Extreme Snakes, Australia | Full episode | Nature documentary - video Dailymotion

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Transcript

00:00Australia is a land of extremes, from scorching deserts to steaming jungles and wind-battered

00:11islands. It is a tough place to survive, but there are some animals that dominate each and

00:22every one of these extreme habitats. The snakes. Stealth, aggression, deception, and deadly venom

00:35make them top predators right across the country. This is the story of Australia's snakes and how

00:47they have evolved to thrive on one of the harshest continents on Earth.

00:51Over 70% of Australia's landmass is desert. With temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius and

01:20water scarce, it's a brutal place to live. But some have it all figured out. More reptiles live

01:31on the continent than anywhere else on the planet. They are armed for the battle of desert life,

01:38especially those that bear chemical weaponry. The snakes.

01:50This female inland taipan is on the hunt. In a place where there is little chance for

02:03sustenance, any opportunity to eat must be seized swiftly. Bearing the deadliest venom

02:13of all the world's snakes, this taipan's bite can paralyze and kill prey in just seconds.

02:21But first she must locate a target. Highly specialized receptors on her tongue enable

02:32her to detect food. At last, the scent of a meal. A plains mouse. The taipan picks up on

02:46the rodent's chemical cues and follows the trail. Her elongated body enables her to slip

03:00her prey's retreat. There is nowhere for the rodent to hide. She strikes and retreats.

03:22A hunting method exclusive to taipan. By avoiding a fight, they conserve precious

03:32energy. Running is no use. In just seconds, the taipan's venom is already taking effect

03:41on her victim. While neurotoxins induce immediate paralysis, haemotoxins damage

03:50the circulatory system. In moments, her prey is lifeless and her feast can begin.

03:58Elastic-like jaws allow her to swallow her meal whole. Devouring the rodent head first

04:09helps it slip down easily. This way, it goes with the grain of the fur. Using her fangs,

04:19she pushes the meal along. Although the taipan's venom ensures a swift kill,

04:27it takes a lot of energy to produce. So, it's vital her stores are replenished for future hunts.

04:35She detects more sustenance in the burrow. Her smooth, silent scales allow for a stealthy

04:54approach. A meal of this size could trigger reproduction. Female taipans can store the

05:03sperm of a male for up to a year. The fertilization process only occurring once food is in high

05:11supply. With any luck, this will provide her the energy to bring the next generation into the

05:31world. While many snakes have evolved to survive the country's desolate interior,

05:54others dominate a severely different landscape. Australia's northeast is home to the wet tropics

06:04region, a pocket of lush jungle that accounts for less than 1% of the landmass. There's a

06:14higher concentration of reptiles in these forests than anywhere else in the country.

06:19They house over 30% of Australia's snake species, including the notorious amethystine python,

06:31otherwise known as the king of the jungle. Growing up to 8 meters in length,

06:43the amethystine outsizes the crocodile. Their strong, muscular bodies are their lethal weapon.

06:53Unlike the desert snakes, pythons are venom-less. When they find a meal, they strangle it to death.

07:03Recent studies reveal that pythons made their way to Australia from Asia 23 million years

07:13ago, many becoming forest specialists. In this dense environment, the amethystine has finely

07:23tuned senses that enable it to home in on a meal, even in the dead of night. As the python hunts,

07:42it relies not on eyesight, but infrared sensors. Pit organs located on its head detect the heat

07:52of warm-blooded creatures. Sensing a meal nearby, the python uses its taste to zero in. At last,

08:06dinner. A forest rat. All that's left to do is to time the strike right.

08:21There is no escaping the deadly coils of a 30 kilogram predator.

08:41The python consumes the rat whole.

08:44Until recently, how they digest a meal of such size was relatively unknown.

08:53But breakthrough studies have revealed the snakes metabolism will increase up to 40 times,

09:01and their vital organs will momentarily double in size to manage the rapid influx of calories.

09:10It's a satisfying feast, well worth the effort.

09:16While the amethystine python may be known as the king of the jungle, further south in the

09:33country's temperate forests, where eucalypt trees dominate the landscape, there's a snake

09:39known as the king of the bush. The fearsome red-bellied black snake. These highly venomous

09:51snakes predominantly inhabit the east coast of Australia. They are skilled predators in the

09:58water and on land. Nothing beneath the water's surface is safe from the red-bellied black snake.

10:09Especially from a male during breeding season.

10:12Traveling vast distances in search of a female, this male is ravenous.

10:21He stirs up the creek sediment, a clever ploy to flush out prey.

10:30There's no safety on dry land for this spotted marsh frog.

10:38The snake follows the trail of its prey's chemical cues.

10:43With finely tuned hearing, the frog detects danger and scrambles for cover.

10:52But out of sight is not out of mind for the snake.

11:00He's so close he can taste it.

11:18The fangs deliver a paralyzing blow and the snake wastes no time making a meal of its victim.

11:27Captive red-bellied black snakes have been known to regurgitate live frogs,

11:36which suggests the venom may not kill the animals.

11:43Although consumed, this snake's meal may still be alive.

11:57With fuel for the journey ahead, the male continues its search for a female.

12:06But he hits a roadblock.

12:10Another red-bellied black snake has claimed this patch of turf as his own.

12:20The resident male arcs up.

12:23By raising his forebody in a threatening display, he wards the intruder off.

12:32But it seems the intruder is prepared to hold ground.

12:37Combat will determine who gets the right to mate with nearby females.

12:45To win this game, he must hold the first male down long enough to assert dominance.

12:54The intruder sinks his fangs into his opponent.

13:03Immune to one another's venom, it's a ploy to keep the other grounded.

13:13But the resident male is not giving up his territory easily.

13:18He ferociously bites the intruder.

13:27Battles may last up to half an hour.

13:31But not today.

13:33The resident male has come out on top,

13:39leaving the intruder to seek a female elsewhere.

13:50Although Australia's snake species are perhaps most famous for being land predators,

13:56there are some that have carved out their niches under the sea.

14:02The Great Barrier Reef is the most diverse marine ecosystem on the planet.

14:08One of the seven natural wonders of the world,

14:11the reef runs for 3,000 kilometers along the northeast coast of Australia

14:18and spans an area the size of Germany.

14:24Over 9,000 animal species crowd together to reap the benefits of the food-rich waters.

14:32Among them are the sea snakes.

14:38Two groups of sea snakes inhabit Australian waters.

14:43The sea kraits, like this banded sea krait, split their time between land and water.

14:51They go to shore to rest and breed, but take to the ocean to forage.

14:58In addition to getting their oxygen from the air like terrestrial snakes,

15:03sea snakes have a special function that allows them to stay underwater for hours at a time.

15:14Drawing oxygen from the water, they breathe through their skin.

15:20It's a finely tuned system, 10 million years in the making.

15:27A time when some of Australia's terrestrial snakes began to transition to the sea.

15:40Incredibly, some species have evolved to become fully aquatic.

15:47Unlike other marine reptiles that must return to land to bear young,

15:51the olive sea snake spends its entire life cycle in the ocean.

16:00A flattened paddle-like tail propels it through the water.

16:06And special nostril valves prevent salt water entering its respiratory system while diving.

16:15Although their lives are vastly different,

16:18sea snakes do share some similarities with their land-based cousins.

16:25Armed with fangs and venom, they are notorious predators.

16:32Growing up to two metres in length, the olive sea snake is feared by many of the reef's smaller species.

16:45Until recently, little was known about the underwater sensory systems of sea snakes.

16:53But scientists have unlocked the secret.

16:57They have a sixth sense.

17:00Dome-shaped scales on the snake's head absorb vibrations emitted from their surroundings,

17:07allowing them to detect the slightest movement of nearby prey.

17:13And nearby predators.

17:22With this super sense, it's difficult to hide from a hungry sea snake.

17:30If this fish thinks it's found a refuge, it's about to discover otherwise.

17:44With the longest fangs of any sea snake, the serpent grips its prey

17:50and delivers a blow of paralysing toxins,

17:56which allows the snake to consume its meal immediately.

18:03Like its land-dwelling relatives, olive sea snakes are solitary predators.

18:10They are not afraid of humans and other animals.

18:16But their ability to attack a large number of prey is a problem.

18:22Their prey has a large population.

18:27Like its land-dwelling relatives, olive sea snakes are solitary creatures,

18:33only coming together when there's an important job to do.

18:42Breeding is a rare event in the life of a sea snake.

18:48With adults only reaching sexual maturity after the age of three

18:53and reproduction only taking place every second year,

18:56it's possible that this duo are having their first romantic encounter.

19:08Once they have courted, the pair will mate.

19:12But the female won't lay eggs like most terrestrial snakes,

19:16as there is no way for them to incubate underwater.

19:19Instead, after an 11-month gestation period, she'll give birth to live young.

19:37While sea snakes are a remarkable adaptation success story,

19:42there are others who've evolved to cope with the continent's extremities

19:47in ways that must be seen to be believed.

19:54Mount Chapel Island is situated in the Bass Strait,

19:59an inhospitable stretch of sea between Tasmania and Australia.

20:06It's part of a group of islands that were once connected to the mainland,

20:11but broke away during the last ice age.

20:15As the land separated, some of the wildlife went with it.

20:20But with no fresh water, harsh winds and severe winters,

20:25only the toughest creatures survived.

20:33Chapel Island tiger snakes are one of few native animals to exist on the island.

20:39But due to the lack of food, they spend most of the year in Taupo,

20:44only waiting for the arrival of a meal.

20:51Growing up to 2.5 metres in length,

20:53the Chapel tiger snakes are about double the size of mainland tiger snakes.

20:59And they have double the appetite.

21:02Each spring, hundreds of thousands of short-tailed shearwaters descend on the island.

21:10After spending the winter feeding in northern waters,

21:13they return when the weather warms to breed.

21:19The birds make their nests in burrows.

21:25But it's risky business,

21:28but it's risky business when there are starving giants about.

21:42After spending nine months underground, the tiger snakes are emaciated.

21:50They are literally just skin and bones.

21:58This snake is weak.

22:00But if it waits any longer, it may miss the chance to eat.

22:10Chapel Island tiger snakes prey upon live chicks.

22:16But only of a certain size.

22:19Once the chicks are a few weeks old, they're too big for the snake to eat.

22:25So now is the window of opportunity.

22:32With each chick guarded by a parent, it's not an easily accessible meal.

22:41First, the snake must clear the way.

22:45A strike of deadly venom swiftly ends the adult's life.

23:01With the chick's protector taken care of, the snake can begin its feast.

23:07If the snake is to survive until next year,

23:10it must consume as much food as it can.

23:16It's the only way to survive,

23:18but it's not the only way to survive.

23:23It's the only way to survive,

23:25but it's not the only way to survive.

23:30It's the only way to survive,

23:33but it must consume as much food as it can.

23:45In the next few weeks, it will gorge on eight chicks.

23:52An astonishing consumption that has seen the Chapel Island tiger snakes

23:57evolve into a population of giants.

24:04On this continent of extremes,

24:07reptiles have learnt to adapt to the boom-and-bust rhythms of nature.

24:13In Australia's arid centre, it may be years between rains.

24:23But when the skies open up, the desert is a place reborn.

24:34The freshly drenched landscape doesn't only benefit the locals.

24:44It attracts visitors that come to reap the rewards.

24:52Budgerigars swarm to the desert.

24:57Able to sense rains from thousands of kilometres away,

25:02they journey here in giant super flocks.

25:13The abundance of fresh grass seed triggers a breeding frenzy.

25:19The budgies partner up.

25:22And a month later, they're busy rearing young.

25:27They make their nests in the privacy of tree hollows.

25:33Although they're shielded here, there's still reason for caution.

25:40The woma python is the desert's most notorious constrictor.

25:46It's usually a reptile specialist.

25:50But when there are birds in abundance, it will make an exception.

25:57With a preference for cold-blooded prey,

26:03the woma doesn't have or need heat-sensing pits like other pythons.

26:11When it's after a meal, it relies on its sense of smell and sight.

26:18With a pointed head, womas are adept diggers.

26:23It's a skill usually reserved for entering abandoned animal burrows to shelter from the elements.

26:32But today, it's searching for a meal.

26:39A nest so close to the ground is a perfect target.

26:53With such powerful bodies, woma pythons can squash their prey against nest or burrow walls to subdue them.

27:04But today, it uses its sharp teeth to hold the budgie mother in place.

27:12Then, using its muscular coils, the python takes her life.

27:18Once the mother is consumed, the woma targets the father.

27:26With no one left to defend the chicks, the python won't leave until it's made a meal of the whole family.

27:48While most reptiles must chase a meal during boom time, there's one that needn't bother.

27:58Year round, the death adder employs a tactic where it makes its prey do all the hard work.

28:08This highly venomous snake wins meals via deception and trickery.

28:13Its secret weapon is its pale colored tail, which resembles a juicy wriggling grub.

28:23Once the adder finds the perfect hiding spot, all it has to do is wait for an unsuspecting passerby.

28:31Unlucky in this position, the adder seeks out another.

28:45Known for their patience, adders may wait in their hideouts days, even weeks, to find their prey.

29:00It waits for a meal.

29:07The snake senses the movement of a nearby skink and deploys its cunning trick.

29:21It lines up its tail to create a strike zone.

29:26The skink watches on curiously.

29:31Now that it has captured its target's attention, the adder repositions its tail.

29:40Placing it closer to its head will help to ensure a fail-proof strike.

29:51Thinking it's located a meal, the skink makes a move.

30:00Its prey is now within striking distance.

30:05And the adder waits.

30:09It wants its meal as close as possible.

30:20With one blow, the snake expels enough venom to paralyze the skink.

30:30Although this ambush required great patience, it required far less effort than going on the hunt.

30:41A great energy saver in this unpredictable desert landscape.

30:47While the cycles of the desert are wildly uncertain, in Australia's Top End, it's a different story.

30:56Kakadu National Park is one of the world's most famous wetlands.

31:02Half the size of Switzerland, it's the largest national park on the continent.

31:09Here, the park is the largest national park on the continent.

31:14Here, the lives of animals are dictated by an annual monsoon.

31:21And the tough times in between, as they wait for the rains.

31:29Some of the planet's largest reptiles inhabit the waterways of Kakadu.

31:35Saltwater crocodiles can grow to a formidable five meters long.

31:41The territorial salties usually stay well away from one another.

31:46For most of the year, one croc will occupy a two square kilometer range.

31:53But it's been nearly five months since the last rains fell, and billabongs are drying up.

32:02The crocodiles are forced to seek out new pools of water to inhabit.

32:10But when a male unknowingly enters another male's territory, things can get a little heated.

32:25To settle a dispute, the resident male will put on an aggressive display to show the intruder who's boss.

32:41As the dry time progresses, Kakadu's cold-blooded residents dance with death.

32:48With temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius, heat stress is a serious risk.

32:55By covering themselves in mud, the crocodiles deflect some of the searing heat.

33:01A tactic that helps to keep them cool until the monsoon arrives.

33:05The croc isn't the only one seeking refuge in the drying billabong.

33:14A semi-aquatic species, the file snake spends half its life in the water.

33:21But for the many dry months of the year, the snakes have adapted to live in the mud.

33:27Able to go 40 minutes without a breath, they bury themselves underground where it's cool and moist.

33:38Only surfacing when they need a vital oxygen top-up.

33:45These incredible adaptations ensure their survival until life-giving rains start.

33:56And they start to fall.

34:04Finally, the dry season skies give way to humidity.

34:10And the big wet arrives.

34:14The storms in Kakadu are some of the largest on Earth.

34:20As water drenches the Earth, the floodplains come back to life.

34:27Creatures who'd never typically venture out in the daylight make an appearance.

34:35The black-headed python usually spends the entire day in its burrow.

34:41But it heads straight to the nearest stream for some assistance with its shedding routine.

34:49The water helps to slough away old skin and scales.

34:54While submerged, the python takes the opportunity to recharge.

35:02Like a solar panel, its black head absorbs the sun's energy.

35:09Powering it up to hunt down the influx of food brought by the rains.

35:23The monsoon is Kakadu's giver of life.

35:28But unfortunately, it can welcome some unwanted residents.

35:36During wet times, invasive cane toads breed in epic proportions.

35:43Females are capable of producing over 70,000 young a year.

35:49Since the toads were introduced to Australia in the 1930s, they have decimated native animal populations.

35:58Armed with venom-secreting glands, they're lethal to most creatures who encounter them.

36:07Some of the most vulnerable to their toxins are snakes that try to make a meal.

36:13However, one snake species has an extreme adaptation to deal with this extreme intruder.

36:24The keelback snake is entirely venomless, yet it can eat the cane toad and survive.

36:32Incredible new studies reveal that the keelback has rapidly evolved into a toad-killing machine.

36:40In less than a century, the keelback's bodies have gotten bigger to metabolize their prey's toxins.

36:50And their heads have gotten smaller to limit the intake of food.

36:55The smaller the toad, the less poison to digest.

37:09A water specialist, keelbacks are primed to stake out the moist habitats the toads thrive in.

37:15Their ridge-like scales enable them to grip on as they traverse slippery surfaces searching for a meal.

37:30As the toads invade in plague proportions, food is never far off.

37:37The keelback has no venom to subdue its prey.

37:45Its weapon is sharp, backward-curved teeth that holds the meal in place.

37:55The toad's teeth are sharp.

37:58Its weapon is sharp, backward-curved teeth that holds the meal in place.

38:08Unlike other snakes that swallow their food headfirst, the keelback does the opposite.

38:17It's thought that devouring the toads from the rear may be an adaptation to assist in detoxification.

38:28As humans struggle to control the worsening toad invasion, perhaps the death-defying keelback will be part of the solution.

38:44As one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, it's no wonder Australian habitats nurture intriguing animal interactions.

38:54This is particularly true in the forests of tropical Queensland.

39:03Where snakes and other forest dwellers crowd together to take advantage of the bountiful forests.

39:14The Queensland carpet python is an ambush hunter.

39:19Adorned with geometric patterns of light and shade, it blends seamlessly into the light dappled forest.

39:30Usually, the carpet python would wait for a meal to pass by, then strike.

39:36But today, it has its eye on a different prize.

39:43Scrub turkey males are expert nest builders.

39:49In charge of incubating the eggs, they add and subtract sticks and leaves, ensuring the nest stays at just the right temperature.

40:02A nest of eggs would be a big win for the python.

40:07But first, it must deal with the nest's owner.

40:14The turkey puts up a fight.

40:19Nest building is months of work, and he's not letting it go to waste.

40:40Some things are not worth fighting for.

40:43Especially when your opponent is this feisty.

40:51Today, the python has learned a valuable lesson.

40:58Never mess with a scrub turkey dad and his mound.

41:02While the carpet python slips off to track down a meal in the canopy,

41:08there's another species doing the same in far north Queensland.

41:14The green tree python is an arboreal snake.

41:21A specially adapted prehensile tail allows it to hunt in the wild.

41:26A specially adapted prehensile tail allows it to climb and navigate the treetops with ease.

41:36And its dazzling green hue and yellow underbelly ensures it's well camouflaged amongst the foliage.

41:42Although the python only grows to one and a half metres long, it's still a top forest predator.

41:51Its tapered tail tip also functions as bait.

41:56If there's a meal in range, the python may wriggle it to lure prey closer.

42:01An ambush hunter, it will seize the opportunity to eat any time.

42:07But night is the best time to hunt, with darkness providing the ultimate cover.

42:16The python is not afraid of the dark.

42:21It's not afraid of the dark.

42:25It's not afraid of the dark.

42:31In stealth mode, the python patrols the canopy.

42:37The heat-sensing pits in its upper lip help guide it towards its prey.

42:45Detecting warmth, the python moves towards a peaceful dove.

43:01As the predator slips along silently, the bird has no way of knowing what is about to happen.

43:20Long, recurved teeth help hold the dove in place while it begins to constrict.

43:27It was long believed that victims were suffocated to death.

43:31But studies in the last decade reveal otherwise.

43:36The immense pressure of constriction cuts off blood supply,

43:41causing aneurysms and, ultimately, heart failure.

43:44Once the python senses the bird's heart is no longer beating, it begins to feast.

44:15Adapting to the extremities is the secret to success for wildlife here in Australia.

44:22And in Mount Etna National Park, there are snakes that have learnt to make the most of what they've got,

44:29in a most surprising way.

44:34In summertime, when the heat and humidity is stifling,

44:38the park's limestone caves provide respite for little bentwing bats.

44:4580% of the country's population flock here to give birth.

44:51In these maternity roosts, females bear a single pup

44:56and nurse them over the summer months until they're strong enough to leave the cave.

45:03But there is a price the bats pay for their temperature-controlled nursing suite.

45:09It comes with predators.

45:15A spotted python clings to the limestone walls

45:19as the female bats depart on their nightly foraging trip.

45:26Sensing the heat of the passing prey,

45:30the python times its assault

45:34to perfection.

45:38The snake crushes its victim to death.

45:44It is a skilled acrobatic predator.

45:49But this won't be the only fatality in the cave tonight.

45:59Known as the night tiger, the brown tree snake usually feeds by sneaking up on sleeping prey.

46:08But tonight it's taking advantage of the fly-through meal service on offer.

46:15Using venom, the snake subdues the bat

46:20before devouring it.

46:28But it's not only the adult bats that become prey.

46:33On the cave floor, an unsuspecting hunter patiently waits.

46:39A green-and-white bat.

46:41Another patiently waits.

46:44A green tree frog.

46:47Each night as the adults leave in a flurry,

46:50bat pups can be knocked to the ground.

46:54An opportunity the frog seizes swiftly.

47:02The bats that defy the deadly jaws of the cave's inside predators

47:07are not entirely free from danger.

47:11Other snakes patrol the cave's entry point.

47:16A brown tree snake waits poised and ready to catch a meal.

47:27To capitalize on the bounty of food offered by these seasonal maternity roosts,

47:33local snakes have become specialist cave hunters.

47:37An astonishing example of opportunism and intelligence.

47:50In each corner of this diverse continent, snakes have learnt to thrive.

47:57Dominant predators in every ecosystem,

48:01they are a shining example of evolutionary adaptation

48:04at its best.

48:08From the country's harsh deserts,

48:11to its crowded tropical jungles,

48:14expansive underwater habitats,

48:17and out to its sub-Antarctic islands,

48:21the snakes have supremely and surprisingly adapted

48:25to whatever Mother Nature has thrown their way.

Extreme Snakes, Australia | Full episode | Nature documentary

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