All language subtitles for Wild Assassins 01

On every continent populated by man,

throughout the plains,

mountains and deserts
of the United States

from the dense forests of Asia
to the arid Australian Outback.

Nature's deadliest
assassins lie in wait.

Patiently, they stalk their prey.

In an instant,
they strike with fangs...

and stings, and bites.

They paralyse their victims...

and devour their food from within.

Gifted with one of nature's most
potent, effective,

and destructive weapons...

(SNAKE HISS)

...venom.

Welcome to the world
of Wild Assassins.

We now live in a world filled
with venomous creatures.

Home to over 200,000 known
venomous species,

venom is one of the most dynamic
adaptations in the wild,

taking millennia to evolve.

In recent centuries,

the rate at which venom
is changing has increased...

where the single biggest
contributing factor

is humanity itself.

From a human population
of mere millions

to nearly eight billion
people today.

As human civilisation expands,
they create selection pressures

that kick-start the mutation
of species' genes.

Genes that once helped
attack bacteria

mutated and evolved
to become venom genes...

helping to defend
against predators,

capture prey and deter competitors
during mating season.

From the highly toxic fangs
of a death adder,

to the lethal barb of a scorpion...

and the deadly bite
of the black widow spider,

venom can debilitate
the smallest fly,

to the largest elephant.

Evolving over the past
174 million years,

slithering through the waterways
and forest floors of planet Earth.

Our king of venom...

snakes.

On all continents inhabited
by man...

nearly 3,500 different
snake species evolve.

Six hundred of these species
are armed with a venomous bite.

Snakes are limbless, sleek,
and cunning creatures.

Armed with hollow fangs
that transfer lethal poison,

they strike in a split second.

Snakes reproduce every year,
laying up to 100 eggs per clutch.

With a high infant mortality rate,
very few survive.

Until after 60 days,

the head of a baby snake
breaks through its shell.

Small in size,
but just as deadly as its parents.

The potency of their venom varies,

from the beelike sting
of the desert bandit snake

to the snake with enough venom
to kill 1,100 people.

Endemic to Central East Australia,

and known to Aboriginal Australians
as dandarabilla,

these snakes have been symbols
of strength and creativity

for 60,000 years.

They are the most venomous snakes
in the world

the inland taipan.

Specialist hunters of mammals,

the inland taipan has evolved
a venom potent enough

to kill warm-blooded species
and up to 1,100 people.

This inland taipan is at home
in the Australian Outback,

finding cover from the scorching sun

in the burrows
of its favourite prey,

the long-haired rat.

Sliding into the rat's burrow
from above,

the snake corners
its unsuspecting prey,

leaving no escape
as it injects its venom.

Death is rapid.

The neurotoxins
in the snake's venom tear

through the rat's body.

A spreading agent increases
the rate at

which the venom is absorbed.

The inland taipan's venom endures
a swift and painful death...

before it swallows its prey...

whole.

In the jungles of Asia

lives the longest
of the venomous snakes.

With 300 members
of the Elapidae family in the wild.

All are armed with a vicious
two fanged-bite.

This snake has earned
the title of king for a reason.

The king cobra.

The king cobra can kill a human
in 15 minutes...

and take down an elephant
in mere hours

with its incredibly toxic venom.

Known to attack any species
of animal in self-defence

its main source of prey
is other snakes,

including venomous ones.

King cobras have been known
to take down and consume pythons,

kraits and cobras.

Hence, their foreboding
and powerful name.

Born with venom strong
enough to kill a human,

king cobras are assassins
from birth,

they hunt by smell,

tasting the air
with their forked tongues.

Native to Asia,

home to the most snakes
in the world,

they strike using twin fangs,

injecting a massive dose of venom
into their prey.

Skilled snake assassins,
the cobra is king.

Across the entire continental US,
a distinctive rattle can be heard.

(SNAKE HISS)

Appearing for the first time
14 million years ago,

these ancient creatures are native
to the American plains.

One of the continent's
most deadly assassins,

the rattlesnake.

In the mountains,
the deserts and the vast plains...

rattlesnakes lurk in crevices
and rocky outcrops.

Able to strike in half a second,
they search for unsuspecting prey.

When on the hunt,
they use camouflage,

precision and perfect timing.

(SNAKE HISS)

Warning off predators
with the rapid shake of their tail,

they can take down
rabbits, rodents, and lizards

with a single bite.

Rattlesnake venom destroys tissue
and eventually causes paralysis.

Starting at the head,

the rattlesnake
can swallow its prey whole.

Traversing almost every continent
on the planet,

venomous snakes are
the silent assassins of the wild.

They are skilled, agile,
and formidable hunters...

able to take down some
of the Earth's largest

and smallest creatures.

Their deadliest weapon...

venom.

With over 3,000 species
of snakes across the globe...

these majestic and deadly creatures
come in all shapes and sizes

but despite their deadly armoury,

they remain threatened in the wild.

Shrinking habitats across Asia

are proving fatal
for the king cobra,

while loss of prey is endangering
the inland taipan's survival.

And for the rattlesnake,

it's humans that remain
the biggest threat

due to poaching
and extermination campaigns.

With populations of snakes
decreasing rapidly,

it's becoming more evident
than ever before...

that without snakes,

the ecosystems they uphold
would be damaged forever.

Ecosystems we share.

In the deserts and red cliffs
of the Southwestern US,

lives the uniquely venomous
Gila monster.

A slow moving long-reptile,

it is the only venomous lizard
native to the US.

Armed not with fangs,
but venom-producing glands.

The Gila monster
is an unsuspecting predator...

raiding nests.

They prey on eggs

and nestlings.

They move very slowly
across this arid terrain.

Deceivingly docile and unoffending,

it would be easy to assume
the Gila monster

was far from a venomous creature.

But when able to eat up to a third
of their body weight,

a powerful and effective weapon
is needed.

The Gila monster produces venom
in its saliva glands

located in its lower jaw.

Unable to inject venom directly,
their venom is transferred

from the gland to the teeth
by chewing,

drawing the venom onto the teeth
and into the victim.

It's not unusual for a Gila monster
to flip itself on its back

when attacking a victim,

and this improves
the flow of venom into the wound.

Even when fighting against its own.

Making it an efficient killer

but also a highly skilled assassin.

In almost every ocean on the planet,

from the cold sunless depths,
to the warm tropical reefs,

lives one of the most
successful carnivores

in our world's oceans...

the jellyfish.

With over 2,000 species,

jellyfish have perused
the Earth's oceans

for more than 500 million years.

Armed with anywhere from four

to thousands of tentacles...

they are masters of both attack

and offence.

These silent drifter's tentacles

are lined with thousands
of tiny barbed stingers.

Each stinger has a tiny bulb
that holds venom.

When a tentacle is brushed against,
the stingers are released...

deploying a neurotoxic venom
that paralyses their targets.

Extremely successful hunters,

these silent assassins
create eddies around themselves

to draw in prey,

before stunning them

and swallowing their prey whole.

The harpoons they release
from their tentacles

makes them one of the most
skilled carnivores in the ocean.

Endless drifters,

jellyfish are the beautiful
and unassuming predators

of Earth's oceans.

Crawling across every continent
but Antarctica,

in the foliage and the underbrush,

traversing forest floors,

is one of nature's
deadliest assassins.

All armed with eight legs...

and a pair of venomous fangs,

these arachnids
have roamed planet Earth

for 400 million years.

Spiders.

All spiders are active hunters.

Coming in all shapes and sizes...

with 50,000 different species
across the globe.

Their venom can be injected
through their hollow fangs,

strong enough to paralyse
and kill prey,

spider venom
includes digestive enzymes

that fast-track the breakdown
of nutrients inside the prey's body,

making it easier for them
to consume larger prey.

And in the depths of the tropical
rainforests of Australia

despite its diminutive size...

lives one of nature's most
intelligent assassins.

One spider wields
this weapon well...

the Portia spider.

Only measuring up to 7 mm in length,

they are a deadly weapon
in the wild.

Hiding in plain sight,
they have unparalleled vision,

and are capable of learning
and problem solving...

using the power of their venom.

As night falls,

the Portia spider has its eight eyes
set on an orb spider.

Able to leap over distances 20 times
its body length,

this orb spider is about
to come face-to-face

with one of the tropics'
most skilled hunters.

The Portia spider may be small,
but it is no less deadly.

With a venom unusually powerful
against other spiders...

the orb spider stands little chance.

A killer cannibal,
and a highly skilled assassin,

no foe is too great.

The Portia spider attacks

with stealth, speed, and precision.

A worthy opponent.
In a battle of limbs and claws.

Paired with its deadly bite
and killer instincts,

this intelligent assassin

can take down prey
up to three times its size.

A force to be reckoned with
in the rainforests of Australia,

and the jungles of South Asia...

the infallible...

Portia spider.

Found in forests across the globe,

lives a spider known worldwide.

Armed with a deadly bite to humans,

it instils fear
in the hearts of many...

the black widow.

They live silently alongside
human civilisation.

Measuring just under 4 cm in length,

these small arachnids
are armed with fangs

that can pierce through human flesh.

Responsible for 2,500 visits

to poison control centres
every year in the US,

these creatures are armed
with a highly toxic venom,

fatal to both prey and human alike.

One of nature's deadliest

wild assassins.

Native to Eastern Australia,

only found roaming
within a 100 km radius of Sydney,

armed with a highly toxic venom,

responsible for the most
human deaths in the world,

this is the most dangerous spider
to human from the planet,

the Sydney funnel-web spider.

Under the cover
of the forest floor...

a Sydney funnel-web spider
is on the hunt.

Of the tens of thousands of species
of spider in the world,

with a bite life-threatening
to all species on the globe,

one of the deadliest assassins
in nature,

its eyes are set on a target.

Silent...

swift...

deadly.

A wild assassin.

Despite their seemingly
menacing nature,

spiders are extremely important
to agriculture

and horticulture across the globe.

These eight-legged
creepy-crawlies help regulate

and balance pest populations

on nearly every continent
in the world.

Fascinating and fearsome creatures.

Without them,
the entire planet would face famine.

Agile...

skilled...

and nimble assassins.

Spiders are integral
to the fragile ecosystems

of planet Earth.

Found across the globe...

these creepy-crawlies

are armed with a lethal sting,

the centipede.

An estimated 8,000 species
of centipede

troll Earth's continents,
reaching up to lengths of 30 cm.

Centipedes are encased
in a tough exoskeleton.

Comprised of many body segments

they are armed
with a unique pair of stingers.

Positioned under their
first body segment

sits a pair of hollow legs
adapted with claws.

They deploy a venom
that can paralyse prey.

Their venomous claws can puncture
through skin and flesh.

The neurotoxins they inject

can affect humans
for up to 48 hours,

but for their prey,
it can end in paralysis...

making it easier for the centipede
to consume its prey.

For larger foe,

their venom can cause swelling
and excruciating pain.

And ultimately...

death.

When hunger strikes,

these ancient critters
will mercilessly hunt

for delectable prey.

Traversing with unparalleled
balance, and agility.

Armed with the deadliest of weapons

they are always prepared
for defence and attack.

These silent assassins
have inhabited this planet

for 430 million years.

They are one of the hardiest
and strongest survivors...

on Earth.

Found in every ocean on the globe...

these are the patrollers
of Earth's aquatic biomes.

A graceful, gliding creature...

the stingray.

For over 100 million years,

stingrays have swum
the world's oceans.

In the present day,

over 200 species
of stingray inhabit coastal

tropical marine waters
across the globe.

Relatives of the shark,

stingrays keep a significantly
low profile in comparison.

Stingrays can skim
the bottom of the ocean,

easily gobbling up worms...

shrimps...

and clams.

Violence is not necessary

when this ethereal creature
is on the hunt.

But despite their tranquil nature,

stingrays have become infamous
for the deadly weapon

that trails behind them.

Armed with a tail

that carries up to
three barbed stings.

Stingrays are equipped
with a potent venom...

strong enough to dissolve stone.

Yet stingrays only use
their deadly weapon

in self-defence.

Emerging
from the sand covered floor,

a stingray's tail can puncture
a victim's body,

deploying a potent
cocktail of toxins...

that can cause severe pain,
delayed healing and necrosis.

A stingray's venom can remain

in its victim's body
for up to 48 hours.

On record, only 17 people worldwide

have been fatally stung
by a stingray.

Deceptively docile...

they are the unsuspecting
skilled assassins

of the aquatic biome.

Patrollers of the desert biome...

these arachnids are a force
to be reckoned with.

Their sting accounts
for 3,000 human deaths every year.

Found on every continent
but Antarctica.

The scorpion.

Small, sly, and lethal assassins.

They are ancient, menacing,
and venomous creatures.

Equipped with a tough exoskeleton,

their lethal tail
makes them the predator

of many on the scorched plains
they call home.

Over one million people fall victim
to their sting every year,

making them some of the deadliest
assassins on the planet.

Reproducing throughout the year,

there's an estimated 2,500 species
of scorpion roaming the globe.

On Earth for over 400 million years,

outliving the dinosaurs,
they are true survivors.

Yet some remain immune
to their sting,

the nimble meerkat,
resistant to their toxic venom.

This hardy arachnid
will try its best to remain unseen.

Until it strikes...

wielding its deadliest weapon
against worthy foes,

venom.

In the deserts of Arizona,

scorpions are widespread...

roaming day and night,

invisible in the most complex desert
of North America.

With a lethal sting,
it's a deadly assassin.

Large and aggressive,
their venom can stun,

paralyse...

and kill.

The desert scorpion.

Carnivorous creatures

they hunt other spiders.

In a tussle of limbs and claws,

they deploy their venom
in deadly battles.

Overpowering,
and subduing their prey...

with their lethal sting...

one of nature's deadliest assassins.

Their curved tail delivers
a precise and sharp sting.

Paralysing its opponent...

and leaving it defenceless
in its grasp.

Armed with a toxic venom,

the desert scorpion
is a lethal predator.

Perfectly adapted to desert life.

It's a killing machine.

A highly skilled predator.

This is one of nature's
most cunning.

And deadly wild assassins.

In the arid deserts
of the Middle East

lives a scorpion with a name
that strikes fear

into the hearts of many.

Considered the most venomous
scorpion on the planet.

The potent cocktails of neurotoxins
in its sting makes its venom lethal.

Extraordinarily painful,
its sting can cause paralysis...

and numbness throughout the body,

perfect for hunting
its favourite foods.

A wild assassin armed

with the deadliest weapon
of them all.

This is the deathstalker.

Ancient creatures, scorpions
are infallible in the wild.

Symbols of solitude...

intelligence, and Independence.

These wild assassins
are highly skilled...

killers.

Found on almost every continent,
they are survivors.

Armed with a unique adaptation

that makes them kings and queens
of their terrains.

Venom.

There is still so much
for us to learn

from venomous creatures.

At $39 million per gallon,

deathstalker venom
is known as liquid gold.

Its venom has shown potential

for treating brain tumours
and diabetes.

As these wild assassins'
toxicity increases,

and scientists continue
to uncover...

the secrets venom holds.

Some snake venoms have been
used to treat thrombosis...

arthritis...

and even cancer.

While spider venom is believed
to have the potential

to treat epilepsy
and some neurodegenerative diseases.

By applying these toxins

that usually weaken
an immobilised prey,

they are being used
to affect human cells and nerves.

The cure to some of the world's most
life-threatening illnesses...

could be lying
in the fangs and tails

of Earth's most venomous creatures.

There are more
than 2,000 venomous species

known to science,
all with a killer adaptation

deployed in unique
and captivating ways...

yet these venomous creatures
face threats.

Scorpions are being over-collected.

Spiders face habitat loss,

and many species are threatened
by the pet trade.

Snakes are under
the threat of extinction

due to increased conflict
with humans.

While venom remains
a source of fear,

it also holds the potential
for real change.

Evolution holds more in store
for the world of venom.

It is integral to the survival
of thousands of species.

Including humans.