Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 A limbless creature is never scary. How is it going to attack you? But then nature came up
00:05 with a snake. A long rope-like reptile with just two fangs at one end. Who knew something like this
00:11 could be so powerful that just one bite could leave you at the brink of death? Not just that,
00:16 the sand boa can practically stay alive even after being ripped apart. In fact, snakes can swallow
00:22 down almost anything, sometimes even themselves. It's sort of a crazy ride, but you'll have to
00:27 watch till the end to see that part. A snake's heart beats through its tail.
00:32 You might think that's a snake's heart in its head from the noise you hear as they move along.
00:38 This is not true, however. It does make some sense because snakes can perform significant body and
00:44 organ movement independently of each other. Snakes' heart rates have been recorded at between 5 and 10
00:49 beats per minute, which means it would be very difficult to track them unless you were close
00:54 enough for your own heartbeat to be picked up. The sand boa can withstand being pulled apart.
01:00 Sure, snakes are resilient, but how resilient exactly? In fact, one of the silliest-looking
01:05 snakes has the most resilience. A study showed that a boa could survive being pulled apart
01:10 by a force of up to 58 pounds, which is more than an average 10-year-old can exert.
01:14 Other snakes can do this as well, as most of them don't need too much oxygen to fuel the brain.
01:20 Even after being cut in half, these creatures can live for hours.
01:24 So, even severing its head isn't the best way to kill them. The ability may have evolved as a way
01:30 for them to endure being hunted and devoured by other animals. So, if some parts remain intact,
01:36 you could end up being the meal. The animal can continue to live on its own by making use of an
01:41 autonomic reflex that kicks in shortly after the brain part gets severed. Basically, heartbeat and
01:47 muscle contractions continue even if there's no brain to tell them what to do. The trick is how
01:52 to modify their situation enough to make this happen. Some snakes have been found buried under
01:57 sand or leaves with their heads sticking out above ground, while others have been known to stay alive
02:02 inside other animals all at once. It's still not clear exactly how long a snake can survive without
02:08 its head before dying, although guesses range from hours to days. Spooky, right? Let us know in the
02:15 comments below! 2-Headed Snakes
02:18 Yeah, you heard that right. As if snakes aren't already terrifying, some come with two heads.
02:23 These rare kinds of snakes are usually as a result of splitting of the embryo,
02:27 whereby instead of producing two different snakes, it leads to one snake with two heads.
02:32 And if that's not shocking enough, each head comes with its own brain, and each brain can
02:37 control the body. This explains why these types of snakes have weird movements. The two brains
02:43 can't seem to agree on one thing. The heads also attack each other while fighting for food. It's
02:49 no wonder that these two-headed snakes don't survive in the wild for long. It just leaves
02:53 you wondering whether two heads are really better than one. 3-Snakes Glide Through Air
02:57 Now this one will keep you looking above your head every time you're taking a walk.
03:02 Snakes are capable of gliding through air so smoothly that you'd think they were flying.
03:07 Studies have shown that a snake can cover a distance of up to 24 meters from a branch.
03:12 All while maintaining a constant speed instead of just dropping straight to the ground like
03:17 most creatures would. This is attributed to the fact that they never reach the equilibrium
03:22 gliding state. However, this state is temporary and they can still fall on an object or the ground.
03:27 Snake Tongue Function Snakes have two tongues, not one. That might
03:32 sound like the start of a horror movie, but it's not. One of their forked tongues is used to taste
03:37 the air while the other is used to smell. When smelling, an opening in the back of the skull
03:43 allows for a second passage of old air to leave and new air to be smelled by the snake's tongue.
03:48 The tongue then picks up the scent and is lifted into the mouth to be analyzed by the forked tongue.
03:53 If a snake is able to smell an animal that is upwind, it will strike. This ability helps them
03:59 to track their prey, although they're not capable of actually seeing their prey while hunting.
04:04 During digestion, snakes sometimes stick out their tongues so that leftover food particles
04:08 can be taste-tested before they're swallowed. So technically, snakes see by tasting the air.
04:14 What a weird technique! Some Species Mimic Venomous Snakes
04:18 Obviously, there are some snakes that are better than others. So to become like the better snakes,
04:24 some of them have learned how to mimic them. One way for a snake to attract its prey without
04:29 having to use too much energy after hunting all night is by mimicking another animal with similar
04:35 colors and markings, which many do include the corn snake, which has been known for its habit
04:40 of taking on the venomous look of a rattlesnake in order to scare off predators. Most snakes are
04:45 brown and dull and boring, but there are plenty of varieties that can come in bright colors.
04:50 And this beautiful snake has more chameleon features than you'd expect.
04:55 The emerald tree boa is called such because it looks green in appearance, obviously. The
05:00 emerald tree boa, whose scales look green due to millions of tiny crystals that reflect light when
05:05 the snake moves. There are also other reasons for this phenomenon such as diet and habitat,
05:11 but whatever the case may be, its iridescence has been said to dazzle hunters from time to time.
05:17 That's not all, these snakes can actually change their colors over a period of time.
05:22 Snakes are somewhat victims of the wonderlust. In fact, snakes can travel long distances between
05:27 countries by hitching rides on boats. A few years ago, there was a widespread panic after an African
05:33 rock python was discovered inside a car parked along with hundreds of bags at Heathrow Airport
05:38 near London. Fortunately, this particular python did not stay trapped inside the country. It had
05:43 simply slipped into one of the cargo containers while some travelers stopped for lunch nearby,
05:48 or more likely slept through the wait. It eventually managed to find its way out of
05:52 the cargo container and traveled all the way down to Hampshire without anyone noticing.
05:57 Snake venom is medicine and drinks
06:00 Snakes have helped us make progress in several fields. In fact, snake venom is not only used
06:06 as painkillers, it can also act as anticoagulant, meaning it stops blood from clotting, an
06:12 antispasmatic, a muscle relaxer, and many other uses that may even save lives someday.
06:18 At least one medical company is looking into developing various medicines using snake venom
06:23 under controlled conditions so that any adverse side effects are minimized.
06:27 Maybe if we study it well enough, we can come up with an efficient cure for cancer too.
06:32 Perhaps there will be a time when we will be drinking snake venom as our morning coffee.
06:36 There are still some places in Taiwan that drink snake venom like it's fruit juice.
06:41 Snakes are surprisingly intelligent given that they don't have much brain space.
06:46 Since snakes are one of the most unique reptiles, they do not rely on the central
06:50 nervous system for their coordination, so most of them, apart from pythons and boas,
06:55 who have extremely strong coils, use their muscles to move across the ground or in the water.
07:00 This means that they do not have many neurons compared to most animals,
07:04 so how are they able to find their prey accurately when hunting?
07:07 It turns out that snakes can actually tell where humans are through vibrations on the ground
07:12 by picking up these frequencies using their jaws, which are strong enough to
07:15 pick up low frequencies even at a distance of over half a mile.
07:19 Snakes also use vibrations in order to navigate themselves back home after hunting,
07:24 which is called path integration, and it allows them to return even if they traveled long
07:28 distances away from their den by following the signals that resonate inside their skulls
07:34 faster than any other sense, making those reptiles very intelligent.
07:38 Pythons can remember faces and don't see humans as a threat.
07:43 Much like elephants, pythons can remember a lot, especially faces.
07:47 That's because they have facial recognition of humans and can identify them as human or prey.
07:53 They use it to their advantage because they don't see humans as a threat,
07:56 therefore they won't attempt to flee from them.
07:59 In the event that a python would try to flee from a human,
08:02 it wouldn't be able to due to its dull vision, so they don't even bother messing with us.
08:06 Lower vertebrae such as snakes don't see humans as predators because they are not
08:11 the natural prey for them. Humans, on the other hand,
08:14 view snakes as dangerous creatures and will kill them if given the chance.
08:17 Well, if we're brave enough.
08:20 Pythons know this and use it to their advantage when there is a human around.
08:24 If someone was to come into contact with a python, the snake would attempt to flee to safety.
08:29 However, since they can't see very well, they might end up having to fight us after all.
08:33 Snakes also use facial recognition when hunting because their prey is likely to attack or try
08:38 and escape if they realize that they're in danger. For example, when a python spots its prey,
08:44 it will begin to move in closer. When the prey realizes what's happening and tries to escape,
08:49 the python uses facial recognition and relies on their dull vision to ambush them.
08:54 Rattlesnakes are able to warn people of their presence.
08:56 It's not just us who wants to avoid snakes. The snakes aren't too fond of us either.
09:02 Snakes will warn people of their presence by shaking their rattle.
09:06 The rattle is located at the end of their tails. Rattlesnakes will rattle their tails constantly
09:11 to warn people that they're in the area. These snakes do not want to interact with humans.
09:16 They would rather avoid us all together if possible. They use a complex system
09:20 involving chemical signals and behavior warning signs to avoid encounters with humans.
09:26 So the last thing we can do is stay safe around rattlesnakes by staying away from them and keeping
09:31 an eye out for the warning signs. If you hear a rattlesnake rattle, take notice and do not
09:36 approach it or try to pet it. Not all rattlers will give fair warning before striking. It's
09:42 best to leave them alone and let them go on their way. Snakes Eating Themselves
09:46 Some snakes eat themselves alive, not just for fun, but because they have to.
09:51 The reason that they might chomp on their own meat is because of temperature dysregulation.
09:57 If they get too hot, they can become confused since their metabolisms are completely dependent
10:02 on mere temperature. So they might just think they're hungry and start devouring themselves.
10:07 After all, snakes are cold-blooded and being too hot can cloud anyone's judgment. In fact,
10:12 there is even a scientific term for this, "poikilothermic." Scientists seem to have a
10:17 word for everything these days. Once these serpents start to kiss their own beehives,
10:22 they can't stop the infinite cycle of eating. They rarely ever eat themselves completely,
10:27 but they definitely always die trying. Can you believe that there's another reason why
10:32 they might cannibalize themselves? Snakes have small brains, not to say they're not intelligent.
10:37 They're just more reactive and proactive. So even the rapid movements of their own tails can
10:42 confuse them with some hot lunch. Spider-Tailed Horned Viper
10:46 One snake in particular has a fascinating defense mechanism when it feels threatened
10:51 by another predator is the Spider-Tailed Horned Viper. The Spider-Tailed Horned Viper
10:56 has a tail shaped like a spider. It looks so much like an actual spider that birds will see it,
11:02 fly down to grab it thinking that they've found easy prey for dinner, and then realize it's too
11:06 late that they've grabbed a horned viper instead. As it's being plucked from the ground, the snake
11:12 thrashes about and kicks its tail into the air in an imitation of the spider's movements. This
11:17 startles and confuses birds that are trying to eat it, giving the snake a chance to strike at them
11:22 with its venomous fangs. This snake species is native to parts of Iran and Pakistan where they
11:27 can be found living in arid, desert-like conditions among rocks and shrubbery. They grow up to 4 feet
11:33 long but much smaller when they hatch from their eggs. It isn't unusual for snakes to develop
11:38 features that mimic other animals in order to scare away predators or be mistaken as prey by
11:43 other animals. The Spider-Tailed Horned Viper is not the first snake species to develop a tail
11:49 that is used as part of its defense mechanism. There are over 20 different species of snakes
11:54 that have imitated spiders, bugs, or even birds with their tails. Preying on fear and curiosity,
11:59 many types of snakes will also mimic the movement of a dangerous animal, such as scorpions or
12:04 cobras, in order to scare away predators before they strike. Some varieties of rattlesnakes will
12:09 even mimic the sound of a larger predator's rattle, just to scare off intruders who approach
12:14 too closely. A Snake's Eyes Are Bigger Than Its Brain Snakes have a variety of different means of
12:19 controlling body temperature that don't involve their brains at all. These include the way they
12:24 move, basking in the sun, also absorbing heat from warm-blooded prey. Their eyes are huge compared to
12:30 their central nervous system, which is only about one-fourth as large as what would be expected for
12:34 a creature their size. This gives a clue to how much energy is needed to play it cool or warm it
12:40 up. However, snakes can easily become blind if their environment is too bright, so eye protection
12:45 might not always be the best option. Despite their eyes being small and their brains even smaller,
12:50 they're still masters of survival. Eyelash Viper Retractable Fangs
12:55 The eyelash viper has a very effective way of killing its prey, and when that method doesn't
13:00 work out, it simply aborts the mission. In fact, the eyelash viper has two retractable fangs which
13:06 can be shot into its prey by squeezing its bulbous glands just above the eyes. The snake squeezes
13:12 these glands until the pressure reaches about 24 pounds per square inch, and this causes one or
13:18 both of its hollow fangs to shoot out like projectiles, traveling at speeds of up to 23 feet
13:24 per second in short bursts. They're able to stretch their necks long enough to make contact with
13:28 larger animals, which allows them to rapidly kill it before it has the chance to fight back.
13:34 The eyelash viper can deliver up to four times the amount of venom in one bite than that of a
13:39 rattlesnake. As with other pit vipers, this snake's venom works by rapidly destroying red
13:45 blood cells and coagulating the blood in its prey. Without medical attention, a human bitten by an
13:51 eyelash viper would die within six hours. Venom Stealing Snakes
13:56 By now, you already know that not all snakes are venomous. While most snakes accept their state
14:01 and live without venom, others know how important venom is and will do whatever they can to acquire
14:06 it, such as the rhabdophorus tingris. This non-poisonous Asian snake is usually born without
14:12 venom, but it acquires it through its diet. So what does it really eat? Well, it feeds on poisonous
14:18 toads. Once it ingests it, it stores the toxins obtained from the toad in the neck region. When
14:23 they feel threatened, they use it to protect themselves. What's even more interesting is the
14:27 fact that pregnant snakes can pass down the toxins to their offspring. The toxins can keep the young
14:33 ones safe from predators until they're able to fend for themselves. Non-venomous Snakes
14:37 The one thing that comes to mind when we see a snake is that they're poisonous, right? Well,
14:43 there are places where there are tons of snakes, but none of them are remotely dangerous.
14:47 Some species of snakes are thought to have evolved without having the need to produce venom,
14:52 as they had no natural predators and weren't even preyed upon like most other animals on Earth.
14:57 This kind of snake exists worldwide today, but only some populations lack venom such as those
15:02 found in Hawaii, New Zealand, and parts of South America, where venomous snakes live close by.
15:07 It's still a mystery as to why this happened, but one idea is that it is to reduce the amount
15:12 of energy needed for respiration. Female Snakes That Don't Need No Male
15:17 These female boa constrictors are the representation of Miss Independent at its
15:22 best. They do not solely rely on the males to reproduce, they're able to achieve this
15:26 through asexual reproduction. Which simply means that the egg can develop in an embryo
15:31 without fertilization taking place. When reproduced asexually, the offspring turns
15:36 out to be the exact replica of their mother, including the color and even gender. Yes,
15:42 most of them turn out to be females. Alright, comment below on which of the
15:46 snake facts spooked you out! Don't forget to like the video, subscribe to Forever Green,
15:51 and hit the bell icon for more animal madness! We'll see you in the next one!