00:00You are walking in the Sahara desert, and all you see around you are dunes out of sight.
00:07And then, all of a sudden, you see this mark in the sand.
00:11The wisest thing to do is to flee this place as quickly as possible.
00:16Because if you close your eyes and concentrate well,
00:19you will realize that it is a viper waiting for its next meal, well hidden in the sand.
00:27Paradoxically, the bite of this snake has never led to man's death.
00:31But then, why run away? Let's find out.
00:36The viper is one of the most famous snakes in the desert, and a true pro of concealment.
00:43The non-scientific Serast Serast of this snake is one of the best camouflaged creatures of all the animal kingdom.
00:52It can measure between 30 and 60 centimeters in length on average,
00:56but the largest specimens can reach 84 centimeters, or almost a meter.
01:02Even if it doesn't seem super long to you, believe me,
01:05you wouldn't want one of these animals to sneak behind you.
01:09It is interesting to note that the females of this species are larger than the males,
01:13which is rare among snakes, and gives them an even more intimidating presence.
01:19But what is really unique about this viper are of course its horns,
01:23frightening, one above each eye.
01:26It gives this reptile a dragon look, and distinguishes it from most other desert vipers.
01:32All the Sahara vipers do not have these horns.
01:35Some have some kind of little buttons, and others nothing at all,
01:39depending on what genetics has decided to give each one.
01:42Nevertheless, these horns reinforce the menacing aspect of the viper and make it even more formidable.
01:47But it is not only the horns or the size that make these creatures so fascinating.
01:53Males and females have other differences than their size.
01:56The head and eyes of the males are much larger than those of the females.
02:01And compared to their close relatives, the Serastes gaspereti,
02:05these Sahara horned vipers have a big head,
02:08and are more likely to have these frightening horns.
02:11Now let's talk about what makes the horned viper a real master of survival.
02:15Its amazing ability to hide in the sand.
02:18The color of this viper corresponds to the different shades of the Sahara,
02:22yellow, gray pale, pink, reddish and light brown.
02:26Its back has a complex pattern, with dark semi-rectangular spots
02:31that sometimes merge to form transverse bars.
02:34At the same time, the lower belly is white, and the tail often has a black end.
02:39It's a trick.
02:41Some animals can confuse this feature with a scorpion dart.
02:46This camouflage is the main form of defense of the viper and its best hunting tool.
02:51This reptile is not content to slip quickly out of sight.
02:55It dives into the sand.
02:57It can shake its body under the sand of the desert,
03:00leaving only its eyes and nostrils.
03:04Imagine such a skillful creature to hide,
03:07that it just has to lie down to disappear almost completely.
03:10And then watch the mouse, the lizard or the man who would pass by without suspecting anything.
03:15During the day, the viper usually hides under rocks
03:19and in burrows dug by other animals.
03:22Sometimes, it just hides in the shade of the bushes.
03:26For such a ferocious-looking creature, the horned viper of the Sahara is surprisingly calm.
03:31It will not waste its venom if it can avoid the threat,
03:35preferring to remain still or hide.
03:38But when it feels really threatened,
03:40it gives a really spectacular warning.
03:43It rubs its spines against each other,
03:45producing a whistling and a characteristic crackling
03:48that tells you that it is ready to strike.
03:53And if you ignore this warning,
03:55the bite of this viper is loaded with a toxic venom that can be very dangerous.
04:02This is why manipulating such a snake can be a fatal mistake,
04:06as discovered by two unfortunate amateurs in Europe.
04:09Our two friends were bitten by horned vipers in captivity
04:12and the bites caused extreme swelling,
04:15blood clotting problems,
04:17and even renal failure.
04:20The venom contained in these bites contains special compounds
04:24that disturb blood clotting,
04:26attack the kidneys,
04:27and can cause serious internal hemorrhages.
04:30There is an effective anti-venom,
04:33but it is clear that the bite of the horned viper of the Sahara
04:36is not to be taken lightly.
04:39Here is another surprising fact about this reptile.
04:42When it moves,
04:43the horned viper of the Sahara does not glide as usual.
04:47Instead, it uses a unique style called lateral displacement.
04:52The animal raises a loop of its body,
04:54moves it forward,
04:56and then pulls the rest behind it.
04:58This lateral movement allows the snake to move on the hot sand
05:02without its belly touching the ground for too long.
05:05In a place as scorching as the Sahara,
05:08this technique is not only cool,
05:10it is essential to its survival.
05:12If the horned viper is the champion of camouflage in a desert environment,
05:17it has serious competitors in other landscapes.
05:20All over the world,
05:21all kinds of snakes have perfected the art of melting in their environment
05:26to catch their prey and avoid being devoured themselves.
05:30This is the case of the brown snake,
05:32an Australian snake,
05:34and one of the most venomous in the world.
05:36Its color allows it to hide in rocks and the ground,
05:39which makes it extremely difficult to spot,
05:42until you are practically in front of it.
05:45A bite of this snake can be fatal in less than an hour.
05:48Or the copper-headed moccasin,
05:50which can be found in the US forests.
05:53The pale and pink colors of this snake
05:55match perfectly with the autumn leaves.
05:58It often hides instead of fleeing,
06:01which leads to many accidental bites.
06:04Its venom is generally not deadly,
06:06but it is painful,
06:07and as this reptile hides very well,
06:09encounters are frequent.
06:11The Angolan and Namibian viper
06:14likes to hide in the sand like the Sahara horned viper.
06:18It mainly feeds on lizards,
06:20and its sand-colored scales make it almost invisible.
06:23Fortunately, its bite is not too dangerous for humans.
06:27Now look at this terrifying creature.
06:30It's the wood snake.
06:32This snake lives in the luxurious forests of the United States
06:35and uses its colors to melt in the forest vegetation.
06:39You may not see it,
06:41but if you hear its click,
06:43step back a few steps,
06:44because its venom is powerful.
06:46The Pacific Gopher Snake,
06:48found on the west coast of the United States,
06:50can measure up to 2 meters in length.
06:53What is good about this reptile,
06:55is that it is not venomous.
06:57It hides well in forests and fields,
07:00but it is harmless to humans.
07:02Just don't be afraid of it,
07:04because its bite is still painful.
07:07In the rocky fields of California and Oregon,
07:10you may meet the West Cretaceous,
07:13which likes to melt in dark brown and golden rocks.
07:17Its ring is often the only warning you will receive from it.
07:22The following snakes are not particularly dangerous,
07:26but they are unparalleled masters of camouflage.
07:29The green color hides perfectly in leaves and grass,
07:34and it is generally invisible to unnoticed walkers.
07:38The Viper Pelliade likes to hide in leaves and bushes.
07:42As for the harmless Striped Cougar,
07:45it knows how to melt in the ground and the base of vegetation.
07:48Do not forget that even if all these snakes are not venomous,
07:51they can still give you a painful bite.
07:54Of course, I can not not mention the huge reticulated python.
07:58Even if it can reach more than 6.5 meters long,
08:01this snake from South Asia is an expert
08:04when it comes to hiding in leaves and in the shade.
08:07It is one of the only snakes known to occasionally hunt humans.
08:10So be careful on its territory.
08:13In nature, snakes like the Horned Viper of the Sahara
08:16camouflage themselves to hunt and avoid being hunted.
08:20They can hide in leaves, sand or rocks,
08:24but in any case, it is always for a very specific purpose
08:27that evolution has given them this unparalleled talent.
08:31The Desert Viper hides to stay cool and catch its prey,
08:35while the snakes of the forests melt in the mass
08:39to hunt in silence and avoid humans.
08:43For them, staying hidden is not just a matter of survival,
08:47it is a considerable advantage.
08:49So, the next time you go hiking,
08:52do not forget that you could meet one of these hunters.
08:55They watch you with calm and frightening patience.
08:58And yes, have fun!
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