
Steve travels to the deadliest desert on the planet, the Baja peninsula in Mexico, where he goes searching for a gruesome savage killer in the form of a tarantula hawk wasp. This predator lays an egg in its tarantula prey, which hatches into a maggot, which then eats the spider from the inside - while it's still alive! It is the biggest wasp in the world and has a paralysing sting which makes even Steve nervous - that doesn't stop him handling it though.\n\nThe desert of Baja, Mexico, is serpent central and Steve has the time of his life catching snakes. These include a cape water snake, and a coachwhip snake that catches Steve unaware and lands a cheeky bite on his hand. He then embarks on a regular rattlesnake round-up, clocking up encounters with the venomous red diamond and Baja rattlesnakes before an encounter with a speckled rattlesnake tops off the best snake-hunting day Steve has ever had in his life. \n\nSteve also takes to water in the Sea of Cortez in search of a monster of the deep seas. Known locally as the Red Devil, legend talks of its ability to snatch fishermen from their boats before tearing them to shreds - it is the Humboldt squid. Snatching fishermen is probably a little far-fetched, but Steve takes no chances and wears chain mail to protect him from the squid's razor-sharp beak and its 16 thousand sucker cup teeth. \n\nIncidental finds which don't make it onto Steve's list are a mole lizard which looks like one of the oddest creatures on the planet and a torchlit walk in the local vicinity which reveals he and his crew are literally surround by scorpions.
Source: CBBC
Series 2: 5. Costa Rica
Steve Backshall and his long-suffering crew return for a series of deadly encounters with animals hoping to earn a place on his hallowed Deadly 60 list.\n\nSteve and the team ar ...
07-09-2025
CBBC
Series 6: 9. Otter Hide And Seek
Steve Backshall dives into the world of the caiman, learns about the plight of the world’s biggest parrot and tries to find his nemesis - the giant river otter.
31-10-2025
CBBC
Series 4: 4. Norway
Steve and his trusty crew embark on an epic journey to a remote corner of Norway to experience a very special wildlife spectacle. Each year in November millions of herring pass ...
02-09-2025
CBBC
Series 6: 1. Cheetah Special
Steve Backshall tracks cheetahs across Zambia by motorbike, witnessing epic hunting and the challenges faced by this endangered predator.
27-10-2025
CBBC
Series 6: 6. Jaguar Special
Steve Backshall is in Brazil searching for the world’s most elusive cat: the jaguar. He sees them swimming, meets mothers and cubs, and even witnesses one jaguar hunting a ...
27-10-2025
CBBC
Series 6: 7. Camouflage Killers
Steve Backshall is in Australia to search for the world’s most freaky and venomous fish: the stone fish. He also finds trapdoor spiders and a snake that hunts bats.
29-10-2025
CBBC
Series 4: 1. Rhino Rescue Special
In this episode, Steve is in South Africa, home to a huge number of animals on the Deadly 60. However, big predators aren’t what Steve is here for – he’s explo ...
28-08-2025
CBBC
Series 4: 7. Borneo
Steve and the crew travel to Borneo, a giant jungle island in Southeast Asia and a place close to Steve’s heart. The jungle is packed full with some of the weirdest, most ...
05-09-2025
CBBC