- [Narrator] A predator
is an animal that survives by killing others, and an
Apex predator is a predator at the top of a food chain,
with no natural predators. Based on those definitions, us humans are the world's most dangerous and successful of all species, but
we're not the only ones. We share the planet with
other predators who've filled every ecological niche available, the following 10 being
the deadliest of all. Number 10, Komodo Dragon, also
called the Komodo Monitor, these magnificent creatures are found on several Indonesian islands. They're the biggest lizards in the world, able to grow up to 3
meters or 10 feet in length and weigh as much as 150
pounds or 70 kilograms. Despite being able to see
as far away as 980 feet, Komodos rely mostly on their tongues to sense prey as far as 5.9 miles away. Their favorite food is carrion,
but they'll attack pigs, goats, and even people
if they're hungry enough. They can sprint up to 13 miles
or 20 kilometers per hour to bite victims but they don't
feast on them straight away. Though it has been claimed
that their saliva contains a variety of highly
septic bacteria that helps bring down prey, a study
in 2013 refuted this idea, stating they have relatively
good mouth hygiene compared to other carnivores. The idea that prey die of sepsis may be because after water
buffaloes are attacked, they run into warm feces-filled water which would then cause infections. But what Komodo Dragons do
have is a venomous gland in the back of their lower
jaw with ducts leading to openings between their teeth. The venom they inject upon
biting will mainly lower their prey's blood pressure
and interfere with coagulation. So all they'll do is let their prey go, tracking them til they die. But sometimes they don't have to wait, because they're powerful beasts. They've been seen knocking
down small deer and pigs with their strong tails before
pinning them to the ground with their massive claws
as they munch away. Number nine, polar bears. While grizzly bears are famous
throughout North America, they pale in comparison to Polar Bears. Grizzlies have evolved
into different species, the biggest standing as
high as 6 and a half feet and weighing up to 790 lbs. Most are shy, so your chances of surviving one are pretty high. Polar bears, on the other hand,
evolved in harsher climates so they're more aggressive apex predators. They're the largest land carnivore of all, so you'd be lucky to
survive an attack from one. Males have been known to
grow up to 12 feet tall and weigh up to 2,200 lbs. Just look at how puny a human looks compared to one of this size! They'll eat anything within
reach including humans, but their favorite prey are
seals which they can smell up to 20 miles away, even if that seal is swimming in a hole in the ice. They then walk up to it, stay
perfectly still while covering their black noses to blend
with the snow, and then pounce. With a bite force of 1,200
pounds per square inch, nothing can survive their bite. With so much muscle power
behind them, they can kill most animals with a
single swipe of their paw. You'd be lucky to survive
the blunt force trauma, but if that doesn't work,
they can always rip you apart with their three and a half inch claws. Number eight, Gray Wolf. Also called the Timber Wolf,
these predators are found throughout Eurasia and North America. They're different from other wolf species because of their bigger size. Hated by farmers and ranchers
for attacking livestock, what wolves lack in size and power, they more than make up for in cunning. These creatures are
opportunists testing prey for any weaknesses before attacking. Generally social animals,
they work together to bring down prey far
bigger than themselves. And this is what makes them dangerous. Wolves have a hierarchy
based on age, gender, size, and other factors that dictate
what they do during a hunt allowing them to work as a single unit. In the wild, their
favorite prey are rabbits and other small animals, but
bigger packs will hunt deer, elk, caribou, moose, and even bison. When those are scarce, farm
animals are the next best thing. Number seven, Eagles. There are 60 eagle species in the world, all of them dangerous. One of their most amazing
tools is their eyesight, estimated to be four
to eight times stronger than that of the average
human, enabling them to spot a rabbit that is more
than 3.2 kilometers away. But each eagle is specially
adapted to their environment. Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern
Africa has the Crowned Eagle considered the continent's most dangerous because it can take down
animals bigger than itself. Their favorite prey is the bushbuck, a type of antelope, but
they're not overly picky. These creatures kill by
cracking skulls with their beaks or talons, or suffocating
prey with their claws. With a dive speed of 100 miles
per hour, few escape them. Then there's the Harpy Eagle,
the lion of the eagle world for having the most
powerful beak and claws. Found in Brazil, they
have no natural enemies, feeding on sloths, monkeys,
snakes, deer, lambs, and goats. Harpy Eagles can pick up
animals as heavy as 15 pounds. What they can't carry, they
slash to bite-sized pieces with their rear talons which
measure at about four inches long, about the same
size as a grizzly bear's. Number six, Saltwater Crocodile. There are many types of
crocodiles, but the Saltwater Croc is the largest of all with
males growing up to 23 feet in length and weighing over 4,400 pounds. As their name suggests,
they're amphibians, but prefer salt water in
mangrove swamps, lagoons and rivers throughout
Southeast Asia and Australia, with smaller cousins in Africa. They hunt by staying mostly
underwater while keeping their eyes and nostrils on
the surface to seek prey. At best, they're completely invisible. At worst, they look
like driftwood on water. Once they reach shore or
their prey, they give a burst of speed and swallow small animals whole. Bigger prey including
humans are clamped down on by their sharp teeth before being rotated like a kebab on a skewer
to tear chunks off with their deadly deathroll maneuver. With the strongest bite force in the world of 3,700 psi, nothing escapes those jaws, and bones are easily crushed. For comparison, it takes humans
150 psi to bite into steak. Number five, Great White Shark. They're so named because they're the biggest species of mackerel shark. It's recently been
discovered that they can live as long as 70 years making them also, the longest lived cartilaginous
fish known to date. Great Whites are the ocean's
most feared predators, able to swim at speeds
of over 35 miles per hour and at depths of up to 3,900 feet. With a bite force of 1.8
tons, once they clamp down on their victim, there's no letting go. With their double row of serrated teeth, they then jerk from side to side to tear out huge chunks from their prey. If you're a seal, that's really bad news, and you better be aware of
their breaching behavior. They tend to approach from
the depths at a high speed, launching themselves at
surface-dwelling prey at over 25 miles per hour, reaching over three meters into the air. This powerful attack stuns
prey and is so deadly that half the time, the
shark gets to eat afterwards. Number four, Lion. Lions used to thrive in
Eurasia and North America, but are today only found in
Africa and Western India. You can tell the sexes apart
because females are smaller and have no mane, but
there's another thing that sets them apart from their men, they do all the hunting. Although males make formidable killers, they're generally lousy
hunters because of their mane. Turns out it's not great
for the element of surprise. Plus they tire easily, though they will hunt if they're alone. They prefer to fight
other males for dominance, and when they kill, it's usually the young of defeated rivals. Lone females prefer smaller animals, but males sometimes rush in
to help with bigger prey. When they're with a pack,
they go after bigger prey like zebras, antelopes,
and other predators like leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas. Typically, the attack is short
and powerful as they attempt to catch victims with a
fast rush and final leap. Prey is usually killed by strangulation. And while females bring in the meat, they don't eat first. That honor goes to the males who'll let their young eat second. If there's any left, it goes
to the females who either have to fight each other for the
leftovers or go hunting again. Number three, Praying Mantis. Okay, so you're not going
to be killed by this insect, but it deserves a spot for
being one of the most effective ambush predators in the world, with probably the most lethal
weapon in the insect kingdom. With over 2000 species
of praying mantises found around the world,
they're specially adapted for hunting in a variety of habitats. Firstly, they blend into
their environment seamlessly. Ground-dwelling mantises
tend to be spotted gray to blend in with rocks and soil, whereas plant-dwellers are green, to camouflage with the foliage. This allows them to stalk up to prey, like cats do, or wait
for prey to come to them. They can turn their head backwards, and have large compound
eyes, enabling them to track prey in any direction. Once within striking
distance, they'll snap forward their front limbs which are equipped with rows of sharp spikes. This happens in 1/20th of a second, twice as fast as you blink. They then start eating their prey, even whilst it's still alive,
with mandibles that are strong and sharp enough
to cut human flesh. Though mostly preying on smaller insects, they can feast on prey
three times their size. Birds, mice, frogs, snakes, lizards and even soft shelled turtles are in danger of this vicious insect. It's no wonder martial
artists base their moves around this killer and
why early civilizations considered them to have
supernatural powers. Number two, Tiger. The largest among cat
species, tigers are considered apex predators, the top of the food chain. They're found in several
Southeast Asian countries where they're both admired and feared, especially since they live near many heavily-populated areas. While they're formidable hunters on land with their sharp teeth and
claws, they're unusual among cats for their love of water and
their ability to catch fish. Tigers will eat any animal
that crosses their path including crocodiles and
serpents for Sumatran tigers, and bigger prey like elephants and humans for the Indian breed. They're able to leap up to
33 feet in a single bound and run up to 40 miles
per hour in short-bursts, while biting with a force of 1,000 psi. And though not yet
measured, their swipes are powerful enough to smash in a cow's skull. And to put their strength
into perspective, in one case, after a tiger had been
observed killing an adult gaur, it dragged the massive
carcass over 40 feet into vegetative cover before eating it. Then, when 13 men tried to drag the same carcass later,
they couldn't even move it. Now before revealing the
most powerful apex predator in the world, here are
some honorable mentions that are less obvious,
but still almost made it. Firstly, Dragonflies. They may be beautiful, but they're the killing machines of the insect world. They'll eat anything,
including each other, as well as tadpoles and fish. They can't stop eating,
either, they're able to consume as much as a fifth of their
own body weight a day. They also have the best vision of all. Most flying insects, like flies, have about 6,000 eye-facets,
while dragonflies have around 30,000 which allows them to see invisible UV light,
that's invisible to us. This means they can see in
both darkness and light. What makes them especially
deadly are their brains. Dragonflies don't hunt prey, they predict where they go with a 95% success rate. By contrast, sharks
have a 50% success rate, while lions stand at 25%. Next up is the Inland Taipan. This is the most venomous
snake in the world. Compared to this creature,
cobras and vipers are nothing. The Taipan's favorite food
are small warm-blooded mammals like rats, so its venom is specifically designed to kill our kind. A single bite from this monster
can kill at least 100 men, and if left untreated, death
follows in 30 to 45 minutes. But they never bite just once. Taipans strike their victims
as many as eight times in rapid succession, releasing
their toxins each time in several spots to ensure their victims have no chance of recovery. Fortunately for most of us, they only live in certain areas of East Australia. Unfortunately for East Australians, they're protected by law. Worse, it's legal to own
one so long as you have a license, which some do for reasons only Australians can understand, no doubt. Number one, Killer Whale. Though considered cute, thanks
to movies and ocean parks, killer whales are the
apex predators of the sea with no natural predators, and
they can be found everywhere except for the Baltic and Black Seas. Incredibly intelligent and
social, their favorite foods are fish, seals, and dolphins,
though they've been known to attack whales and great white sharks. Despite their vast size,
they're among the fastest marine mammals, able to zoom through water at speeds of 35 miles per hour. With good vision above
and below the water, they also rely on
echolocation to find prey. Like wolves, they have a hierarchy and hunt as a single unit. Unfortunately, males are like lions, they kill the young of rival males sometimes with help from their mothers. With their powerful jaws
that lock into place, even whales can't dislodge
them once they bite down. And just like humans, their intelligence really sets them apart when it
comes to hunting effectively. For instance, when hunting seals around the Antarctic ice shelf,
they work together to create huge waves which knocks seals off the ice and into the water to be eaten. And when prey thinks they're safe on land, orcas have another strategy. They'll lunge themselves onto the shore, grabbing prey like sea lion pups before pushing themselves
back into the water. Luckily, they've never
killed a human in the wild, but they've been known to hurt and kill their handlers
at various ocean parks. Do you agree with these picks? Do you have your own choice
of predators to include? Let me know in the comments below. And thanks for watching! (digital music)
