00:03If I asked you to close your eyes and picture a venomous creature, what would you come up with?
00:08One of these? Maybe even this?
00:10Well, according to researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia, this guy is not only highly venomous,
00:16but new research has revealed it evolved its venom with the help from some tiny little friends.
00:21This is a caterpillar, or the larva of what's commonly called the flannel moth.
00:25According to the new study, toxins from bacteria could be responsible for having aided the development of the creature's painful
00:31stings via a process called horizontal gene transfer.
00:35The caterpillars actually sting via venomous spurs hidden beneath their luxurious coats.
00:39According to the researchers, it's so painful it's been described as walking on hot coals, or the worst pain a
00:45patient has ever experienced.
00:47While researchers were investigating why it was so painful, they noticed it was quite different from other venomous caterpillars.
00:52It works in a very similar way to bacterial toxin, binding to a cell's surface, and eventually ripping holes in
00:58it,
00:58with the researchers concluding that bacteria must have passed it along, writing,
01:02The venom in these caterpillars has evolved via the transfer of genes from bacteria more than 400 million years ago.
01:09So, let's take a look at the drops and swim in this entire animal.
01:10See you next week.
01:10Bye.
01:10Bye.
01:10Bye.
01:10Bye.
01:10Bye.
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