.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56He's got his snout right down an ant hole.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Looks like he's feeding.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Looks like he's feeling around the branches of a tree.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12I just can't believe how close we're getting.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17'Despite all our care, it was only a matter of time
0:11:17 > 0:11:20'before the anteater caught a whiff of us.'
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Look at that.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28He's just stopping to check me out every five metres or so.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Nose in the air. There you go. He's got me.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Once he starts running, it's all over.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35Amazing!
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I can't believe how close I've got
0:11:38 > 0:11:44to one of the most bizarre animals in South America, if not the world.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Huge, hairy hoover of ants and termites
0:11:48 > 0:11:50with a sticky tongue
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and claws that rip through termite mounds
0:11:53 > 0:11:56like they were made of butter.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06'In order to carry all our gear, we've got two trucks
0:12:06 > 0:12:09'to take it and us across the huge expanse of grassland.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20'Driving in Brazil is a bit different to back home.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'After all, you don't tend to get held up by iguanas.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29'And we had to rebuild a bridge or two!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32'To cross one particularly large river,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36'we were told all we had to do was catch the ferry.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39'It wasn't quite what we were expecting, though!'
0:12:43 > 0:12:47We're pushing both our four-wheel-drives onto that raft
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and dragging it with some speedboats.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Yeah. It makes me a little bit nervous, that!
0:12:55 > 0:13:00But as it's becoming a sentence we're using more than any other,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02"What could possibly go wrong?"
0:13:18 > 0:13:21I tell you, I've used some iffy modes of transport in my time,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23but this is ridiculous!
0:13:27 > 0:13:31'Safely across, we were headed for the jungle.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36'There are many types of jungle in Brazil.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41'Each has a completely different set of animals to see.'
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Look down there!
0:13:43 > 0:13:44It's a tortoise!
0:13:48 > 0:13:50That's a baby tarantula!
0:13:50 > 0:13:53When he's fully grown, he'll be about that big!
0:13:56 > 0:13:59'There are thousands of reptiles and invertebrates.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01'Most are predators of some sort.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04'But with the list filling up,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06'I could afford to be a bit picky.'
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Oh, that is beautiful!
0:14:12 > 0:14:14This is a parrot snake.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19And when you see the head moving around, in an inquisitive fashion,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22you get an idea of why it's got its name.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24But it's not until it feels threatened
0:14:24 > 0:14:27that you see where the name comes from.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29It gapes its mouth open, almost like a beak
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and looks just like a parrot.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Except obviously, like a snake at the same time!
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It's a bit weird. Look at this now.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41It cocked its head towards me.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43There's that gaping display
0:14:43 > 0:14:46that makes him look like a parrot!
0:14:46 > 0:14:48That is fabulous.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50As I move my hand in closer...
0:14:52 > 0:14:54..he spreads his mouth even wider.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00If I tried to catch this snake, I'd get bitten.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Look at that!
0:15:02 > 0:15:05That is absolutely magnificent.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08It's a big attitude for a small snake!
0:15:08 > 0:15:12All snakes have remarkably flexible jaws.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16They can swallow prey many times the size of their own head.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21He's using that to really full effect, showing off.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24He's about to withdraw.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Fabulous!
0:15:28 > 0:15:31What a fantastic snake!
0:15:34 > 0:15:36One of my favourite snakes.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Night-time, though, means whole loads of different animals
0:15:42 > 0:15:47to see by torchlight and hopefully a few out hunting.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Ooh, a bat.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54'Some animals that are active in the day
0:15:54 > 0:15:57'are easier to get close to at night,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59'like this snoozing dragon fly.'
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Gorgeous!
0:16:04 > 0:16:07A giant moth caterpillar.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10That is fabulous!
0:16:11 > 0:16:13LOUD BUZZING
0:16:14 > 0:16:18This is the loudest insect in the world.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20It's a cicada.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25'Hard to believe that this deafening racket can help him find a mate!'
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Look at that.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Look at those spikes. They're ridiculous!
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Ow!
0:16:32 > 0:16:35HE LAUGHS
0:16:35 > 0:16:37I wouldn't touch the tree, Steve!
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- Yeah, watch the tree, Steve. It's spiky!- Thanks, guys!
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Look at this.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Steve, I've found something here.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Wow!
0:16:54 > 0:16:55Any second now...
0:16:59 > 0:17:02..you're gonna see one of the most ferocious...
0:17:04 > 0:17:06..and venomous spiders in the world.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10I'm try to convince people they shouldn't be scared of spiders,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12handling them and...
0:17:15 > 0:17:18..showing them they're nothing to be frightened of.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20But this spider here
0:17:20 > 0:17:22is one exception.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25This is officially the deadliest spider in the world
0:17:25 > 0:17:27in terms of its venom.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It's called a wandering spider
0:17:30 > 0:17:34because it doesn't build a web, it just continually wanders
0:17:34 > 0:17:36in search of food.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39It's got the strongest venom of any spider in the world
0:17:39 > 0:17:43and it's one of the few out of 50,000 species of spider
0:17:43 > 0:17:48around the world that can do damage to or even kill a person.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Luckily, it can't bite me through my trousers
0:17:51 > 0:17:53so I'm happy with it sat on my leg.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56But I certainly wouldn't have it in my hand.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01They are, really, spiders to be genuinely careful of
0:18:01 > 0:18:06and actually one of the only spiders that's hurt people in the UK
0:18:06 > 0:18:10because they've come in on shipments of bananas from Brazil
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and turned up in supermarkets in the UK
0:18:12 > 0:18:16and people have got bitten by them. Not often, but it's happened.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18That little spider there...
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Whoa! Hold on a second! Check out that jump!
0:18:22 > 0:18:24That little spider there...
0:18:25 > 0:18:28..which, as you can see, can jump quite well...
0:18:33 > 0:18:37..is the reason that arachnophobics are scared of spiders.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41This particular species of wandering spider
0:18:41 > 0:18:43isn't very big.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47They get to be really huge, tarantula kind of size,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and mostly feed on insects, though some of the big ones
0:18:50 > 0:18:52will even feed on small mammals.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Certainly their venom's strong enough.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00'With so many potential candidates for my list,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02I'm gonna choose very carefully.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Let's see what else I can find.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Here comes the rain!
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Tropical storm.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16'With all their expensive electronic gear,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19'my crew aren't so keen on the rain!
0:19:19 > 0:19:23- 'Rich, though, takes it like a man...- Carry on.- ..for once!'
0:19:23 > 0:19:25These are great!
0:19:25 > 0:19:29This is one of the weirdest and most wonderful beetles out there.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31It's a click beetle.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Look at that. Like a little brooch.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Oh, he's landed on the sound man's sound pole.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Isn't he wonderful?
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Oh, my goodness! That is awesome!
0:19:47 > 0:19:50I'm doing all this quite gingerly.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55This is quite a nasty scorpion, as scorpions go.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Capable of inflicting a very nasty sting.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04That is a Black Forest scorpion.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08It's not huge, as scorpions go,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11but he is very venomous.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Clasping onto that leaf for dear life!
0:20:17 > 0:20:20This is a scorpion that could do a person -
0:20:20 > 0:20:24even a big, strong, fully-grown man -
0:20:24 > 0:20:26some serious mischief.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28On the end of the tail here,
0:20:28 > 0:20:33clasped between my fingers very, very carefully, I have to say,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36is a spike which leads to a venom gland.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40The venom inside that gland is really, really strong.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44It's actually capable of making your kidneys and liver totally shut down
0:20:44 > 0:20:46once the poison gets into your system.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49So I'm treating him with a lot of respect.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55I don't want to give the impression that scorpions are all bad.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58In fact, they are some of the most incredible creatures.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Probably the most fantastic mothers of all invertebrates.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05If we didn't have these guys around,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09there'd be way too many things like cockroaches that we want rid of.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12I'm going to let go of his tail and see if he'll sit there...
0:21:13 > 0:21:15..on my knee.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18There you go.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20It's quite chilled out, really.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25'So chilled out, in fact, that he goes for a wander down my leg!'
0:21:25 > 0:21:27He's off!
0:21:30 > 0:21:32He's on the heel of your boot, Steve.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34- Is he on the heel?- Yes, he is.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38He's ended up in quite an odd place,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40if I'm honest with you.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43He's taken shelter on the bottom of my foot.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48For a lot of people, the first thing they'd do is squash him.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52But personally, I think scorpions are absolutely marvellous
0:21:52 > 0:21:54so I'm not gonna do that.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I'm just gonna let him carry on hunting.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Don't move your foot, Steve.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04He's going.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08There he goes.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Back into the leaf litter.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16'This has been the perfect jungle hunt.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20'The world's most venomous spider and a Black Forest scorpion!
0:22:20 > 0:22:22'They should go straight onto the list.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25'But I can't help thinking they're too obvious.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31'Maybe we should look for something a little bit more unexpected.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'Maybe something with feathers.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42'These weird-looking hoatzin eat fruit and vegetation.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44'They're the flying equivalent of a cow!
0:22:44 > 0:22:48'But they look like a cross between a chicken and a dinosaur!'
0:22:48 > 0:22:51They really are a throw-back to prehistoric times.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Brilliant!
0:22:55 > 0:22:58'There are some great deadly birds here as well.'
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Look at that!
0:23:00 > 0:23:03'This potoo looks like a tree trunk during the day,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07'but at night it becomes a fantastic acrobatic insect killer.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12'But the birds with the most varied diet round here
0:23:12 > 0:23:14'are the ever-present Caracara
0:23:14 > 0:23:17'that seem to stand guard on just about every fence post.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20'So many brilliant birds.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'One of them must be a candidate for the Deadly 60.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'Well, how about this?'
0:23:26 > 0:23:31I spotted a little shape perched on top of a termite mound.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34He's dropped down into the grass now
0:23:34 > 0:23:39but we're gonna sit and wait because if he turns up, he's worth a look.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Just there, look. See it, Mark?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48It's a pair, a breeding pair.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51One there and one there. Tiny, aren't they?
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Absolutely tiny.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56They're burrowing owls.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58I don't really know where to start
0:23:58 > 0:24:02with talking about these incredibly curious creatures.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07One of the first things is that they're active now, during the day
0:24:07 > 0:24:09and that's really unusual for owls.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Then the size. They're absolutely tiny,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and then the name, burrowing owls.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17They're called that cos they live in burrows.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Just down underneath this termite mound is their hole.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23The top of the termite mound
0:24:23 > 0:24:25is spattered white with their droppings.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29They use that as a sentry post. Two of them are here together.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33There could well be eggs or even possibly chicks
0:24:33 > 0:24:35down in the burrow.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Look at that.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Beautiful.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49The amount of movement you can see in the head there
0:24:49 > 0:24:54is cos owls' eyes are fixed in their sockets much more than ours are.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58They can't move their eyes around, so they move the whole head.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01They can turn and look right round behind them
0:25:01 > 0:25:04purely through that motion of the neck.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Very brave birds as well.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10We're really very close
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and he's looking right at us but he's not flying away.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- He's well camouflaged in there. - He is well camouflaged.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'Yes. But are they deadly?
0:25:20 > 0:25:22'Well, watch this.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28'I know they may be short, and a bit fluffy,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31'but apparently no-one told the owl!
0:25:31 > 0:25:34'These guys have ideas well above their station!
0:25:34 > 0:25:36'They can dig their own burrows
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'but why bother when you can steal someone else's?
0:25:39 > 0:25:41'In this case, a prairie dog.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46'In the burrow, safe underground, up to 12 eggs will hatch into chicks.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49'Even at this age, they won't be pushed around.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52'They hiss like rattlesnakes to scare off predators.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58'To feed these chicks, the adults need to be expert bug catchers.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'They've recently been seen using a technique
0:26:01 > 0:26:03'I affectionately call "poo fishing"!
0:26:04 > 0:26:08'There are loads of bugs that love poo. Well, why wouldn't you?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11'So the owls gather up poo,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13'scatter it around the burrow
0:26:13 > 0:26:15'and rip it apart to intensify the aroma.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18'The smelly trap has been set.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22'Owls intercept the bugs and beetles as they fly in.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26'You got out expecting poo for tea
0:26:26 > 0:26:28'and get eaten by an owl!
0:26:28 > 0:26:29'It's tough being a bug!
0:26:30 > 0:26:34'Poo fishing. Slightly gross, but smart!
0:26:34 > 0:26:36'And definitely deadly.'
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Oh, he's back on top of the termite mound.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54What a wonderful animal.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58So full of attitude and lethal surprises
0:26:58 > 0:27:00that I have to put them on my list.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Burrowing owls are cunning, clever,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11brave, lethal hunters.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14If you're watching this and you're a dung beetle,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16keep well away!
0:27:20 > 0:27:25Join us next time for more amazing animal encounters on Deadly 60.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Magnificent!
0:27:26 > 0:27:29That is grim!
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Aghh!
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd