Original subtitles

I'm Coyote Peterson, and today we're

going to talk about the worst animal bite of my life.

And it happened yesterday.

What happened?

He bit me.

Yeah, he got me good. He got my thumb.

Do you want me to keep filming?

Since beginning this journey,

of bringing Wild Animal Adventures to the world,

I have found myself in many dangerous situations.

Some of them planned--

Man, that was intense, getting

swatted at by a grizzly bear.

OK.

So now we want to get you guys up close, for some

of Adam's incredible features.

- some of them by chance.

This turtle just bit the top of my thumb off, big time.

And all of them which I hope

serve as both educational entertainment

but also as a lesson into why you should never approach

wild animals on your own.

And that's just going to keep bleeding and bleeding.

My job is dangerous.

I think we can all agree on that.

And sometimes I do push things to the extreme.

1, 2, 3--

Ahh!

Ahh!

However, any time we

visit a location, like Arizona's Sonoran Desert,

we try to be as calculated and safety-conscious as we can.

Priority number one, guys, is safety.

This environment

is incredibly hostile.

And if the heat doesn't get you, watch your step,

because the biological landmines just might.

That is so cool.

This is the second Gila monster that we've encountered

in the Sonoran Desert.

And it's a big one.

He doesn't want anything to do with us, right now.

He's just laying low to the sand,

saying, OK, don't get any closer.

And while I have encountered,

handled, filmed, and released many dangerous creatures,

even I make mistakes.

Yeah, he got me.

He bit me. Are you sure?

Yeah. He definitely bit me.

Do you want me to keep filming?

Ohh! Yeah.

He got the whole top of my thumb.

He got right past the GoPro and he got the whole top my thumb.

All right.

Just stop. Stop filming.

Stop filming.

Well, yesterday I took the worst animal bite

I've ever received.

It happened right here.

And I was bitten by the only venomous lizard in the United

States, the Gila monster.

And it was bad.

Here's what happened.

We were out here filming b-roll, walking up this wash

that's on the backside here.

And I spotted a Gila monster.

And he was just laying right here, along this log.

And I said, well, we don't need an episode

with the Gila monster.

We've already done that.

But we wanted to get close, and at least get some b-roll shots.

Didn't need to catch the lizard.

Didn't need to handle it.

We got some great shots with the C100 camera.

And I said, you know, let me get a couple

of shots with the GoPro.

He's super calm.

He's just chilling out.

COYOTE PETERSON Got close,

started doing some sweeping shots over him.

I think he felt cornered.

I got a little too close.

And literally, in a flash, he jerked his body

and latched onto my thumb.

Immediately, my natural reaction

was to pull my thumb back extremely quickly, which I did,

and that's why I have all these razor blade

looking slices on my thumb.

I literally yanked my finger out of his mouth.

I grabbed onto my finger the moment that I was bitten,

and almost immediately, the pain from the venom

started surging through my hand.

Oh, my God.

It burns already.

It's burning really bad already.

Ohh! How'd it happen?

God!

He turned and just spun and got right past the GoPro

and bit my thumb.

Now, I was extremely

fortunate in this situation.

After the bite, we consulted with reptile experts and venom

experts.

Now, there's no antivenom that you can

take for a Gila monster bite.

We monitored my body for hours at a time.

COYOTE PETERSON We made sure

that my heart rate was low.

We monitored the swelling.

We took photographs, as you'll see some of the photographs

here.

As the hours went by, the pain was so excruciating.

I really just had to go into a mental state

where I told myself, you can make it through this pain.

It was the worst pain I had ever experienced,

the throbbing, the squirming of my body, and of course,

the constant fear that, is this only

going to get worse, because as the venom started traveling up

my arm, into my shoulder, I didn't know at what point

it was going to stop.

And that's when I really started to get nervous.

And it was really mind over matter, at that point.

The fact that I didn't go into any sort of anaphylactic shock,

I knew that I was going to be OK,

it was just a matter of toughing through the pain, which

was kind of like they explain, hot lava

coursing through your veins.

It's been 24 hours and I feel extremely

fortunate to only have a swollen and sore thumb right now.

Any time you're bitten by an animal,

venomous or non-venomous, make sure that you

seek medical attention.

This was not the Gila monster's

fault in any way, whatsoever.

I got too close.

So hopefully there's a good lesson

that comes away from this.

Gila monsters are not an animal that you should

ever go out and try to handle.

If you see one in the wild, take a photograph

from a safe distance.

Give it 5 feet.

Zoom in with your lens and take a photograph like that.

I learned the hard way

and I know, from here on out, I'm

certainly going to give Gila monsters

the space that they deserve.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Now, did you know that there's a species of snake out there

that feels exactly like rubber?

Get ready to meet the rubber boa.

Throughout my adventures

filming Breaking Trail, if there are two animal species I've

encountered in almost every location,

it's snakes and spiders.

Not only are these creatures found on every continent

except for Antarctica, they're also two of the most widely

feared animals in the world.

Oh, here we go.

Oh, one of my favorites.

Look at this.

That is a little desert blonde tarantula.

COYOTE PETERSON Many people

suffer from the fear of spiders, which is called arachnophobia.

Let's get a good look at him.

I'm going to pick him up. Ready?

It never becomes any less nerve-racking to pick up

a tarantula.

I promise you that.

COYOTE PETERSON And I

would wager to say that even more

people are afraid of snakes.

A fear known--

- as ophidiophobia.

I can understand the fear of spiders.

They have eight legs.

Are oftentimes covered in hair.

And they can climb up almost anything.

Now he is up and on my back.

Thankfully, they don't eat coyotes.

But why do people fear snakes?

Is it because they slither?

They have forked tongues?

Or is it that we really just don't have an answer,

and snakes are just plain scary?

Now, what if I told you that hiding in the conifer

forests of California, there lived

one of the friendliest snake species

you could ever hope to come across.

All it takes is a little searching.

And if you flip over the right log,

you might find the cure to your worst fear.

This log here looks pretty good.

Let me get on this side, give it a flip for you.

Are you ready?

Oh, sweet! Come here.

Check this out. Come up.

Look at this right here.

Oh, oh!

This is something that I definitely hoped we would find.

You see this right here?

Do you know what that is?

That-- Oh, come here, buddy.

Oh, he's getting down really good.

Oh, man, they burrow so quick.

Let me get him out.

Oh, look at that.

That-- hold on.

I'm losing him.

There we go.

I got him.

Looking at that!

That is a rubber boa.

OK.

Let's bring him up here.

Get this situation a little bit more under control.

But this is totally safe.

Watch your backstep there.

Awesome!

Check that out.

Now, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you,

but this little snake here is related to its much bigger

cousin, the boa constrictor.

Now, this is a very docile species.

I had no hesitation picking it up.

Flipped over that log and saw it, knew it was non-venomous

and they never bite.

Now, the thing that is so cool about this snake,

is the way that they feel.

I wish you guys could just jump through the screen

and actually touch this animal, because you're probably saying

to yourself, well, it's a rubber boa,

but does it feel like rubber?

It absolutely does.

I would say that the best thing I could compare this snake to,

is a fishing lure.

Have you ever gone out and had one of those rubber worms

that you stick a hook onto?

That is exactly what this snake feels like.

You don't believe me?

Mark, stick your hand out here for everybody at home watching.

Touch that snake. Oh, wow.

What does that feel like?

Exactly like rubber.

Right?

That's amazing.

Almost exactly like a fishing lure.

Now, here's something really interesting to note

about this snake.

I'm going to hold up its head for you here.

See that?

There's his head.

Oh, wait-- or is that his tail?

Because that is actually his head.

Something really cool about this snake

is that the head looks exactly like the tail.

Now, this helps them against predators

because if a predator comes in and says,

that looks like a tasty treat, and he

tries to bite the snake from the rear end,

there's a good chance, without getting the head,

that the snake isn't going to die.

This tail is also used to help this snake get its food.

What these snakes are out here looking for,

are baby mice or baby voles.

They will search out a burrow, go in,

and begin to have a meal.

Most of the time, if the mother's not there,

the snake is left in peace.

But if the mother comes back, she tries

to drive off this predator.

The snake actually uses its tail like a boxing glove.

And it will whap, whap, whap, fight off the mother.

And then, unfortunately for the baby mice,

this guy's left to have his feast.

Pretty cool trait to have if you're a snake of this size.

OK.

So let's talk about ophidiophobia,

which is the fear of snakes.

I know a lot of you out there watching

are saying to yourselves, I don't

care how cute that thing is, I would never

get up close with that snake.

But this is one cool customer.

There non-venomous, never bites, and actually,

reptile presenters bring them to focus groups

all across the world, to help people who have ophidiophobia

get over their fears.

So if you're afraid of snakes and you ever have the chance

to get up close with a rubber boa,

I strongly suggest it because you never know,

this little guy might help you overcome your fears.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

I'm sure that watching this episode

hasn't fully cured your phobia of snakes.

But at least you now know that with the rubber boa,

there's a place to start, when it comes to braving your fears.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Now, a lot of you have written in, asking me to do

an episode on the brown anole.

And for those of you that have, I've

got some really great news.

I'm on location in Florida, and they're absolutely everywhere.

Let's go see how many we can catch.

This is the best part about staying in Florida,

it's all the anoles.

COYOTE PETERSON It's always

nice to be able to walk right outside your hotel room

and catch little lizards.

Look it that.

Right on a white fence.

Clearly, he's not working on his camouflage game.

Now, this is the perfect time of day to look for them.

You got the sun just at about 3 o'clock in the sky--

- and they are soaking up the last rays of the day.

If you can get him, this is an awesome shot.

Got him! Nice!

Woo!

What a great catch!

Whoa, oh, oh!

Look at that.

There it is.

The invasive brown anole.

Now, let me show you something really cool about these anoles.

This isn't going to hurt him any way, whatsoever.

Look at that.

You see that flap of skin right there?

That is called the dewlap.

And these male anoles use this to attract the females

during breeding season.

As you can see right now, he's not interested in breeding.

But he is interested--

ooh!

in biting.

But these little tiny teeth can't even break my skin.

Sorry buddy, that's not a bite that's going to make

our bite highlight reel.

Look at that.

He doesn't want to let go.

Can I have my finger back?

Please?

Please?

Oh, yeah, he's got me pretty good.

Just-- there you go.

OK.

I know, you didn't like that.

Look at that.

Look how aggressive they can be though.

Now, I love these little lizards despite the fact

that they're invasive here in Florida,

because they're so much fun to catch.

Now, if you're out there on vacation

and you want to something that is safe to go after,

it is the anole.

However, I have to warn you, their tails

do pop off really easily.

So never grab these lizards by their tails

because they'll pop them off, and then they'll be

more susceptible to predators.

But there you have it, the brown anole,

right here behind our hotel.

How cool is that?

I think we could probably catch one that's

a little bit bigger though.

So let's let him go, and see if we can get one that tops this.

Got a snake right here.

Right here.

What?

It's a black racer. Holy cow!

And they're super fast. Right there.

You see him? Yeah.

He's slithering.

Oh, and I'm on this side of the logs, buddy.

I'm going to get you.

Watch how fast they dart, as soon

as she decides to take off.

Got him. Got him.

Got him.

Woo!

Oh, trying to catch anoles and we come across--

Ow!

Ooh, he bit me!

Good thing is, he's not venomous.

Look at that.

Rattling the tail just like a rattlesnake.

That's a warning sign, where he tries

to make me think that he's venomous, even though he's not.

Oh, boy, he got my hand good.

Now, this is one of the top predators that's out here

eating the brown anole.

And they are so unbelievably quick.

Oh! Ooh!

Ooh! Again!

Geez!

Maybe I should just hold him kind of out like this,

so I don't take any more bites.

Look at how beautiful that snake is.

Now, this is another species that does incredibly well

in a residential area like this, because there

are so many things for them to feast on.

Obviously, the brown anoles are probably a pretty easy snack.

But they've got all sorts of rodents

and they will even go after baby birds if there are nests.

These snakes can climb.

Look at how beautiful that snake is.

Incredibly smooth, and that's what

allows him to move through the environment so quickly.

Oh, boy, he's looking right in my face and he's saying,

just get a little bit closer.

I gave you a bite on both hands and I

would love to bite your nose.

That's not going to happen.

Yeah, and he is musking right now, so that's

another defensive tactic.

Let me poop.

Scare you away with that smell.

I'm sure it tastes pretty bad.

But holy mackerel!

That is the black racer.

Kind of unexpected, huh?

Totally unexpected!

I don't know if we're going to be able to top this.

I was hoping for a bigger anole.

You never know what you're going to find--

Oh! - Whoa!

Did he bite you in the face?

He bit my hat!

You never know what you're going to find--

[gasp] Whoa!

It knocked me--

Oh! Ow!

Oh! Stop biting my thumb!

Knocked me right on my butt.

Right here, behind our hotel, so much wildlife.

You never know what you're going to find whenever

you're out there on vacation.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

All right.

Let's let him go back off into the woods

so he can hunt for anoles.

Woo!

That was a close one.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

This is Zach Lim.

And today, we're headed out into the hills of Northern

California to look for snakes.

The hills of California

are slithering with snakes.

And if you explore the grasslands of San Mateo County,

there's a good chance you will come across some

of its familiar species.

Yes!

Yes!

COYOTE PETERSON Many

of them are non-venomous, like the gopher snake and the Santa

Cruz garter snake.

Then there's the venomous Northern Pacific rattlesnake.

Step cautiously on the trail, as their bite is incredibly toxic.

Wow! OK.

That's it.

Northern Pacific rattlesnake, right there.

One thing I don't ever recommend you do,

is stick your hand into a hole after a rattlesnake.

COYOTE PETERSON Today, I'm

headed off trail with wildlife photographer and reptile

enthusiast Zach Lim.

Phew.

Man, it's hot out here.

You deal with this all the time, huh?

All the time.

I wore a vest today.

I don't know why.

Totally ridiculous.

So how long have you been out here,

hiking the hills of California, looking for reptiles?

I've been doing this all my life.

So I see there's a lot

of rocky outcrops up in here.

Do you think this is a good place to search?

- One of the best places. - All right.

Let's get looking.

Let's do it.

Zach's experience

in these hills, his knowledge of the environment,

and his ability to not only find, but also

safely photograph, its reptiles, should put us

in a great position to have an encounter with some

of these slithering inhabitants.

Now, what do we got here?

Well, it's just a great spot to look for snakes.

A lot of snakes like to thermoregulate in cracks.

You can only see a quail or a little piece

of them sticking out.

Even if you were to see a snake in something like this,

it would be so hard for us to actually work him out of there.

Oh, that would be a really tough situation.

We'd be like, oh, we see a snake but we can't get to it.

Knowing where to look

is one of the most important aspects

of finding wild animals.

And sometimes, no matter how focused you keep your gaze

into the shadows of rock crevices, tree nooks,

and hillside grasses, having a snake startle usually

happens in the flash of an eye.

And if you are like me, hoping to make

a safe and successful capture, you better

be on the tips of your toes.

- Got a snake! - Oh, nice!

Nice! - Ah!

Right up in this crevice!

Yes!

Look at this! - What'd you get?

I got him! Ow!

Ow!

I got bit!

Oh, we've got a kingsnake.

California king.

Look at that. Oh!

Geez.

Getting right into that plant.

You want to be careful of that plant.

That's poison oak. - Oh.

That's great.

I just put my hand right into it.

He bit the side of my hand.

Not a problem, though, because this is a non-venomous species.

Oh, look at that.

That's the king. - Beautiful snake.

Woo! All right.

Well, let's get a-- let's get this guy

up close for the cameras?

How's your footing there?

I'm on a pretty steep angle.

I think I need to move. - OK.

Yeah.

Let's slide back down off the edge of this

and get this snake up close for you guys.

Oh, man!

Look at how beautiful that snake is!

Wow!

This is it, man.

It's awesome, man.

Out here all morning.

Looking in the heat.

And there it is, the California kingsnake.

Now, I find, and I don't know, correct me if I'm wrong,

but whenever I see a snake, you just kind of

have to dive for it, especially if you know it's non-venomous,

because this guy was booking.

He was going straight for a crack in that rock.

They know exactly where to go.

When a predator or something big's coming after them,

they'll just dart back into a crack or a hole.

So that's what you've got to do.

So this snake's about 2 and 1/2 feet long.

Is that big, small, for the King snake?

It's an adult, but they could get bigger.

OK.

Some of them are quite large, around 3 to 4 feet long.

But generally, you'll find them around this size.

OK.

Now, what are these snakes out here feeding on,

in the hills of California?

Well, they're called kingsnakes for a reason.

They eat other snakes, especially rattlesnakes.

Right.

And that is one thing that kingsnakes are most famous for,

is their ability to eat rattlesnakes.

Now, they're not completely immune to the venom,

but they are extremely resilient.

So if this snake gets into a fight with a Northern Pacific

rattlesnake, takes a bite or two,

it's probably going to be OK.

And then of course, he's going to eat that rattlesnake.

Exactly.

And they can eat snakes that are bigger than they are?

For the most part, yeah.

They can eat fairly large prey, fairly large snakes.

But they will go for something a little bit smaller, easier

to tackle, to be safer on them.

So it's not just other snake species

that the kingsnake is feeding on,

they'll also eat mice and voles and small lizards.

Exactly.

Pretty much anything they can eat, they'll try to eat it.

That is one voracious predator, right there.

If you're tough enough to take down a rattlesnake,

I see how you got the name king.

Look at that.

So you just have to handle these snakes gently

and it's completely calmed down, now just laying

there in the palm of my hand.

This snake is so incredibly beautiful, black and white.

And I would think that it would be hard for this guy

to stay hidden from predators.

But I'll tell you what, with as quick as this snake took off,

the moment that it sensed me, I think

their speed is what's protecting them against becoming a meal.

Now, is this the only species of kingsnake that we

have here in California?

In California, there's actually

two species of kingsnakes.

You have the common kingsnake, or the California kingsnake

here, and you also have the red, black, and white

California mountain kingsnake. OK.

Now, what time of year are those snakes out?

We got any chance of finding one of those today?

It's going to be really, really tough today,

because it's so dry.

The best time to find those are actually in springtime,

and when it's a bit cooler and a bit wetter out.

How rare is the mountain kingsnake

as compared to this species?

The mountain kingsnake's one of the most elusive

snakes to find in all of California.

And it's pretty incredible to come across one.

Now, how many have you seen in your lifetime?

Mountain kingsnakes, how many have you caught?

I've seen quite a few of them,

but takes a long time to find them.

I put a lot of time in, a lot of time checking rocks,

checking cracks, making sure I put

everything back exactly as I found them,

and only still a handful.

Well, Zach, it definitely sounds

like we need to come back in the spring to see if we can

find the mountain kingsnake.

But it was awesome getting up close

with this black and white beauty.

Thanks, so much, for taking us out

today into the hills of California to look for snakes.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

All right.

You ready to let this little guy go?

Let's let him go.

All right.

Let's do it.

COYOTE PETERSON The high heat

of the California sun prevented us from finding

any other reptiles.

However, capturing and getting up close

with the California king was one for the memory books.