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Explore the intriguing implications of snake extinction and brace yourself for spine-chilling encounters with terrifying creatures you'd never want to face in real life. A captivating journey into imagined realms awaits, where ecological shifts and unimaginable beings unveil the astonishing diversity of our natural world.
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00:00And now for some breaking news. All snakes have suddenly disappeared.
00:05If you saw this on the news, what do you think would happen?
00:09Well, Voldemort certainly wouldn't be pleased to hear this, and neither would other Slytherin members.
00:16Hogwarts would have three houses instead of four.
00:20Parseltongue, which is the language of serpents, would become useless.
00:25Okay, Potterheads, let's get back to our Muggle world.
00:29How would it affect us?
00:31Well, let's look at the bright side first.
00:34People with Ophidiophobia, which is the fear of snakes, would be so relieved.
00:39We can all agree that snakes aren't exactly everyone's favorite animal.
00:45Some snakes are venomous, and this doesn't help save their reputation.
00:50It's often overlooked that these animals usually prefer to retreat when you encounter them.
00:56They can become defensive if threatened, but when left alone, they don't want to mess with you.
01:02Try telling this to people with a phobia, though.
01:05Now they can enjoy outdoor activities, such as mountain climbing, like everyone else.
01:10And yet, they would have other worries in the absence of these serpents.
01:17The design of the ecosystem works like a clock.
01:21Every species has an important role.
01:24If one goes down, the others will be affected.
01:27Snakes are no exception to this order.
01:30They primarily snack on mice or rats.
01:33They help to control rodent and other small mammal populations.
01:38This is important in terms of preventing the spread of diseases, too.
01:43Think about the spread of the plague of medieval times.
01:47Driving out all reptiles could cause a similar problem.
01:51Did you know that the bubonic plague was never completely gone?
01:55It's been spotted in modern times, too.
01:58For instance, in Madagascar in 2008.
02:01So, it's good to have some snakes around to protect us from disease outbreaks.
02:07You see, snakes are excellent hunters.
02:10They ambush their prey by using their highly developed senses to find and track their potential dinner.
02:17They're super mobile, can squeeze through cracks, climb on rock walls, and swim.
02:23They can even fly.
02:25Well, sort of.
02:26Flying snakes can't actually gain altitude, but they can glide.
02:32They use the speed of free fall and contortions of their bodies to follow air flows and lift themselves.
02:39Yeah, they can catch their prey in numerous ways.
02:43If we imagine a world without them, it will lead us to another phobia.
02:50Allow me to introduce you to musophobia.
02:53It's the fear of mice and rats.
02:56People with this phobia will have a hard time with all those rats wandering around since there are no snakes
03:03to eat them.
03:04Not to mention that a single pair of rats can have a million descendants in over a year.
03:09Say hello to crop damage.
03:11An overpopulation of rodents can lead to a shortage of food and competition for resources.
03:17Do I feel the Hunger Games vibes?
03:20Oh, and mice wouldn't be our only problem.
03:24You can add insects to the list, too.
03:27Again, without snakes, they'll throw a party in the streets.
03:32Reptiles also play an important role in the natural environment and food webs as prey.
03:39Mongooses, eagles, and hawks would really miss snakes.
03:43Eventually, some populations of large mammals would decline, and this could lead to the extinction of some species.
03:52Then, there's medicine.
03:55Scientists and researchers would miss these creatures.
03:58Snake venom is the key to the development of certain medicines.
04:02For example, some diabetes and heart disease medicines have been derived from snake venom.
04:08Patients who need them will get affected, too.
04:14When we mention snakes in medicine, there's something else that comes to mind.
04:19Botox.
04:19Is it really snake venom?
04:22Nope.
04:23Snake venom used in skin care isn't obtained from the animal itself.
04:27It turns out that this ingredient is called sn-ake.
04:32It's a human-made ingredient designed to mimic the effects of Temple Viper's snake venom.
04:39Now let's picture what life would really look like without snakes.
04:43I'm starting with day one.
04:45People don't immediately notice the absence of these creatures.
04:49So, in the first few days, especially in cities, people would have no clue that all snakes are gone.
04:56Workers in zoos could start to panic.
04:59You would see some news about snakes missing from zoos.
05:03Then, people in zoo administrations would go through CCTV footage.
05:07They would be shocked to see that snakes disappeared into thin air.
05:13After the spread of this news, authorities would probably open special departments to see if they have any snakes left
05:20in their country.
05:21Then, it would turn into a worldwide issue.
05:24Some sort of a global alliance would be established to investigate what happened to these reptiles and what could be
05:31done about it.
05:33By the time authorities and people understood the severity of the situation, ecosystems would already start to change.
05:40People who live in urban environments may not be directly affected in the first few months.
05:45Then, they would see more mice in their houses and in the streets.
05:50Around 500,000 mice live in the network of tunnels of the London Underground, for example.
05:56The number may vary, but many rodents live in large cities.
06:00These animals would become more visible.
06:03You'd open a kitchen cabinet and, oops, you'd see a mouse looking at you from behind a jar of peanut
06:09butter.
06:13New career opportunities would arise, since the demand to live in a mouse-free environment would skyrocket.
06:20Authorities might introduce new taxes to raise money to handle this new situation.
06:25After all, they would need to provide people with safe places to live.
06:29Of course, it would be not only urban places that would be affected by the absence of snakes.
06:35The countryside would have even more problems.
06:38Without snakes, the number of pests would increase.
06:42These animals would start destroying crops and habitats of other animals, and farmers would be in serious trouble.
06:50Authorities would need to support people living there and find ways to protect the environment, which would be their top
06:56priority.
06:58Researchers and scientists would have to take a huge responsibility.
07:02Maybe they'd create artificial snakes that could be nutritious, like real snakes, so that animals like eagles would hunt them
07:10and continue to live.
07:12What artificial snakes would look like is a mystery.
07:16I can't imagine them.
07:17I'll just leave it to you.
07:20If we flashed forward to five years from the first day of the world without snakes, we would face an
07:26entirely different world.
07:29Maybe we would have a special day for it, the fifth anniversary of the world without snakes.
07:35The changes would be obvious, but by that time, people would have probably got used to living in that different
07:41world.
07:43Some restaurants would have already made changes to their menus.
07:47Goodbye to snake soup.
07:50Then there would be new museums dedicated to snakes.
07:54You'd be able to read about the story of their evolution and see their fossils.
07:59Maybe you'd stop by the museum souvenir shop to buy a snake-shaped pen for your friend.
08:07Lastly, we would still be looking for alternatives to snake venom in the field of medicine.
08:13I mean, it's a relief for people who show allergic reactions to snake bites, but these animals are crucial for
08:20some studies and medicines.
08:22So, researchers would still be busy trying to find alternatives that could replace snake venom.
08:29If we went 200 years ahead in time, we would see a world where people have fully accepted that snakes
08:35are gone for good.
08:37So much so that younger people would only know that there was an animal named a snake that once lived
08:43on this planet.
08:45They would get to know this animal from history books and videos.
08:48Coloring books would have a cat or a dog, but not a snake.
08:53Mythical creatures like Medusa and Shyamaran would become even more mystical and interesting.
09:00Oh, and we wouldn't compare a sneaky person to a snake anymore.
09:04There would be a new definition for them.
09:08We've survived the Ice Age, meteorites, and many other challenges.
09:13So, we'll probably figure something out.
09:16Fingers crossed that this scenario never gets real, though.
09:19Hold on to your hat, my friend.
09:21These internet users came across some hauntingly spooky stuff IRL.
09:26But I'm guessing you'll want to stay away even from these pics.
09:30Picture this.
09:31You're boarded and ready for takeoff in a huge Boeing jet.
09:35It's your first time on an airplane.
09:37You were scared, but people kept telling you it was safe.
09:41You've convinced yourself it would be alright when the pilot comes on the speaker with some disturbing news.
09:47Good morning, folks.
09:48Our flight has been canceled for safety reasons.
09:51It appears that a cloud of bees is hovering close to one of our wings, and we'll have to remove
09:57them before takeoff.
09:58I have to say, this is a first.
10:00I have to say, I'd like to get off, please.
10:03Now, let's say you always take the long way to work.
10:07It's one of your favorite bits of the day because you can enjoy a peaceful walk surrounded by beautiful scenery.
10:14You're passing across a muddy pond area, like you normally do, when something strange catches your attention.
10:20What on earth could that be, you ask yourself?
10:24Apparently, it's a colony of reddish worms, just casually existing.
10:28I think my stomach just turned a little.
10:31Have you ever backpacked anywhere around the world?
10:34If you have, then you were probably worried about one thing and one thing only.
10:39Bed bugs.
10:41Getting into a new hostel, the typical routine is to check your mattresses.
10:45The worst thing is to sleep in a bed filled with these little creatures and then have to wash all
10:51your clothing the next morning,
10:53just so you won't pass this around to other establishments.
10:56If you ask me, this appears like a bed bug and sci-fi beetle had a fight in this person's
11:02bed, and this is what was left.
11:04Well, jokes aside, it reminds me of the remains of some bug.
11:08Which bug?
11:09I have no idea.
11:11I'd tell this woman and all hostel owners to use some kind of mattress protector,
11:16just so that backpackers all over the world can stop sweating so much over these tiny creatures.
11:22Now, you've just won an all-inclusive trip to Hawaii.
11:26Ah, the white sandy beaches and the amazing sunsets.
11:30You're happy to leave your fancy hotel and take long walks on the beach.
11:35But wait, what's that?
11:36It appears like a lobster shed its tail and the remains came floating all the way to the sand.
11:42But according to experts, that's not a lobster.
11:46They wouldn't shed just their tail.
11:48That appears to be some kind of isopod.
11:52Isopods are crustaceans that look somewhere between shrimps and lobsters.
11:56That's why you thought it was a lobster, huh?
11:59They also look like giant roly-polyts.
12:01Do you know what these are?
12:03Someone had a roly-poly infestation in their house and, uh-oh, it does not look like something you want
12:10to have to deal with.
12:11Imagine spending your days hunting these tiny creatures all over your furniture.
12:16No thanks.
12:18Now, when I was a kid, I loved playing pranks on people.
12:21But I would be the first one to be completely spooked when someone played a prank on me.
12:26I'm guessing the person who ran into this thing on their office wall wasn't too pleasant.
12:32But, hey, maybe it's karma, right?
12:35What goes around comes straight back around.
12:39Imagine it's a sunny Sunday morning and you went on a hike with your best friends.
12:43You hiked up a pretty steep mountain covered in knee-high vegetation.
12:48You know what that means, right?
12:49Bugs.
12:50The great thing about bugs is that they never cease to amaze you.
12:54There are endless varieties of extremely rare and never-before-seen bizarre bugs.
13:00The first one you met was this thing right here.
13:03It fell off your dog's back.
13:06It resembles a jackfruit seed mated with a spider, and this is what came out of that union.
13:12Hopefully, it's just a bizarre insect and not threatening in any way.
13:17Your sock also picked up a few buddies along the way.
13:20Look at the number of ticks your sock protected you from.
13:23The next time you go on a hike like this one, you should take some kind of bug repellent with
13:28you.
13:28But a strong and effective one.
13:30You know, like an ultrasonic repellent that disorients ticks so they'll never find a way to your juicy socks.
13:38And speaking of bugs, quick test here to find out if you're the type of person that loves or loathes
13:44the great outdoors.
13:46Imagine it's early in the morning, and you just woke up in a remote house found deep inside a forest.
13:52You step outside, and the first thing you see on the porch is a snake casually passing by.
13:58Would you take a selfie with it, or close the doors and hide back in your covers as fast as
14:04humanly possible?
14:05Or maybe you just woke up, opened the door to the outside world, and got to be the sole witness
14:10of a bug molting.
14:12Would you shed a happy tear, or be disgusted by it?
14:16I mean, look at it. It seems like a baby Pokemon. So cute.
14:21Ah, it's summertime. My favorite time of the year.
14:25You can enjoy the pool until late in the evening, and meet your friends and family for a Sunday outdoor
14:31picnic.
14:31But there's one thing that really annoys me. Bees.
14:35Eating outdoors usually means having to share some of your juice or yummy food with a bunch of bees.
14:42If only some genius person invented something that kept bees away from our food.
14:47Like some ultrasonic frequency we could blast on our speakers.
14:51Or some kind of decoy nest that was more interesting to the bees than my picnic food.
14:57Oh, or maybe this.
14:59I guess this will do. Simple but effective.
15:01I'll try it out and tell you if it worked out for me.
15:05The best thing after a hard day's work is coming home.
15:09Except when you're welcomed by this thing.
15:11I mean, how did this spider even get here if you live in a city apartment miles away from any
15:17real greenery?
15:18That's a mystery I'll never solve.
15:21You take your 5-year-old to play in the local park.
15:24She's in a digging phase, so as soon as she gets there, she starts digging up the whole place like
15:30a Jack Russell terrier.
15:31You watch her have buckets of fun when suddenly, you spot a shiny blue thing crawling out of the hole.
15:38What on earth? You think to yourself.
15:40You grab it with a stick and it reveals itself.
15:44A centipede.
15:45You know, the things that burn you with their venomous legs.
15:48Best to put it back in the hole and move to another park.
15:53If you could choose any movie or TV series to live inside of, which one would you choose?
15:58Most likely some cozy rom-com, right?
16:01I'm guessing no one, or almost no one here, would choose to live life as a Last of Us character,
16:07right?
16:08But it seems to me like this person had a Joel moment, if you ask me.
16:12This thing crawling out of the forest floor is a fungus that imitates a human hand.
16:18I mean, does life imitate art, or is it really just one giant messy blob?
16:25Remember when we talked about backpackers?
16:27Well, this person had a similar problem as they do.
16:31Apparently, they took a bunch of clothes to wash and dry, and this is what the dryer filter looked like
16:36afterward.
16:37There are maybe a hundred little buddies in there.
16:41Out of curiosity, do you know why they're called bedbugs if they hide on the floor and not in your
16:46bed?
16:47They crawl up to someone's bed at nighttime because they can sense carbon dioxide emissions, also known as they can
16:54sense your breath.
16:55If this isn't a horror movie plot, I'm not sure what is.
16:59Hmm, where do I even start with this one?
17:02I'd say this piece was actually a prop from a Tim Burton movie that somehow got lost and ended up
17:09in your vegetable basket.
17:10It's supposed to be a yam, but it's shaped like Grinch's hand if he were white instead of green.
17:17Oh my, in my wildest dreams, I couldn't make this stuff up.
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