- [Narrator] Nature is
the wild and wondrous home of so many things, like
beautiful butterflies, pretty orchids, and super cute baby seals. Aww! But as lovely as nature can be, it also has a much darker side. For every adorable seal pup, there's a bird with a horrifying
mouth full of nightmares. For every butterfly, there's a monstrous sea
creature lurking in the ocean. And for every blossom,
there's a deadly tree covered from root to branch in inch-long thorns. With so much badass flora
and fauna out there, it's time to take a look
at some of the darkest and most metal discoveries
in the natural world. (light whimsical music) The Worst Wasps. Everyone hates wasps, there
are no arguments there. But some parasitic wasp
species are so savage that they once had devout
theologians questioning if a benevolent god could
have really created them. So, what is it that makes
these bugs so brutal? Well, it might have
something to do with the fact that the female lays
her eggs under the skin of living caterpillars. The creature then unknowingly
incubates the eggs inside its body until the hatchlings chew their way out through its skin. Despite the trauma, the
caterpillar survives, or at least it does initially. The wasp larvae then take over
the mind of the caterpillar through a cocktail of chemicals they emit. This forces the caterpillar to
spin cocoons for the larvae, all while using its hollowed-out
body to protect them like some kind of zombie bodyguard. The tiny wasps eventually
emerge from their cocoons and fly away, leaving the
caterpillar to starve, and the whole horrifying
cycle starts again. Yeah, after that, I can see why those theologians
decided there was no god. But if you want to restore
your faith in the world, why not hit those like and
subscribe buttons down below. I may not be god, but my
videos certainly shine a light on the more amazing
things our planet has to offer. Have I converted you? Great, now what have we got next. The Zombie Virus If flesh eating, mind-controlling wasps were too hardcore for you to stomach, then look away before I show
you the Cordyceps Genus, also known as the Zombie fungus. Some of you might actually
recognize that name from the video game "The Last of Us" which sees Cordyceps-infected
humans bumbling about, sprouting huge, deformed
fungi all over their bodies. While this game is pure science fiction, the real Cordyceps fungi actually does take over the bodies of living creatures. Spores of this parasitic fungus attach or infiltrate the exoskeletons of foraging insects like ants. It slowly invades their
bodies and their minds before compelling its
host's infected brain to climb up to a vantage point about 10 inches off the ground. There, as the spores grow and
feast on the insects innards, it forces the ant to grip the stem and wait gruesomely for its death. Only then does the fruiting
body of the fungus erupt, turning the corpse into a
launch pad for brand-new spores. The infection is so virulent, that it can wipe out entire colonies made up of millions of ants
in just a matter of weeks. Though it's not just
ants that it can affect. There are remarkably more
than 600 different types of Cordyceps fungi, and each type specifically
targets just one species. Ugg, Kinda makes you
wonder if The Last of Us will eventually become a documentary. Otterly Insane. Is there anything cuter
than an otter in a hat? When they're all dressed up like this, these charismatic members
of the weasel family don't look like they could hurt a fly. But several species of this family have a hardcore secret hidden
up their furry sleeves. Because they share their
worldwide wetland habitats with dangerous predators, they've developed an
impossibly ballsy defence. In large groups, they
surround and astoundingly bully approaching predators, like this crocodile in the Sungei Buloh Wetland
Reserve of Singapore. Despite its menacing lunges, the otters continuously taunt and tire out the crocodile from all angles until the reptile unbelievably retreats. How incredibly cool is that? Although, they don't just bully their crocodilian neighbors. North American River Otters are
at the top of the food chain in their natural habitats,
chowing down on everything from fish and amphibians
to small alligators. But how do they contend
with the powerful jaws of those prehistoric predators? Well, it's a matter of endurance. Otters have access to
long-lasting, sustainable energy, whereas gator's slow metabolisms
only allow them short, sharp bursts of energy
like scaly grenades. After a few minutes of
thrashing and rolling around, the gator's beat, and for
expending all that energy, its muscles release a
torrent of immobilizing lactic acid which incapacitates it. So even as the otter uses
its razor-sharp teeth and claws to rip through the scaly hide and starts to chow down, the
alligator is still alive. I mean, eating an
alligator is a statement, but eating one alive might just make this the most metal meal in history. Volcano Snails. Now, snails aren't typically
seen as hardcore animals, but there's one hard
exception to the rule. Meet the Scaley Foot
Snail, or Sea Pangolin, which has evolved a shell
made out of iron sulphide. I'll repeat that for those of
us that don't speak science, this snail has a shell that's
literally made out of iron. Clearly this is no ordinary snail, and that's because it doesn't
live in ordinary conditions. It can be found latching
onto hydrothermal vents about 1 1/2 miles underwater,
with crushing pressures and super hot temperatures that can reach a spicy 750 degrees Fahrenheit. That's more than four times
the boiling point of water. These volcanic plumes provide the snail with all the deep-sea
nutrients it needs to survive, but the extreme heat, pressure, and nearby predators have forced the snail to adapt over millions of years. Thanks to a protein
producing gene mutation, iron sulfide not only makes
up this mollusc's shell, but also those strange
scales covering its foot. And it's this scaly set
of armor that makes it the most metal animal on
the planet, literally. Wild Wildebeest. Anyone who's seen Disney's "Lion King" will know that the most heart-racing part of the film is when the wildebeest start stampeding down that
impossibly steep ravine. While the cartoon makes this scary scene look a little exaggerated, it's actually based on real wildebeest's death-defying behavior. Every year, in one of the
largest annual migrations on earth, approximately 1.2
million Serengeti wildebeest begin to move in search
of greener pastures and fresher water. But as they approach the Mara river, the herd seems to abandon
all sense of well, sense. Instead of crossing at
a point where the river is close to the shoreline, millions of wildebeest scuttle down the impossibly steep cliffs, kamikaze-ing themselves into
the rushing water below. Some don't even wait until the cliff is remotely close to the water, and hurriedly launch themselves
onto the ground instead. Oh, I felt that. While time is clearly of the essence, this rushing rampage claims the lives of around 6,250 wildebeest every year. Although, their decomposing,
nutrient rich bodies do go on to nourish the
surrounding landscape and wildlife within in it. So, I guess this is just
the death metal version of the circle of life. Rocktopus. The hilariously squishy,
jelly-like appearance of an octopus and other
soft bodied cephalopods may make you think they're
not all that dangerous. But despite their looks,
these eight-armed creatures are actually some of the most devious predators in the ocean. Because when it's time to hunt, they literally leap into action. Just wait for it. - [Woman] Oh, Chardane, there's
an octopus eating a crab. - [Narrator] Clearly, Chardane missed out on this amazing sight, but it's a brilliantly brutal example of just how calculating octopi can be. I mean, have you ever seen an
octopus run and pounce before? Well, unfortunately for the crab, this is just the beginning. Because beneath that squishy exterior, all octopi have a powerful
beak, a lot like a bird's. In smaller octopi, the sharp
point and powerful clamp of these beaks are more than enough to crack through a crab shell. But the largest cephalopod
beak ever discovered was as big as a man's hand. From this, scientists
determined the animal had a bite force that was well over 1,000 pounds per square inch. For contrast, it takes
just 900 pounds of pressure to break an average human femur, the strongest bone in our bodies. Thankfully, most common
octopi are only large enough to give humans a painful pinch. Although it might make
snorkelers think twice about trying to pose with
these slippery suckers. Hardcore Camouflage. Animal camouflage has
developed over the course of millions of years to help them blend into their scenery be
it to avoid predators, or hide in plain sight of prey. While some use this amazing ability to disguise themselves completely, others have developed a
crazy camouflage tactic that ironically stands out. You see, at first glance, the
brightly colored Atlas moth appears as big as it is colorful. With its wingspan able to
stretch almost 11 inches across, it's pretty hard not to notice. But on closer inspection, the
drooping tips of its wings incredibly resemble two snake heads. And that's not by mistake. When perched on a branch, the deceptively snake-like
designs confuse nearby, hungry birds, making them think twice before trying to search the
moth's tree for a tasty treat. And they're not the only creatures with this deadly-looking feature. The Daring Owl butterfly
chrysalis, for instance, also resembles an unfathomably
realistic snake head. Look, the details are so on point that there's a slit of a
pupil inside that snakish eye, and it even rears up just like
a snake if it's disturbed. Now that is some seriously
hardcore camouflage. Honey Buzzard Don't Care. Now, most people have
heard of the Honey Badger, which was named by the
Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most fearless animal. Their 1/4 inch thick hide
makes them impervious to the stings of dangerous
Africanized honeybees, allowing them to boldly break into hives and lap up the honey with ease. But they're not the only
animal that dares to brave these seriously painful stings. Honey Buzzards also swoop
in and attack exposed hives, but instead of going for
the sweet golden treat, they pluck out the eggs and
larvae stored in the honeycomb. And this diet means they attack both bee and wasp nests alike. How hardcore. As they fearlessly feast
on each individual grub, these birds are stung repeatedly. But fortunately, the scale-like feathers around their eyes provide some
armor against the onslaught, while observations suggest some species are immune from the stings
of even the largest hornets. Well, move aside Honey Badger, because it looks like the Honey Buzzard is coming for that most fearless title. Head-hunter. Elk may look majestic, but
when it comes to mating season, the males transform into
700 pound bulldozers, with their antlers becoming
giant spiked weapons attached to their skulls. They compete for the
right to mate with females by clashing their heads
together to assert dominance. Displays like this are
definitely one of the most macho ways to get a girlfriend. But they can come with
unexpected consequences, like these two, or I guess
now, one elk found out. Taken in 2014, these two battling beasts clearly went head-to-head
and got tangled up in each other's antlers. They must have been in total deadlock until one of them ironically
died, possibly from starvation. Now, elk rutting season
usually peaks around September, but this image was captured in January, meaning that buck might have been wearing the head of his enemy
for over five months. Though it's not just elk that suffer from this impossibly metal mishap. In 2018, a whitetail buck was
spotted in Walhalla, Nevada, with the perfectly preserved head of its competitor lodged in its antlers. That's certainly one heck of a trophy, but, fortunately, elk and deer
shed their antlers yearly. So as badass as they look, they won't be starting into the eyes of their once-rivals forever. Buffa-lo and Behold. Now, Elk and deer aren't the only animals that like to lock horns
to settle disputes. African buffalo also
battle it out to establish who gets the right to
mate with the ladies, but they butt heads a
little more literally. In adult males, the horns
of these huge beasts join in the middle of their head. This helmet-like plate is called a boss, which the buffalo use to ram
their opponents head-on with. Considering they can run
up to 35 miles per hour and weigh up to 1,840 pounds, that'd be like watching
two small cars collide. So, the thicker the
buffalo's protective boss, the more likely they are
to be the, well, boss. (buffalo snorting)
(heads thumping) But to really deal some damage, buffalo will lock their
horns with the opponent and then rapidly twist
their necks to the side. This drives the points of their horns into the sensitive sections
of their opponents face, which can force them to back down. Yowch. Although, fortunately, I
hear chicks really dig scars. Oh Deer. Anyone who's ever seen
the film "127 Hours" will know just how terrifying being pinned against a rock face in the
middle of no-where must be. Spoiler alert, James
Franco made it out okay, but this poor deer, who suffered
a horribly similar fate, wasn't as lucky. It looks like this buck must have slipped into the crevasse and
perished as a result. But all its fleshy, organic
matter decomposed soon after, leaving nothing but its
bright white skeleton wedged in between the rocks. Guess you could say the buck stops here. Now, jokes aside, it may look like a phenomenally freak accident, but it's not the only one of its kind. Back in 2009, a photographer discovered this adult moose who'd
also stumbled inescapably into a muddy crack and
been left to decompose. I suppose this serves as
a warning never to mess with crack, not even nature's crack. Predator Versus Porcupine. It takes some serious kahuna's
to mess with a porcupine. These large rodents are covered in sharp, pointy spines known as quills, to protect them from predators. And like that didn't make them the most hardcore coats in the world, each quill is also covered in maliciously microscopic fishhook barbs. So, should any predator try its luck, the quills detach and embed themselves painfully in its flesh. And not only are they painful to remove, but any movement can
actually force the quills deeper into the tissue. And this is something that
predators, like this snake, find out the excruciatingly painful way. This snake was caught painfully digesting an entire porcupine. As it made its way through
the gut of the snake, its quills gradually
punctured the reckless reptile from the inside out. Looks like this Porcupine
fought to the bitter end. Perturbing Pelicans. If "Finding Nemo" taught us anything, it's that pelicans are regarded as funny, water-based birds that
dopily scoop up fish using their famously
wobbly throat pouches. But watching these birds in real life is the farthest thing from
family friendly entertainment. While their main diet consists of fish, crustaceans, and other marine animals, they've also gobble up smaller birds. In some cases, this bizarre
bird-feeding behavior can be explained by a limited food supply, which forces the pelicans to
eat whatever they can find. But sometimes, even with
an abundance of food, they'll inexplicably choose to chow down on a smaller species. (crowd laughing) Because they have no
teeth, they have to keep their beaks clamped firmly shut until their feathery prey stops moving. Only then will they wiggle their throats to sickeningly swallow them down whole. But as horrifying as that is, it's not the worst thing they do. When it comes to feeding baby birds, most adults regurgitate pre-digested food into the hungry mouths
of their waiting chicks. But when pelican chicks
are a certain size, their parents can just open
up and let the chicks dive in, allowing them to lap the food up straight from their gullets. (light gagging) Satanic Sandbox Tree. Ever wondered what a tree
designed by Satan would look like? Well, there's a good chance it'd be South America's impossibly
painful looking Sandbox Tree. Able to grow up to 130 feet tall, these gray barked trees are
covered from root to tip with gigantic, cone-shaped spikes that each measure up to an inch long. These bulbous barbs deter
any hungry herbivores from snacking down on it as it grows. The spikes also stop animals clambering up into its branches to eat
its precious berries, but while its fruits may
look like little pumpkins, they're actually ticking timebombs. When fully mature, they explode outwards and fling their hard, flat
seeds off in every direction at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour. But for all its exploding
fruit and spikes, those aren't its only defense mechanisms. The sap of the sandbox tree
is also incredibly poisonous, and can cause stomach
problems, skin rashes, and even blindness. Man, this thing really
isn't messing around. Gut Feeling. At first glance, what does
this look like to you? Some alien sea creature maybe? Or a nightmare-inducing plant? Well, brace yourself, because
this is actually the throat of the weirdly adorable sea turtle. Those squishy spikes are called papillae, and they're not just
found in their throats. Opening up the mouths of
many species of sea turtles reveals these jagged holes of doom, lined with hundreds of
those fleshy spines. But while they look like
they've been plucked straight out of my worst nightmares, these backwards facing
barbs actually serve a pretty incredible purpose. As sea turtles chow down
on their favorite foods of jellyfish and seaweed, their stomachs also fill up with seawater. So, they vomit up all the water, but the barbs trap the
food in their stomachs to keep it from coming out,
like a kind of reverse filter. But turtles aren't the
only sea faring animals that sport these super freaky papillae. Super sweet Adelie penguins
only have to open their bills to reveal some kind of portal into hell. Like turtles, most penguins
have rows upon rows of papillae lining the inside of the bills as well as their tongues. These help the birds get a
good grip on slippery fish, ensuring they only move in one direction down the penguin's throat. Oh, I guess, there's another animal I can cross off my super cute list. Grim Geese. Geese known justly as the
worst animals on the planet also have some of the most
horrifying mouths in the world. Just about everyone has been hissed at by one of these aggressive animals. But if you've ever dared to get closer, you might have spotted the
serrated edges lining the beaks and tongues of these
vicious, walking vuvuzelas. They look like rows of
tiny, terrifying teeth, although they're not. Phew, for a second there I thought God really had abandoned us. Scientists believe birds did have teeth between 80 and 100 million years ago, though these were gradually
bred out until only small, spiky serrations of cartilage
called tomium remained. But don't be fooled by the word cartilage, because tomium isn't soft or bendy. It's a bone hard material
that these omnivorous geese use for ripping vegetation
and gripping prey, so they can easily draw blood from a human if they land a well-timed bite. Like Geese weren't bad enough already. Scary Snapping Turtle. Snapping turtles come
in all shapes and sizes from the common variety that can reach, on average, up to 14 inches in length, to the truly gargantuan
alligator snapping turtle that can measure in up to two feet long. But no matter their
size, the infamous bite of any snapping turtle is enough to make full grown women scream in fear. - [Woman] Here, do you like that? (woman screaming) - [Narrator] Hilarious as it is, Karen here was right to scream. That fast reflexive bite
is designed to help them catch quick moving prey, from fish and insects to
other smaller turtles. And thanks to that sharp
beak and strong jaw, the common turtle can clamp down with close to 1,000 pounds
of pressure per square inch or PSI for short. For contrast, a Bengal tiger's delivers a bite with 1,050 PSI. While its teeny tiny mouth means you're not at risk of
having one of these things chomping through your arm, it's still more than enough to deliver one seriously painful bite. (man groaning) - Oh boy, he's got me. - [Narrator] Its alligator
cousins, on the other hand, really shouldn't be messed with. Weighing up to 175 pounds, which is more than an average adult woman, the massive maws and razor-sharp beaks of these reptiles make them
superior sheering machines. (loud crunching) Regardless of their size,
taunting these turtles is a supremely bad idea
as this idiot found out. He was posing with the
creature when it suddenly bit him on the lip. The painful lesson gave him
a seriously swollen reminder not to mess with snapping
turtles in the future. Killer Cassowaries. Standing up to six feet, six inches tall, and weighing up to 132 pounds, the brilliant blue and
red plumage of the huge, flightless cassowary is
certainly a striking feature. But while they may look
pretty, a quick peek at their feet reveals
why these feathery fiends are considered to be the most
dangerous birds in the world. With the terrifying talons
on its massive, scaly feet able to reach a gargantuan
five inches in length, it should come as no
surprise that it's also known as the dinosaur bird. I mean, they look like
they could be the claws of an ancient velociraptor. And the way they use
them is eerily similar. If a cassowary feels threatened, it'll leap up and strike out
with those terrifying talons. While more than 150 attacks
on humans have been reported, these dangerous, dagger-like appendages can inflict lethal wounds
that have fatally injured at least one person. Who knew birds could be so badass? Snaggle-Toothed Snake-Eel. On the day that mother nature decided to create the Aplatophis Zorro, also known as the Snaggle
Toothed Snake-Eel, she must have been feeling pretty Satanic. At nearly 3 1/2 feet
long with a bulbous head, elongated jaw, and
terrifying array of teeth, it really is nightmare fuel incarnate. But when this particularly
disturbing specimen washed up onto the shore of
Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, back in 2018, the world
assumed mother nature had completely lost the plot. The impossibly long carcass, bulging eyes and ferocious fangs made it look more like an alien than any real-life sea creature. But internet detectives got to the bottom of this amazingly metal discovery quickly, and explained that the decaying remains of this snake-eel were bloated, hence its brutally bulging appearance. Well, until mother nature
stops listening to death metal, I'm not setting a single
foot in the ocean. The Ocean's Apex Predator. Thanks to pop culture, Great White sharks have been hyped up as
the most metal predators prowling our planets oceans. But while they're often billed as unstoppable hunting machines, there's an even bigger
predator lurking beneath the waves that can turn this feared fish into lunch Killer Whales. Also known as Orcas, these
black and white behemoths can reach up to 32 feet in length, which is about the size
of a standard school bus, and over 10 feet bigger
than a large Great White. And they don't just
attack using their size, but also their smarts. The piebald pack animals work
together in small groups, like this one, to tire out
and overpower the shark. - [Man] Wow. (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] These black and
white gangs sometimes hunt the sharks down just to play with them. - [Man] Big monster great white. Look at that. Big great white, there's the shark. Great white. - [Narrator] Chasing them
around and even tormenting them before feasting on their
fatty, nutritious livers. I mean, is there anything
more metal than treating an animal with up to 300 sharp, serrated teeth like a plaything? I guess they're not called
killer whales for nothing. What's the most metal
thing you've ever seen out in the natural world? Let me know down in the comments below, and thanks for watching. (fun upbeat music)
