Egyptian Cobras Hatching 01

The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is a species in the genus Naja found in Africa  and the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the largest Naja species in Africa. The Egyptian Cobra occurs in a wide variety of habitats like, steppes, dry to moist savannas, arid semi-desert regions with some water and vegetation. It ranges across most of North Africa north of the Sahara, across the savannas of West Africa to the south of the Sahara, south to the Congo basin and east to Kenya and Tanzania, and in southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Egyptian cobra is terrestrial and nocturnal species. It can however, be seen basking in the sun at times in the early morning. This species shows a preference for a permanent home base in abandoned animal burrows, termite mounds or rock outcrops. It is an active forager sometimes entering human habitations, especially when hunting domestic fowl. Like other cobra species, it generally attempts to escape when approached, but if threatened it assumes the typical upright posture with the hood expanded. The Egyptian cobra is an especially aggressive species. 

The venom of the Egyptian cobra consists mainly of neurotoxins and cytotoxins. The venom affects the nervous system, stopping the nerve signals from being transmitted to the muscles and at later stages stopping those transmitted to the heart and lungs as well, causing death due to complete respiratory failure.

This cobra species prefers to eat toads, but it will prey on small mammals, birds, eggs, lizards and other snakes. The hatching of Egyptian Cobras was filmed by Heiko Kiera aka Ojatro in 2012

Project Bahamian Iguanas

July 2012: I’ve jointed wildlife biologist Joe Wasilewski and reptile expert Tom Cruchfield to rise awareness for their rock iguana conservation project. All Bahamian Iguanas are critically endangered today. Some species counting less than 500 animals, like the rock iguanas found on the island of San Salvador, making them the rarest lizard on earth. This wonderful animals need our help to survive. Please get involve by spreading the word and sharing this video. Your help will be much appreciate.

Python eats Python 01

Two Burmese Pythons fighting over one rat, one python gets killed and eaten by the other python.

Cottonmouth Eats Rattlesnake 01

The cottonmouth (aka water moccasin) is immune to it's own venom. These opportunistic feeders are know to feed on snakes, including their own species as well as other venomous snakes such as the eastern diamondback rattlesnake shown in this video. The cottonmouth's bite injected a fair amount of venom into the rattler's head, which subsequently swelled considerably and paralyzed the rattlesnake within thirty minutes. Nevertheless, it can be observed from this footage, that the eastern diamondback rattlesnake was still alive (tail movements) while almost swallowed by its predator...

Crocodile Attacks Duck 01

It is presumed that American Crocodiles in Florida feed primarily on fish, such as bass, tarpon, and especially mullet. But this is not to say that this species preys entirely on fish. Crocodiles are largely opportunistic feeders, and therefore it is not uncommon to find them lying in wait for mammals that come to the water's edge or for water birds, such as storks, egrets, pelicans and ducks that frequent their habitat. When capturing a large bird, the crocodile will not always feed on its prey item instantly but rather carry the bird around for some time. Juvenile crocodiles take a similar approach to feeding but on a smaller scale. They will eat nearly anything that is small enough for them to ingest, including insects, small fish, and frogs and their larvae. It has been reported that this species prefers to hunt during the first hours following nightfall, especially on moonless nights. It is, however, safe to assume that this crocodile will take a meal any time it can get one. The feeding mechanism of crocodiles for large prey is unique in the animal kingdom. Once a crocodile succeeds in capturing a large mammal, it will proceed to drown it. When the animal is dead the crocodile will hold on to one body part and roll its body until the affected part is completely twisted off, thereby creating a bite-size chunk that is easily ingested. If the prey is too large to be consumed in one sitting, it is not uncommon for the crocodile to take it to a hiding place, usually underneath an overhanging bank or submerged log, and consume it at a later time. Small prey will be ingested whole.

Snake Bite 01

Statistically, about 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year and an average of 10 people a year die because of improper care. In the Florida, about 10 people per year were bitten by a cottonmouths aka water moccasins near water. The height of snake season is between April and October, peaking between July and August. Snakes are generally less active at temperatures less than 50-60 degrees, or greater than 80 degrees. The cardinal signs and symptoms of pit viper envenomation include: burning pain (the commonest, earliest sign), puncture wound (50% of the time accompanied by a bloody ooze), swelling, skin discoloration, nausea and vomiting, minty, metallic, rubbery taste in the mouth, sweating, chills, numbness and tingling of the mouth, face, scalp, and wound site, ecchymosis and production of blebs and blisters, erythema and edema progressing from the wound site, weakness, vertigo, haematemesis epistaxis, muscle fasiculations, paralysis, shock, convulsions, loss of sphincter control, melena haematuria, and renal shutdown. Envenomation may include some or all of these symptoms, depending on the severity of envenomation. Death can occur up to several days following the bite, or in as little as two hours. In pit viper envenomation the average death occurs in two days. If the bite is inflicted in an artery, vein, lymphatics, or a nerve, death will occur in 30 seconds to 10 minutes. If the victim does not die within the first 10 to 30 minutes, you have excess of 12 hours to get to proper medical help; in most cases, severe complications or death will not occur if proper medical protocol is followed.

Bobcat vs Python 01

This was the first time for me to film the elusive bobcat here in South Florida. Bobcats live throughout North America and are adaptable predators, which inhabits the wooded areas as well as the swampland here in Florida. They are smaller than the Canadian Lynx and twice as large as the domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail, from which it derives its name. Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it will hunt anything from Insects and small rodents to deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although there is some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.