you're walking along the riverbank
it's quiet safe for the water's peaceful
burbling
the hot georgia sun beats down on your
neck
that's when you notice something strange
on the ground
looks like a quarter-sized black coin
with a weird pattern on it
you bend over for a closer look is it a
coin
this thing looks like an ancient seal
with a symbol carved in it
it's probably from some long-lost
civilization
you could sell it and make a fortune you
crouch down on one knee to pick up your
new found treasure
as soon as your finger touches it you
pull your hand back as
fear wells in your gut it's hairy
you go to pick it up again digging your
nails in the dirt around it to pull it
out of the ground
that's when it moves your heart jumps in
your throat
it's pounding so hard you can feel it in
your head the fear turns to horror
when the coin wiggles its way out of the
ground
it's no ancient treasure it's a huge
spider
a ravine trapdoor spider to be precise
this hard coin looking growth on the
back of its body
serves as a shield the eight-legged
terrors burrow into the ground
and plug it like a cork so hungry
enemies can't get to them
or you know giant confused humans like
you
the spider is venomous but its bite
isn't toxic to humans
who lucky you but i didn't say you
wouldn't feel it
best stay away from those sizeable
pincer-like fangs
ow well so much for your riches
perhaps fortune awaits you in mexico's
baja california peninsula
you're walking on dried up ground when
you notice a long white stripe up ahead
you get closer oh looks like a super
long worm
you think to yourself but it doesn't
move like any worm you've ever seen
that's when you see it has arms and a
head
this pale creature with black beady eyes
is a mexican mole lizard
it lives in the ground where all its
dinner of insects and termites hang out
it rarely comes out so you're pretty
lucky to have seen this bizarre reptile
now you're in a rain forest in
northeastern australia
ahead half hidden among the trees you
notice something large and round
this mysterious figure lying on the
ground is covered in black hair
at first you think it's a bear curled up
sleeping
but that wouldn't make any sense there
are no bears down under
you're getting closer when a twig snaps
under your foot
the thing hears you and springs to its
legs
it turns to you and you now see this is
a bizarre
and beautiful bird that black hair is
actually a thick coat of long fine
feathers this formidable foul has a
bright blue head
with a large horn on top it stands on
two powerful legs with a dagger-like
claw on each foot
that can be as long as your hand take
away those feathers
and you might mistake this thing for a
velociraptor
but it's actually a cassowary the most
dangerous bird in the world
it could jump straight over your head if
it wanted to definitely high enough to
kick you in the chest
and its blows are strong enough to break
bone not to mention that claw that can
cut through
anything like butter this bird was made
to hunt and avoid being hunted
don't even consider running away not
unless you too can sprint over 30 miles
per hour
diving into that lake over there won't
save you either this bird is an
excellent swimmer
best just to back away slowly and hope
it doesn't come
after you another creature that proves
it's best to keep your hands to yourself
is the panda ant the naming is obvious
it's black and white and furry like the
beloved bamboo chewing bear
this furry little bugger lives in the
forest of chile
but don't go to pet this fluffy little
ant what you're looking at is no ant at
all
it's a species of wasp that black and
white coloring serves one purpose
to warn others of this insect's powerful
sting
and if that doesn't make you back away
the wasp will let out a squeaking sound
it sounds cute to us humans but it means
a painful sting is around the corner
these insects are loners they don't live
in colonies
and don't have nests they're also
parasites
a female panda ant lays eggs next to the
larvae of another insect
then the hatch babies use these larvae
as
food surely you've seen bugs that look
like leaves and twigs
but what about a creature that looks
like a beautiful orchid
you can find this fragrant flower in the
forest or a green field among other
plants
but make sure that's a flower you're
leaning in toward the smell if it's not
you risk being bitten by a praying
mantis
the orchid mantis is nearly impossible
to distinguish among the flowers
it has pink white coloring with legs and
claws that look identical to little
petals
it uses its resemblance to the plant to
hide from predators
and hunt insects that love these flowers
a butterfly or a bee
flies up to the flower when one of the
petals starts moving
the unsuspecting meal might take it as
simply the wind
but then the petal turns into a sharp
claw that suddenly grabs the insect
now imagine you're in the jungles of
costa rica
you notice a brown snake sitting on a
tree branch in front
of your face the snake looks like it's
about to strike
wow you want to run away as far as
possible but notice that this snake is
unusually short
and it doesn't lash out at you you wait
but the snake keeps staring at you it
doesn't even hiss
lucky for you it'll never bite because
it's not a snake
but a caterpillar the hawk moth
caterpillar can change the shape of its
body
to look like a menacing serpent this
easily scares away
any hungry foes the coloring and pattern
on the skin
imitates a snake scales and eyes this
insect
also knows how to move like a reptile a
master of disguise this one
let's get out of the hot jungle and head
to central europe
you're in the middle of a sunny green
meadow colorful flowers bloom around
birds sing and bees buzz by among the
bees
some are not what they seem you'd hardly
be able to distinguish the imposters
but if you look really closely you'll
see the golden bee fly
moving through the air it looks like a
bumblebee but it's the buzzer's biggest
enemy the golden beef fly sneaks into
bee nests and lays eggs there
its larvae hatch and feed on the bees
and flower nectar
the yellow and black coloring allows the
intruder to go
undetected the whole time the camouflage
also keeps enemies away
nothing would touch this fly if it
thinks it'll get a bumblebee sting
the next spot on your journey is the
rainforest in southern thailand
now be extra careful and watch your step
not because the next animal is poisonous
or bites
but because you might actually step on
it
the leaves from the trees have fallen
and turned a gray brown
hue among these leaves it's tough to
distinguish
the malaysian horned leaf frog its body
shape
coloring and especially those pointy
growths coming out above its eyes
all allow this amphibian to hide
perfectly among the fallen foliage
this frog can sit for hours in one place
waiting for its next meal to come close
enough to
now you're in a garden you see a
beautiful bright flower
and a small bird hovering near it the
bird flaps its wing so quickly you can
hardly see them
and that long needle-like beak makes you
immediately assume you're looking at a
hummingbird
but as soon as you get closer you
realize this is not a bird
but an insect fortunately the
hummingbird hawk moth
isn't venomous and doesn't sting it's
just a lovely little creature that
decorates the garden with its presence
many people even grow plants rich in
nectar to attract these moths
hey that's an idea