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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:00,353 --> 00:00:02,853 (tense music) 2 00:00:03,961 --> 00:00:07,824 No animals fascinate like snakes. 3 00:00:07,824 --> 00:00:10,324 (tense music) 4 00:00:11,704 --> 00:00:13,874 Terrifying to some, 5 00:00:13,874 --> 00:00:15,541 exquisite to others. 6 00:00:18,681 --> 00:00:20,598 Elegant and endangered. 7 00:00:21,609 --> 00:00:24,109 (tense music) 8 00:00:26,749 --> 00:00:27,832 Born to hunt, 9 00:00:30,369 --> 00:00:32,640 yet so vulnerable. 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,140 (tense music) 11 00:00:43,229 --> 00:00:46,146 (orchestral music) 12 00:00:59,428 --> 00:01:00,428 Late winter. 13 00:01:02,282 --> 00:01:05,115 The snow has grown damp and heavy. 14 00:01:09,444 --> 00:01:11,774 Most of the animals have survived the cold months 15 00:01:11,774 --> 00:01:12,691 quite well. 16 00:01:14,627 --> 00:01:18,794 Soon the white ermine will chance its color to brown. 17 00:01:19,965 --> 00:01:23,632 South facing slopes are already nearly bare. 18 00:01:25,065 --> 00:01:28,716 Those who succumbed to the cold and snow slowly appear. 19 00:01:28,716 --> 00:01:30,466 Insects, for example. 20 00:01:33,132 --> 00:01:36,632 The snow also reveals other fragile forms. 21 00:01:37,660 --> 00:01:40,493 A snakeskin discarded last autumn, 22 00:01:45,367 --> 00:01:47,768 but where is the snake itself? 23 00:01:47,768 --> 00:01:49,225 Where did it disappear to 24 00:01:49,225 --> 00:01:52,225 when snow and ice covered the Earth? 25 00:01:57,242 --> 00:01:58,515 Snakes spend the winter 26 00:01:58,515 --> 00:02:01,598 in frost free cavities in the ground. 27 00:02:03,170 --> 00:02:06,460 Their body energy is reduced to a minimum. 28 00:02:06,460 --> 00:02:10,043 In this brumation they can just keep alive. 29 00:02:19,205 --> 00:02:23,122 The power of the spring sun changes everything. 30 00:02:25,940 --> 00:02:29,857 Until the snakes drowsily abandon their refuge. 31 00:02:32,061 --> 00:02:34,978 (mysterious music) 32 00:02:44,692 --> 00:02:48,658 Its first winter over a young Aesculapian snake 33 00:02:48,658 --> 00:02:53,324 directs its attention to the spring butterflies. 34 00:02:53,324 --> 00:02:54,820 They don't count as prey, 35 00:02:54,820 --> 00:02:58,987 but they're the first lifeforms its seen in six months. 36 00:03:04,661 --> 00:03:07,725 And soon there's much more to see. 37 00:03:07,725 --> 00:03:10,642 (orchestral music) 38 00:03:17,999 --> 00:03:20,112 More and more snakes also appear 39 00:03:20,112 --> 00:03:23,612 with the rising temperatures to sun bathe. 40 00:03:25,268 --> 00:03:29,435 The harmless grass snake is the most common snake in Europe. 41 00:03:31,606 --> 00:03:33,869 It's recognized by the two yellow markings 42 00:03:33,869 --> 00:03:35,869 on the back of its head. 43 00:03:39,837 --> 00:03:43,999 After its winter rest it's not just looking for warmth. 44 00:03:43,999 --> 00:03:48,163 Sometimes spring see the phenomenon of mass mating 45 00:03:48,163 --> 00:03:50,080 when 50 or more gather. 46 00:03:54,528 --> 00:03:57,945 They'll spend the rest of the year alone. 47 00:04:03,931 --> 00:04:08,098 Spring is also the time to encounter the slough worm. 48 00:04:13,903 --> 00:04:15,407 It looks like a snake, 49 00:04:15,407 --> 00:04:17,917 but only at first glance. 50 00:04:17,917 --> 00:04:21,417 It has eyelids and that makes it a lizard. 51 00:04:28,303 --> 00:04:30,987 Snake eyes by contrast are lidless 52 00:04:30,987 --> 00:04:33,653 and covered by a transparent scale, 53 00:04:33,653 --> 00:04:37,320 that's what gives them the snake like stare. 54 00:04:41,723 --> 00:04:44,473 So if it blinks it's not a snake, 55 00:04:45,775 --> 00:04:48,608 a subtle but important difference. 56 00:04:54,750 --> 00:04:58,839 Even today there's a great deal of ignorance about snakes. 57 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,533 They're permanently darting tongues 58 00:05:00,533 --> 00:05:02,294 are not a sign of aggression. 59 00:05:02,294 --> 00:05:04,544 It's their way of smelling. 60 00:05:08,262 --> 00:05:10,360 Odor molecules are drawn from the air 61 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,527 and evaluated by a special organ in the roof of the mouth. 62 00:05:15,814 --> 00:05:19,647 Their darting tongues lead them to their prey. 63 00:05:27,635 --> 00:05:30,081 It even works underwater. 64 00:05:30,081 --> 00:05:32,414 (splashing) 65 00:05:34,713 --> 00:05:37,113 The growing intensity of the spring sun 66 00:05:37,113 --> 00:05:41,507 quickly warms the upper levels of the lake. 67 00:05:41,507 --> 00:05:45,674 The swimming season has started for the grass snake. 68 00:05:54,574 --> 00:05:57,904 A grass snake can grow to nearly two meters. 69 00:05:57,904 --> 00:06:02,071 Moving with extreme elegance in the liquid element. 70 00:06:04,029 --> 00:06:05,790 The search for amphibian prey 71 00:06:05,790 --> 00:06:08,929 may mean swimming hundreds of meters. 72 00:06:08,929 --> 00:06:11,262 (splashing) 73 00:06:14,743 --> 00:06:16,339 No shortage of frogs and toads 74 00:06:16,339 --> 00:06:19,839 in the tangled vegetation along the shore. 75 00:06:21,471 --> 00:06:24,361 Toads are perfect sized prey, 76 00:06:24,361 --> 00:06:27,400 but this one has a bright signal color. 77 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:29,900 (tense music) 78 00:06:31,256 --> 00:06:35,423 Toads and grass snakes don't exactly live in harmony. 79 00:06:36,710 --> 00:06:39,043 But the snake is indecisive. 80 00:06:42,145 --> 00:06:45,115 It may look like the toad is giving up, 81 00:06:45,115 --> 00:06:49,032 but in fact it's displaying its warning colors. 82 00:06:50,051 --> 00:06:54,735 To the grass snake that means I'm inedible, move on. 83 00:06:54,735 --> 00:06:57,235 (tense music) 84 00:07:02,212 --> 00:07:03,698 And when the snake is out of range 85 00:07:03,698 --> 00:07:05,615 the toad takes off too. 86 00:07:08,472 --> 00:07:11,028 Another predator is in and out of the water. 87 00:07:11,028 --> 00:07:12,445 A European otter. 88 00:07:16,684 --> 00:07:20,851 It eats fish, crabs, muscles, amphibians and snakes. 89 00:07:28,613 --> 00:07:30,696 Otters are superb divers. 90 00:07:35,025 --> 00:07:38,578 A gently gliding grass snake has no chance. 91 00:07:38,578 --> 00:07:41,578 (suspenseful music) 92 00:07:48,205 --> 00:07:50,288 The snake has no defense. 93 00:07:54,062 --> 00:07:56,755 The scent gland meant to frighten off smaller attackers 94 00:07:56,755 --> 00:08:00,672 only seems to make the otter's meal more tasty. 95 00:08:03,455 --> 00:08:05,122 It devours it whole. 96 00:08:07,567 --> 00:08:09,150 Every little piece. 97 00:08:14,978 --> 00:08:17,395 (jazz music) 98 00:08:19,718 --> 00:08:23,885 Snakes have conquered nearly ever habitat in Europe. 99 00:08:24,913 --> 00:08:27,246 One climbs to great heights. 100 00:08:30,989 --> 00:08:34,941 Spotted in tree tops at 20 meters or more. 101 00:08:34,941 --> 00:08:36,774 The Aesculapian snake. 102 00:08:39,623 --> 00:08:43,790 It's not poisonous, and a true survival specialist. 103 00:08:51,415 --> 00:08:54,498 Its greatest skill is climbing trees. 104 00:09:01,501 --> 00:09:03,991 As if gravity didn't exist it glides higher 105 00:09:03,991 --> 00:09:07,026 and higher in a vertical line 106 00:09:07,026 --> 00:09:09,307 by jamming the edge of its belly scales 107 00:09:09,307 --> 00:09:11,140 into any irregularity, 108 00:09:15,986 --> 00:09:19,819 and snaking its way continuously up the trunk. 109 00:09:24,389 --> 00:09:25,406 At dizzying heights 110 00:09:25,406 --> 00:09:29,156 it seeks out an undisturbed place in the sun. 111 00:09:32,466 --> 00:09:35,330 The norther most habitat of the Aesculapian snake 112 00:09:35,330 --> 00:09:37,682 takes in southern Germany, the Czech Republic, 113 00:09:37,682 --> 00:09:39,432 Slovakia and Austria. 114 00:09:40,969 --> 00:09:45,319 At over two meters, it's one of the largest snakes in Europe 115 00:09:45,319 --> 00:09:47,652 and it's harmless to humans. 116 00:09:50,305 --> 00:09:53,516 About 2,000 years ago the species was given a boost 117 00:09:53,516 --> 00:09:57,756 by the Roman city of Carnuntum near Vienna. 118 00:09:57,756 --> 00:10:00,133 When more Aesculapian snakes were brought 119 00:10:00,133 --> 00:10:04,017 from the Mediterranean and released in Carnuntum 120 00:10:04,017 --> 00:10:06,934 (orchestral music) 121 00:10:12,553 --> 00:10:16,032 The snake was welcomed for religious reasons. 122 00:10:16,032 --> 00:10:19,272 It was dedicated to the Roman god Aesculapius 123 00:10:19,272 --> 00:10:22,022 and was itself considered divine. 124 00:10:23,574 --> 00:10:26,069 Even today it symbolizes the healing arts 125 00:10:26,069 --> 00:10:28,652 for physicians and pharmacists. 126 00:10:31,081 --> 00:10:35,273 But the Romans didn't just bring the Aesculapian to Austria, 127 00:10:35,273 --> 00:10:37,940 they also brought domestic rats, 128 00:10:39,221 --> 00:10:42,471 that hadn't been known here until then. 129 00:10:43,935 --> 00:10:47,147 Proximity to humans gave them refuge and plenty of food 130 00:10:47,147 --> 00:10:49,480 and they multiplied rapidly. 131 00:11:00,456 --> 00:11:03,912 Aesculapian snakes almost became domesticated 132 00:11:03,912 --> 00:11:06,872 thanks to the permanent offering of rats. 133 00:11:06,872 --> 00:11:09,705 (unnerving music) 134 00:11:15,532 --> 00:11:18,805 In Roman times the Aesculapian was highly appreciated 135 00:11:18,805 --> 00:11:20,555 as a pest controller. 136 00:11:27,871 --> 00:11:30,288 Some things change over time. 137 00:11:33,676 --> 00:11:36,240 2,000 years later Aesculapian snakes 138 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:40,407 are still seen in gardens in Vienna and lower Austria. 139 00:11:44,850 --> 00:11:48,683 These gardens are rarely full of mice or rats. 140 00:11:55,753 --> 00:11:58,445 But another potential prey, birds and their young 141 00:11:58,445 --> 00:12:00,826 are often found in larger numbers here 142 00:12:00,826 --> 00:12:03,076 than in forests or meadows. 143 00:12:17,861 --> 00:12:22,028 The Goldfinch is possible prey for an Aesculapian snake. 144 00:12:29,850 --> 00:12:32,600 (dramatic music) 145 00:12:36,006 --> 00:12:40,818 But this climbing snake if drawn by a different odor trail. 146 00:12:40,818 --> 00:12:41,651 A tit box. 147 00:12:48,939 --> 00:12:52,431 If it's occupied that's the end of the brood. 148 00:12:52,431 --> 00:12:55,914 If not it'll be a good overnight shelter. 149 00:12:55,914 --> 00:12:58,664 (dramatic music) 150 00:13:07,038 --> 00:13:08,462 Where there are no nestings 151 00:13:08,462 --> 00:13:11,030 an Aesculapian snake will also be satisfied 152 00:13:11,030 --> 00:13:13,203 with a clutch of eggs. 153 00:13:13,203 --> 00:13:16,203 (suspenseful music) 154 00:13:26,095 --> 00:13:28,022 Its lower jaw is so flexible 155 00:13:28,022 --> 00:13:30,939 that it can swallow the eggs whole. 156 00:13:46,803 --> 00:13:47,989 Some species of snake 157 00:13:47,989 --> 00:13:49,554 can be found in large numbers 158 00:13:49,554 --> 00:13:53,721 at the end of the spring in piles of leaves and vegetation. 159 00:13:59,134 --> 00:14:02,018 In such exposed areas they're not seeking food, 160 00:14:02,018 --> 00:14:05,601 but suitable locations for their offspring. 161 00:14:11,089 --> 00:14:13,165 Three central European snake species 162 00:14:13,165 --> 00:14:15,646 don't give birth to live young. 163 00:14:15,646 --> 00:14:18,979 They lay eggs in decomposing vegetation. 164 00:14:21,700 --> 00:14:24,944 Snake eggs don't have hard shells like birds' eggs. 165 00:14:24,944 --> 00:14:29,111 Their surfaces appear leathery and have indentations. 166 00:14:32,978 --> 00:14:36,145 Female grass snakes lay 10 to 50 eggs. 167 00:14:39,878 --> 00:14:42,316 Snakes don't brood the eggs themselves, 168 00:14:42,316 --> 00:14:46,316 the heat of rotting vegetation does it for them. 169 00:14:49,588 --> 00:14:51,010 Central European landscapes 170 00:14:51,010 --> 00:14:54,210 reach from the lowlands to the highlands. 171 00:14:54,210 --> 00:14:58,377 One species of snake has adapted to the higher climbs. 172 00:15:02,077 --> 00:15:03,742 Its found in the foothills of the alps 173 00:15:03,742 --> 00:15:06,242 between 1,000 to 2,000 meters. 174 00:15:10,166 --> 00:15:13,166 It loves the harsh mountain climate. 175 00:15:15,602 --> 00:15:18,602 A snake wreathed in myth and legend. 176 00:15:19,742 --> 00:15:21,992 The Adder, or common viper. 177 00:15:24,590 --> 00:15:26,640 A contemporary of the mammoth 178 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,723 that has survived to the present day. 179 00:15:32,722 --> 00:15:34,763 The vertical pupil of the viper family 180 00:15:34,763 --> 00:15:37,321 is its most distinctive feature, 181 00:15:37,321 --> 00:15:39,404 and vipers are poisonous. 182 00:15:46,248 --> 00:15:50,415 On the back of their head there's often a V or X shape 183 00:15:52,198 --> 00:15:55,531 and a dark zigzag ribbon along its back. 184 00:16:02,965 --> 00:16:06,223 The females are mostly brown to copper colored. 185 00:16:06,223 --> 00:16:09,597 While the males are more of a gray color, 186 00:16:09,597 --> 00:16:11,452 but even among hundreds of animals 187 00:16:11,452 --> 00:16:14,702 no two share exactly the same coloring. 188 00:16:15,834 --> 00:16:19,001 Their tail always ends in a short tip. 189 00:16:22,242 --> 00:16:23,909 In the cool alpine climate 190 00:16:23,909 --> 00:16:27,182 mating often first takes place in May. 191 00:16:27,182 --> 00:16:30,099 (orchestral music) 192 00:16:39,562 --> 00:16:42,033 The smaller males besiege the females 193 00:16:42,033 --> 00:16:44,200 and perform mating dances. 194 00:16:50,257 --> 00:16:53,415 The whole process can take several hours. 195 00:16:53,415 --> 00:16:56,332 (orchestral music) 196 00:17:04,594 --> 00:17:07,230 For centuries there have been stubborn rumors 197 00:17:07,230 --> 00:17:09,556 that a highly dangerous poisonous snake 198 00:17:09,556 --> 00:17:13,062 lives in remote mountain regions, 199 00:17:13,062 --> 00:17:16,001 immediately recognizable for everyone. 200 00:17:16,001 --> 00:17:19,918 It's black as midnight, the black common viper. 201 00:17:23,348 --> 00:17:26,543 They exist, but they're neither a separate species, 202 00:17:26,543 --> 00:17:28,533 nor especially dangerous. 203 00:17:28,533 --> 00:17:31,299 They are completely black common vipers 204 00:17:31,299 --> 00:17:33,512 that every now and then appear. 205 00:17:33,512 --> 00:17:36,590 In effect the opposite of an albino, 206 00:17:36,590 --> 00:17:38,517 and like every common viper, 207 00:17:38,517 --> 00:17:41,100 they have an appetite for mice. 208 00:17:54,191 --> 00:17:57,191 (suspenseful music) 209 00:17:58,607 --> 00:18:01,067 Two hollow teeth like injecting needles 210 00:18:01,067 --> 00:18:03,694 are located in the upper jaw. 211 00:18:03,694 --> 00:18:08,345 They're supplied by poison glands in the head. 212 00:18:08,345 --> 00:18:11,345 (suspenseful music) 213 00:18:24,321 --> 00:18:28,249 The poison targets the vascular system. 214 00:18:28,249 --> 00:18:30,869 The mouse dies within minutes. 215 00:18:30,869 --> 00:18:33,619 (dramatic music) 216 00:18:37,356 --> 00:18:40,611 Only then will the snake claim its prey. 217 00:18:40,611 --> 00:18:43,528 (orchestral music) 218 00:18:47,694 --> 00:18:49,521 Common vipers rarely grow longer 219 00:18:49,521 --> 00:18:51,688 than 60 to 70 centimeters. 220 00:18:53,038 --> 00:18:55,384 They can become angry if they're approached to closely 221 00:18:55,384 --> 00:18:57,175 and feel threatened. 222 00:18:57,175 --> 00:19:00,092 (orchestral music) 223 00:19:10,224 --> 00:19:14,391 Deer leave the mountain forests to graze in green pastures. 224 00:19:16,627 --> 00:19:20,843 The preferred sunbathing area of the common viper. 225 00:19:20,843 --> 00:19:23,843 (suspenseful music) 226 00:19:35,576 --> 00:19:38,488 Snakes have neither an outer ear nor an eardrum 227 00:19:38,488 --> 00:19:40,571 and therefor hear poorly. 228 00:19:44,261 --> 00:19:46,034 Their inner ear is sensitive 229 00:19:46,034 --> 00:19:49,419 to the vibrations caused by larger mammals. 230 00:19:49,419 --> 00:19:52,419 (suspenseful music) 231 00:20:04,229 --> 00:20:07,242 A snake's first instinct is to flee. 232 00:20:07,242 --> 00:20:10,242 (suspenseful music) 233 00:20:18,091 --> 00:20:21,596 But when a common viper feels crowded 234 00:20:21,596 --> 00:20:25,513 and the unsuspecting deer continues to advance, 235 00:20:28,980 --> 00:20:32,232 a step too far can lead to doom. 236 00:20:32,232 --> 00:20:35,232 (suspenseful music) 237 00:20:44,354 --> 00:20:48,691 A defense bite injects less poison than a hunting attack 238 00:20:48,691 --> 00:20:50,774 but this is a young deer. 239 00:20:57,033 --> 00:21:00,366 After just an hour it loses its balance, 240 00:21:04,401 --> 00:21:06,991 and it crashes to the ground. 241 00:21:06,991 --> 00:21:09,741 (dramatic music) 242 00:21:17,864 --> 00:21:20,053 The poison has caused internal bleeding 243 00:21:20,053 --> 00:21:22,403 and damaged critical organs. 244 00:21:22,403 --> 00:21:25,153 (dramatic music) 245 00:21:29,806 --> 00:21:33,897 In some cases a viper's bite can result in death. 246 00:21:33,897 --> 00:21:36,647 (dramatic music) 247 00:21:43,483 --> 00:21:46,990 But no human has died from the bite of a common viper 248 00:21:46,990 --> 00:21:48,407 since the 1960's. 249 00:21:52,913 --> 00:21:56,046 Hedgehogs make their home in many different habitats 250 00:21:56,046 --> 00:21:59,546 including those shared with common vipers. 251 00:22:00,648 --> 00:22:03,321 As well as alpine uplands, 252 00:22:03,321 --> 00:22:06,601 common vipers also like hilly moorland. 253 00:22:06,601 --> 00:22:10,768 They've adapted to the damper climate over millennia. 254 00:22:17,216 --> 00:22:20,049 (unnerving music) 255 00:22:24,117 --> 00:22:27,110 When a common viper encounters a hedgehog 256 00:22:27,110 --> 00:22:29,860 the snake doesn't stand a chance. 257 00:22:32,066 --> 00:22:35,403 Hedgehogs are passionate insectivores, 258 00:22:35,403 --> 00:22:38,903 but they won't sniff at a poisonous snake. 259 00:22:40,845 --> 00:22:44,004 Their spines are perfect protection. 260 00:22:44,004 --> 00:22:47,004 (suspenseful music) 261 00:23:05,107 --> 00:23:07,412 Its only a matter of time 262 00:23:07,412 --> 00:23:10,108 before the exhausted common viper loses 263 00:23:10,108 --> 00:23:12,513 the life or death struggle. 264 00:23:12,513 --> 00:23:15,513 (suspenseful music) 265 00:23:24,911 --> 00:23:26,527 The boggy cotton grass meadows 266 00:23:26,527 --> 00:23:29,970 hide a doppelganger of the common viper. 267 00:23:29,970 --> 00:23:32,137 The harmless smooth snake. 268 00:23:41,668 --> 00:23:45,033 A closer look reveals the difference, 269 00:23:45,033 --> 00:23:47,784 while common vipers have vertical pupils 270 00:23:47,784 --> 00:23:51,117 a smooth snakes pupils are always round. 271 00:23:54,637 --> 00:23:58,137 It may not be poisonous but it is unusual. 272 00:24:01,394 --> 00:24:05,061 Smooth snakes hunt lizards and other snakes. 273 00:24:10,321 --> 00:24:14,488 If it meets a common viper, the vipers life is in danger, 274 00:24:18,973 --> 00:24:20,890 but this one's too big. 275 00:24:33,738 --> 00:24:35,655 The smooth snake stops. 276 00:24:38,445 --> 00:24:40,945 (tense music) 277 00:24:55,855 --> 00:24:59,355 It coils around its victim to strangle it. 278 00:25:04,671 --> 00:25:07,080 The mini anaconda only lets go 279 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,747 when it's suffocated the lizard, 280 00:25:15,538 --> 00:25:17,538 and it can drag it away. 281 00:25:29,575 --> 00:25:32,492 (orchestral music) 282 00:25:35,595 --> 00:25:39,481 A summer dawn over the warmest alpine lake. 283 00:25:39,481 --> 00:25:41,398 Carinthia's Worthersee. 284 00:25:46,039 --> 00:25:49,956 Snake Island was named for its elongated shape, 285 00:25:53,316 --> 00:25:55,758 but like its neighbor Kapuziner Island, 286 00:25:55,758 --> 00:25:59,258 it's a perfect habitat for the dice snake. 287 00:26:12,128 --> 00:26:16,211 It's harmless to humans and a habitat specialist. 288 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:24,389 It can swim and dive exceptionally well, 289 00:26:24,389 --> 00:26:27,868 remaining underwater for an hour or more. 290 00:26:27,868 --> 00:26:30,785 (mysterious music) 291 00:26:38,637 --> 00:26:41,811 Dice snakes prefer to hunt small fish. 292 00:26:41,811 --> 00:26:43,252 They lurk at the bottom of the lake 293 00:26:43,252 --> 00:26:45,942 and snap at passing prey. 294 00:26:45,942 --> 00:26:48,859 (mysterious music) 295 00:26:57,853 --> 00:27:01,135 If the tidbit is too big to devour immediately, 296 00:27:01,135 --> 00:27:04,913 the dice snake brings its prey onto land. 297 00:27:04,913 --> 00:27:07,830 (orchestral music) 298 00:27:16,014 --> 00:27:18,957 This snake can be found throughout Europe 299 00:27:18,957 --> 00:27:21,457 when the conditions are right. 300 00:27:25,676 --> 00:27:28,420 Above all it needs unpolluted waters 301 00:27:28,420 --> 00:27:30,440 like here in Worthersee. 302 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,626 (orchestral music) 303 00:27:33,626 --> 00:27:37,793 Or natural flowing streams with unreconstructed banks. 304 00:27:39,107 --> 00:27:41,940 Like the Kamp in northern Austria. 305 00:27:45,140 --> 00:27:49,057 One of the few rivers that remains unregulated. 306 00:27:56,223 --> 00:27:58,760 The dice snake hides on a gravel bank 307 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:00,843 warming up between dives. 308 00:28:10,656 --> 00:28:13,823 Then it returns to the flowing waters. 309 00:28:26,614 --> 00:28:29,447 (water splashing) 310 00:28:33,424 --> 00:28:37,138 Although the dice snake is rarely longer than one meter, 311 00:28:37,138 --> 00:28:39,138 it's extremely powerful. 312 00:28:41,039 --> 00:28:45,122 Once it has a grip, it won't let go of this rudd. 313 00:28:53,929 --> 00:28:57,582 Like all snakes it isn't able to dismember its prey 314 00:28:57,582 --> 00:28:59,499 so it devours it whole. 315 00:29:02,445 --> 00:29:04,545 Thanks to its extremely flexible jaw 316 00:29:04,545 --> 00:29:07,628 it can swallow relatively plump fish. 317 00:29:11,567 --> 00:29:15,150 It then wrenches its mouth back into shape. 318 00:29:18,391 --> 00:29:20,889 In 2009 the dice snake was named 319 00:29:20,889 --> 00:29:23,791 endangered reptile of the year, 320 00:29:23,791 --> 00:29:26,176 and that still applies today. 321 00:29:26,176 --> 00:29:30,343 It only survives where there is clean clear water. 322 00:29:34,630 --> 00:29:37,197 The dice snake had laid up to 25 eggs 323 00:29:37,197 --> 00:29:41,114 in rotting vegetation near its hunting grounds. 324 00:29:42,705 --> 00:29:43,873 The heat of decomposition 325 00:29:43,873 --> 00:29:47,623 will hatch the clutch of eggs after 10 weeks. 326 00:29:51,732 --> 00:29:55,482 The leathery shell is perforated from within. 327 00:30:01,928 --> 00:30:04,610 It can take minutes or several hours 328 00:30:04,610 --> 00:30:08,799 for the young snakes to struggle out of the egg shell. 329 00:30:08,799 --> 00:30:11,716 (orchestral music) 330 00:30:23,406 --> 00:30:25,379 The birth process of these reptiles 331 00:30:25,379 --> 00:30:28,569 hasn't changed for millions of years. 332 00:30:28,569 --> 00:30:31,486 (orchestral music) 333 00:30:38,911 --> 00:30:41,003 The little snakes are perfectly developed 334 00:30:41,003 --> 00:30:45,522 from the first moment and still carry their yoke sac 335 00:30:45,522 --> 00:30:49,075 which they'll lose in the next two days. 336 00:30:49,075 --> 00:30:51,992 (orchestral music) 337 00:31:05,643 --> 00:31:09,810 Tangles of young grass snakes are found until mid summer. 338 00:31:10,786 --> 00:31:13,019 Once they make their way to the surface 339 00:31:13,019 --> 00:31:14,852 each goes its own way. 340 00:31:20,549 --> 00:31:24,716 Frog spawn has long since transformed into tadpoles. 341 00:31:28,092 --> 00:31:30,229 In cool mountain areas they develop slowly 342 00:31:30,229 --> 00:31:32,979 and can still be found in August. 343 00:31:39,325 --> 00:31:42,992 The table is set for the young grass snakes. 344 00:31:45,471 --> 00:31:49,016 They don't need to learn to hunt, they're born to it. 345 00:31:49,016 --> 00:31:52,016 (suspenseful music) 346 00:31:57,939 --> 00:31:59,640 Tadpoles are the ideal prey 347 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:03,807 for snakes that hardly longer than 10 centimeters. 348 00:32:07,288 --> 00:32:10,538 The young grass snakes seem insatiable. 349 00:32:13,184 --> 00:32:14,596 But when they can't find food 350 00:32:14,596 --> 00:32:17,777 they may need to fast for several weeks. 351 00:32:17,777 --> 00:32:20,777 (suspenseful music) 352 00:32:27,233 --> 00:32:29,134 It's not unusual for several young snakes 353 00:32:29,134 --> 00:32:31,217 to fish in the same pond. 354 00:32:32,146 --> 00:32:36,128 There are lighter and darker versions of grass snakes, 355 00:32:36,128 --> 00:32:38,203 but the behavior is the same. 356 00:32:38,203 --> 00:32:40,120 Eat as much as you can. 357 00:32:45,997 --> 00:32:49,280 Time for a rest after a good meal. 358 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:50,686 That applies to all snakes 359 00:32:50,686 --> 00:32:52,936 because they digest slowly. 360 00:33:01,908 --> 00:33:06,075 However the slow and inattentive live dangerously. 361 00:33:07,565 --> 00:33:09,401 Of the large number of grass snakes 362 00:33:09,401 --> 00:33:13,893 that hatch every year only a fraction survive. 363 00:33:13,893 --> 00:33:16,893 Ravenous hunters are everywhere. 364 00:33:16,893 --> 00:33:19,893 (suspenseful music) 365 00:33:27,855 --> 00:33:32,022 A praying mantis can overwhelm young grass snakes. 366 00:33:38,165 --> 00:33:40,088 The mantis will devour the reptile 367 00:33:40,088 --> 00:33:42,505 right down to the last scale. 368 00:33:56,838 --> 00:34:01,005 Relatively soon after birth young snakes have milky eyes. 369 00:34:03,576 --> 00:34:05,352 This is not due to an illness, 370 00:34:05,352 --> 00:34:09,519 but is part of a cycle that recurs throughout their lives. 371 00:34:13,605 --> 00:34:15,935 In order to grow they must shed their skin 372 00:34:15,935 --> 00:34:17,685 at regular intervals. 373 00:34:19,091 --> 00:34:21,924 This usually happens in one piece. 374 00:34:24,572 --> 00:34:27,918 The transparent eye scale is also shed, 375 00:34:27,918 --> 00:34:32,085 and head first the snake peels off the parchment like skin. 376 00:34:34,283 --> 00:34:37,321 It tangles itself in vegetation to create friction 377 00:34:37,321 --> 00:34:41,488 and rolls off the old skin like a glove turned inside out. 378 00:34:53,424 --> 00:34:56,924 The sluff remains, a thin shell of scales. 379 00:35:04,594 --> 00:35:07,844 Like snakes, black storks avoid humans. 380 00:35:12,216 --> 00:35:13,970 Quite unlike their white relatives, 381 00:35:13,970 --> 00:35:16,803 they brood hidden deep in forests. 382 00:35:26,170 --> 00:35:28,532 Freshly molted young Aesculapian snakes 383 00:35:28,532 --> 00:35:30,615 live in the same habitat. 384 00:35:37,963 --> 00:35:40,143 Black storks have excellent eyesight 385 00:35:40,143 --> 00:35:42,531 and hunt all kinds of small creatures 386 00:35:42,531 --> 00:35:44,448 in forests and meadows. 387 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:53,167 Young Aesculapian snakes look a lot like grass snakes. 388 00:35:54,481 --> 00:35:56,898 The black stork isn't choosy. 389 00:35:59,730 --> 00:36:02,437 Its massive bill can cope with large prey 390 00:36:02,437 --> 00:36:06,487 and at one meter tall it's a dangerous predator. 391 00:36:06,487 --> 00:36:09,404 (orchestral music) 392 00:36:18,713 --> 00:36:22,880 By late summer there are large numbers of young snakes. 393 00:36:25,142 --> 00:36:29,034 The black stork has no problem finding them. 394 00:36:29,034 --> 00:36:32,034 (suspenseful music) 395 00:36:37,922 --> 00:36:42,089 Their bill has sharp edges to go with its sharp tip. 396 00:36:45,913 --> 00:36:50,080 The shaking breaks the snake's vertebrae and ribs. 397 00:36:59,631 --> 00:37:01,516 The stork takes its time, 398 00:37:01,516 --> 00:37:05,683 making sure the snake is truly dead before it swallows. 399 00:37:21,226 --> 00:37:24,098 The black stork can't endanger the Aesculapian snakes 400 00:37:24,098 --> 00:37:27,598 as a species, it's much too rare for that. 401 00:37:33,224 --> 00:37:35,474 Summer has passed its peak. 402 00:37:37,712 --> 00:37:41,712 In the alpine foothills the signs are all there. 403 00:37:46,444 --> 00:37:49,777 Plants like the corn lily, or monkshood. 404 00:37:56,810 --> 00:38:00,880 The Adder now bears 15 young that haven't hatched from eggs, 405 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:03,297 but are born fully developed. 406 00:38:09,812 --> 00:38:12,080 The important thing now is to spread out 407 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:14,663 and find suitable living space. 408 00:38:18,557 --> 00:38:20,023 The lack of suitable habitats 409 00:38:20,023 --> 00:38:22,441 means that some snakes are becoming rarer 410 00:38:22,441 --> 00:38:24,091 throughout Europe. 411 00:38:24,091 --> 00:38:26,831 Some are now only found in tiny areas 412 00:38:26,831 --> 00:38:29,823 limited to a few square kilometers. 413 00:38:29,823 --> 00:38:32,740 (orchestral music) 414 00:38:35,237 --> 00:38:38,774 One of these nature islands is Carinthia's Gail Valley 415 00:38:38,774 --> 00:38:42,857 in Austria at the foot of the Dobratsch mountain. 416 00:38:43,949 --> 00:38:48,187 This almost impossible area had been battered by rock falls. 417 00:38:48,187 --> 00:38:51,104 (orchestral music) 418 00:38:57,727 --> 00:38:59,997 In places it looks as though a giant 419 00:38:59,997 --> 00:39:03,330 has strewn boulders around like pebbles. 420 00:39:09,060 --> 00:39:10,762 Hard to believe a landscape like this 421 00:39:10,762 --> 00:39:13,383 could attract much animal life. 422 00:39:13,383 --> 00:39:16,300 (orchestral music) 423 00:39:28,758 --> 00:39:30,260 And yet, 424 00:39:30,260 --> 00:39:33,673 one of the largest and most poisonous snakes in Europe 425 00:39:33,673 --> 00:39:35,423 lives in this region. 426 00:39:38,578 --> 00:39:40,948 The nose horned viper, 427 00:39:40,948 --> 00:39:43,198 also called the sand viper. 428 00:39:46,587 --> 00:39:49,022 The scaled horn on the tip of its snout 429 00:39:49,022 --> 00:39:50,855 makes it unmistakable. 430 00:39:58,976 --> 00:40:02,132 It's found in the Balkans, Bulgaria and Greece 431 00:40:02,132 --> 00:40:05,799 and anywhere between South Tiero and Turkey. 432 00:40:16,707 --> 00:40:20,874 Like all vipers it has two poison fangs in its upper jaw. 433 00:40:22,934 --> 00:40:26,853 Its bite Is more dangerous than the common vipers, 434 00:40:26,853 --> 00:40:29,799 but deaths are still extremely rare. 435 00:40:29,799 --> 00:40:33,799 The last one in Austria was around 70 years ago. 436 00:40:41,603 --> 00:40:45,323 The poison works quickly on rats and mice. 437 00:40:45,323 --> 00:40:48,156 (unnerving music) 438 00:40:51,615 --> 00:40:54,276 The nose horned viper is perfectly camouflaged 439 00:40:54,276 --> 00:40:56,443 in its rocky surroundings. 440 00:40:57,562 --> 00:41:01,103 But its popular name of sand viper is inaccurate. 441 00:41:01,103 --> 00:41:03,186 It's never found on sand. 442 00:41:10,389 --> 00:41:14,556 The dark zigzag band on its back is especially pronounced. 443 00:41:19,487 --> 00:41:21,721 The male, larger than the female, 444 00:41:21,721 --> 00:41:24,221 can grow to more than a meter. 445 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:33,687 Males and females are often so different in coloring 446 00:41:33,687 --> 00:41:36,437 they look like different species. 447 00:41:37,727 --> 00:41:41,214 The females are mostly brown to copper colored. 448 00:41:41,214 --> 00:41:43,881 The males more ash to dark gray. 449 00:41:49,477 --> 00:41:53,644 Dusk in this wild area of rock falls in southern Carinthia. 450 00:41:55,015 --> 00:41:59,743 The giant rocks release the stored heat of the day. 451 00:41:59,743 --> 00:42:04,053 Best conditions for warmth loving reptiles. 452 00:42:04,053 --> 00:42:07,344 Nose horned vipers are active at twilight. 453 00:42:07,344 --> 00:42:10,177 (unnerving music) 454 00:42:15,390 --> 00:42:19,557 They don't lay eggs, but instead give birth to live young. 455 00:42:29,625 --> 00:42:31,151 The climate in mountain regions 456 00:42:31,151 --> 00:42:34,484 would be too harsh for clutches of eggs. 457 00:42:38,712 --> 00:42:42,879 Live birth is better for the survival of the species. 458 00:42:46,583 --> 00:42:51,032 The young are still in their amniotic sac when they're born, 459 00:42:51,032 --> 00:42:54,105 but after only a few hours they become quite lively 460 00:42:54,105 --> 00:42:57,272 and already resemble the adult snakes. 461 00:43:03,306 --> 00:43:04,833 Nose horned vipers can give birth 462 00:43:04,833 --> 00:43:07,207 to up to 20 young per litter. 463 00:43:07,207 --> 00:43:11,374 That seems a lot, but only one or two will survive to breed. 464 00:43:14,152 --> 00:43:18,235 The fight for survival is tough for young snakes. 465 00:43:21,777 --> 00:43:26,253 The future of this majestic species is more than uncertain. 466 00:43:26,253 --> 00:43:29,758 Their tiny remaining habitats are isolated islands, 467 00:43:29,758 --> 00:43:32,446 and could disappear entirely. 468 00:43:32,446 --> 00:43:35,363 (orchestral music) 469 00:43:39,558 --> 00:43:42,463 From Austria's alpine regions 470 00:43:42,463 --> 00:43:46,182 to the Pannonian lowlands close to Hungry. 471 00:43:46,182 --> 00:43:49,099 (orchestral music) 472 00:43:56,144 --> 00:44:00,511 This region is home to very special flora and fauna, 473 00:44:00,511 --> 00:44:04,678 that have adapted to the aquatic world and the swamps. 474 00:44:10,630 --> 00:44:14,325 A mysterious little snake settled in the water meadows. 475 00:44:14,325 --> 00:44:17,242 (orchestral music) 476 00:44:23,643 --> 00:44:27,760 It wasn't described by science until 1897. 477 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:29,010 Orsini's viper. 478 00:44:30,708 --> 00:44:33,009 But hardly had it been documented 479 00:44:33,009 --> 00:44:36,184 then it was threatened with extinction. 480 00:44:36,184 --> 00:44:38,517 Within 80 years it was gone. 481 00:44:42,152 --> 00:44:46,319 The last photos in the wild were taken 50 years ago. 482 00:44:49,908 --> 00:44:50,741 The last half century 483 00:44:50,741 --> 00:44:54,120 has changed the ecosystem dramatically. 484 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:57,037 (orchestral music) 485 00:45:02,050 --> 00:45:06,271 Like here at the border between Austria and Hungry. 486 00:45:06,271 --> 00:45:09,188 (orchestral music) 487 00:45:29,482 --> 00:45:32,482 Orsini's vipers have gone from here. 488 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:37,827 And though the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel national park 489 00:45:37,827 --> 00:45:41,118 does all it can to protect flora and fauna. 490 00:45:41,118 --> 00:45:44,118 Orsini's viper has become a phantom. 491 00:45:50,329 --> 00:45:54,117 But kilometers beyond the Austrian border in Hungry, 492 00:45:54,117 --> 00:45:55,910 we still find the smallest 493 00:45:55,910 --> 00:45:59,538 and rarest poisonous snake in Europe. 494 00:45:59,538 --> 00:46:02,455 (mysterious music) 495 00:46:08,467 --> 00:46:11,286 From the tip of its snout to the end of its tail, 496 00:46:11,286 --> 00:46:15,453 Orsini's viper measures no more than 35 to 50 centimeters. 497 00:46:21,311 --> 00:46:22,972 It's never found in the forest, 498 00:46:22,972 --> 00:46:27,139 specializing in open water meadows and grass steppes. 499 00:46:29,117 --> 00:46:32,559 Orsini's viper ignores other snakes prey. 500 00:46:32,559 --> 00:46:34,719 They're much too big. 501 00:46:34,719 --> 00:46:37,636 (mysterious music) 502 00:46:42,106 --> 00:46:46,106 It hunts insects like crickets and grasshoppers. 503 00:46:57,609 --> 00:47:01,851 The green bush cricket is relatively safe in the bushes. 504 00:47:01,851 --> 00:47:04,712 Orsini's vipers don't climb trees. 505 00:47:04,712 --> 00:47:07,629 (mysterious music) 506 00:47:31,445 --> 00:47:35,612 The wart biter however is definitely within range. 507 00:47:39,082 --> 00:47:42,082 (suspenseful music) 508 00:47:48,167 --> 00:47:51,584 Once again the insect is swallowed whole. 509 00:48:05,976 --> 00:48:08,819 Sadly Orsini's vipers have disappeared 510 00:48:08,819 --> 00:48:11,152 almost everywhere in Europe. 511 00:48:12,713 --> 00:48:16,428 The result of persecution and habitat loss. 512 00:48:16,428 --> 00:48:19,345 (orchestral music) 513 00:48:24,728 --> 00:48:29,072 Autumn in Austria, the colors change within weeks. 514 00:48:29,072 --> 00:48:31,989 (orchestral music) 515 00:48:40,471 --> 00:48:44,138 The days grow shorter and temperatures drop. 516 00:48:48,694 --> 00:48:52,861 A profound change for snakes that above all need warmth. 517 00:48:58,512 --> 00:49:01,972 As the insects collect that last pollen and nectar 518 00:49:01,972 --> 00:49:06,139 the active phase for Aesculapian snakes is ending too. 519 00:49:14,589 --> 00:49:17,506 The final beautiful days of autumn. 520 00:49:23,187 --> 00:49:26,924 The sun gives its all one last time, 521 00:49:26,924 --> 00:49:30,973 but the power of late summer has long since waned. 522 00:49:30,973 --> 00:49:33,890 (orchestral music) 523 00:49:51,203 --> 00:49:54,786 One last sun bath for an Aesculapian snake. 524 00:49:56,043 --> 00:49:59,460 But the falling leaves disturb its peace. 525 00:50:05,874 --> 00:50:09,896 With the evening fog the temperature sinks to zero. 526 00:50:09,896 --> 00:50:12,813 (orchestral music) 527 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:17,885 High time for snakes to find frost free quarters 528 00:50:17,885 --> 00:50:20,684 or they won't survive the winter. 529 00:50:20,684 --> 00:50:23,601 (orchestral music) 530 00:50:30,054 --> 00:50:31,912 Some abandoned mouse nests 531 00:50:31,912 --> 00:50:35,995 will be comfortable snake villas over the winter. 532 00:50:41,765 --> 00:50:45,464 Layers of autumn leaves provide perfect insulation, 533 00:50:45,464 --> 00:50:49,066 no matter how cold and frosty it gets outside. 534 00:50:49,066 --> 00:50:51,983 (orchestral music) 535 00:50:57,580 --> 00:50:59,702 When winter comes to Europe 536 00:50:59,702 --> 00:51:02,869 all the snakes have long been at rest. 537 00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:11,721 Only occasionally does any empty sluff 538 00:51:11,721 --> 00:51:14,555 recall their mysterious lives. 539 00:51:14,555 --> 00:51:17,472 (orchestral music) 40886

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