Incredible: A Gaboon Viper Strikes a Bird in Slo-Mo

[BIRDS CHIRPING] NARRATOR: Any number of potential prey could venture past. Velvet isn't picky. She'll eat anything, from rodents and birds to small antelope and monkeys. [DRAMATIC MUSIC] NARRATOR: A slight miscalculation makes no difference. Once she set her sights on a target, there's no chance for escape. Her strike isn't the fastest in the snake world, but at over 20 feet per second, it does the job. The shock of the attack stuns the bird, while the complex venom cocktail rapidly floods its body. As she waits for her prey to die, Velvet adjusts her fangs. They can really get in the way sometimes. Within 10 minutes, it's all over. And lunch is ready. Eating is a specialized process. Velvet unhinges her job to allow her to open her mouth wide enough. Using rows of teeth to latch on, she drags her prey to a safe place where she can eat in peace.

Channel: Smithsonian Channel

Views: 4,769,195

Keywords: TV online, latch, bird, Facts, disturbing, fang, cocktail, Prey, fast, adjust, snake, velvet, monkey, stun, viper, predator, feet, Documentary, channel, stream TV, jaw, viewer discretion, video, strike, Episodes, free tv, antelope, venom, smithsonian, gaboon, free videos, vermin, shock

Id: yZgfboI93Vk

Length: 2min 27sec (147 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 20 2017