0:00:03 > 0:00:05My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11And I'm on a mission, searching for...
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Deadly places,
0:00:13 > 0:00:14deadly adventures
0:00:14 > 0:00:16and deadly animals.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21And you're coming with me, every step of the way!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Argh!
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'In our quest for the best of Deadly,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36'we tussle with a swimming dinosaur...'
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Oh, my word, it's enormous!
0:00:40 > 0:00:43'..get a taste of titanic tornado force...'
0:00:43 > 0:00:46They just went off like missiles.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48'..and search out a heat-seeking snake.'
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Having left the Arctic far behind, our pole-to-pole expedition
0:01:01 > 0:01:06is now in warmer climes, the massive Lone Star State of Texas.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And we're getting started with something a bit different.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'It's one of the fastest, strongest and most
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'lethal we've ever encountered on Deadly, but it's not an animal.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:25I want to show you something of how nature itself can have
0:01:25 > 0:01:27extraordinary, destructive force.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34That force is the whirlwind of legend - the tornado.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45Texas sits on the world's tornado hotspot, known as Tornado Alley.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Well, this really puts it into perspective.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55It's torn apart this house almost like it was a doll's house...
0:01:57 > 0:02:03..and tossed cars around and caused absolute devastation.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09This here is a testament to what a deadly force of nature
0:02:09 > 0:02:10tornadoes can be.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16It's just too dangerous to experience a tornado like this
0:02:16 > 0:02:17first-hand, so...
0:02:19 > 0:02:23..instead of doing that, we decided to create our own...using this.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30This is an Albatross fighter jet.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Powered by an immense jet engine, it can fly over 450mph.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40But we aren't leaving the ground.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45The bit we're interested in is this - the exhaust.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46When this jet fires up,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49wind is going to come out of the back of here at well over 100mph,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52possibly considerably more, and I'm going to try
0:02:52 > 0:02:56and walk up the back and experience how it feels to be in a tornado.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00'I'm no stranger to danger on Deadly.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03'But staring down the barrel of a jet engine
0:03:03 > 0:03:05'is a whole different level.'
0:03:08 > 0:03:10All right, Dan, fire her up.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- Here goes nothing.- OK.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18OK, coming up.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Whoa-ho-ho! Argh! Oh, my goodness!
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'The engines are on low thrust,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30'roughly equivalent to a force one tornado, the least severe.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33'But with wind speeds hitting over 80mph, it's already
0:03:33 > 0:03:35'nearly impossible to stand up.'
0:03:37 > 0:03:38When you're in wind like this,
0:03:38 > 0:03:43the first thing that happens is that you start to get rain and water.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Argh!
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'The rainwater is like a wet slap in the face.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52'In a real tornado, there'd be giant hailstones -
0:03:52 > 0:03:54'chunks of ice travelling at 300mph.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Argh! My ear defenders have gone.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04It's all right. It'll be OK.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07'Next up, this bag of flour is going to simulate dust
0:04:07 > 0:04:08'sucked into our tornado.'
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Aaargh! This is absolutely nuts.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15'Like abrasive sandpaper, even dust
0:04:15 > 0:04:21'and earth can strip the bark off trees and blast the paint off cars.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30'The pilot is increasing the thrust.'
0:04:30 > 0:04:34'Wind speeds are now reaching over 150mph.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36'I'm now in a category three tornado.'
0:04:41 > 0:04:44'In this wind speed, even soft items caught in the jet stream
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'will have a massive impact force.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50'Using my body as a target lets me find out.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53'Let's see what kind of damage a tomato will do.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58'They're coming at me like rockets!'
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Ow!
0:05:02 > 0:05:06'A direct hit, and I've been floored by a supersonic soft fruit.'
0:05:12 > 0:05:16OK, that's it, that's all I can take.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19'I've had to bail out at a category three tornado.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'The most violent tornado winds are a category five.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:25Oh, my goodness.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32I've just been pretty much blown into the next county.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36It was a horrifying sensation of what it must feel like to be
0:05:36 > 0:05:38inside the tornado.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I got hit by two tomatoes, soft tomatoes,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and it felt like I'd been shot.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47They just went off like missiles. Um...
0:05:49 > 0:05:53But...although this has been rather dramatic, rather exciting,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57obviously, there's a very, very serious side to what
0:05:57 > 0:06:00a force of nature like a tornado can do in real life.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07A category five tornado has winds of up to 300 miles an hour,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11sucking up and spewing out everything in their path.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17To see this destructive force for ourselves, I'm getting well
0:06:17 > 0:06:20out of the way, and we're towing a car into the firing line.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23The winds produced by our jet aren't strong enough to blow the car away,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27but can show us what everyday objects can do
0:06:27 > 0:06:29if caught in the wind.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- JET THRUSTERS FIRE UP - The power is starting to build.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41'Fence posts and timbers turn into jagged javelins.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47'Tiles and even dinner plates are like spinning ceramic blades.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51'But to see the full deadly potential,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54'I need to score a direct hit on the car.'
0:06:54 > 0:06:55Plant pot.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09The flowerpot explodes on impact, showering jagged, serrated pieces
0:07:09 > 0:07:15in every direction. Each one is now its own deadly projectile.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Now, this is actually pretty frightening.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32That MASSIVE dent there, from the base of a humble flowerpot.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Just imagine what would be caused by something heavier.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38You have to say, looking at this, that there is
0:07:38 > 0:07:42no doubt that tornadoes, this remarkable force of nature,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45have the power to make us feel incredibly fragile
0:07:45 > 0:07:49and vulnerable, and for that reason they are, without doubt, deadly.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Our next objective has stalked the waters of the state
0:07:59 > 0:08:01for millions of years.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03A heavily armoured hunter of the murky deeps.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10This is the Trinity River. There are plenty of alligators here
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and this would be our most obvious choice, but actually our target
0:08:13 > 0:08:18animal is just as prehistoric, just as big and has even fiercer teeth.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23Not a 'gator, but a fish - the alligator gar.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30We're heading about an hour and a half downriver to the spot
0:08:30 > 0:08:34where Bubba, our guide, reckons the best fishing is.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Already, it's really wild, there's no sign of people whatsoever.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'Very few people venture down this river.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48'Without Bubba guiding us, we'd have no chance of navigating past
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'shallows, sunken logs and rapids.'
0:08:53 > 0:08:56It's got a kind of lost world feel about it,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58and I think from the fact that Bubba's
0:08:58 > 0:09:03cut his engines that this could be where we start fishing.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06'Alligator gar are notoriously wily and difficult to catch.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11'They probably won't take the bait while they can sense the boats.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13'So we're going to set up our fishing gear
0:09:13 > 0:09:15'and monitor it from 100 metres away.'
0:09:15 > 0:09:18So the way that this is working is we're going to put
0:09:18 > 0:09:21a whole bunch of rods all the way down the shore here,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24places where we think there are fish, and they have a special
0:09:24 > 0:09:27bite indicator that'll tell us if they've got a bite.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35'Now we have to sit back and wait for the fish to start feeding.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42'For hours, our bite detector alarms are silent.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46'But then...'
0:09:49 > 0:09:51- We can hear beeping. - ALARM BEEPS
0:09:51 > 0:09:54One of our lines is going and going fast.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55It's just downriver now.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00'We need to get back to our rod and reel it in.'
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Finally, we have got some action.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13There is definitely something on the end of this line.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15He's running!
0:10:20 > 0:10:22OK, here we go.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34It's pulling the whole boat round!
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Look at that!
0:10:35 > 0:10:37It is dragging our whole boat.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43This is a really, really big fish.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Look at how much it's bending the rod! That is phenomenally strong!
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Come to the surface now.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Oh, my word, it's enormous!
0:11:11 > 0:11:13This fish could weigh as much as me.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16My fishing line just can't take the strain.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21'To bring in this titan, we need to get a rope around it.'
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Whoa!
0:11:26 > 0:11:30'This is the first time I've tried to lasso a slippery fish.'
0:11:35 > 0:11:36No!
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- Yes, we've got him, we've got him. - Hang on to him now.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- Yeah, I got him.- OK.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54'It would be too dangerous to bring this giant onto our small boat.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57'So we're taking it into the shallows to get a closer look.'
0:12:01 > 0:12:05I have to say, I've never been so overwhelmed,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09so absolutely awed and so surprised by a fish.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13It's enormous. Seven feet long, which is well over two metres.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18Much, much longer than I am tall and it is immensely powerful.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22I mean, really, it has no natural predators other than man.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Even a good-sized alligator is going to leave this well alone,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and it's just free to roam in these waters searching out for other
0:12:28 > 0:12:32fish to feed on, perhaps feeding even on mammals that are coming down
0:12:32 > 0:12:34to the water's edge, certainly on water birds.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36All round the lips are
0:12:36 > 0:12:40tiny, spiky little teeth for snagging into slippery fish prey.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43But inside the mouth, they're more like a crocodile's teeth.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45They're long, fang-like, pointed.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48There's simply no way any prey is getting away
0:12:48 > 0:12:50once this has got hold of it.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54This is the largest freshwater fish on the continent, and I don't think
0:12:54 > 0:12:59that anyone seeing this is going to doubt that for a single second.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The alligator gar, prehistoric wonder,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05with a mouth packed full of teeth.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10It's a mighty monster with a mighty mouth, and undoubtedly deadly.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Alligator gar can breathe air
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and are fine out of the water for a while,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18but it's time it got back to hunting.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30We're now crossing the continent,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33leaving the Deep South behind and heading out west...
0:13:36 > 0:13:40..on the trail of a super-charged hunter of the deep blue sea.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47We're setting out from San Diego,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50away from the shore and into the open ocean...
0:13:52 > 0:13:56..in search of the fastest shark on Earth - the mako.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02As an idea of how fast they can go,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05right now our boat's doing about 35km an hour.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Well, the mako does 50,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and could cruise straight past us as if we were standing still.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13That is a seriously fast fish!
0:14:17 > 0:14:20'The seas are flat calm, making it easier for us to spot
0:14:20 > 0:14:22'swimming shapes close to the surface.'
0:14:25 > 0:14:26Oh, wow!
0:14:30 > 0:14:32We're now about nine miles out to sea.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34It's time to chum the water.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Hopefully, the scent from this bait will draw in the sharks.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49I think we might have something.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53There was just a fin came up alongside the bait.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57I don't know.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I'm going to be putting on some dark gloves
0:15:03 > 0:15:05to cover up the white of my fingers.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08The last thing you want when you're in the water with these animals
0:15:08 > 0:15:11is fingers which look kind of like white sardines,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13and therefore food, in its face.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17We decide to get in and have a look.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23At first, it seems there's nothing.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27But then a distinctive silhouette appears.
0:15:27 > 0:15:33It's not the speedster we're after, but a beautiful blue shark.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37It may have swum in from many miles away.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47It's a long, slender species built for cruising the open ocean,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49catching the few fish they find.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58They have the most glorious blue shade to the skin. It almost...
0:16:02 > 0:16:06That one just nudging my camera now, look at that!
0:16:06 > 0:16:08He's right in my face!
0:16:08 > 0:16:11They're sort of like...
0:16:11 > 0:16:14the equivalent of a puppy dog.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19The blues are eternally curious, born of lives in the open ocean
0:16:19 > 0:16:22where all potential meals need to be investigated.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Drawn in by the electrical pulses coming from the cameras,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28they're keen to check us out,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31see if we might offer a small bit of food in this vast ocean.'
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Suddenly, the two tiddlers give way to a blue
0:16:36 > 0:16:39that's the biggest I've ever seen.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43He's over three metres long and seems to have no fear.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46But far from trying to sneak a bite out of me, he seems
0:16:46 > 0:16:51inquisitive, intrigued, even friendly.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53I think I might have a new favourite animal.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Blue sharks have won our hearts,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01but they certainly haven't demonstrated their deadly abilities.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05After hours in the water with the blues,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08we begin to give up hope of seeing a mako.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Until the crew on deck spot another shape fast approaching.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Mako shark!
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Coming right at 'em, coming right at 'em!
0:17:24 > 0:17:27The mood in the water instantly changes.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30These sharks have a wholly different demeanour.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Look at the attitude of the mako shark.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40It's so different to that of the blue.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42These sharks are not interested in playing.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44They smell blood and are primed,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47ready to explode into action at any time.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52And they're such a sinister shark.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The two of them are patrolling around us.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58One second they're there, the next second they're gone.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00They just disappear into the blue.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03The makos use bursts of speed to catch fast-swimming prey
0:18:03 > 0:18:05like tuna, seal and swordfish.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14The attack strategy is sneaky.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18They lunge in from below, take one mortal bite,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22then leave the animal to bleed out before coming in to feed.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29This is without doubt one of the most impressive predators
0:18:29 > 0:18:31you'll ever see anywhere in any environment.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37These sharks come in with an angular, agitated movement
0:18:37 > 0:18:39and a face full of sharp teeth.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43There's no doubt they mean business.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48The mako shark,
0:18:48 > 0:18:53a shark that can go from cruising to exploding in the blink of an eye
0:18:53 > 0:18:55is, without doubt, deadly.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06A journey that began on the ice flows of the high Arctic
0:19:06 > 0:19:08is fast approaching the Tropics.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17Mexico. Specifically the Baja peninsula and the Sea of Cortez.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Here, we'll ride into the desert in search of a venomous heat-seeker.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32But first, we're setting out into one of THE most diverse of all seas.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38The Sea of Cortez is stuffed full of fish
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and wherever you've got an ecosystem like that,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44you're bound to have top predators who are scoffing them down.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Right here, it's California sea lions,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50one of the most playful and most potent predators you'll ever find.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Sea lions are elegant and manoeuvrable predators,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00especially the sleeker and smaller females.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03They sense fish with tactile whiskers and keen eyesight.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09And they often enjoy swimming with humans
0:20:09 > 0:20:13as much as we enjoy sharing the water with them.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15One, two, three, go.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28This is like swimming in the most extraordinary aquarium.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Literally hundreds of different species of brightly coloured fish,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38all flying around my ears like little birds. It's exquisite.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Close to shore waits a charming surprise.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00These cracks and crevices amongst the rocks are protected
0:21:00 > 0:21:02from the waves and the tides.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05It's a perfect place for the females
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and for the youngsters to relax and lounge around.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16Wonderful!
0:21:19 > 0:21:23But male - or bull - seals appear like a different animal,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27weighing perhaps 3.5 times more than the females.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32This is a male
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and he is enormous!
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Look at the size of him!
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It's all about battling other males
0:21:42 > 0:21:46to gain the right to territory and to females.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54All that weight is purely about dominance.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57The bigger the male, the more females he can command.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Sea lion combat can be brutal.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10I'm trying very hard not to breathe out too much
0:22:10 > 0:22:14because quite often sea lions will blow bubbles
0:22:14 > 0:22:17underwater as a symbol of defiance,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21as a threat, and the last thing I want to do
0:22:21 > 0:22:26is to make this big fella think that I'm trying to challenge him.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30You see that?
0:22:30 > 0:22:33As he came round towards the camera there, blowing out bubbles?
0:22:33 > 0:22:39That, along with barking underwater and showing off the teeth,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42those are all big signs of dominance,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45all ways of this sea lion letting us know
0:22:45 > 0:22:49that he is the most powerful kid on the block.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55These animals really have the potential to do great damage,
0:22:55 > 0:22:56a fearsome bite force.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05And a little nudge like that towards the camera or towards me
0:23:05 > 0:23:08is a way of letting us know what he is truly capable of.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20He's just kind of lying on the bottom
0:23:20 > 0:23:25as if he's having a snooze, but this is an air-breathing mammal.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Oh, wow!
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Well, that was definitely a threat.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41There's no doubt this big male wants to let me know who's boss.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43He's back again, to your left, Johnny!
0:23:43 > 0:23:47The bull seal has made his message clear,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50so we slowly back away and head for the surface.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Sea lions, I guess,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02have this reputation as being
0:24:02 > 0:24:04playful comics of the underwater world,
0:24:04 > 0:24:10but then, when you see a big male, it is a whole different story.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13They're so territorial, those big teeth,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and they let you know who's boss.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18They're definitely deadly.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28The deserts that surround the Sea of Cortez are also filled
0:24:28 > 0:24:33with unique life, much of which only occurs here.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36To find it, we're taking horses inland.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42We'll be searching day and night, so we're heading for the hills.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Most of the year, this is completely dry, there's no rain at all,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49but in the last few weeks, they've had quite a lot,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and the whole desert has bloomed.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54It's very green, there's loads of flowers around, but also,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57all of the desert life here is taking its chance to flourish.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Our target is a venomous serpent which is only found here.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15What a breath-taking place.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20This looks like the perfect spot for our base camp.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Now all we have to do is find out who else is living here.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Baja has around 60 species of snakes,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31but the one I'm looking for is really special.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37With so many venomous snakes, spiders and scorpions,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39you have to watch where you put your fingers.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49We search all day and are out past midnight,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51but don't find our prize.
0:25:51 > 0:25:57However, as dusk falls on day two, all that hard work pays off.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58MAN CALLS
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Sounds like one of our fellas has found something.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07We have a snake on the move, hunting. It's a rattlesnake.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Let's get in and get a closer look.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12Oh, perfect.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Because this is exactly what I really hoped to find.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Yai-ya!
0:26:22 > 0:26:24All of a sudden,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26it's the last place you want to be
0:26:26 > 0:26:29handling a highly venomous snake,
0:26:29 > 0:26:30spines and prickles
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and stinging bushes everywhere.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36But none of them compare to what
0:26:36 > 0:26:38this snake is capable of doing.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45This is the red diamond rattlesnake.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49It's an absolute beauty and a really good size as well.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Ooh yai-ya-ya!
0:26:52 > 0:26:56It's quite warm because we are now at the end of the day.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59It's had the whole day to warm up
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and now...
0:27:04 > 0:27:07..it's thinking about heading out in search of food.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10But first they need to find a target.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12It's got very big eyes.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Its visual acuity is actually really, really good,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17and that tongue that's flickering around,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20its sense of taste is incredibly accurate,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23but it also has the heat-sensitive pits in its face.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26They are pit vipers and able to sense prey even in total darkness,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29purely from the heat that their body gives off as they move.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37These pits on rattlesnakes and all other pit vipers
0:27:37 > 0:27:41allow them to see the warmth emitted from moving animals' bodies.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45They're so sensitive that even in total darkness
0:27:45 > 0:27:48their accuracy is lethal.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57The red diamond rattlesnake is actually quite unusual.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00What we saw earlier on as we came up to it is quite typical of this
0:28:00 > 0:28:04particular animal. They go out and they actively seek their prey.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Most rattlesnakes will find a good spot and sit and wait.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10But the red diamond is much more proactive in how it finds its prey.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14I have to say that I really wouldn't want to be a rat or a mouse
0:28:14 > 0:28:16out on a night like tonight,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18with snakes like this just waiting to feed.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21The red diamond rattler.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26Fiercely toxic, active hunter, and the largest rattlesnake in Baja.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Undeniably deadly.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31So far, so stunning.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40But next time, I'll be facing the most frightening animal on Earth...
0:28:40 > 0:28:41in open water.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45It's coming back towards us, Johnny.