Nature’s Red Flags You Shouldn’t Ignore

[Music] One day, the hand of Ross McFersonen, a teenager from Scotland, suddenly turned red and started hurting badly. Soon, a painful blister appeared. It was the size of an orange. This made it hard for Ross to even dress himself. The discomfort was unbearable, and he needed doctor's help to get rid of this nightmare. Turned out he accidentally brushed his hand against the harmless looking plant while riding his bike near his home. All this nightmare was caused by one very dangerous plant, the giant hogweed. The giant hogweed is a group of toxic lookalike plants that are known as Britain's most dangerous plant.

Surprisingly, this plant is a member of the carrot family. It was originally hanging out in the caucuses. People really liked it for its impressive height of over 16 ft and pleasant appearance. They started planting it in gardens and then suddenly it turned out that the plant was highly toxic. By the 80s it was officially banned from gardens in England. Giant hogweed hangs out near rivers and canals. Recently it started popping up in gardens and parks too. People have spotted it all over the UK. This plant got even more attention during the recent years when everyone started spending more time in their gardens.

It looks like a taller, more dangerous cousin of cow parsley or hemlock. It also has long stems and a bunch of white leaves, but its stem is pretty wide with a big white umbrella-shaped flower on top. To see the difference, watch out for its leaves. They look sharp and divided, around 6 ft in width. The stems are thick and bristly with stiff white hairs and hollow ridges. You might notice purple blotches on the stems like hemlock, but this plant grows much taller and has fewer fern leaves. Its flower heads can stretch up to 2 feet. This plant's sap can really hurt you. It contains a chemical called furukumer, which makes your skin super sensitive to sunlight. It can also cause a long-term problem called sensitization, which means that even years later, your skin can still react badly to sunlight. So, if you get it on you and you go out in the sun, you'll end up with severe burns that blister and take forever to heal. People are often left with scars that stick around for life. And it's not just skin burns you have to worry about. If the sap gets in your eyes, it could even make you go blind. You should be especially careful in summer when it's most active.

Remember that you can get affected by it even if you wear clothes or shoes. So just try to stay away from anything suspicious looking. Symptoms can include a rash, itching, and painful blisters.

If you realize that you accidentally got hurt by this plant, go to the doctor immediately, especially if you see the blisters. First aid includes washing the area with soap and water and covering it up.

There are other very toxic plants that could be hiding in your garden or local area looking harmless and pretty. Don't be tricked by fox gloves beauty. This plant contains digtoxin which is used in medicine to stimulate the heart. All parts of the fox glove plant are toxic.

If you eat the leaves, you could end up with a stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, or worse. In serious cases, it can even mess up with your vision and cause problems with your heart and kidneys.

Nightshade is another one of the most poisonous plants. Don't eat it. Just a couple of its berries contain tropane alkyoids, which can be fatal to a person. This plant is a member of the tomato family. It can be found in woodlands, although it's not as common as it used to be. Its family is quite extensive including tomatoes, potatoes, chilies, oberines, peppers, and henbane. Despite its scary nature, we can extract an antidote for nerve gas from this plant. So, while it's dangerous, it also holds a unique quality with potential medicinal uses. And finally, there's the hemlock water drop wood, also known as poison parsnip. It's a very common plant around rivers and lakes. As you can guess from the name, it's related to hemlock, another toxic plant. Hemlock is a very dangerous plant on its own. It can be fatal if eaten, and it contains five different alkaloids that can lead to severe paralysis of the nervous system.

What's even worse is that it's often found in the wild around pretty populated areas. These two plants, however, live in different places and have different toxins. Every part of the hemlock water dropwart, including its tubers, stems, and leaves, contains a powerful poison called enanthotoxin. This poison targets the central nervous system and can cause serious convulsions. So, both of these plants are not to be messed with.

These are just relatively toxic plants, but there are also those that are considered the most dangerous ones in the world. Akenite, also known as monk's hood or devil's helmet, is one of Europe's most poisonous. Just touching it can be harmful because of its potent neurotoxin. Manchinoal tree is found in both Americas. This tree's sap can burn your skin. Its leaves and fruit are lethal.

Caster bean is native to Africa. This shrub's seeds contain ryson, a toxin that's said to be 6,000 times more poisonous than cyanide. But it also has an upside. Castor oil can be extracted from these seeds. The seeds of jquery bean are used in jewelry, but they contain a toxin called ain, which is extremely poisonous. So be careful with these accessories.

Oleander is a common ornamental plant.

However, it contains toxins that make it poisonous. While poisonings are common, luckily the plant is so bitter that no one wants to eat it in large quantities.

So, fatal cases are rare. Gimpy gimpy is a plant from Australasia, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

The plant has a funny name, but its stinging hairs cause extreme discomfort lasting for months or even years.

And finally, the potato plant. Though not as toxic as others, can be harmful if eaten. The green parts of the potato plant contain toxins like solanine and [Music] chakanine. Getting rid of toxic plants around your garden is crucial even though it's not legally required, especially because they could spread in the wild and you could get in trouble with the law for that. Here's what you can do to remove them safely. First, wear protective gear like gloves and face masks. Cover your skin completely and make sure that nothing can touch it.

Make sure to dispose of the gear later or wash it immediately very carefully.

Be careful not to let toxic plants flower. Try to dispose of them when they're small and pull them out when the soil is wet. For bigger plants, you might need to loosen the roots with a fork. It's best to leave this to professionals if it's a large area.

Finally, make sure to dispose of the plant carefully. Don't just throw it anywhere as it can spread and cause more problems and stay on your guard in the future as it can produce a lot of seeds that stick around for a long time.

There's no need to panic if you see them in your garden. Just be careful and take action if you find it on your property.

If you see them in your area, call the professionals to remove them.

Luckily, fatal cases are very rare, and even if you accidentally touch the plant, you should be fine if you go to the doctor as soon as possible. But why are some plants so dangerous? It's all about chemistry and how plants have evolved over time. Plants develop toxins to protect themselves from being eaten by animals. If a plant is slightly more toxic than its neighbors, it has a better chance of surviving because animals will avoid it. Interestingly, most of the plants became dangerous to scare away large ancient animals like woolly mammoths or oroxs, not humans.

Because of that, these toxins often aren't fatal. The plants only wanted to make those who ate it feel unwell so animals would stop eating the plant.

Now, these large animals are extinct, and nobody touches these guys.

Unfortunately, they've already evolved to stay paranoid, so all we can do is stay as far away from them as [Music] possible. Hollywood studios and game developers hire professional artists to create fantastic monsters and creatures from other planets. The things they paint on computers are stunning and frightening. But all these works pale compared to the art of the most powerful artist in the world. And this artist is nature. We're not talking about the beauty of animals and fish, but about animals whose existence is hard to believe. It seems they are literally guests from another planet.

Here, one of these guests is the Brazilian tree hopper. What you see now is a real creature living in the forest of Brazil. This insect belongs to the family of cicatas, some of the most mysterious creatures on Earth. But this species stands out strongly even among them. The size of a pee, the Brazilian tree hopper has grown futuristic creepy balls on its back, similar to helicopter blades. Is that an antenna or something for fighting with enemies? Scientists still don't know.

There are only hypothetical versions. According to one of them, the insect uses this thing to demonstrate its genetic strength in front of females. Peacocks use their beautiful tail. Similarly, in addition to scaring off predators, they show off their plumage and propose their candidacy for starting a family. This theory was quickly refuted because not only males, but also females of the Brazilian tree hopper have this thing.

Maybe these balls are like a false target. Some predator sees them and attacks them and at that moment the insect unhooks this thing and runs away.

However, researchers have never seen such actions while observing the tree hopper. Another theory says that this thing helps the cicada pretend to be a cortiseps fungus. Remember the parasites that invade an ant's body, turn it into a zombie, and then a huge mushroom sprouts from out of their bodies.

Some believe the Brazilian tree hopper imitates this fungus so that enemies are afraid to attack it. Yes, animals in the forest also know what can be touched and what is better off not to mess with. Or this hat may send signals to outer space or another planet reporting information about Earth. Another fantastic feature of the Brazilian tree hopper is its way of communicating. These insects talk to each other through vibrations. When one tree hopper sits on a tree and feeds on juicy leaves, it can send vibrating signals along the trunk and thus invite its friends to have a snack or it uses this ability to warn about predators. In general, cicas are pretty strange creatures. Those species that look like ordinary insects are still a mystery to all scientists. When cicas hatch from eggs, they hide underground, feeding on liquid from the roots of trees and plants while growing. They build underground tunnels and hang out there for 13 or 17 years. And then after molting, they come out all at the same time. Several hundred or even thousands of insects at once. They fly into the air in a huge swarm, chirping loudly and terrifying all the animals around. People living nearby claim that the clicks of cicas prevent them from sleeping. But why do cicas come out only once every 13 to 17 years? What are they doing underground all this time? Scientists have no idea.

Their sudden appearance may be associated with predatory animals. Cicas are defenseless and nutritious creatures. Foxes and owls like to eat them. If cicas got out of the ground once a year, predators would get used to it and soon destroy these creatures. Therefore, cicas wait for a long enough time so that their enemies don't know when they will appear. In addition, insects choose the moment to show up when the populations of their enemies are at their lowest. Okay, after meeting this creature, you probably won't look at strawberries like before. So, imagine a strawberry of white color from which 20 long tentacles spread out. It's as if a Lovecraft monster has opened a portal to our dimension inside a strawberry and is now trying to break out. The good news is that you are unlikely to see this monster near humans. The Antarctic strawberry feather lives in the icy depths of the Antarctic Ocean. These creatures are one of four types of krinoids, geometrically symmetrical animals that attach themselves to the seabed like a plant stem. Then when they reach adulthood, they unhook themselves and set sail on the ocean. They use their tentacles to make beautiful rhythmic movements while swimming. And they also hung plankton using their hands. Each tentacle of the strawberry is covered with thousands of tiny slimy threads that capture prey like a spiderweb.

In addition to white species, scientists have observed purple and even dark red creatures. Looking at them, you start to suspect that many artists have stolen the image of krinoids to create monsters in their sci-fi movies and video games. Now, what do you think is the longest animal on the planet? This is not a giraffe or even some giant anaconda from the Amazon jungle. See this glowing long whip floating in the ocean? This is it. This creature is called a siphonophore. Its length can reach up to 130 feet, more than the size of a blue whale, the largest mammal on the planet. But if you look closer, you'll see it's not some sea snake. It resembles a long jellyfish with a transparent body and a light bulb head.

Along its entire length, creepy threads stretch from the sophonophore. It looks like a mutant centipede from the depth of the sea. In any case, don't approach it. Its hairs are venomous. It uses them to fight off enemies and to capture prey. Disgusting and at the same time charming like me. The hagfish uses thick, sticky slime to defend itself from predators. This slug is actually a species of jawless fish. You may have seen this creature in social networks when people put it on their hands. When it senses danger, it spits out mucus resembling tree roots or a nervous system. The goo gets into the eyes and gills of enemies and stops them while the hagfish swims away. These animals are also among the most ancient creatures on the planet.

They appeared about 500 million years ago and have been leading a scavenger lifestyle ever since.

Even if you look at this tree for a few minutes, you may not understand what is wrong with it. But one of the branches is a live great pot bird that has mastered the skill of disguise better than anyone. Not only does it plumage allow it to merge with the environment, but it's also very patient and enduring. The great pontu can stand motionless for hours waiting for its prey. It even closes its eyes to be more inconspicuous. But that doesn't mean it doesn't see you. The bird has tiny holes under the eyelids that allow it to closely monitor the situation around it. Scientists spend millions of dollars to create expensive equipment to study seismological activity. But this mole that lives in swamps can detect seismic vibrations thanks to its strange nose.

The star-nosed mole has more than 20,000 sensory receptors on its star that can also catch electrical signals emitted by its prey. It's one of those rare animals that can smell underwater. It releases tiny bubbles from its nose, then pulls them back in to understand the smell. And it's also a fast eater that spends less than a quarter of a second to swallow food.

Piranhas look creepy with their jaws and razor sharp teeth. But how about a fish that has rectangular human-like teeth?

Meet the pacu fish, and it seems it has a false jaw. These creepy creatures eat plants and meat, but their favorite dish is fruits and nuts. Evolution has created such a shape of teeth so that pacu can grind fruits that fall from the trees growing along the Amazon streams.

Many people confuse these creatures with piranhas and try to stay away from them.

And this is the right decision because these rectangular teeth can cause severe damage to nonfood items like you and me, too. Texas is home to some of the oddest, creepiest, and most unusual animals you've ever heard of. It might come as a surprise, but this state is full of creatures you'll hardly see in other places. So, let's have a look at the most amazing ones. This truly beautiful bright blue creature is called the blue sea dragon. Despite such an imposing name, the critter is actually tiny. Usually no bigger than a grape. You may find it on the beach or floating beside you in the water. Now, you need to remember one thing. However pretty this little slug may look, never ever touch it.

One tourist spotted a few of these pretty dragons on the shore of Mustang Island. He scooped one of the creatures up. He wanted to film it. Luckily, he put it back into the water before it could sting him. Otherwise, it would have ended badly since the blue sea dragon is venomous. Despite their tiny size, their sting can pack a punch. All because of their diet. Their favorite dish is the Portuguese manowar, a jellyfish that has enough venom to paralyze small fish and crustaceans. The blue dragons first use mucus to neutralize the jellyfish's infamous stinging cells. And then they steal these cells from the manowar's tentacles and store and concentrate them within their own tissues. Then they release these stinging cells on contact, which makes their own sting more powerful, even worse than that of the manowar itself. These awesome creatures are also extremely sneaky, even though their appearance is bright, to say the least.

They're well-known masters of disguise.

You see, that vibrant blue coloring is actually on their bellies. And when they float on their backs, they simply blend with the water. As for their backs, they're gray to camouflage these animals on the seafloor. Now, how about a funny fact? A group of tiny dragons floating together is called a blue fleet. And another fact, blue dragons normally lay a string of around 16 eggs, and it takes them 3 days or so to hatch into larae. Blue sea dragons rarely make it to the shore. They're softbodied, so when the animals finally get through the surf zone and are deposited on the shore, they're already broken apart. And still, watch out. Even in this case, the venom in their bodies doesn't dissipate. But of course, blue sea dragons aren't the only unusual animals inhabiting Texas. Have a look at this nightmarish creature. Poisonous, slimy, and kind of immortal. Meet the hammerhead worm. The worst thing, it might be lurking in your garden while you're watching this video. You can easily recognize this worm by its creepy spade-shaped head. It doesn't look like any other invertebrate you've ever seen, or any other creature that is. At first, it was only found in East Texas. But later, researchers spotted these spine chilling creatures in North, Central, and South Texas.

basically everywhere but the arid areas of West Texas. One of the most terrifying things about this worm might be its length.

This creature can grow as long as 1 ft.

Luckily, such giants aren't very common.

Most hammerhead worms only reach 6 in in length. You can come across two species of these worms in Texas, and both of them will have a dark stripe down the middle. The larger of these two species munches on earthworms, which is actually a big problem. You might know that earthworms play an important role in keeping the soil rich in minerals and overall healthy. If earthworms disappear, plants in such areas won't be getting the nutrients they need. Even for humans and pets, meeting a hammerhead worm isn't the most pleasant experience either. Hammerheads are the only terrestrial invertebrates that secrete a very dangerous neurotoxin, the same as puffer fish produce. Thanks to the sheer size of the human body, touching a hammerhead worm won't hurt you too much, but it may still cause your hand to start tingling or even go numb. It's much more dangerous for pets. There have been cases when dogs ate hammerheads, which left them feeling sick for the whole day.

Interestingly, these worms are native to Southeast Asia, but they must have mastered the art of hitchhiking since in the early 1900s they were already found in the US. Keep in mind that if you want to get rid of a hammerhead worm, which is the best course of action, the worst thing you can do is chop it with a shovel. The thing is, flatworms reproduce by ripping themselves in half. So, by cutting it, you actually help the populations of the worms, turning one into two. That's the reason why hammerheads are sometimes described as immortal, which is a bit of a stretch since these creatures can't survive in vinegar or salt. Now, even though you're safe from the hammerhead worm in West Texas, it doesn't mean you can't come across another dangerous animal, such as the land lobster from hell.

These creatures are also known as vinegar runes. And they're not real crustations. They're arachnids. Huh? Who would have guessed? Anyway, these eight-legged critters have a really nasty bite, but it's not the worst thing about them.

Land lobsters, brace yourself, spray vinegar-like 85% acid from their tails.

Mostly they do it to protect themselves, but it still sounds like an unfriendly thing to do, right? A land lobster can also pinch a finger that's gotten too close with its heavy mouth parts. At the base of their abdomen, vinegar runes have long whip-like tails.

That's why these arachnids are often called whipped scorpions, even though they're neither related to scorpions nor have stingers. Summer rains lure these arachnids out of their burrows in search of food and love. Luckily, experts claim that land lobbers aren't poisonous to humans, but they're very likely to leave a mark with their large pinchers, which they use to capture insects. Vinegar runes can be considered useful since they eat millipedes, crickets, scorpions, and cockroaches.

They hunt by sensing the vibrations of their prey with those long front legs of theirs. Since land lobsters prefer to come out after dark, you aren't likely to see one in the daylight. But if you stumble upon one, check it out. If it's a female, it may be carrying her hatchlings on her back. Now, imagine it's the middle of spring and you're walking among blooming flowers and greenery. Suddenly, you spot something extremely bizarre on the ground. The animal looks cute, fluffy, and soft looking. The desire to touch it is irresistible. Watch out. The sting of the hairy caterpillar can pack a serious punch. This one is called the pus moth caterpillar or asp. There are several stinging caterpillar species in Texas. The buck moth caterpillar, spiny oak slug caterpillar, saddleback caterpillar, and eomothth caterpillar. And touching any of them can lead to unpleasant consequences.

If you had touched that pretty hairy thing in the park, you'd most likely start feeling a burning sensation and develop an itchy rash. In the worst case scenario, you'd even have to go to the emergency room. The main problem is that people react very differently to caterpillar toxins. Some may develop more severe reactions than others. Plus, how bad the consequences are also depends on the thickness of the skin in the affected area. In most cases, the unpleasant sensation and rash go away in a few hours or sometimes days. On the bright side, such caterpillars later turn into moths and butterflies that help pollinate flowers and trees. Getting rid of these critters means doing a massive disservice to the area where you live. Specialists are sure that coming across a stinging caterpillar won't lead to anything bad if you keep in mind the rule of thumb.

If a caterpillar looks fuzzy, don't touch it. And the best solution to dealing with such creatures is educating people on what such caterpillars are, what they look like, and why it's dangerous to touch them with unprotected hands. Something interesting has recently happened in South Dakota. It was all over the internet, so perhaps you already know about it. In July of 2022, the sky in this state suddenly turned green. So, what happened there?

Was it caused by a human or by nature?

Let's find out. Tuesday, July 5th, 2022. Shortly after a heavy storm, the sky over South Dakota in the US was still overcast. Locals finally went outside and saw that the sky had an intense dark green hue. and they'd never seen anything like that before. People said that it looked like something straight up from science fiction or even a horror movie. Unsurprisingly, South Dotans immediately started spreading the news all over social media. People shared their beautiful yet very eerie pictures on Twitter. They showed the sky over the city of Sou Falls and a few other towns.

Even though it may look like something supernatural, in reality, this is not a terrifying phenomenon at all. It's a simple play of the light and the atmosphere. Something like this happens quite rarely and usually means that really bad weather is approaching. And that's also true to what happened in South Dakota. Just before people started sharing photos, a thunderstorm swept through the town of Sou Falls. This was confirmed by the US Weather Service. This hurricane was terrible. The wind speed was about 100 mph. According to the Buford scale on wind speeds, this is the fastest and most destructive storm. There are only 12 numbers on this scale and the maximum wind strength starts at 73 mph. But why isn't this all over the news then? Well, because it's kind of a usual thing for the residents.

Thunderstorms occur very often in the United States, especially in the warmer months, and one out of 10 such thunderstorms can become something serious like a tornado. This one wasn't an exception. It was the so-called Duro storm. Duro is very widespread and longived. It's actually a combination of a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms and downpours.

People often say that a Draco is as strong as a tornado. Still, there's a difference between them. A tornado is a vortex, a rotating column of air. It's usually about 500 ft in diameter, although sometimes its width can reach up to 2.5 mi. I don't envy those who would stumble upon that. But the main point is that they rotate. The wind moves very fast in a circle near some invisible center.

A Draco is a strong thunderstorm or a system of strong thunderstorms with straight line winds. In other words, it doesn't spin. Instead, the Draco chooses a point somewhere and simply runs to it like a very motivated marathon runner. If we compare a Draco to an ordinary tornado, the ladder has six levels of strength from 40 to 380 mph.

So a Draco is kind of like a small average level 1:2 tornado. Usually its speed is within the range of 73 to 113 mph. And in both cases they can be accompanied by severe thunderstorms, lightning and rain. But still these are different things.

A storm becomes a doco if the damaged trail left by it exceeds 240 mi and if the wind speed is at least 58 mph. It's quite difficult to predict. It can form even on a clear day when meteorologists don't even anticipate any storms and then the winds appear suddenly. It's so surprising that they may even feel explosive. But the National Weather Service tries to warn people at least half an hour or an hour before this happens so that residents have time to prepare and hide. It wasn't any different this time.

The storm swept through almost all of South Dakota as well as the states of Minnesota and Iowa. The consequences were quite serious. More than 30,000 people were left without electricity.

Fortunately, people were fine.

That's because the locals are pretty used to do. However, the green sky is something different. It became a very unusual sight for the locals. Everyone was wondering why it happened. Was it a bad sign or a normal weather phenomenon? Well, to be honest, scientists don't have an exact explanation. But although there are only assumptions, they sound pretty convincing.

A green sky is a very rare phenomenon.

Most scientists think that this happens when a powerful storm approaches the area before sunset or sunrise. Then the sky will turn green in this area. NBC meteorologist Bill Karens, who once faced a similar event himself, suggests that the green sky appeared because of the huge hail before the storm.

First, let's talk about why the sky looks blue or any other shade depending on its mood. In short, the sun simultaneously carries all the rays of the color spectrum. It may seem white to us in total, but it actually has all the colors at the same time. However, these color waves all have different lengths. For example, blue rays are shorter than the other ones. They jump away from the air molecules better than the red waves, so they reach us faster. Because of this, on a regular clear day, the sky seems blue. At the same time, red and orange color waves are very long and move slower, so they're usually left behind.

But when the sun goes below the horizon or rises, the rays directions change, and these waves reach us better.

It all means that even if the sunrises and sunsets seem red and orange to us, in fact, there are still blue and green waves among them. But they have to bounce off something to reach us faster and become stronger than the red rays. Have you guessed what I'm getting at? This is where the water comes into play. Clouds are made up of water droplets. When they become large enough but don't fall yet, for example, due to strong winds, they affect how the light behaves in the sky. Large heavy storms mostly consist of water and hail. And water reflects blue and green rays best of all. That's exactly the reason why the water in rivers and lakes seems bluish green to us, although in reality it's transparent. And yeah, algae matter, too.

So, there are a couple of key factors why the sky may turn green. First off, the sun should be at the horizon level.

Another factor is that while the storm clouds are approaching, they shouldn't cover the sky completely. There still must be a little room for the sun rays.

Then, barely noticeable blue rays jump up to storm clouds. They're repelled by water droplets and hail. mixing with the red sunset, they turn into a bright green light. And this green light is spreading all over the sky. That's why in most of these cases when the sky turns green, people can only see it in the evenings. Yeah, it can also happen in the middle of the day. But since the conditions are already quite specific, seeing something like that during the day is even rarer.

Still, if you see a green sky, you don't need to panic. It doesn't necessarily mean that a terrible storm is approaching. The chances are high, though, but still, it's not a rule. It can be just heavy rain or a heavy hail. In other words, if you see a green sky, then you'd better hide and hide your car. However, if you were lucky enough to see the stunning sky from the comfort of your own home, it's indeed very exciting. If you get a glimpse of something like that, just know that you had a chance to experience something very rare and special. Some people said it was the most incredible thing they had ever seen. Hi there. Have you ever wondered why birds tend to fly in circles? It's because of thermals. Now, a thermal is like a big bubble of warm air that rises up from the ground. Have you ever flown a kite on a windy day and watch it go up and down? Well, imagine if the wind was warm instead of cold and instead of a kite, you were a bird or a glider. So, yeah, that warm wind would be a thermal.

Thermals occur when the sun heats up the earth and the air close to the ground gets warm and starts to rise. This creates a column of rising air that birds and gliders can ride on to go up into the sky. Just like how you use the wind to fly a kite, birds can use thermals to soar without flapping their wings too much. They can circle inside the thermal and go higher and higher without using up too much energy. Those that especially tend to use this flying in circles mode are large raptors such as hawks, vultures, and eagles. When these birds circle in the sky, it looks like they're just hanging there. But nope, it's all about thermals again. It helps them because as they go higher without getting tired, they can look for food more easily or watch out for predators from a good position in the sky. Thermals are important for some other animals that fly too, like insects. You may see lots of birds flying in circles together. Sticking together helps them save even more energy. Some birds, like geese and ducks, tend to fly in a V formation to save their strength. What's interesting is that all the birds in the flock take turns leading the V. As they fly, the birds at the front get tired, so they fall back and another bird takes their place as the leader. This way, every bird gets a chance to rest and save energy. Thermals can also create powerful storms like thunderstorms. And sometimes when you see birds flying in circles or a Vshape, it's because they sense a storm is coming. This happens because bad weather comes hand in hand with low pressure. Low pressure systems are areas in the atmosphere where the air pressure is lower than the surrounding areas. When the pressure drops, it can cause the air to move and create wind. If there's enough moisture in the air, the low pressure can even cause thunderstorms, heavy rains, or even hurricanes. Migratory birds are often those who use their keen sense of hearing and vision to detect changes in weather conditions. When a storm is approaching, there can be changes in air pressure, wind speed, and temperature, which can affect their behavior. Some other animals have interesting types of behavior when the bad weather is coming, too. Cows and other livestock may huddle together in a group for warmth and protection during a storm. Also, cows are known to lie down in a field before a storm as a way to ease this discomfort. Or at least that may be something you've heard. So, what have you heard about this herd? Well, the belief is that cows predict the weather and lie down because they can feel a drop in air pressure that comes with an approaching storm. But science hasn't confirmed it yet since there's not enough evidence to support this idea.

Cows do like to lie down from time to time, but they do it for a variety of reasons, such as to rest or ruminate.

So, when you see one lying down, you can't be sure it's because bad weather is common. Different studies showed different results. One found out cows didn't show any significant changes in behavior before the rain, while another study found that cows stood up more often as the rain was coming.

Apparently, no one has actually asked the cows about this, but the cows aren't talking, which is why this point is moot. Amphibians, such as frogs and toads, can give us information about natural phenomena. When you hear frogs croaking louder and longer than usual, it might indicate that a storm is approaching. Frogs are sensitive to changes in humidity and air pressure, and they tend to become more active and vocal just before a storm. And when it comes to toads, research says they might even predict earthquakes. This is because before an earthquake, there are changes in the chemistry of the ponds where toads live. The shifts in the ground causes these changes, which in turn causes the toads to flee their homes. Scientists believe we should study these patterns to predict earthquakes more accurately. Meanwhile, dogs can sense storms and thunder, too. They feel changes in the air pressure in the atmosphere. Plus, they have a way better sense of hearing and smell than humans.

When a storm is approaching, you can spot certain things in their behavior.

For instance, they may become more restless or clingy. They may pant excessively or pace back and forth, and they may try to hide in a safe place.

This is because dogs can feel the static electricity that builds up in the air before a storm, and they may become anxious or frightened by the loud noises and bright flashes of lightning. There were stories that dogs can predict earthquakes, too. But there's no firm evidence of that. But who cares? Dogs are our heroes even without that. Now, honeybees can sense changes in pressure and humidity levels as well. So, they use this information to predict when a storm is coming. These are social insects that live in large groups in hives or colonies. That's why predicting weather is so important for them. They need to protect their hives and forge for food before the storm hits. So for bees, bad weather may come like a real vacation they've wanted for so long.

Just some chilling and eating all the food they've gathered before. Just like me in the sense. Spiders have superpowers when it comes to weather, too. Well, they can't exactly predict the weather, but their behavior can give us a clue about temperature outside.

When it's going to get colder, spiders might seek shelter indoors. So, if you see many spiders in your home, it could be a sign that colder weather is on the way. You may have heard snakes can predict earthquakes. The legend where this belief started actually dates back to 373 B.CE when snakes and other creatures are said to have left the area before a major earthquake in Greece.

Cool story, but there's little firm evidence to support the theory.

Scientists do acknowledge that snakes and other animals can sense earthquakes a few seconds before people do because they can feel the initial wave better, but it's still not clear if they can detect it days in advance. How about sheep in their sixth sense? It allows them to predict rain or snow. They huddle together tightly before a storm, which could be a way to keep warm or protect themselves from the weather. But this theory needs to be yet appropriately tested and proven. You will hear wolves howling during big storms as well. Many people think wolves do it when a full moon is outside. But some experts believe the change in air pressure that comes with a big storm may cause discomfort in sensitive canine ears. And this is what makes them howl. But again, it's hard to tell precisely because wolves howl for many reasons. They do it to signal danger, attract a mate, and communicate with their pack. There's also no evidence the full moon fascinates them so much that they feel the urge to howl when they see it. But it's good for the movies, though. Sharks have ears sensitive to changes in air and water pressure that usually occur during hurricanes and tropical storms. Some experts believe they can detect these and quickly dive into deeper waters to stay safe.

Studies showed sharks behave like this many times before storms. Again, no one's sure 100% about this, but like many other animals, they do have a special ability to detect changes in their environment and use it to survive and thrive over time. You're walking down the beach toward the water, but something feels different today. The water is bright green and your nose gets filled with a recognizable pungent stench of rotting eggs. Should you probably come closer to check this unusual phenomenon? Mm- Stop right now until it's too late. What you see is called a harmful algo bloom, also called algae bloom. And approaching it is a very bad idea. This bloom contains algae that can produce dangerous toxic gases. That's what makes previously popular touristy places deserted and outright treacherous. You can come to a sea or lake beach and spot something that looks like blue green foam floating on or just beneath the surface of the water. Or it may resemble streaks of bright green paint. Some blooms called red tides can color the water brown or red. Anyway, once you notice something like that, try to stay away. Keep in check that curiosity of yours and don't go exploring. When algae decompose, pockets of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas are trapped under the crust. If you unknowingly step on such a pocket, you'll set the gas free and can accidentally inhale it. It's enough to say that this is likely to end tragically. On some beaches, bulldozers pile up the algae into dump trucks and bring it to special centers. There, workers dry the seaweed and get rid of it. But sometimes these centers have to be temporarily closed. Algae mixed with sand and mud smells so awful that local people can't sleep at night because of the stench. There are three types of dangerous algae that can gather into harmful algaal blooms. Cyanobacteria, dinoflagelates, and datoms. All of them are made up of minuscule floating life forms that use sunlight to create their own food. The blue green algae blooms are caused by cyanobacteria. They produce dangerous toxins that destroy nerve tissue. It can get so bad that water treatment plants might be unable to get rid of the toxin.

Then local people are recommended not to use tap water. Dinoflagelates and one datom species are responsible for creating red tides. They occur mostly in ocean bays. For a red algo bloom to form, the water has to be warm, salty, and rich in nutrients. Such blooms release a huge amount of different toxins. In Texas, red tides used to happen once in a decade. Now they occur every 3 years. In Florida, red algo blooms appear every year. Long skinny datoms can also produce toxic substances harmful to people. Even worse, if some shellfish like razor clams eat a lot of this plankton, they become toxic, too.

That's why cooking them for dinner can lead to a disaster. It's one of the reasons why marine waters are usually monitored. If toxin levels become too high, beaches get closed for shellfish harvesting. Harmful algo blooms can last for several days to a couple of months.

They rid the water of oxygen, causing marine life to disappear. But it gets even worse when microbes start to decompose the algae at the end of the bloom. They consume even more oxygen in the process, and no fish can survive it.

This creates huge areas of water almost totally devoid of oxygen and any kind of plant or animal life. Harmful algo blooms appear in the regions with too many nutrients in the water. And the most common of these nutrients comes from agriculture and other industries.

Plus, winter monsoons have become warmer and now carry more moisture. This allows algae to gather in huge blooms. Some of them get so gigantic that the thick green swirls can be seen from space. Not all alol blooms are harmful, though.

Some of them just add a terrible taste to the water, change its color, or produce revolting smells. Unfortunately, you won't be able to tell toxic algae from totally harmless kinds, judging only by their appearance. Algae aren't the only organisms that look deceitfully harmless. Here are other marine inhabitants you should never ever touch.

The Arukenji jellyfish found in Australia looks tiny and totally innocent, but appearances are deceitful.

And this baby, the size of a human thumbnail, is actually lethal. During stinger season, which lasts from November to May, tons of beaches get closed because of these itsy-bitsy creatures. What makes the jellyfish particularly dangerous is their miniature size. You will simply fail to notice one while swimming. Oops.

The blue ringed octopus looks not just harmless, it's breathtakingly beautiful.

But don't let the looks fool you. You wouldn't want to disturb this relatively small 8-in long creature. It carries enough venom to bring down 26 adults within mere minutes. And once the animal feels threatened, well, you can probably guess the outcome. At the same time, when left alone, the octopus is absolutely docel.

The infamous box jellyfish, named for its cubic body shape, lives in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Stay clear from a creature with a squarish bell and long dangling tentacles. And even if you see only a single tentacle, without the jellyfish attached to it, don't come close or touch it. The box jellyfish can grow up to 10 feet. And each of its tentacles has about 500,000 microscopic harpoons to inject venom. Unlike other jellyfish, box jellyfish are hunters.

They can latch onto you by wrapping their slender tentacles around your limb or body. With how dangerous their venom is, it won't be a pleasant experience. The crown of thorn starfish got its name because of the venomous spines covering its entire body. The second largest starfish in the world, it can grow up to 20 in across. They feed on corals and they eat a lot. Just one hungry starfish can finish off more than 100 square feet of corals within a year.

The creatures also tend to have loads of babies. They produce more than 500 million eggs at a time. Really an overachiever. The fairly small blue spotted ribbon tail ray mostly lives in the tropical Indian and western Pacific oceans near coral reefs. No more than 14 in across, the creature has a striking color pattern. It's yellow with electric blue spots on its body and several blue stripes on its tail. But however pretty this animal is, keep in mind that it's also dangerous. It can injure you with venomous tail spines. You can come across lion fish in the South Pacific Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea. Despite what most people think, it's okay to cook these fish.

These creatures present real danger when they are alive. You can get accidentally stung by their needle-shaped fins that contain venom. If you're an enthusiastic shell collector, you should know the cone snail by sight. About 4 in long, the snail looks cute and innocent, but this look is deceitful, especially if you're dealing with a tropical species. Imagine finding a pretty shell and picking it up. You aren't afraid. Your diving gloves seem to offer perfect protection, but cone snails have tiny needle-like protrusions. They can deploy from their mouths and those are full of lethal neurotoxins. These harpoons can easily get through your diving suits fabric.

But the worst thing is that the venom contains painkillers. You won't even know you've been stung. The flower urchin got to the Guinness Book of Records as the most dangerous sea urchin on the planet.

These creatures live in the Indian and Western Pacific oceans. And while a flower urchin may look like something you'd love to see in your aquarium, never ever touch it. Flower urchins have enough venom to make your holiday extremely unpleasant or short. The reef stonefish, the world's most venomous fish, knows how to camouflage. Oh, goody. It can blend into the surroundings so well you won't even notice it even if you're paying attention. This makes it all too easy to step on the fish. Once the creature feels threatened, like when you're accidentally trying to crush it, it extends the venomous spines growing along its back. The more pressure, the more venom the fish produces. The creature remains dangerous even taken out of the water. The Indonesian needlefish isn't venomous, doesn't have sharp teeth, and will most likely stay as far away from you as possible. The danger lies in the fish's body shape. After all, it wasn't called the needle for nothing. Needle fish swim near the surface. In case of danger, they launch themselves out of the water, and their speed can reach 37 mph. Their long, sharp jaws turn the fish into flying spears. The striped surgeon fish got its name because of the spines growing near the base of its tail. When the fish feels endangered, it moves the tail and reveals these scalpel-shaped spines. If you don't hurry to move away, you can get several nasty cuts. Keep in mind that some species are also venomous.

Hey, have a nice day at the beach, y'all. 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 trapdo 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. Woo! Lucky you. But I didn't say you wouldn't feel it. Best stay away from those sizable pinser-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 rainforest 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 fowl 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 velociaptor.

But it's actually a casawary, 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 mph. 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 larae of another insect.

Then the hatch babies use these larae 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 smell.

If it's not, you risk being bitten by a preying 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's 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 impostors. But if you look really closely, you'll see the golden beef 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 larae 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 wings so quickly you can hardly see them. And that long needleike 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. That's it for today. So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.