
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 1 - South Africa
Wildlife series. Steve Backshall tracks down 60 of the world's deadliest animals. In Hoedspruit, South Africa, Steve encounters an angry hippo and a venomous scorpion.
19-01-2026
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 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: 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: 11. Unseen
Deadly special featuring some of the best moments from the series. Steve races a cheetah, rescues a king cobra and shares some of those rare times when things go wrong!
30-04-2025
CBBC
Series 5: 7. Giant Otter Stakeout
Steve heads into the heart of the Suriname Jungle. He goes in search of poison dart frogs, deadly snakes and hopes to find the elusive giant river otter.
02-08-2025
CBBC