0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall,
0:00:04 > 0:00:09and this is my search for the Deadly 60.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Amazing!
0:00:11 > 0:00:15That's not just animals that are deadly to me, but that are deadly
0:00:15 > 0:00:17in their own world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21My crew and I are travelling the planet, and you're coming with me
0:00:21 > 0:00:23every step of the way!
0:00:30 > 0:00:34This time on Deadly 60, we're on my home turf in the British Isles.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36We're covering an enormous amount of terrain
0:00:36 > 0:00:39and seeing animals that hunt in a variety of different habitats -
0:00:39 > 0:00:44down on the ground, under water, up here in the tree tops,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47even the skies above us.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50The British Isles has oodles of different habitats
0:00:50 > 0:00:54and if you know where to look, they're full of deadly animals.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55First up, though, it's a trip
0:00:55 > 0:01:00over the countryside to see what's lurking in Britain's fresh waters.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Every environment has its predators, and our waterways are no different.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09In fact, this lake is home to the most fearsome fish in the UK.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12It doesn't only hunt other fish, it'll even snatch water birds
0:01:12 > 0:01:14from beneath the surface.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Our lakes and rivers might look pretty,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20but they hide a murky secret.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23If you live in one, almost everything is out to get you,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26from these tiny water fleas...
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..to little fish...
0:01:30 > 0:01:36and even savage invertebrates like this dragonfly larvae.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41It's a complete war zone down there, and as long as there's something
0:01:41 > 0:01:46bigger than you, it's only a matter of time until you get munched.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Something has to be at the top of the food chain,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53an animal big enough and mean enough to take on all comers -
0:01:53 > 0:01:56the pike.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59But to get down into the world of this fearsome fish hunter, I'm going
0:01:59 > 0:02:05to need all of this kit - scuba tanks and this massive camera
0:02:05 > 0:02:07which weighs more than our actual cameraman.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25With our kit assembled and our safety checks complete, it's time
0:02:25 > 0:02:29to take the plunge and begin the hunt for our murky monster.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'The bottom of the lake contains numerous old wrecks
0:02:43 > 0:02:46'which can contain excellent hunting grounds for our pike.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55'So even if it is a little spooky, they're definitely worth exploring.'
0:02:57 > 0:03:03The water in here is incredibly murky. You really can't see
0:03:03 > 0:03:06more than two or three metres in any direction.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12But obviously, that works very much on the side of an ambush hunter.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16There's just an infinite amount of places to hide.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17They could be anywhere.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22'That won't make them easy to find.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27'Pike may be big, but they generally live solitary lives and don't need
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'to feed very often. Just seeing one will be a real treat.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:37I thought I'd come across an enormous pike, but it's not at all.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40It's a big old carp.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50This stripy fish is a perch.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53They're actually predators in their own right.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57They're very strong and very fast,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59but they're no match for a pike.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03In fact, these perch would be exactly the kind of thing
0:04:03 > 0:04:05that pike would be feeding on.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10That's probably why they're hiding down in the weeds.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15'Finding one of our pike's favourite fishy foods is a really good sign,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'for where there's food, there's often a predator not far away.'
0:04:19 > 0:04:23So...this is the fearsome water wolf
0:04:23 > 0:04:28that we've come into this lake to find.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29It's a pike,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33and an absolute beauty!
0:04:34 > 0:04:38This is actually a really good size for a pike in British waters,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42but it's by no means as big as they actually really get.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44The biggest females ever caught have
0:04:44 > 0:04:50been one and a half metres long, so about half as big again as this one.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55It's hard to believe that an awesome predator like this is just hanging
0:04:55 > 0:04:57beneath the surface,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59possibly every time you go out onto a stream
0:04:59 > 0:05:01or a lake or a river here in the UK.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07The pike is shaped more like a torpedo than your everyday fish,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09with a long, muscular body
0:05:09 > 0:05:12perfectly adapted for quick bursts of speed.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13The small fins on the bottom are
0:05:13 > 0:05:18used for fine adjustments, allowing the pike to hide almost motionless.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20The big ones are like engines at the back
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and with a powerful flick of the tail,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25give the pike its incredible acceleration.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28So whether you're a fellow fish, small bird
0:05:28 > 0:05:30or even a fluffy water vole,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35you'll end up getting sucked into those mighty jaws and impaled
0:05:35 > 0:05:38on a mass of spiky pike teeth.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44When I was a kid, I used to think that, if I went into
0:05:44 > 0:05:48a lake or a river, I'd get munched by a pike.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52There's another one in here, look. Just a smaller one.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'I can't believe I've seen two pike in one dive.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01'That's fantastic!
0:06:01 > 0:06:05'But then, through the gloom, I spot something even bigger.'
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's huge! Look at the size of it!
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'This is really exciting, but we're going to have
0:06:14 > 0:06:16'to take great care not to startle it.'
0:06:23 > 0:06:25This would certainly have to be
0:06:25 > 0:06:29the biggest pike I've seen so far.
0:06:29 > 0:06:36She's absolutely gigantic, and just sitting waiting,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38absolutely motionless.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Look at that!
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Nose to nose
0:06:42 > 0:06:47with the largest predatory fish in Britain's fresh waters.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50With that stillness and the colouration down the side of
0:06:50 > 0:06:54her body, she totally disappears,
0:06:54 > 0:06:59but any small fish that swims too close to those mighty jaws
0:06:59 > 0:07:04with their spiky, backward-pointing teeth is in big trouble.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09You are utterly incredible!
0:07:12 > 0:07:14They really are a nightmare fish
0:07:14 > 0:07:19and they're really not frightened of anything.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31Who would've believed that you could have such a dramatic
0:07:31 > 0:07:35wildlife encounter in a murky green lake in the middle of England?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38That was absolutely brilliant.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43I don't think I'm going to have to sell pike to you as being menacing.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I mean, they just look like trouble.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48But one thing is for absolute certain -
0:07:48 > 0:07:50pike are...
0:07:50 > 0:07:52What are they?
0:07:52 > 0:07:54On the Deadly 60!
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Back of the net!
0:07:59 > 0:08:04A supreme camouflaged killer that melts into the murky waters
0:08:04 > 0:08:08with a muscular tail that unleashes ferocious acceleration
0:08:08 > 0:08:12and a mouth full of needle-like teeth that would scare the stuffing
0:08:12 > 0:08:13out of a pincushion.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Moving from England's fresh-water war zones,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26we're taking to the Scottish skies and to where the eagle is king.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And not just any eagle.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31This is a white-tailed sea eagle, and it's huge.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35This aerial master can have a wingspan of up to eight feet.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39That's as tall as me standing with my hands in the air.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43It uses those remarkable wings to soar high above its coastal range,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45while its super-sharp eyesight
0:08:45 > 0:08:48can scan the seas looking for its favourite food -
0:08:48 > 0:08:50fish. When it's not plucking
0:08:50 > 0:08:53fish from the water or squabbling over leftovers,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57it'll happily use those ferocious talons to snatch sea birds
0:08:57 > 0:09:01from their cliff-top homes, or even chase down the occasional rabbit.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06It'll then take its catch to dry land or back to its hungry chicks,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09where that menacing, meat-cleaver-shaped beak
0:09:09 > 0:09:13will rip and tear the flesh into manageable tasty chunks.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15But none of this would be possible without that
0:09:15 > 0:09:17sensational flying ability.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21I want to examine that further, but it'd be near impossible
0:09:21 > 0:09:26to do that out in the wild, so I'm in a studio in Bristol.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28There's a sound man down there.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30This is, though, a very special studio,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33and I've got with me a very special actor.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38This is Sasha. He's a tawny eagle that's found in Africa or Asia.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41To be honest, if we tried to get a white-tailed eagle in here,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I think it would probably have savaged all of us,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48and it might have been a bit too big, but he is absolutely perfect.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52You see, Sasha is very well trained indeed. He's been in movies
0:09:52 > 0:09:56and music videos, and he's exactly right for what I want to show you.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00So how am I going to use a film-star bird
0:10:00 > 0:10:05and a television studio to show you how eagles fly?
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Well, I haven't actually told you the full story.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14This here is a wind tunnel, and any second now, someone's going to press
0:10:14 > 0:10:18a green button and wind is going to start racing through here at about
0:10:18 > 0:10:2520-25mph, and Sasha here is going to show us what eagles do best.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27OK, Mike, let her rip.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34And I can just feel the wind beginning to build now,
0:10:34 > 0:10:40and the first thing that Sasha does is go from sitting vertically on
0:10:40 > 0:10:45my fist to her body going horizontal and the wings spreading.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48OK, now what we're seeing really is
0:10:48 > 0:10:52the kind of classic pose of an eagle gliding.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54The wings are almost at full stretch now.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57You can see the flight feathers,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59the primary flight feathers,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02almost like fingers at the end of the wings.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04These feathers here called alula feathers.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08They're the ones making the micro-adjustments to keep him stable
0:11:08 > 0:11:12so he has to use no force, no effort at all.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17He hasn't even once had to flap his wings to keep in this position.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20And now, even though I've still got a hold of him,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23he's totally weightless.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Right, let's see him in action.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Whether it's gliding, accelerating or swooping to snatch those fish
0:11:33 > 0:11:37from the water, those wings do it all.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I want to see a white-tailed sea eagle hunting in the wild,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and for that, the Deadly 60 team and I are going to head north,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51right up north to the Isle of Mull off the coast of Scotland.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56We're heading to the local harbour with eagle expert Dave from the RSPB
0:11:56 > 0:11:59when we spot what we think is an eagle high up in the trees.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Oh, yeah.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12The thing that really sets this bird apart
0:12:12 > 0:12:15from the other birds of prey you find in this area is just
0:12:15 > 0:12:18the scale, the size of the beak.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23And the colour as well. I mean, it is really dramatic.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Gives it the look of a...
0:12:25 > 0:12:28almost a cartoon eagle.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31It just doesn't look real.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33'And as if one wasn't enough...'
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Oh, that is just spectacular.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38THEY CALL
0:12:38 > 0:12:43- Do you like that? - Absolutely brilliant, yep.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- That's a yes.- A real duet.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48What a great opportunity to get a look
0:12:48 > 0:12:50at that menacing beak and talons.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54But I need to see them in action, and we've got a boat to catch.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Something about this place looks oddly familiar.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01So what's the story, guys?
0:13:01 > 0:13:02Wouldn't you like to know?!
0:13:02 > 0:13:06# What's the story in Balamory Where would you like to go? #
0:13:07 > 0:13:10That's right, I'm in Balamory.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Well, in real life, it's actually called Tobermory.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Anyway, our fishing boat's arrived, so with no time to waste,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21we kit up and head out onto the water to find our eagles.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24# Just don't let me down
0:13:24 > 0:13:27# Hold onto your kite and just don't let me down. #
0:13:27 > 0:13:30OK, so we have seen our first eagle, but let's face it,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34the real place that you want to come across a sea eagle is at sea.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38I guess this is the most perfect backdrop you could ever hope for,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42and it's not just me. Everybody else in the crew has got
0:13:42 > 0:13:44their fingers crossed that we see one.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49We've come to a spot where we know that there's a sea-eagle nest
0:13:49 > 0:13:53and in fact, up in these trees up here, we've already spotted with
0:13:53 > 0:13:58our binoculars two adult birds and one fairly young chick.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01In order to see them hunting, we need to attract their attention,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and we're going to do that using this.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Now, I know that eagles don't eat bread but gulls do.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09When the gulls come in and start feeding on it,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12hopefully that'll bring in our eagles.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18'They're pretty crafty creatures. Within minutes we're being mobbed
0:14:18 > 0:14:21'by greedy gulls eager to snatch a free meal.'
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- Shall I get some fish in?- Yeah.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30'Hopefully the commotion will have got our eagles' attention,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33'so now we throw in some of their favourite food.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Their sight might be as much as eight times
0:14:37 > 0:14:40more powerful than ours, so to be able to see all this commotion,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44all these gulls, all the food from there is pretty easy for an eagle.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49Now all we have to do is hope that he can see the fish.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52'Through our binoculars, we can see that they're interested,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54'but not enough to take to the air.
0:14:54 > 0:15:00'What's more, all our fish are getting gobbled up by those gulls.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02'Just one thing left to try.'
0:15:04 > 0:15:07This is our last opportunity.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Surely no hungry eagle can resist a fish supper that big.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18He's coming, he's coming. The eagle's coming.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- Got him, Mark?- Got him.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23He's got that fish in his sights.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27- Where are we looking, then? - Above the dead trees. Very close now.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28Yes. Oh, I see, I see.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36Oh, there is an incredible purpose about his movement now, actually.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Look at the size of it!
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- Here he comes. - Whoa, wow, look at that!
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Yes!
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Amazing!
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Just snatched a piece of fish right off the surface of the water,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55the classic sea-eagle catch.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Have you got it?
0:16:04 > 0:16:06'Not many people can say that they've seen that.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09'The white-tailed eagle has officially earned its place
0:16:09 > 0:16:10'on my Deadly 60.'
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Those incredible wings enable it to effortlessly
0:16:15 > 0:16:16pluck fish from the water.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19An enormous meat cleaver shaped beak
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and incredible eyesight,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24eight times more powerful than ours.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Next stop on our Deadly 60 whirlwind tour.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35We're in the beautiful British countryside,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37but what could possibly be deadly here?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42People often ask me what the number-one predator in the world is.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45If you're talking statistics, there's one creature
0:16:45 > 0:16:49that wins hands down. They eat more than any other carnivore.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52The weight of insects that they eat in one year is about
0:16:52 > 0:16:56the same as the weight of the whole human population of England.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59If you're wondering why I'm thrashing around
0:16:59 > 0:17:02with this crazy white net, well...
0:17:02 > 0:17:04I'll show you.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05Have a look at this.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09I think I've probably got
0:17:09 > 0:17:13maybe ten, fifteen different species of spider in here,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16but that is absolutely nothing.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Here in England, we have about 700 different species of spiders,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and in Westonbirt Arboretum where I am now there could be
0:17:22 > 0:17:26as many as 1,200 million spiders.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29That's an awful lot of creatures catching insects.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Whether you like it or not,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35spiders are all around you, from your garden flower beds to
0:17:35 > 0:17:37the nooks and crannies in your house.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41As you go about your business, they peer through your plug-holes and
0:17:41 > 0:17:43scuttle around under your sofas.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46They're everywhere and, lucky for us, all of them are
0:17:46 > 0:17:52experts at one thing - catching, killing and eating insects.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Spiders employ loads of weird and wonderful methods to do this.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Some sit and wait until something strays a little too close...
0:18:03 > 0:18:06..others have bizarre mouth parts that work like glue guns,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10firing out sticky threads to ensnare their prey,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14while many more will simply use brute strength.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18The variety is both beautiful and amazing, but I've chosen two
0:18:18 > 0:18:21of the best as contenders for my list.
0:18:21 > 0:18:27One's a web-weaving master, but first up is the king of camouflage.
0:18:30 > 0:18:36And getting you close is going to require some specialist kit.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Spiders have a huge variety of methods for catching their prey,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44but the crab spider uses camouflage.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47She'll sit in the centre of a flower like this, using the small rear legs
0:18:47 > 0:18:50to hold her in position and the front two legs to grab a hold
0:18:50 > 0:18:52of prey that comes too close.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Flowers are a perfect place for her to hide,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58not just because she's camouflaged in the same colours,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02but they also attract insects like butterflies, bees and wasps.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05As soon as they come too close, she'll grab them, pin them down
0:19:05 > 0:19:09and fill them with venom, and then it's all over.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Get a load of this.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Crab spiders have taken camouflage to a whole new level
0:19:17 > 0:19:18to fool their prey.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Insects see the world quite differently to us,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24and many flowers will attract them by using bright lines and patches
0:19:24 > 0:19:29that we can only see with the help of an ultraviolet camera.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33The bees get a tasty nectar meal and the plants get their pollen
0:19:33 > 0:19:36spread about from flower to flower.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43As our bee-vision camera shows, the canny crab spider's bright bottom
0:19:43 > 0:19:45actually attracts the bees.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50They fix their eight eyes on the approaching target and then...
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Bang!
0:19:53 > 0:19:55They grab the bee with their front legs
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and sink their fangs into the body.
0:19:57 > 0:20:04The venom works quickly, leaving our spider with a juicy bee breakfast.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08The crab spider...
0:20:08 > 0:20:13crafty, cunning, camouflaged killer, and definitely on the Deadly 60.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18It's the camouflage king of the garden,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21with a bright bottom to fool the busiest of bees,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24powerful front legs to snap up its prey,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27and a venom-loaded bite.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Spider number two is probably nature's finest architect.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43Their handiwork is all around us, and I've found a perfect example.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48This is the web of the orb-weaver spider.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52At the moment, she's scuttling around her web,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54I think repairing it,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58putting in a sticky thread which is used to catch insects on the wing.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01It's an incredibly difficult, complex task
0:21:01 > 0:21:04which takes about an hour
0:21:04 > 0:21:08and, at the moment, you can see her moving up and down the spokes
0:21:08 > 0:21:10and just trailing behind her
0:21:10 > 0:21:15a sticky thread which is forming a perfect spiral.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20That trap will catch any insect that flies into it.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27Yes, look at that! This has to be one of the most perfect
0:21:27 > 0:21:30hunting methods you'll ever see
0:21:30 > 0:21:34and, personally, I think it needs a little bit more examination.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41It'd be easy for us to take spiders' webs for granted.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44We see them pretty much every day, and it takes a spider
0:21:44 > 0:21:46less than an hour to make one.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50But we don't take anything in the natural world for granted,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53so I'm going to try and build one of these miracles of nature
0:21:53 > 0:21:55myself right here in this woodland.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58It takes a spider nothing more than her own spinnerets
0:21:58 > 0:21:59and some silk to do her web.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03For me, it's going to take all of this kit
0:22:03 > 0:22:06and it's going to take rather more than an hour.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Spiders don't learn how to build their webs.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It's completely instinctive. Even the smallest of spiderlings
0:22:13 > 0:22:17can still build an absolutely perfect web, but that doesn't mean
0:22:17 > 0:22:20it's not still a very complex and intricate process.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21But it starts very simply.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Our female spider simply gets herself up high.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35So, for our spider, the first part of the process is to get up into
0:22:35 > 0:22:39a really high vantage point and then just let silk drift
0:22:39 > 0:22:43out from her spinnerets. The wind will carry it, and hopefully it'll
0:22:43 > 0:22:46fix onto something good and strong.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Obviously I can't do that, but I have got the world's best catapult.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55I'm going to try and fire this line across to that other tree,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and hopefully that can be our starting point.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01OK... here goes.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Yes!
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Bull's eye!
0:23:07 > 0:23:11I am the catapult master!
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Now, obviously this thin thread isn't strong enough to hold my
0:23:15 > 0:23:19body weight. What I need to do is to get a much stronger line
0:23:19 > 0:23:23across there, and once that's done we can start on the framework.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28So our spider's made herself
0:23:28 > 0:23:32the first main structural thread of the web.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Next thing she does is come back out to the centre point of it
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and head down to the ground.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48OK.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53The main structural, strongest part of the web
0:23:53 > 0:23:58is almost like the spokes on a bicycle wheel,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02and it starts with this Y-shaped structure
0:24:02 > 0:24:04right here in the centre.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08And now we have to put in all the other spokes.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11That's no mean feat, I can assure you,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14but with a few helpers and a bit of TV magic...
0:24:14 > 0:24:16easy!
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Right, now the fun bit begins.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23The next part of the build is that characteristic spiral
0:24:23 > 0:24:26that you see running round and round and round the web.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Our spider will do that several times.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31The first one is like a scaffolding spiral, and the next
0:24:31 > 0:24:34two times are going to be the sticky, glue-covered thread
0:24:34 > 0:24:37that's going to actually catch insects.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38If I tried to do it three times,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I would be here all week, so I'm just going to do it once,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44and that on its own, I think's going to take me all day.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55As I get towards the outside of the web, it will take me
0:24:55 > 0:24:59probably ten or fifteen minutes just to do one spoke,
0:24:59 > 0:25:00and that would be enough
0:25:00 > 0:25:05for our orb-weaver to actually put a spiral through her entire web.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I have to say I'm feeling quite proud of myself.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33It's taken 900 metres of rope,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37two whole days of sweat and effort,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40but finally my epic spider web's done.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Of course, for our orb-weaver spider, this whole process
0:25:43 > 0:25:46takes less than an hour and next to no effort at all.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49As soon as she's finished she heads to a spot
0:25:49 > 0:25:52where she can sense the tiniest vibration on the web,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and quite often that's right slap bang in the centre.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00With trap set, the orb-weaver spreads her legs out over the spokes
0:26:00 > 0:26:04and waits for vibrations rippling across her silk.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07These tiny tremors travel up her legs and are detected
0:26:07 > 0:26:10in special sense organs.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14This fly's days are probably numbered.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Struggling not only alerts the hungry female but makes it
0:26:17 > 0:26:19more entangled in her trap.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Our spider comes in to inspect her lunch.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28She injects a paralysing venom and then produces a new type of thread
0:26:28 > 0:26:29in which to wrap it up.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's like a strong silken shroud
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and entombs the insect into a neat packed lunch.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43It's not pretty but there's no doubt it's deadly.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Orb-weaver spiders are creatures that surround us
0:26:47 > 0:26:50almost all the time but you barely ever notice them.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53They're just going quietly about their job of hunting,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55killing and eating.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57It's all down to the wonders of their web,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01the greatest insect trap on the planet.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Orb-weaver spiders are on the Deadly 60.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Using its sticky web to ensnare its prey,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14with super-sensitive legs to pick up the tiniest tremors,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18she pumps her prey full of venom and saves it for later.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26'Join me next time...'
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Look at that mouth! '.. for the Deadly 60.'
0:27:29 > 0:27:30If I allow that to continue,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33it will probably start breaking my hand bones. Ow!
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Look at that!
0:27:35 > 0:27:39They are tearing the meat to shreds.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Argh!
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:54 > 0:27:57E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk