15 Shocking Snake Videos! Smithsonian Channel
Transcript
00:00 As she waits for her prey to die, Velvet adjusts her fangs.
00:05 They can really get in the way sometimes.
00:12 Black mambas have very few enemies in the wild, but she's about to meet her nemesis.
00:20 The slender mongoose, a notorious snake killer.
00:30 They may look like featherweights in the ring, but these are two of the most lethal predators on the planet.
00:39 The mongoose has razor-sharp teeth and a lightning speed.
00:48 But one bite from a mamba can kill 15 grown men.
00:55 So imagine what it can do to a five-pound mongoose.
01:00 The mamba is lethal, but she's not tough.
01:06 She relies on her venom to sedate her victims and immobilize their weapons.
01:12 Here's the kicker.
01:17 The mongoose has an antidote to her potion.
01:23 The toxins in snake venom attach to chemical receptors in their victims and block communications between nerves and muscles.
01:32 Mongoose receptors have mutated so that venom simply bounces off the muscle cells.
01:39 He's literally immune to danger.
01:47 The mongoose's M.O. is to dance circles around his prey until it's exhausted.
01:53 And then, a kill shot.
01:58 One swift snap to the back of the head and the spine is severed.
02:04 The snake's still alive, but paralyzed.
02:16 Her muscles twitch, but her bite is gone.
02:20 For the mongoose, the reward outweighs the risk.
02:27 A seven-foot snake is a hearty meal for a pint-sized predator.
02:40 Pythons have lived in Africa for millions of years, long before humans arrived on the scene.
02:47 The snake we see today has changed little from its prehistoric forebears.
02:52 It's among the world's most primitive snakes.
02:59 The small, thorn-like projections on their lower body, known as pelvic spurs, are thought to be vestiges of a time when these animals had hind legs.
03:10 This is Squeeze.
03:15 A pair of hind legs might actually come in handy right now, as she's weighed down by eggs inside her.
03:27 They've grown to the point where it's hard to make much progress.
03:31 Each egg weighs about as much as a billiard ball.
03:35 That's around 50 billiard balls she's been hauling around for weeks.
03:40 She's ready to lighten her load, but she can't just dump them anywhere.
03:55 She's been searching for the right spot for weeks.
03:59 This hollow at the base of an old silver oak tree could provide shelter from the elements, hide her eggs from predators, and keep them at a constant temperature.
04:16 [Birds chirping]
04:21 [Music]
04:25 [Music]
04:53 For an animal capable of such massive displays of power, she can be surprisingly maternal.
05:00 She arranges her eggs in a pile and coils around them tightly.
05:05 The false smoothsnake is a small, venomous lizard hunter.
05:19 It uses its keen sense of smell to locate prey in the craggy rocks.
05:24 The snake usually stays above ground, but it's caught wind of the worm lizard.
05:44 [Music]
05:49 The lizard retreats into its narrow tunnel, using chemical markers to find its way around.
05:55 Deeper they go.
06:10 But the snake is perhaps a little too well-fed, and his girth stops him up.
06:15 It's a narrow escape for the lucky lizard.
06:24 Outmaneuvered underground, the snake regroups in the warm sun.
06:37 Waiting for easier prey to wander by.
06:40 The serpent blends into the terrain.
06:45 Just like Alhambra, blends into the rock that forms its foundation.
06:52 As the summer draws to a close, the creatures of the Western Ghats seek out shelter to prepare for the rainy months ahead.
07:02 A rat snake heads deep into the forest.
07:07 But Raja's on a different mission.
07:10 It's been more than a month since he last ate.
07:15 The rat snake slides right into his trap.
07:21 Raja's fangs take their deadly hold.
07:35 Shooting a dose of neurotoxic venom into his quarry.
07:39 His fangs gather up the meal step by step and inch by inch, feeding it down his long, straight digestive tract.
08:03 King cobras can't chew.
08:05 It's all in the gulp.
08:08 Morning turns to afternoon.
08:15 As the hours tick by, Nagaina still lies in wait.
08:30 Finally, the spectacled cobra unfurls from its hiding place and cautiously ventures down.
08:37 It seems about to make good its escape, but then pauses for a drink.
08:46 Nagaina makes her move.
08:57 [Cobra screeching]
08:59 This time, the spectacled cobra must stand and fight.
09:08 Flaring its hood and displaying its aggressive markings, the smaller snake tries to exaggerate its size.
09:25 But it is totally outmatched.
09:27 Nagaina won't relent.
09:34 Both have powerful venom.
09:41 But Nagaina's armor is thicker, and she's immune to the venom of snakes on which she preys.
09:54 The odds are stacked in her favor.
09:57 She strikes and delivers a fatal bite.
10:10 The large dose of injected poison works quickly.
10:20 It's a neurotoxin, causing paralysis, suffocation, and death in minutes.
10:26 The spectacled cobra tries to twist its way free.
10:36 But Nagaina has too strong a grip.
10:49 [Cobra screeching]
10:51 She begins to eat, swallowing her prey whole and still alive.
11:05 Inch by inch, Nagaina's fangs draw her victim's body down her throat.
11:16 [Cobra screeching]
11:18 All four feet of it.
11:28 A meal this size would typically satisfy her for up to a month.
11:36 But this one will have to stretch quite a bit longer.
11:44 She won't eat again until she's laid her eggs and incubated them through to hatching.
11:51 Which means no more hunting for several months.
11:59 In the wild, animals create pathways through the bush known as game trails.
12:10 For creatures like tiny rodents, to the world's largest land mammals,
12:16 these trails provide easier movement and often lead to waterholes or good feeding grounds.
12:23 And it's along paths like these that puff adders will position themselves to wait for prey.
12:34 [Music]
12:36 But when unsuspecting victims, weighing thousands of pounds, tread too close for comfort,
12:51 a little 13-pounder puff adder can defend itself in a mighty way.
13:00 It doesn't seem possible that a bite from a tiny snake could pierce the skin of a rhino,
13:05 let alone do any serious damage.
13:08 But here's evidence to the contrary.
13:11 A bite caused such severe necrosis on the leg of this black rhino that her entire foot rotted off,
13:20 leaving behind just bone fragments and flaps of decaying flesh.
13:29 Trauma like this would render most animals immobile,
13:32 ensuring a slow and painful death due to starvation and septicemia.
13:37 It's an extreme example of what happens when a puff adder bite is left untreated.
13:45 Tyrannosaurus, one of history's most fearsome mega predators.
13:54 But now a new discovery joins the ranks of killer carnivores.
13:59 And this one was a genuine giant.
14:02 48 feet long, weighing over a ton, the largest prehistoric snake ever found, Titanoboa.
14:10 T. rex and Titanoboa lived in different times and on separate continents.
14:17 But what if these two monsters met in a battle to the death?
14:21 T. rex brings to the fight a bone-crushing jaw,
14:25 a bite force nearly twice a great white shark's,
14:28 powerful legs and a thrashing tail.
14:31 Titanoboa's attack didn't depend on poisonous venom.
14:35 It killed by constriction.
14:38 And this mega serpent squeezed with a crushing 400 pounds per square inch of pressure,
14:44 equivalent to being squished with the weight of three Eiffel Towers.
14:49 How would this death match conclude?
14:52 Difficult to say.
14:54 If T. rex got in a swift bite, it could mortally wound the snake.
14:58 But with the right ambush, Titanoboa might trip up the T. rex
15:03 and succeed in overpowering the great lizard king.
15:07 Today, Raja is ready to take it to the next level.
15:15 He descends to rouse his bride.
15:19 Hannah exits cautiously.
15:23 Today, the king is bold and eager.
15:34 His sudden change in attitude triggers her into a submissive coil.
15:41 She presents her body to him for inspection.
15:47 He's picking up all the right signs that she's receptive.
15:52 While Hannah's ritual is a slinky display,
16:06 male king cobras are far less subtle.
16:11 (music)
16:15 Headbutting his queen is the cue that he's ready to mate.
16:23 (music)
16:29 (music)
16:33 (music)
16:38 (music)
16:43 (music)
16:48 (music)
16:54 (music)
16:58 (music)
17:03 The snakes bind themselves together in a tight embrace.
17:09 Under their leafy canopy, they may lie like this for hours as he fertilizes her.
17:16 They will mate several times over the coming days.
17:22 (birds chirping)
17:24 Nearly three months have passed since Nagaina mated with the village male.
17:29 It's now the end of May, and she'll soon be ready to lay.
17:36 Most species of snake seek out a cavity or an abandoned burrow in which to lay their eggs.
17:44 But not Nagaina.
17:50 King cobras are the only snakes that build a nest.
17:54 It's a unique skill that allows Nagaina to select the perfect spot
18:01 to give her young the greatest chance of survival.
18:05 On a slope near the base of a tree, her nest is shaded from the hot sun.
18:12 But more importantly, it won't get waterlogged by the monsoon rain.
18:20 She's been hard at work for more than a week now.
18:24 Coiling her body, she steadily amasses fallen leaves and twigs, drawing them together into a pile.
18:33 It's a delicate process that could take a couple of weeks to complete.
18:43 (birds chirping)
18:48 (music)
18:52 The rustling leaves attract attention.
18:55 A rat snake, on the lookout for rodents rummaging in the undergrowth.
19:02 (music)
19:06 Approaching the lair of a snake killer is a dangerous mistake.
19:11 (music)
19:16 But with an abdomen full of eggs, Nagaina has zero appetite.
19:22 She has only one thing on her mind.
19:30 At last, the nest is ready.
19:40 More than a foot high and three feet wide, it's a masterpiece of engineering.
19:46 Inside, Nagaina creates a small chamber in which she lays a clutch of up to 40 eggs.
19:55 Once covered with more leaves, the chamber will stay at an almost constant 80 degrees
20:07 and 90% humidity for the next three months.
20:11 Her work complete, Nagaina stands guard.
20:19 A queen on her throne.
20:22 She won't budge until her babies are ready to hatch.
20:28 The mongoose and wild boar that roam this forest would love to feast on her eggs.
20:34 (music)
20:38 But they'd be foolish to try.
20:41 (music)
20:44 Nothing is going to challenge this mother when it comes to her babies.
20:49 (music)
20:54 As we arrive, we can see the snake in front of the house.
20:58 Quick, it's getting over the wall.
21:01 No, no, no.
21:04 It's a massive reticulated python.
21:07 Watch out. Watch it.
21:09 They can grow to more than 19 feet in length, the longest snake in the world.
21:15 These pythons kill by constriction, wrapping themselves around their prey and suffocating them to death.
21:22 They've been known to take pets, livestock and even children.
21:28 So we've got to get this snake out of here as soon as possible.
21:32 It's wrapping itself around me.
21:34 With up to 15,000 muscles, you do not want this snake getting a hold of you.
21:40 Okay.
21:42 Yes.
21:44 Right, in.
21:46 Ooh, nicely done.
21:48 After wrestling the snake into a sack to keep it and us safe,
21:53 we stop in at the local wildlife park to pick up a crate large enough to comfortably contain it.
22:00 Okay, find the head first.
22:04 Yeah, there it is. I can see its head.
22:06 You grab the head.
22:08 Me grab? You want me to get the head?
22:10 Yeah.
22:11 Are you sure?
22:12 Yes.
22:13 All right. All right.
22:14 Okay.
22:15 Okay.
22:16 Go, go, go.
22:17 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wait, wait. Wait, wait.
22:19 Where do I hold it? On here? On here?
22:22 Okay.
22:23 No.
22:24 Are you okay?
22:25 Yeah, got it.
22:26 This is my first time handling a snake of this size.
22:29 Got it.
22:30 And then you pull out.
22:31 Got it.
22:33 There.
22:34 Yeah.
22:35 Okay.
22:36 Okay.
22:37 And now we're just going to transfer the snake into this crate
22:49 so it's got a little bit more room to manoeuvre.
22:52 And it's trying to wrap itself around me.
22:54 And now...
22:56 Its strength is phenomenal.
22:59 Yes.
23:03 I survived.
23:05 Snake wrangler.
23:07 Now load it onto the car.
23:09 Yeah.
23:10 And drive it back into the forest.
23:12 Yep.
23:14 So, Ben, I've decided to give the snake a name.
23:18 What name?
23:19 I'm calling it Monty.
23:20 Monty.
23:21 Monty Python.
23:23 Monty Python.
23:24 Get it?
23:25 [ Laughter ]
23:30 With Monty loaded up, next stop, a protected reserve
23:34 in the heart of Borneo, several hours' drive from the city,
23:38 where this snake will have plenty of space to live out its life.
23:44 So we've just arrived at the edge of the forest reserve,
23:48 and now it's time to release this beautiful python
23:52 back into the jungle.
23:57 Does this look like a good place, Ben?
23:59 Yeah, I think it's okay.
24:04 Are you ready?
24:05 I'm ready.
24:06 Am I going for the head again, or are you going for the head?
24:08 The head is always yours.
24:10 Always me.
24:11 The python may be a constrictor, but it can still deliver
24:15 a powerful bite.
24:17 Whoa.
24:22 He's a bit feisty.
24:23 It's been quite a long journey.
24:25 Okay, ready?
24:26 Yeah.
24:27 Grab the head.
24:28 Grab the head.
24:29 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:36 Yeah, I think -- yeah, maybe you just stay with the head.
24:40 It looks like you've got a firm grip.
24:41 I don't want to ruin that.
24:43 So now the time has come to release Monty back into this
24:48 ancient rainforest and far away from human developments as
24:52 possible, and hopefully never to be seen again.
24:57 So let's release him.
25:00 Oh, is he coming back for us?
25:02 No.
25:03 ♪♪♪
25:10 Another job well done, fellas.
25:12 That was a feisty snake.
25:17 I'm going to quite miss him.
25:19 I've grown kind of attached to old Monty.
25:23 [ Birds chirping ]
25:29 Any number of potential prey could venture past.
25:33 Velvet isn't picky.
25:35 She'll eat anything from rodents and birds to small antelope
25:40 and monkeys.
25:42 ♪♪♪
26:02 ♪♪♪
26:12 ♪♪♪
26:24 A slight miscalculation makes no difference.
26:29 Once she's set her sights on a target,
26:32 there's no chance for escape.
26:35 Her strike isn't the fastest in the snake world,
26:39 but at over 20 feet per second, it does the job.
26:44 The shock of the attack stuns the bird,
26:47 while the complex venom cocktail rapidly floods its body.
26:52 [ Birds chirping ]
26:54 As she waits for her prey to die, Velvet adjusts her fangs.
26:59 ♪♪♪
27:02 They can really get in the way sometimes.
27:06 ♪♪♪
27:13 Within 10 minutes, it's all over, and lunch is ready.
27:20 Eating is a specialized process.
27:24 Velvet unhinges her jaw to allow her to open her mouth wide enough.
27:30 Using rows of teeth to latch on,
27:33 she drags her prey to a safe place where she can eat in peace.
27:40 Baby mambas are notoriously nervous and highly aggressive,
27:45 but at this vulnerable age,
27:47 they're still easy prey for mongoose, honey badgers,
27:50 and predatory birds,
27:52 all of which have immunity to a dose of snake venom.
27:57 [ Birds chirping ]
28:15 Over the coming months,
28:17 the hatchlings will grow constantly and rapidly,
28:20 and by a year, the females will be ready to mate,
28:23 and the males will be fighting for breeding rights.
28:27 [ Birds chirping ]
28:30 For now, their pin-sharp focus is finely tuned on their first mission --
28:41 predation.
28:45 [ Birds chirping ]
28:48 Mambas prefer warm-blooded prey like small mammals and birds.
29:13 [ Birds chirping ]
29:16 During the course of its life,
29:31 this mamba will learn how much venom is necessary
29:34 in order to immobilize each specific kill,
29:39 sometimes bypassing venom altogether
29:42 if the prey is small and helpless.
29:45 [ Birds chirping ]
29:48 Just days after birth,
29:50 the baby mambas have already proven themselves as adept hunters,
29:57 capable of fending for themselves
29:59 and taking their rightful place in Mamba Valley.
30:03 [ Birds chirping ]
30:10 The three-month-long mating season is almost over.
30:14 As she approaches the village,
30:20 the male flicks his tongue,
30:22 searching for small scent particles in the air.
30:26 He may be able to smell her presence,
30:32 but her heady cocktail of pheromones
30:37 has attracted another admirer.
30:40 A second male has picked up her trail in the forest
30:45 and followed her into the village.
30:48 And he's been spotted.
30:56 King cobras can see prey up to 300 feet away.
31:05 The village male sees the intruder approaching,
31:09 and he is fiercely territorial,
31:14 especially in mating season.
31:17 He moves to intercept the trespasser.
31:24 The two males size each other up,
31:34 rearing a third of their bodies off the ground.
31:37 They flare their trademark hoods in a display of aggression.
31:41 [ Roaring ]
31:44 Biting would be futile
31:52 and a waste of the precious toxin,
31:55 as their own powerful venom has little effect on other king cobras.
32:01 [ Roaring ]
32:04 Instead, their bodies entwine in a wrestling match.
32:15 The aim is to force their opponent's head to the ground.
32:25 [ Roaring ]
32:28 [ Roaring ]
32:31 Oblivious to everything around them,
32:36 they vie for dominance.
32:39 [ Roaring ]
32:45 Their brawl carries them out of the village and into the forest.
32:56 They will fight as long as they have the strength.
33:00 Winning and earning the right to breed is all that matters.
33:05 After five hours of combat,
33:14 the intruding challenger accepts defeat
33:18 and slinks off into the forest.
33:25 His dominance established,
33:27 the village male now has his chance with Nagaina.
33:31 This is Squeeze,
33:37 an eight-year-old rock python propelled by the same primordial needs
33:41 that drove her ancestors in the days when dinosaurs walked the earth.
33:46 She can hunt in any terrain,
33:49 at any time of day,
33:52 for virtually any prey.
33:55 She hasn't eaten in two weeks,
33:58 for good reason.
34:01 She's carrying a clutch of just-developing eggs.
34:06 She can't eat a big meal,
34:08 not while they're gestating inside.
34:11 But she's hungry.
34:18 A snack would be just the thing.
34:21 Something that in her sluggish state
34:24 might not require a lot of work.
34:27 She waits for nightfall.
34:31 Like most snakes, the rock python has poor vision,
34:36 but that doesn't mean it can't find you.
34:40 Squeeze can sense body heat with incredible accuracy.
34:49 The scales on her lips have pit organs,
34:52 which are full of heat-sensitive receptors.
34:56 Nerves carry signals from the receptors to the brain,
35:00 where they're converted into images.
35:03 Squeeze is looking for something just the right size,
35:10 like Goldilocks.
35:13 Not too small.
35:15 A frog is hardly worth the effort.
35:19 Not too big.
35:25 It would be hard, even for a rock python,
35:28 to swallow a cow.
35:31 But here's something just right.
35:43 This rabbit has come to dine on some tasty cabbages.
35:48 Unfortunately for the rabbit,
35:53 the cabbages are perfect cover for Squeeze.
35:58 The rabbit's acute hearing is legendary,
36:08 but it seems oblivious to the approach
36:11 of this stealth hunter.
36:14 It takes a lot of energy to digest a whole rabbit.
36:39 She'll be very sluggish for a few days.
36:43 Time for a siesta.
36:46 The mole snake isn't venomous,
36:49 but it's a powerful constrictor
36:51 and can inflict painful bite wounds
36:54 that can be fatal if they become infected.
36:58 Grits learned a lot,
37:07 but this is his ultimate test.
37:12 The snake targets the head,
37:23 the badger's weak spot.
37:27 But where another animal might run off
37:32 to find easier prey,
37:34 this is a honey badger.
37:37 Nothing scares him.
37:40 He keeps on coming.
38:02 The snake tries to run,
38:05 but once the honey badger has locked onto its target,
38:08 it doesn't back down.
38:12 (snake hissing)
38:15 (snake growling)
38:18 Once the badger immobilizes the snake's jaws,
38:40 it's game over.
38:44 (snake growling)
38:47 (snake hissing)
38:51 (dramatic music)
38:54 (gentle music)
38:57 (gentle music)
39:00 (gentle music)
39:03 (gentle music)
39:05 you