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Anaconda
No animal in the Amazon is more feared and respected than the world's largest and most
powerful snake, the Anaconda. Fully grown, it can approach a length of 30 feet, and weigh close
to a quarter of a ton. Physically, no animal in the New World can match its strength. Worshipped
as a god and feared for its magic, the Anaconda stands alone at the top of the hierarchy of
predators in the Amazon and is the living symbol of the river.
Although able to consume up to 95% of their own body weight the Anaconda can go for months,
even years without food. Up until the early 90's studying this magnificent animal proved difficult
as it was poached to near extinction, but with bans on the hunting of the Anaconda in place
since then the exploitation of this great snake has thankfully dropped dramatically.
This programme ventures deep into the forests and swamps of South America to bring to our
living rooms one of the most powerful hunters on the planet.
Tales are heard from snake handlers who have been bitten by King Cobras and we unravel the
methods used to produce anti-venom. We also look at the secrets behind the ancient art of
snake charming and the fact the snake cares little for the tune but responds to the movement of
the charmer.
Finally, through doing what comes naturally, we see how spectacled Cobras in Sri Lanka have
developed friendships with rice farmers by killing the rats which destroy the farmers' crops. With
greater understanding perhaps Cobras will be seen as the kings they are.
However the King of all Snakes remains elusive. Austin travels further North to the remote
forests of Wayanad using Elephants to get him there. Eventually, with Austin near to giving up, it
is a shed snakeskin that gives him his breakthrough. Sure enough a twenty year old, fifteen foot
King Cobra is not far away and we document incredible footage of Austin handling the deadly
beast and even managing to achieve his life long goal of touching a wild King Cobra on the back
of its head.
Rattlesnake
From coast to coast, Rattlesnakes, many of them beautifully marked, have inched their way from
Southern Canada right down through Mexico and beyond. A few even thrive on remote islands.
But one thing unites them all, the most chilling sound in nature - their rattle.
This programme follows a year in the life of a young Western Diamondback as we explore the
birth, feeding habits, hibernation and predation of various species including the little known
Ridgenose Rattlesnake.
We watch Rattlesnakes hunt using their heat-seeking forked tongue and sensors, understand
how they can breath with their mouths full and how they can digest their food. We discover how
these deadly creatures are extremely able swimmers, what their rattle is made of, how often
they reproduce, how long their gestation periods are and why they get together annually to
hibernate.
We also meet Rattlesnakes predators such as the Common King Snake and learn what tactics
Rattlesnakes have utilised in order to survive and become one of the most terrifying creatures in
nature.
Sea Serpents
Snakes have slithered their way across the face of the earth for over 100 million years, but
recently they have conquered a profoundly different environment, the ocean. Their invasion has
taken place in the blink of an evolutionary eye.
Now over 50 species of these cold-blooded intruders have colonised the world's tropical seas.
Feared by bathers and divers alike, their venom is among the most toxic of any creature. Much
about Sea Snakes remains a mystery and numerous questions about them need answering.
What made them abandon the land, how often do they need to breath, how often do they eat,
how territorial are they, why do they return to land, are they aggressive by nature and what are
their secrets to survival?
The search for clues leads us to an extraordinary place that is the Sea-Snake capital of the world -
Ashmore Reef. Here 500 miles West of Darwin, we reveal the very private lives of these serpents
of the sea.
This definitive programme analyses every facet of snakes from their senses such as taste, heat
and sight to their defence mechanisms such as venom, scales and camouflage. We look at
snakebites which kill about twenty five thousand people a year and use DNA to understand how
snakes have evolved.
Uncovered are the mating rituals of the different species and the wonders of birth, 70 percent of
which are from eggs. We study snakes' complex system of muscle fibres and tendons that allow
their flexibility of movement and we delve into the spiritual influences snakes have had on
cultures around the world. With every aspect of their lives and development examined, this truly
is the Ultimate Guide to Snakes.
We explore every aspect of their mysterious lives. How they mate, give birth, hunt and feed,
move and sense the world around them - all in startling detail. From the deserts of Namibia to
the forests of the Amazon, we bring you the beauty of snakes as they have never been shown
before. Snake-mounted cameras show off their remarkable control and grace as well as the
blazing speed with which they strike.
Now from the safety of your living room, you can truly admire the elegance, prowess and
mystique that is the beauty of snakes.
Highlights include the Death Adder, which wriggles its tail like a worm to lure its prey, the Tiger
Snake, which gives Steve a terrible time by incessantly striking at him as well as Steve being
licked by a wild female Fierce Snake, the most venomous snake in the world. Above all, Steve is
here to demonstrate that there is room in the world for both snakes and humans and
encourages us to show more respect and less fear and let them enjoy their share of the planet.
Snakemaster Series
Austin "The Snakemaster" Stevens is the host of the Discovery Channel's ANIMAL PLANET, whose
interest in snakes has taken him all around the world, and led him to the mediums of print,
photography, and film in order to document these fascinating creatures. Here, he fearlessly
searches for some of the world's most dangerous reptiles, as the camera follows him to Borneo
to find a reticulated python that spans 30 feet in length.
From there the intrepid explorer takes off for Australia in search of the Outback's largest snake,
the seven-foot-long Perentie. Florida's Panhandle is home to the most dangerous rattlesnake in
the world, so of course the Snakemaster saves the best for last, hunting down an example of the
fearsome Eastern Diamondback, known to grow to 8 feet long.
Great Snakes
Snakes live in forests and deserts, underground and underwater, and in every continent but
Antarctica. Over the course of 150 million years, they have relentlessly adapted, changing to fit
the circumstances of their climate, habitat, and access to food. Take an up-close look at cobras,
black mambas, vipers, flying snakes, and some of the other 3,000 species alive today. From evil
incarnate to one of evolution's great success stories, we show how the snake continues
slithering forward on the path to survival.