WEBVTT 1 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:31.680 The famous spider with its scurrying bite, 2 00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:34.800 the scorpion with its deadly sting, 3 00:00:34.800 --> 00:00:37.080 a sinister, cold blooded crocodile, 4 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:41.320 the hypnotizing venomous snake 5 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:43.840 or the king of beasts, the lion. 6 00:00:45.360 --> 00:00:49.640 Which one name is the most dangerous? 7 00:00:52.440 --> 00:00:53.480 Giraffes are eternally 8 00:00:53.480 --> 00:00:56.360 majestic, buffalo formidable, 9 00:00:56.920 --> 00:01:00.520 but with their golden fur regal mane fearsome presence. 10 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.600 Lions are known as the king of beasts. 11 00:01:04.720 --> 00:01:07.280 Lions have been celebrated throughout history for their majesty, 12 00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:09.600 courage and strength. 13 00:01:09.600 --> 00:01:12.760 Kings and queens have taken the lion as a symbol of dominance 14 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:20.160 and leadership, the largest of all carnivores on the African plains. 15 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:24.960 Lions are smaller and faster than the tigers of Asia. 16 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:30.840 The thick flowing 17 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:33.640 mean of an adult male grows darker as they age. 18 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:37.160 These regal manes not only soften an enemy's glow, 19 00:01:37.520 --> 00:01:40.440 they also add to the size and fearsome appearance of the males. 20 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:50.520 Warning other lions not to challenge them. 21 00:01:51.800 --> 00:01:54.600 Even more impressive than its mate is its war. 22 00:01:55.160 --> 00:01:57.560 The thundering sound of a lion defending its territory 23 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:00.040 can be heard from eight kilometers away. 24 00:02:01.080 --> 00:02:03.200 The unseen presence of a lion sparks fear 25 00:02:03.240 --> 00:02:06.120 in the animals of the plains. 26 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:12.000 The lion certainly lives a life head for a king. 27 00:02:12.440 --> 00:02:14.880 They sleep around 20 hours a day. 28 00:02:14.880 --> 00:02:18.840 A lion's leisure time is usually only interrupted by the hunt for food. 29 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:22.560 It is the females that do most of the hunting. 30 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:26.160 Using deadly teamwork, they work together to bring down 31 00:02:26.360 --> 00:02:33.560 the mightiest of prey, claws, teeth and jaws. 32 00:02:33.720 --> 00:02:36.600 Show no mercy as they tear at their victim. 33 00:02:36.920 --> 00:02:38.680 Strangling and suffocating. 34 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:48.720 Until victory is theirs. 35 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:51.880 These merciless hunters are also 36 00:02:51.880 --> 00:02:54.920 caring mothers with deep maternal instincts 37 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:58.400 who will protect their cubs against the other predators of the plains. 38 00:02:58.920 --> 00:03:08.600 No matter what the cost, 39 00:03:08.600 --> 00:03:12.400 there are unforeseen dangers for all those that live on the savanna. 40 00:03:13.600 --> 00:03:15.800 The air suddenly becomes heavier. 41 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:17.440 It's hard to breathe. 42 00:03:17.440 --> 00:03:20.400 Animals begin to get nervous as 43 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:25.000 senses are alerted, trying to work out where the danger is coming from. 44 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:29.480 Their highly developed senses of smell have detected smoke in the air, 45 00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:32.280 and this means real danger 46 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:41.440 fire a deadly enemy 47 00:03:41.440 --> 00:03:44.160 to all predator and prey alike. 48 00:03:44.760 --> 00:03:48.320 Instinct says to run, run as far and as fast as possible 49 00:03:48.320 --> 00:03:50.720 to avoid being trapped by the approaching flames. 50 00:03:52.600 --> 00:03:55.280 In all directions, the animals of the plains 51 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:58.400 fleeing for their lives 52 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.520 when fire blazes through the savanna. 53 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:08.520 It's terrifying for those animals who can escape and settle 54 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:11.840 for those who can't. 55 00:04:15.600 --> 00:04:17.560 Separated by the flames, 56 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:19.560 some are cut off from the rest of the pride. 57 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:24.600 It is vital for the lion is to take refuge and to protect her cubs. 58 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:28.080 All she can do is wait in fear 59 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:34.720 for the flames to recede. 60 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:37.440 Lions are 61 00:04:37.440 --> 00:04:40.360 opportunist hunters and will attempt to take any prey 62 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:44.520 regardless of its age, sex, condition or size. 63 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:48.680 It takes coordinated teamwork to bring down the tallest animal on Earth. 64 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:51.760 It's a difficult and dangerous pursuit. 65 00:04:51.760 --> 00:04:54.840 In this remarkable display of courage, strength and sheer tenacity, 66 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:58.840 the pride launched an attack on the tallest animal on earth, the giraffe. 67 00:04:59.080 --> 00:05:02.360 It's a daring and risky hunt. 68 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:03.840 The giraffe is attacked from behind. 69 00:05:03.840 --> 00:05:06.200 While other members of the pride surround the mighty beast. 70 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:09.600 Preventing it from escaping the trap is five times taller 71 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:12.600 and more than five times heavier than the lions prey. 72 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:14.800 This size is no easy hunt. 73 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:17.600 The giraffe scope is the size of a dinner plate and is capable 74 00:05:17.640 --> 00:05:25.640 of killing a lion. 75 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:30.800 The hunting lion is breaks cover and leaps onto the haunches of a galloping zebra. 76 00:05:31.400 --> 00:05:33.840 Predator and prey can run at the same speed. 77 00:05:33.840 --> 00:05:37.560 It's the lions powerful forelimbs, superb muscle strength, piercing 78 00:05:37.560 --> 00:05:42.720 claws and mighty canine teeth that do the damage. 79 00:05:44.960 --> 00:05:46.160 Their muscled full body 80 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:49.200 enables them to deliver blows that could break the zebras back. 81 00:05:50.760 --> 00:05:53.760 Lions don't eat every day, but when they do, 82 00:05:53.760 --> 00:05:56.400 they can get through 30 kilograms of meat in one, sitting 83 00:05:57.640 --> 00:05:59.440 for a pride of ten lions. 84 00:05:59.440 --> 00:06:08.040 That's an entire zebra. 85 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:11.160 Is the mighty lion the most dangerous animal 86 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:24.240 on land, a 87 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:29.160 barely habitable bird corner of earth, parched and sun drenched. 88 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:32.240 Once the sun is set and temperatures drop, 89 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:38.840 the nighttime wilderness becomes a very dangerous place. 90 00:06:38.960 --> 00:06:42.880 Danger lurks in the form of a sharpened spike loaded with toxic venom. 91 00:06:43.320 --> 00:06:49.200 It could be waiting anywhere under a rock in your shoe, or even in your bed. 92 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:55.120 These are scorpions. 93 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:58.200 Scorpions have been around for over 400 million years. 94 00:06:58.680 --> 00:07:01.480 They've seen the rise in the fall of the mighty dinosaur 95 00:07:01.960 --> 00:07:04.120 and will probably outlast mankind. 96 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:06.880 They can survive massive doses of radiation 97 00:07:07.200 --> 00:07:09.240 and are protected by their hard outer skeleton. 98 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:13.360 Armed with their toxic tail and crushing claws, 99 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:17.000 they wait for the sun go down before they start their search for prey. 100 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:20.840 There are almost 2000 species of scorpions 101 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:23.840 differing in size habitat and the toxicity 102 00:07:23.880 --> 00:07:26.240 of their venom. 103 00:07:28.320 --> 00:07:31.920 Babylonian astrologers included the scorpion in their zodiac during the Bronze 104 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:35.760 Age. People born under the sign are thought of as aloof and vengeful. 105 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:39.000 In Greek mythology, Scorpius was a giant scorpion 106 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:43.920 sent by the earth goddess Gaia to slay the giant Orion. 107 00:07:44.400 --> 00:07:47.600 Some of the most deadly species of scorpion are found in North Africa 108 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:49.320 during the day. 109 00:07:49.320 --> 00:07:53.520 They seek out quiet, dark, hiding places. 110 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:57.320 Although scorpions have several pairs of tiny eyes 111 00:07:57.320 --> 00:07:59.160 which are spread all over their bodies. 112 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:03.040 It is the minuscule hairs that cover their legs, which help them hunt. 113 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:07.120 The hairs pick up even the most subtle of vibrations, helping the scorpion 114 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:10.440 to determine the location of its prey and the direction it is moving. 115 00:08:10.920 --> 00:08:13.960 Preparing it to be ready to strike with its venom. 116 00:08:13.960 --> 00:08:17.160 Injecting barbed. 117 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:20.080 It's tough vice like pincer claws are used to defense 118 00:08:20.760 --> 00:08:24.440 and to crush their victims. 119 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:26.520 The rocks 120 00:08:26.520 --> 00:08:30.360 and stones of the underground come alive as the silent scorpions 121 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:33.640 come out in search of their prey of spiders and insects 122 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:40.520 love. 123 00:08:42.400 --> 00:08:46.080 Most human fatalities are children who are more vulnerable to their venom. 124 00:08:46.840 --> 00:08:49.920 The scorpion is not dangerous to humans because it is aggressive, 125 00:08:49.920 --> 00:08:51.600 but because of its desire to seek out 126 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:54.000 dark places and shelters to hide in during the day. 127 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:59.120 Nearly all attacks on humans are in self-defense. 128 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:05.840 Most scorpions are solitary and will attempt 129 00:09:05.880 --> 00:09:08.760 to kill and eat other scorpions that invade their territory. 130 00:09:09.160 --> 00:09:12.600 Venomous scorpions tend to have weaker looking pincers and thin bodies. 131 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:15.720 Their strength lies with the toxins in their tail. 132 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:18.920 Most accidental stings to humans are on the hand or foot 133 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:22.960 occurring when a scorpion is disturbed, hiding in crevices or burrows. 134 00:09:23.520 --> 00:09:28.240 Scorpions kill over 3000 people every year. 135 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:30.760 The venom of 136 00:09:30.760 --> 00:09:34.000 these small killers can be compared to that of the King Cobra. 137 00:09:34.640 --> 00:09:38.600 Both are neurotoxins, fast acting and bring about death by heart. 138 00:09:38.640 --> 00:09:40.760 Respiratory failure in their victims. 139 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:43.640 Out of the 2000 species of scorpion, 140 00:09:43.880 --> 00:09:46.240 roughly 25 of them are deadly to humans. 141 00:09:46.760 --> 00:09:49.080 It's no wonder that these prehistoric creatures 142 00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:54.120 are one of the most feared in all of the animal kingdom. 143 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:57.720 In among the desert, cactus and dried earth is the scorpions. 144 00:09:57.720 --> 00:09:59.120 Next meal 145 00:10:01.560 --> 00:10:02.920 scurrying across the ground. 146 00:10:02.920 --> 00:10:07.080 Its deadly weapons are ready to strike. 147 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:09.280 Tough claws grasp at the victim. 148 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:13.600 The syringe, like barb of the scorpions tail, pierces its prey 149 00:10:13.800 --> 00:10:16.080 and injects the fast acting neurotoxin. 150 00:10:16.680 --> 00:10:19.280 Its molecules are rapidly absorbed, attacking 151 00:10:19.280 --> 00:10:22.800 the central nervous system and paralyzing the nerves that control breathing. 152 00:10:24.040 --> 00:10:24.560 Venom is 153 00:10:24.560 --> 00:10:28.480 delivered with surgical precision, paralyzing its prey in an instant. 154 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:33.600 Once paralyzed, the scorpion emits its stomach juices onto the prey, 155 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:35.760 sucking up the liquefied food 156 00:10:35.760 --> 00:10:38.920 with the victim's still clamped between its mighty claws. 157 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:42.960 Some species of scorpions can live up to ten years in these harsh 158 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:49.720 environments, equipped with the weapons to survive, scurrying back into darkness. 159 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:53.120 Is the scorpion the most dangerous predator 160 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:54.880 on land 161 00:11:04.760 --> 00:11:05.640 with long legs 162 00:11:05.640 --> 00:11:10.040 that wave inescapable snares spider legs that hatch in their hundreds 163 00:11:10.520 --> 00:11:13.440 and fangs that inject lethal venom into their prey. 164 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:18.720 Spiders strike fear into many people. 165 00:11:19.920 --> 00:11:22.560 In Greek mythology, the great living God 166 00:11:22.560 --> 00:11:25.080 erect man was turned into the first spider, 167 00:11:25.680 --> 00:11:29.720 while in Japanese mythology, shapeshifting demons often take a spider 168 00:11:29.760 --> 00:11:38.240 like form. 169 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:42.960 Funnel web spiders are among the most deadly spiders in the world. 170 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:46.680 And of all of them, the Sydney Funnel Web is arguably 171 00:11:46.920 --> 00:11:54.000 the most lethal, aggressive and easily agitated. 172 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:56.360 The Funnel Web is quick to bite. 173 00:11:56.360 --> 00:11:59.960 This nocturnal ground hunter of beetles, cockroaches and small lizards 174 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:03.400 with an abdomen the size of a human thumb is a walking 175 00:12:03.640 --> 00:12:12.720 messenger of death. 176 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:15.120 The venom glands attach to the funnel webs. 177 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:20.600 Fangs contain a complex cocktail of highly virulent chemicals 178 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:33.960 with a vertical 179 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:37.000 strike downward pointing, fangs pierced through body casing 180 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:40.520 and a measured dose of fast acting venom is delivered. 181 00:12:42.280 --> 00:12:44.480 This cricket will get a higher dose 182 00:12:44.520 --> 00:12:53.840 than would say, a small insect. 183 00:12:58.640 --> 00:12:59.520 When the Sydney 184 00:12:59.520 --> 00:13:02.400 Funnel Web decides to deliver its maximum dose, 185 00:13:02.920 --> 00:13:06.440 it can kill a human and this species is likely to be responsible 186 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:16.320 for all human deaths from funnel webs. 187 00:13:19.800 --> 00:13:21.080 These deadly spiders 188 00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:23.560 are not just found in crevices, rocks and logs. 189 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:28.160 They are often drawn out of their silk lined burrows by rain and flooding. 190 00:13:29.920 --> 00:13:32.000 The more venomous males have been known to wander 191 00:13:32.040 --> 00:13:35.760 into city gardens and houses in search of females. 192 00:13:36.880 --> 00:13:40.800 Like scorpions, they too have been found in shoes and clothes 193 00:13:41.280 --> 00:13:50.240 discarded on the floor. 194 00:13:51.920 --> 00:13:55.440 While the funnel web can bring danger and potential death to humans. 195 00:13:55.920 --> 00:13:58.840 There is another incredible spider that brings death 196 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:02.240 to its own kind. 197 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:09.280 The one centimeter portion spider 198 00:14:09.280 --> 00:14:13.720 has evolved to selectively hunt other spiders, specializing 199 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:17.520 not only on other jumping spiders, but also on the web builders. 200 00:14:18.040 --> 00:14:22.520 The beautifully camouflaged Porsche spider exploits the poor eyesight of others 201 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:28.320 as it merges with any leaf fragments caught in their webs. 202 00:14:33.640 --> 00:14:36.480 With the second most acute eyesight of the animal world, 203 00:14:37.040 --> 00:14:39.440 this eagle eyed intelligence spider 204 00:14:39.760 --> 00:14:42.720 can learn, problem, solve and remember 205 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:46.520 learning the best combat tactic for their selected victim. 206 00:14:47.640 --> 00:14:51.960 Using camouflage to detour along rocks to perform an ambush attack 207 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.120 is just one 208 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:07.800 skilled 209 00:15:07.800 --> 00:15:11.400 at running on the silken webs of at least 11 different families of spiders. 210 00:15:11.880 --> 00:15:15.600 Porsches can mimic the vibration patterns not only of a trapped insect, 211 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:19.400 but also of the courtship signals of the spiders it hunts. 212 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:23.040 If this lures the spider out, they keep doing it 213 00:15:23.280 --> 00:15:26.040 until the unsuspecting prey is within. 214 00:15:26.040 --> 00:15:27.160 Striking distance 215 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:33.280 with its fangs outstretched. 216 00:15:33.280 --> 00:15:36.080 The tiny Porsche spider injects its fast 217 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:38.520 acting venom. 218 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:46.440 This combination of intelligence, memory and stealth 219 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:50.280 make the Porsche spider a truly deadly adversary. 220 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:53.400 Others rely more on 221 00:15:53.400 --> 00:15:58.960 pure brawn. 222 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:02.000 Palm sized tarantulas with a leg span bigger than a book 223 00:16:02.040 --> 00:16:04.920 are hard to miss. 224 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:09.840 While their bite may not be fatal to humans, 225 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:14.120 to the insects, frogs and mice, it preys on the tarantula. 226 00:16:14.280 --> 00:16:36.440 Is a bristled and deadly foe. 227 00:16:36.680 --> 00:16:40.440 Snakes have fascinated and terrified humans for thousands of years 228 00:16:41.640 --> 00:16:43.360 in many parts of the world. 229 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:48.280 They are worshiped as protectors and creators. 230 00:16:48.280 --> 00:16:52.760 But some cultures, fierce thinks as devils and symbols of vengeance 231 00:16:52.880 --> 00:16:55.320 and death. 232 00:16:56.840 --> 00:16:59.520 Whether as an evil power or symbol of fertility, 233 00:16:59.800 --> 00:17:01.840 the snake is a powerful image. 234 00:17:02.560 --> 00:17:05.040 It represents both immortality and death. 235 00:17:05.040 --> 00:17:08.880 Male and female, deity and demon, killer and healer. 236 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:12.920 The highest of wisdom as well as the chaos from the underworld. 237 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:16.560 Mysterious cupid, 238 00:17:16.560 --> 00:17:20.400 lethal venom, suffocating grip or lightning strike. 239 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:24.320 The snake has a commanding reputation throughout the world. 240 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:28.560 Every year, 241 00:17:28.560 --> 00:17:31.120 more than 5 million people suffer snake bites. 242 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:34.120 Over 100,000 of them die from their wounds 243 00:17:35.560 --> 00:17:37.120 with heat sensing organs, 244 00:17:37.120 --> 00:17:40.480 an acute sense of smell and the ultimate flexible body. 245 00:17:40.840 --> 00:17:43.400 Snakes track down their victims. 246 00:17:43.400 --> 00:17:46.800 The bite is the lethal weapon of venomous snakes. 247 00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:49.840 Their fangs deliver toxin straight 248 00:17:49.840 --> 00:17:52.800 into their victims bodies, causing paralysis. 249 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:56.520 And in some cases, death. 250 00:17:59.560 --> 00:18:01.680 Venomous snakes are strictly carnivorous, 251 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:04.440 killing and eating small animals, 252 00:18:05.280 --> 00:18:08.000 including lizards, mammals 253 00:18:08.800 --> 00:18:12.160 and birds, fish, insects, 254 00:18:12.560 --> 00:18:15.440 even other snakes. 255 00:18:18.320 --> 00:18:21.720 Asia is home of the legendary King Cobra, a dynamic hunter 256 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:24.960 that preys on other snakes and delivers huge amounts of powerful venom. 257 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:28.760 Measuring more than five meters, the king cobra is the longest 258 00:18:28.800 --> 00:18:33.000 venomous snake in the world. The 259 00:18:35.280 --> 00:18:37.560 King Cobra found throughout India. 260 00:18:37.560 --> 00:18:39.320 Their heads are the size of a man's hand 261 00:18:39.320 --> 00:18:41.720 and they can detect movement from 100 meters away. 262 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:46.320 Each dose of venom has enough neurotoxin to kill toe grown men. 263 00:18:47.280 --> 00:18:51.800 Highly intelligent snakes are treated as object of all and wonder by humans. 264 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:54.600 Snake charmers have used them for many centuries. 265 00:18:55.040 --> 00:18:55.960 When threatened, 266 00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:59.400 the cobra will flare out its iconic hoods in amid a bone chilling hiss. 267 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:07.640 That sounds almost like a growling dog. 268 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:12.400 Snakes can bite or tear their food into pieces. 269 00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:15.840 They swallow their prey whole. 270 00:19:15.840 --> 00:19:17.400 They use their highly developed sense 271 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:20.680 of smell to track their prey. 272 00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:22.840 Hundreds of vertebrae in the snake spine 273 00:19:22.840 --> 00:19:26.680 give them their incredible flexibility 274 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:29.080 with their constantly moving forked tongues. 275 00:19:29.360 --> 00:19:31.320 They collect airborne particles, 276 00:19:31.320 --> 00:19:33.960 which they pass into their mouths for chemical analysis, 277 00:19:34.360 --> 00:19:38.840 providing them vital information about their surroundings. 278 00:19:39.760 --> 00:19:41.440 Some snakes kill by constriction. 279 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:43.080 Some snakes 280 00:19:43.080 --> 00:19:46.920 use their venom to kill or paralyze their prey before eating it, while others 281 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:57.960 swallow their prey whole and still alive, out walking. 282 00:19:58.320 --> 00:20:00.960 You never know what could be lurking by your feet. 283 00:20:03.120 --> 00:20:04.240 It only takes a second 284 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:07.040 for a snake to strike. 285 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:12.640 If the snake were poisonous, 286 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:15.000 this young girl will have very serious problems. 287 00:20:16.120 --> 00:20:19.680 Is the snake with its venom filled lightning strike? 288 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.000 The land's most dangerous predator 289 00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:45.000 or lurking in the lakes, 290 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:49.600 rivers, marshes and swamps lies one of the most prehistoric 291 00:20:50.040 --> 00:20:53.360 and dangerous predators on the planet. 292 00:20:53.360 --> 00:20:56.840 Stories, songs and legends have been built up around them. 293 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:01.920 People tremble in fear at their name. 294 00:21:02.760 --> 00:21:06.720 These are crocodiles. 295 00:21:08.760 --> 00:21:12.440 These ancient reptiles are a symbol of merciless predation and insatiable 296 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:13.320 appetite. 297 00:21:13.840 --> 00:21:16.000 They can stay hidden in the water for hours 298 00:21:16.840 --> 00:21:19.920 and strike without warning. 299 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:26.680 The saltwater crocodile and 300 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:30.040 the Nile crocodile are two of the largest species of crocodile in the world. 301 00:21:30.560 --> 00:21:33.840 Hunting anything they choose and killing hundreds of people each year. 302 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:37.680 The ancient Egyptians worshiped the crocodile as the gods sobek 303 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:40.320 and adorn crocodiles with jewels in his honor. 304 00:21:40.840 --> 00:21:44.320 They believe that Sobek controlled the mighty Nile, and so he was worshiped 305 00:21:44.320 --> 00:21:47.640 to appease the crocodiles of the river, as well as for the fertility 306 00:21:47.640 --> 00:21:49.840 of the Egyptian people and their crops. 307 00:21:51.280 --> 00:21:53.360 Crocodiles have been unearthed since the beginning 308 00:21:53.360 --> 00:21:56.000 of time, existing with the dinosaurs. 309 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:59.160 Crocodiles survive the breakup of the Earth's continents. 310 00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:02.520 They even survived the ice ages. 311 00:22:02.520 --> 00:22:05.920 While most other animals have gone through remarkable evolutionary changes 312 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:07.440 in order to survive, 313 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:11.280 crocodiles have remained virtually the same for millions of years, 314 00:22:12.280 --> 00:22:14.960 slowing their heartbeat down to two or three beats per minute. 315 00:22:15.280 --> 00:22:18.440 And with a transparent eyelid, a crocodile can breathe underwater 316 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:27.720 until it sees its prey. 317 00:22:31.040 --> 00:22:32.600 Madagascar's uneven 318 00:22:32.600 --> 00:22:37.280 run only forged local people led carnivore Rhino's secret. 319 00:22:38.120 --> 00:22:40.320 Legend says that a wizard dressed 320 00:22:40.320 --> 00:22:44.680 as a passer by walked through the town and asked its people for a drink of water. 321 00:22:45.120 --> 00:22:47.040 But they refused him. 322 00:22:47.040 --> 00:22:50.400 The wizard flooded the town to punish them for not satisfying his thirst. 323 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:55.320 Since that time, the locals believe that the crocodiles are sacred. 324 00:22:55.840 --> 00:22:58.800 The reincarnated spirits of their ancestors 325 00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:03.480 to win favor with the crocodiles. 326 00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:06.800 The people perform ceremonies to appease them by offering them 327 00:23:06.800 --> 00:23:10.640 meat from the freshly slaughtered zebu. 328 00:23:10.800 --> 00:23:15.120 The crocodile feeds on the offering of the villagers. 329 00:23:16.080 --> 00:23:18.360 The ceremony comes to an end when a young man 330 00:23:18.360 --> 00:23:21.080 from the village hangs ahead of a zebu on top of a column. 331 00:23:21.800 --> 00:23:23.960 A column which is already adorned with the skulls 332 00:23:24.360 --> 00:23:39.440 from previous rituals. 333 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:43.560 You never know what a crocodile is going to do 334 00:23:44.280 --> 00:23:46.320 with only its eyes and nostrils above the water. 335 00:23:46.600 --> 00:23:49.320 These are perfect ambush predators. 336 00:23:49.320 --> 00:23:52.760 The biggest reptile on earth, the mighty saltwater crocodile, 337 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:57.440 explodes from the water with outstretched jaws. 338 00:24:00.600 --> 00:24:02.280 Crocodiles are perfectly adapted 339 00:24:02.280 --> 00:24:05.920 for hunting in water, power, water, swimming muscles and clawed webbed feet. 340 00:24:06.120 --> 00:24:09.360 Make them excellent swimmers at home in the ocean. 341 00:24:09.720 --> 00:24:15.240 Saltwater crocodiles can often be seen out at sea. 342 00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:17.480 Taking a drink at the water's edge or trying to cross 343 00:24:17.520 --> 00:24:19.440 the river can be a very risky business. 344 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:21.520 And Crocs are about 345 00:24:26.600 --> 00:24:27.920 without any warning. 346 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:30.600 The half ton crocodile launches itself out of the water, 347 00:24:30.800 --> 00:24:33.680 slamming its massive jaws shut around an unsuspecting animal. 348 00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:38.960 Saltwater crocodiles have a bite force of £3,700 per square inch. 349 00:24:39.280 --> 00:24:41.760 That's almost four times as much as a lion. 350 00:24:45.720 --> 00:24:46.200 Its mouth 351 00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:49.520 has up to 60 teeth, all designed to rip flesh off prey, 352 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:52.440 clasping the dying animal in its powerful jaws. 353 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:56.240 The croc takes it under water to drown it in a twisting death 354 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:58.320 roll. 355 00:25:01.600 --> 00:25:04.920 Is the crocodile, with its strength and insatiable appetite, 356 00:25:05.320 --> 00:25:10.040 the most dangerous predator, which is the most dangerous of all 357 00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:14.640 predators on land, the majestic lion, the venomous snake, 358 00:25:15.080 --> 00:25:19.440 the fanged spider, the poisonous scorpion, the ancient crocodile? 359 00:25:20.760 --> 00:25:48.440 Or is it mankind?