- [Mark] All right, Coyote,
time to face your fears. - Argh. OK, here we go. I'm Coyote Peterson, and I'm about to be
bitten by the toe biter on my big toe. One, two. (screams in pain) (dramatic music) I got it! It's a big turtle. Every time I leap from a kayak, find myself submerged
beneath the swampy surface, I am absolutely terrified. Not because I'm afraid of
the giant reptilian predator that I have likely
grabbed ahold of. No, no, snapping turtles
don't scare me at all. What scares me is the
alien looking creature that may be hiding in the
tangles of pond plants that is infamously
known as the toe biter. You guys know what
that is, right? That's my old arch
nemesis, the toe biter. Scientifically they are
known as the giant water bug, a nightmarish creature that
we have briefly featured in the past, one of the animals that I
have continuously expressed an honest fear of. Nobody in their right
mind would do this. I'd get bitten by
an alligator any day as compared to being
stung by this thing. With their alien
like appearance, grappling hook like arms, and massive rostrum
that can inflict an incredibly painful bite, trust me when I say, this is not something
you want to bump into when mucking around
in the swamps. Yet leave it up
to the Coyote Pack to request over and over again that I show the world
just how painful that bite really is, and in turn, how
to treat that bite if you are ever so
unfortunate to take one. These water dwelling insects can be found worldwide, and with just my luck, they happen to be very
common in Costa Rica. So the crew and
I headed out into the darkness of night when they are actively hunting, to see if we could
find one, a big one that sure enough would certainly give me a bite to remember. All right, I am looking
for a giant water bug, also known as a toe biter, and I'm pretty sure I saw one right on the other
side of that log. It's right on the other
side of those plants now. What I'm gonna try to do is
actually go out on this log. You see this fallen log? That should get me right
in the perfect position. I don't wanna disturb
the environment. I'm gonna use this net
to try to scoop it up. (dramatic music) Got it, got it! Wow, it's big. Hold on, I'm coming
right towards you. - [Mark] Careful,
careful, careful. - Hold on, I'm
losing my balance. Ugh. There it is. Oh, it's getting out of the net. Get in there, get in
there, get in there. That is a monster water bug. Look at the size of that thing. My goodness. Hold on, let me get
it out of the net. You guys got lights, lights? - [Mark] Yep. - Ew. Oh! Look at that creature. An alien from another planet. My hand is shaking. This giant water bug, also known as the toe biter. I'm not doing this
scene in the dark, guys. We're waiting 'til
tomorrow morning. And yes, I'm going
to let my big toe be bitten by the toe biter. Ew, look at that. My goodness, it's a beast. They can fly, they can swim, and their bite is one
of the most painful in the insect kingdom. Not a sting, guys, it is a bite. All right, I'm putting
it in the container. You ready? Just keep the lid on it. Trust me, you
don't want this one getting in to your boot. Warning, the bite from a
giant water bug is non lethal, however, it is
excruciatingly painful. Never attempt to recreate
the following scene. (dramatic music) There it is, the little shop
of horrors itself, the giant water bug, also known as the toe biter. Now, let me tell you
guys a little story about when Coyote Peterson
was eight years old. I was out in the swamp,
searching for snapping turtles, wearing nothing other
than shorts and a t-shirt, wading through,
hoping to come across a giant reptile, when all of a sudden
I felt a piercing pain in my thigh. I immediately screamed,
reached my hand up my shorts, and what do I pull out? A giant water bug. I had never seen one of
these creatures before. I immediately started crying, not only from the pain, but because I was
absolutely terrified at the sight of this thing. I hobbled myself back to shore, got myself home, told
my mom what happened, and we looked it up
in a field guide. She called the doctor, and lo and behold,
they assured me I would be OK. It is not going to kill you. All I needed to do was
put ice on the bite, and relax for about
an hour and a half. And finally the pain
ended up going away. And ever since that day, this is the one insect that
I've truly been afraid of. Now before we get to the bite, let's take a look at
this insect's anatomy. Now, this is a true bug. It may look like a
beetle or a cockroach, but it is in fact
its own variety. There are around 60 species
of water bugs worldwide. In the United
States, there are 20. Now this one here,
the giant water bug, is very common here in
Central and South America. And this is about maximum size. The largest they get is
around four inches in length. And I would say that one is
about three and a half inches. An absolute monster. Now it's interesting,
you can see it kind of skittering around inside
the container here, as soon as I move it, but you see that position
that it's putting itself in, where it's sticking its
rear up through the water. Look at that little snorkel
looking device there. That is actually
how it's breathing. They breathe from
their back ends. - [Mark] It breathes
out its butt. - Yeah, it's like a little
butt snorkel, right? (Mark laughs) So it's keeping itself
positioned like that. And this is also
the same position in which they hunt. I'll tell you what's most
intimidating about this creature are those front arms. Let me turn it just a
little bit like that. Now, like all insects,
they have six legs. And these front two are modified with those hooks on the front. They use those to latch onto and grapple in their food. - [Mark] Am I seeing the
snorkel go in and out? - Yep, the snorkel does. It goes in and out. You can see its kind of, thrust its abdomen up
into the air there. That's allowing it to breathe so it can just float
like a dead leaf, just like that, all day long, waiting for, let's say, tadpoles need to come to
the surface to breathe, frogs need to come
to the surface, a fish could just swim by, and if it swims right
up towards that face, what they will do is reach
out with those forearms, and they have two
hooks right on the end. They'll grapple on and
pull it towards their face. Right on the face there is
what's called a rostrum, which is like a
little hooked beak. Now it is inside of a sheath, so as soon as they
catch something, it comes out of that sheath, and it injects a
incredibly potent saliva. Now the enzymes in that
saliva will actually paralyze the victim, and it kinda eek,
they're stuck in place. So imagine that
you're a tadpole, and then as that saliva
works it way into the system, it actually breaks apart
the victim's insides. And then they drink it up just like a milkshake. How horrific is that? - [Mark] Is that what it's
going to do to your toe? - Well, it's not gonna
do that to my toe because I'm not gonna
let it hold on that long, but what it is going
to do is latch on, and then (whip sound)
wap me with that rostrum. And just a little
bit of that saliva getting into my system is going to be
unbelievably painful. This will probably be worse than any of the insect
stings I've taken. Remember guys, this
is not a sting, this is a bite. Very different. - [Mark] So is it venom? - It's not technically venom,
but it works like venom in that the enzymes and
peptides in the saliva are modified, and break down
the insides of the victim. Now you may be asking yourself, well, something like this, does it have any predators? Well, certainly. A bird could eat it. A large snapping
turtle could eat it. But they are
incredibly camouflaged. Let me turn it like this. Take a look at its back, there. It looks just like a leaf. Here, I will just pick this
leaf up off the ground, hold that next to the container. Now if you were mucking
around in a little pond, like we have here behind
us where we caught it, and you just saw
it sitting there, just like that, completely
still, floating, you would have no idea
that that was an insect and not a leaf. Pretty incredible, huh? Now another name
for this insect is the electric light bug. That's because in places, especially like Florida, where you have those
large halogen lamps, they will be drawn
in by the hundreds. And often times
people just think that they're flying roaches. And if you go near one,
and you pick it up, you stand the chance
of being bitten. So if you see a bunch of bugs fluttering around a light, and they're about
the size of a leaf, just admire them from
a safe distance, guys, because it's a bite that
you're never going to forget. - [Mark] So, to be clear, not just in the water,
these things fly. - [Coyote] Yes. Not just terrors
beneath the surface, but also terrors in the air. - [Mark] Didn't we find
on in the parking lot once in Florida? - We did, yeah. It was actually
inside of my boot, believe it or not. Yeah, I think I actually
took a photo of it, and posted it on Instagram. Yep, now what's interesting
is that this is a male. You know how I know that? The males carry
eggs on their backs. And I can see that
this one has a few eggs still hanging onto it. Now, this is one of
those rare species that you have the male
taking care of the young, making sure that
they are protected until they can form into larva, and then swim off on their own. - [Mark] They're
quite strong, right? They're like little Popeye, or-- - They are super strong. Actually, you want
me to take it out of the little container here so you guys get
some better shots. I'm gonna gently reach
right down in there and pick it up. You ready? - [Mark] Here you go with
your little maneuver here. (dramatic music) - I'm gonna set it
down on the table, and pick it up
right from its back. Eeeee! See how they scurry like that? Oh, it's unbelievably powerful. Let me turn it
like that for you. Look at the underside. Actually, you know what? Let me grab that leaf again 'cause now we can see it better that it's out of the water. Oh, it's so strong. So look at the underside
as compared to a leaf. Underside of the leaf, underside of the water bug. Almost identical, right? - [Mark] It's really hard
to spot in the water. - Yeah. Here, look at the eyes. I'll tilt it forward
a little bit. They actually have
really good eye sight. And those eyes reflect red if you shine a flashlight
into the water. That's how you can identify
one of these insects. It's trying to get me. It's so angry right now. And you can see
on the back here, it has a joint that
allows it to move its head forward and backward. That's how they can
drive that rostrum into their pray. - [Mark] You know, they do say
there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Where does this fall? - This falls into
the complete realm of insanity, (Mark
laughs) I would say. Um, ugh, I still
remember the day that I was bitten by one. I mean, it's incredibly painful. I mean, you guys
are gonna see me in unbelievable agony
here relatively soon. I've climbed the insect
sting pain index. And when it comes
to facing my fears of the two creepiest
crawlies in the bug world, bugs as a generalization, the giant water bug and the giant desert centipede are the two things
that just absolutely make my skin crawl. - [Mark] So in a
way this is not only going to be educational
and enlightening for all of us watching, but for yourself, this
is a way to move past any of those fears left
over from your childhood. - Yeah. This is for me, a true
moment of insane bravery. Insane bravery. (Mark laughs) Yeah. Oh, my poor toe. - [Mark] Give it one more look. - Oh man, this is craziness. Absolute craziness. OK. Oh man, I don't know if I
can go through with this. (laughs nervously) - [Mark] You could just
like accidentally drop it, and you could scurry
back into the water. - Yeah maybe I throw
it up in the air, and it flies away. - [Mark] Yep. (dramatic music) - GoPro rolling. Water bug out of the container without being bitten. (dramatic music) Whoa, it is so strong. - [Mark] Good grip? - Good grip, good grip. (dramatic music) - [Mark] What do you say? Time to face your fear. - Are we ready? - [Mark] We're ready. - Ugh! OK, here we go. I'm Coyote Peterson, and I'm about to be
bitten by the toe biter on my big toe. Here we go. One, two, three. (screaming in pain) Get it back in the container! (screaming in pain) Oh, it is just as
bad as I remember. (moans in pain) (screams in pain) Oh, that is worse than a sting. (moans in pain) (pants in pain) - [Mark] Dude, you are bleeding. (Coyote screams in pain) - I hope you guys got that shot. - [Mark] We got it. (Coyote moans in pain) - [Mark] I think
you got it too, man. Your toe is messed up. (Coyote moans in pain) - This guys, this is
worse than a sting. (moaning in pain) Let me put my foot
up here on the table. Oh sorry guys, I knocked the
whole thing of water over. It almost got away. - [Mark] Here, I got it. - OK, look at my toe. Now, the rostrum
went deep enough in, right at the tip there, to draw blood. And I also was just squeezing
it as much as I could, trying to get the saliva out. And there wasn't a lot
of saliva that went in, but man, did it just
scream in pain immediately. Ah, my foot is throbbing. Ow, ow, this is like, ow. This is like dropping
a brick on your toe. Argh! I can't move my toe. Ergh! (moans in pain) Wow. Oh gosh, that really hurts. That's really bad. That's really,
that's really bad. Ow! - [Mark] Does it still hurt? - Oh man, it walloped me. I could feel that rostrum
go, whoosh, into my toe. Deep enough to draw blood. - [Mark] Wow. - A lot thicker and engaged than like the stinger of a bullet ant or a wasp. Man. Uh, hold on, let me go
walk around for a second. Oh man, my toe is throbbing. Man, it still hurts, but not
as much as the initial impact. - [Mark] Do you think
you got a full bite? - Yeah, I mean, it went in deep
enough to pierce skin. OK. OK. (moans in pain) Sorry guys, I'm trying
to stay composed here. Ow, my foot is throbbing. Oh man, my foot is
starting to itch. That is definitely one
way to face your fears. And the giant water bug
has terrified my dreams since I was a little kid. I spent a lot of time
out in the swamps, catching snapping turtles, and every time I jumped in, I'd wonder, is
this the next time that I'm gotten be
bitten by a toe biter? Man, that was just as
bad as I remember it. I'm sweating bullets right now. My foot is throbbing. I think we're gonna
need to perform a little first aid on my toe. I gotta make sure
this is cleaned up. Obviously, I got mud and
stuff all over myself at this point, but. If you guys come across a
giant water bug in the wild, don't try to pick it up. The bite is bad. If you're bitten on your toe, maybe the bite is worse
than anywhere else. I don't know. It is extremely painful. (breathing deeply) It's really bad. It is worse than any sting I think that I've taken. - [Mark] It's a
different kind of pain? - It's a different
kind of pain, yeah. It's like, man. I don't think a lot of the
saliva got into my toe, but it is throbbing right now. It just feels like I
wanna take a rubber band and cut off the
circulation to my toe so I stop feeling it. OK, I'm gonna try to
give you an outro here. All right, guys, well, part one of facing my
fears, being bitten by the giant water bug, also known as the toe biter, has officially happened. Next up I'm going
to be bitten by the giant desert centipede, which is rumored to have the most painful bite in
the creepy crawler kingdom. I don't know how I'm
gonna possibly go through with what that is, but stay tuned, guys. There is one bite left to come. I'm Coyote Peterson. Be brave, stay wild. We'll see you on
the next adventure. Oh man, this is really bad. - [Mark] Hold on, I've
got a first aid kit. - [Coyote] Since
childhood, I have feared the giant water bug
and its infamous bite. And I know you are wondering, was it truly as bad
as I remembered? Yes, yes it was. And there is
absolutely no chance I will ever be intentionally
bitten by one of these alien looking
insects ever again. When it comes to
bites and stings, it's important to note that
there is a very big difference between the two, and often times it is the bites, especially the venomous ones, that hurt the worst. In the case of the
giant water bug, not only is the puncture
from the rostrum powerful enough to draw blood, but the digestive enzymes
that also enter the wound literally feel as if they
are melting your cells. (moans in pain) If you are an avid
wetlands explorer, and want to avoid being
bitten by a giant water bug, simply remember this advice. Always wear long durable pants
when wading in the water, and whatever you do, make sure that a good pair
of boots protects your feet. This way your toes
will never experience the painful bite of a toe biter. If you thought taking a bite
from the giant water bug looked painful,
make sure to go back and watch the episode
where I was chomped by a snapping turtle. Yeah, that one hurt. And don't forget, subscribe so you can join me and the crew on this season of
Breaking Trail. (screams in pain) He missed the wood!
I was walking through a parking lot in flip flops and got bitten by one of these bastards on the top of my foot. Holy shit it hurt. I thought I was going to throw up from the pain. It was not a fun experience.
Bite is around 13:50
one night i saw a weird thing in the hallway, looked like the size of a mouse and kinda grey
i didn't have my contacts in and my cats were getting curious! so i turned on the hall light, and leaned in to see that fucking head. i called for my fiance (a biology man who likes the water and is therefore better suited for this) to take it out, and even he was surprised! we don't even live near water! why the hell can these fly!
I grew up in Southwest Florida and our property bumped up against a swampy cow pasture. One year, maybe 1992? 93? (I was like 10 or 11 yrs old?) there was a HUGE plague of these bugs in the area. Our porch light attracted BILLIONS out of the surrounding swamp and irrigation ditches. They were crawling up the sides of our house, thousands were in our pool... it's was like a science fiction horror story. Weeks later we still had them in our garage, in the dogs water bucket.. they were terrifying!
I have waited years for this. Ever since I learned of giant water bugs I have wanted to see this. Thanks!
This guy is awesome. His bite videos, although entertaining, are not what he's all about.
Several weeks ago in my backyard in San Antonio, Texas my dog was barking like crazy at what I thought was a cockroach. I had never seen one of these insects before. They look intimidating. It was huge. Thankfully the dog didn't get too close to feel that bite. He's a big wuss.
Love this channel so much. Incredible production value and Coyote is a great adventure man and host.
Stepped on one barefoot when I was a kid... They hurt so fucking much