Africa's Super Snake: Inside the life of the southern African python — Full Documentary

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: They're the stuff of nightmares killer snakes of immense size and strength with a strike faster than the blink of an eye African rock pythons a battery of finely tuned tracking sensors the better to find you with my dear rows of razor-sharp teeth the better to grip you with my dear gigantic ancient aggressive this is squeeze an eight-year-old rock python propelled by the same primordial needs that drove her ancestors in the days when dinosaurs walked the earth she can hunt in any terrain at any time of day for virtually any prey but squeeze is a mother so others depend on her too and bringing her young into the world safely is no walk in the park there will come a time when she has to choose between her survival and theirs [00:01:45] Speaker ?: so [00:01:47] Speaker 1: the um kumazi valley south africa rolling hills savannah forest and rocky cliffs carved out by a powerful river traditional homesteads dot the landscape now but pythons have owned this land for millions of years this is a world where the predator at the top of the food chain moves the lowest to the ground some of the most venomous snakes in the world live here the black mamba the puff adder the ring carls so does the largest snake in all africa the rock python up to six meters long and weighing as much as 90 kilos it's a powerful animal that prefers to stay out of sight until it strikes but the rock python's fearsome reputation and skill as a hunter are the source of its greatest vulnerability human beings though it rarely kills people the rock python's power is legendary among the indigenous people who have lived with it for thousands of years but when it goes after their livestock it's going after their livestock it's going after their livelihood and they fight back four meters long so it's going after they've had 30 kilos of muscle squeeze is covered in the yellow chestnut and brown splotches that help her blend in she hasn't eaten in two weeks for good reason she's carrying a clutch of just developing eggs she can't eat a big meal not while they're gestating inside but she's hungry a snack would be just the thing something that in her sluggish state might not require a lot of work human development is a mixed blessing for squeeze her habitat has been lost to agriculture but farms also offer great opportunity crops are a magnet for small mammals squeeze can hunt at any hour but daytime is a dangerous time for her here adult rock pythons have few natural enemies in the wild but the farm is not the wild here there are all manner of threats [00:06:18] Speaker ?: and if you are in the wild here we are in the wild here [00:06:38] Speaker 1: fools rush in where angels fear to tread it may be better to wait until the odds tip a little more in her favor she has plenty of patience she waits for nightfall like most snakes the rock python has poor vision but that doesn't mean it can't find you squeeze can sense body heat with incredible accuracy the scales on her lips have pit organs which are full of heat sensitive receptors nerves carry signals from the receptors to the brain where they're converted into images like goldilocks squeeze is looking for something just the right size not too small not too small a frog is hardly worth the effort not too big it would be hard even for a rock python to swallow a cow but here's something just right but here's something just right this rabbit has come to dine on some tasty cabbages unfortunately for the rabbit the cabbages are perfect cover for squeeze the rabbit's acute hearing is legendary but it seems oblivious to the approach of this stealth hunter [00:08:56] Speaker ?: but it seems oblivious to the approach of this stealth hunter I don't know. [00:09:34] Speaker 1: Rabbits are fast. Squeeze is faster. Slowly, she squeezes. Every time the rabbit exhales, the coils tighten. The python can move both sides of its lower jaw to create a larger entryway, and in goes the rabbit, headfirst. The python can move both sides of its lower jaw to the other side. [00:10:45] Speaker ?: Strong muscles push the food down towards her stomach. [00:10:55] Speaker 1: Strong muscles push the food down towards her stomach. The python can move both sides of its lower jaw to the other side. [00:11:17] Speaker ?: When it's all in, time for a siesta. [00:11:26] Speaker 1: When it's all in, time for a siesta. It takes a lot of energy to digest a whole rabbit. She'll be very sluggish for a few days. a sluggish snake is a vulnerable snake. The python can move both sides of its lower jaw. The python has lived in Africa for millions of years, long before humans arrived on the scene. Species come and go, but the python has a talent for survival. The snake we see today has changed little from its prehistoric forebears. It's among the world's most primitive snakes. The small, thorn-like projections on their lower body, known as pelvic spurs, are thought to be vestiges of a time when these animals had hind legs. A pair of hind legs might actually come in handy right now. Eight weeks have passed since Squeezy's last supper. The rabbit. The 35 eggs inside her now hinder her progress. Each egg weighs about as much as a billiard ball. That's 35 billiard balls she's been hauling around for weeks. She's ready to lighten her load, but she can't just dump them anywhere. She's been searching for the right spot for weeks. This hollow at the base of an old silver oak tree could provide shelter from the elements, hide her eggs from predators, and keep them at a constant temperature. [00:14:16] Speaker ?: She's been looking for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. She's been searching for the right spot for years. [00:14:33] Speaker 1: For an animal capable of such massive displays of power, she can be surprisingly gentle. She arranges her eggs in a pile and coils around them tightly. [00:15:03] Speaker ?: She's been searching for the right spot for years. [00:15:21] Speaker 1: Of all the snakes in the world, the African rock python is one of only a few that actually cares for its young. All the others simply lay or give birth and leave. Without her protection, Squeezy's eggs would be easy pickings for monitor lizards and mongooses. She'll stand guard for the next 90 days, leaving the hollow only to bask in the sun and return to warm her eggs with her reheated body. Every day, she grows a little weaker and a little less able to defend herself and her young. Several months have passed, during which Squeezy's only job has been guarding and incubating her young. She's weak from lack of food, but her maternal instinct beckons. A young rock python takes its first breath. And then another. And then another. One by one they say hello to the world outside their shells. One by one they say hello to the world outside their shells. [00:17:47] Speaker ?: One by one they say hello to the world outside their shells. One by one they say hello to the world outside their shells. [00:18:09] Speaker 1: They taste the chemical cues in the air. One by one by two they say hello to the world outside their shells. They're not yawning because they're sleepy. These yawns are a kind of snake calisthenics. They align the jaw in preparation for swallowing large prey. They're not yawning because they're not yawning. For three months, the egg yolk provided them with everything they needed to grow. And for their first two weeks outside, it will sustain them. At only 60 centimeters long, it's hard to imagine them as mighty constrictors some will become. But they don't have the luxury of waiting until they're bigger. They have just a few weeks to leave the nest, shed their first skin, and make their first kill. Of the 35 eggs squeeze laid, 31 have hatched. As the roiling mass of newborn snakes struggles towards the exit, the weakest are crushed and never make it out into the world. Out there, the odds of survival will be even worse. They have two grim scenarios to look forward to. Die of starvation. Or survive just long enough to become someone else's dinner. Only a lucky few will make it to their first birthday. The young python survey the burrow, searching for a way out. The young python survey the burrow, searching for a way out. The young python survey the burrow, searching for a way out. [00:21:09] Speaker ?: The young python survey the burrow, searching for a way out. The young python survey the burrow, searching for a way out. [00:21:29] Speaker 1: Finally, one of them makes a break for it. Squeeze keeps her hatchlings close for up to two weeks. It might not seem very long to us, but to these babies, it's a godsend. Few predators will move on a hatchling when its watchful four-meter mother is coiled nearby. It's a kind of parental care we don't associate with snakes. But the rock python seems to be an intriguing exception to the rule. But even Squeeze has her limits. If she doesn't feed soon, she could starve. And when she slithers off for good, her offspring will be on their own, ready or not. And the forest is full of watchful eyes. An adult African rock python is an apex predator. It has little to fear from other animals in the wild. But the same cannot be said of baby pythons. They have many enemies, including venomous snakes, like the forest cobra, and birds of prey, like the African goshawk. Their mother can't protect them forever. Her maternal instinct has overridden hunger. She's eaten nothing for months. Now it's time to say goodbye. It's time to hunt. Not so long ago, Squeeze broke out of her eggshell and emerged from a nest with many other baby rock pythons, just as her young did. Most of the other hatchlings in her clutch, maybe all, are long dead. They starved to death before they could learn to hunt successfully. Or they were picked off by hungry carnivores. Or they were killed by humans, either out of fear or for profit. Every year, there are fewer of her kind. But Squeeze crossed the finish line into adulthood and is now a formidable and experienced hunter. She knows where the food is, and she knows how to get there. She laid her eggs deep in the valley. Now she's going to have to climb this steep cliff face. Not easy for an exhausted giant constrictor. But here's how you do it. First, anchor your midsection to the rocky surface using the scales on your underbelly. If you want to climb this way, then pull your tail all the way up to the anchor point. Release the anchor and use your tail to push your way up. Anchor, pull. Anchor, push. Repeat as needed. It's grueling work, but hunger is a powerful motivator. She's not called a rock python for nothing. Unfortunately, this is where things get a bit trickier. Squeeze is an all-terrain predator. She stalks the savannah, forest, and cliffs. Climbing trees? No problem. Fording rivers? Piece of cake. She's bigger, stronger, and faster than just about any other animal here. So there's no place she can't hunt with impunity. No place, except here. Here, she's encroaching on the territory of another formidable killer. Some farmers appreciate the animal for keeping rats under control, but many fear it. [00:28:29] Speaker ?: There's no place. [00:28:34] Speaker 1: Squeeze has to be very careful here. She knows there are humans around. But she also knows that where there are humans, there's usually food. [00:28:45] Speaker ?: She knows there are humans around. [00:29:00] Speaker 1: Visiting this chicken coop is like shooting fish in a barrel. It's a calculated risk. [00:29:16] Speaker ?: Can squeeze, swallow a chicken, and make good her escape [00:29:22] Speaker 1: before the farmer finds her. In Squeeze's world, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Every minute she's here is another chance for her to be discovered. Despite the danger, she moves in slowly, methodically, silently. The entire strike takes less time than the blink of an eye. About 50 milliseconds. She accelerates towards her victim at 30 times the force of gravity. If we did that, we'd pass out. The rest is a foregone conclusion. She can feel her prey's heartbeat. And when it stops, she knows it's over. But she doesn't eat her kill just yet. After not eating for months, one chicken just isn't enough. She listens to make sure the coast is clear. Once she starts eating, she won't be able to make a quick escape. You'd think that stuffing her mouth with a chicken would make it impossible for her to breathe. But snakes are able to extend their windpipes outside their mouths so they can breathe and eat at the same time. She'll absorb almost every part of the chicken. Even the bones. The feathers will pass through her system and come out in her feces. Not much nutrition in feathers. Squeeze. Squeeze has had a good few months. She's laid her eggs and guarded her offspring until they hatched. She's managed to slip into a busy farm, eat two chickens and slip out unnoticed. Not so easy for a predator her size. Now she's looking for a safe place to digest her meal. But in this valley safe is a relative term. Squeeze's babies are now a month old. Over the last few weeks, many of them have gotten picked off by predators. These are the survivors. For them, it's make or break. They have a few years to go before they are big and strong, like their mother. Until then, they're on everyone's menu. And some of their bigger cousins aren't above cannibalism. As the young python's senses sharpen, they're learning how to use them. Not just for hunting, but for survival. This is the forest cobra. The largest and one of the deadliest cobras in Africa. It may be a distant relative, but it's got to eat too. The question is, does this young python know the danger it's in? Apparently so. The cobra won't be easily fooled. This isn't its first rodeo. One whiff of baby python and the jig is up. Looks like the young python dodged a bullet. Now, back to the hunt. Success will depend on doing a few things right. First, find prey of an appropriate size. Then, approach patiently and in complete silence. The hunt for the hunt for the hunt for the hunt for the hunt for the hunt for the hunt for the hunt. The strike was perfectly timed and right on target. Just one small problem. A dental problem. Junior's teeth, designed to hook onto prey and prevent it from escaping, are still too puny to get the job done. "Better luck next time." Meanwhile, not far away, one of his brothers is trying his luck. He tastes the air for the mouse's location. The mouse is held fast. Let the coiling begin. It's a big step for this young rock python. All it means, though, is that he'll survive a little longer. He'll need many more meals like this before he grows to be a giant like his mother. [00:40:16] Speaker ?: It's a big step. [00:40:27] Speaker 1: Squeeze is recovering from her long fast. Rock pythons can go for long periods without eating, which is one reason why they've been around for so long. But they also know they need to make hay while the sun shines. It's autumn, and as far as squeeze is concerned, the sun is shining. Many of the valley's animals have given birth, including the impala. The grassland has become a nursery. These young calves weigh about 20 kilos, and they don't know enough to be afraid. Which they should be. For Squeeze, an impala calf would be a perfect meal. Heftier than the chickens and rabbits she's been subsisting on, and without the risks of the farm. If she bags one, she won't need to hunt again for months. Adult impala are skittish and have extremely sensitive hearing. One wrong slither, and the herd could easily bolt. The silent hunter, and a species perfectly adapted to the art of escape. [00:42:13] Speaker ?: One wrong slither, and another slither, and a species perfectly adapted to the art of escape. [00:42:25] Speaker 1: Squeeze can smell, to some extent, through her nostrils. But her most powerful sensory tool is her forked tongue. The tongue is split in two. Each side, called a tyne, is connected to its own organ in the roof of her mouth. When it flicks out, the tines separate as much as possible, so that each one sends slightly different information to its respective organ. Her brain then interprets these signals as a stereo image of what's out there, which lets her track the distance, and direction, of her prey. Stealth, not speed, will get her close enough to strike. It's the only way to avoid tripping the alarm. [00:43:50] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:44:36] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:44:37] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:44:45] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:44:48] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:45:09] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:45:13] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:45:15] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:45:19] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:45:22] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. Squeeze's skin is so elastic, it can stretch to more than five times her normal girth. As amazing as this is, swallowing prey this size is a huge risk. It will take her 45 minutes to do it. 45 minutes in which she couldn't move if her life depended on it. To speed things up, her metabolism climbs to 44 times its normal rate. And her heart gets 40% larger. So it can pump blood faster to her digestive system. [00:46:28] Speaker ?: So it's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. So it's the only way to avoid the alarm. So it's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:46:40] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:46:41] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:46:55] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:46:56] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:46:57] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:47:02] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:47:15] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:47:18] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:47:21] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:47:26] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:47:28] Speaker 1: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:47:31] Speaker ?: It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. It's the only way to avoid the alarm. [00:47:41] Speaker 1: This meal will take her up to two weeks to fully digest. But once she does, Squeeze won't need to hunt again for months. It will bump up her chances of survival for the year to come and ensure she's in peak condition for the rapidly approaching breeding season when it all begins again. For ancient cultures, the rock python was the most powerful creature in the world. Worthy of great respect. But also terrifying because of its vast bulk, speed, and predatory skill. Today, in KwaZulu-Natal, this amazing and amazingly resilient animal has no natural enemies except people. But its numbers are plummeting. They've survived since the time of the dinosaurs. Only time will tell if Squeeze and her kind can survive the next hundred years.