00:00Welcome to the frozen reaches of Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf
00:03where one of the continent's most resilient cold climate species continues to thrive
00:07the woolly snake Serpentis linigerus
00:10long known to researchers and native to this snowy biome
00:14the woolly snake has adapted perfectly to life beneath the ice and snow
00:17making it a remarkable example of evolutionary ingenuity in extreme environments
00:21this massive albino serpent with its ghostly white scales and thick shaggy coat
00:26thrives where temperatures drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius
00:30stick around to see how researchers are unraveling its incredible cold weather secrets
00:34I'm Steve Roberts joining a team of scientists who've traveled here to study the snake's natural antifreeze protein
00:41a key to its survival
00:43this three meter long predator hunts seals and penguins by detecting their faint body heat
00:49striking with lethal precision all thanks to a dense layer of hollow wool-like scales
00:54that trap heat and a unique antifreeze in its blood that prevents ice from forming
00:58watch as researchers brave the blizzards tracking the snake's pale form weaving through the snow
01:03its eerie low-frequency hiss echoing across the ice
01:06their work is shedding light on how this cold-blooded marvel not only survives but dominates the Antarctic landscape
01:12this is Steve Roberts for Global Nature News
01:15stay curious and keep exploring the wild with us
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