- Narrator: Foxes cower at his name. Polar bears follow his every order. The name Mr. Big strikes
fear into the heart of many a predator in Zootopia, as well it should. Mr. Big, after all, is an arctic shrew and shrews are fearsome predators. Turns out, some of the most
formidable hunters in nature come in surprising packages. Quick, think of a fearsome predator. What comes to mind? Crocodiles, cobras, tigers? You might not think to flee at the sight of this Northern Short-tailed Shrew, and that would be a mistake. These tiny guys can take down prey over twice their size with a single bite. Their secret? Venomous Spit. These shrews are one of
the only mammals on Earth with a toxic bite. But even they can't contend
with our next hunter. The mongoose. They mostly dine on insects, small reptiles,
birds, and rodents. But some species also go after cobras, mambas, and other venomous snakes. And, sure, it takes guts to
battle a full-hooded cobra but there's more to this
bravery than meets the eye. These mongooses are resistant to neurotoxins in snake venom. Normally, the toxins bind
to muscle cell receptors, which block signals from the
brain, causing paralysis, but some mongooses have
specially-shaped receptors that fend off the toxins. Next up, the giant otter. On average, their about as
long as a human man is tall, and usually prefer prey
like catfish and piranas, but on rare occasions, they've been known to go after prey at least twice their length, like anacondas and croc-like caimans. And they don't even have secret weapons, like toxic saliva for help;
just their fellow otters. But believe it or not, there's another type of weasel who goes after even bigger quarry. The wolverine. Wolverines are about the
size of a border collie, and they've been known to hunt caribou. They like to ambush their prey,
and when that doesn't work, they have the gall to try and steal prey from larger predators
like wolves and bears. Last, but certainly not least, is perhaps the most unsuspecting
predator of them all. Meet the epomis beetle. Right after birth, these hungry larvae are
already on the hunt. Frogs, toads, and
salamanders are a tasty meal, but the newborns can't just
chase these large meals down. Instead, they lure their prey by tricking it into attacking them. Then, they swing around, sink their hooked jaws into
the flesh, and latch on. Mmm. Lunch time. Whether you're dealing
with a beetle or a weasel, the lesson's clear: size isn't everything. Which of these fearsome
predators surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments,
and thanks for watching.
