20 Animals With Incredible Superpowers
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00:00 This is the one place where all comic book fans and nature fanatics can join hands.
00:04 We all want superpowers, and since we can't develop them,
00:08 there are still creatures that can walk on water.
00:10 And who says we can't live our dreams through them? Some of them are either
00:17 immortal or just so physically indestructible that nothing can kill them.
00:21 Keep watching to find out what we're talking about. Here are 20 animals with superpowers.
00:28 But before we wow you, make sure to hit that like and subscribe button. Let's go!
00:32 20. Basilic Lizard
00:35 What do lizards and Jesus have in common? No, it's not one of those offensive religious jokes.
00:41 The only similarity between the two is that both of them can walk on water. In fact,
00:45 the Basilic Lizard is even called the Jesus Lizard at times. Their long toes have sort of
00:50 fringes of skin between them. It sounds like a gross deformity, but this feature allows them
00:55 to rapidly slap their feet against the water without breaking the surface. These rapid
01:00 slaps create air pockets and keep them afloat. You might find these little reptiles near water
01:05 since they like to stay around water in case a predator happens to walk. Despite all this,
01:10 we don't think these lizards can turn water into wine.
01:13 19. Golden-Tailed Gecko
01:15 This perfectly round, red marble of an eye shouldn't hypnotize you.
01:20 "Marvelous golden tail. This one's got sort of markings right up his back."
01:25 Many geckos have mesmerizing patterns on their body and other features that just draw geeks
01:30 like us towards them. However, even we want you to stay away from these. Their superpower isn't
01:35 flying or anything. It's their ability to squirt the world's worst-smelling liquid.
01:40 Since these geckos are usually a target for hungry birds, they decided to make themselves
01:45 smell so bad that nothing would want to come near them. The sticky liquid is released right
01:50 from their tails, and many researchers describe the odor as nasty-smelling. Some even say it
01:55 smells like crushed legume seeds. Well, thanks for making legumes unappetizing for us. Researchers
02:00 don't know much about the smell, but the fact there's aroma mixed in does not make it any better.
02:06 18. Jellyfish Immortality
02:09 What's better than the superpower of immortality? Whether you've dipped your toe in the fountain
02:14 of youth or cryogenically freeze your body, there's a very small chance you can live for
02:19 a thousand years. But the jellyfish has managed to find a loophole to live forever. The problem
02:23 with old age is that our cells become too weak to reproduce, and then we die. However,
02:28 the Pterytopsis dohrnii has a life cycle that lets it revert back to its baby stage when severely
02:34 physically damaged or starving. It goes back to being a polyp and starts its life cycle from
02:39 there. This cellular mechanism is super rare, and scientists think that it would have a huge potential
02:45 in medicine. It also means a grandfather jellyfish can turn into a baby jellyfish in no time.
02:50 17. Wood Frog Blood Freezing
02:54 If Frozen was an animal, he would be a wood frog. Well, sort of. The wood frog has a very easy way
03:00 of spending its cold winters. It simply hibernates in a hole it digs and then freezes its blood for
03:05 months. As a result, these frogs can tolerate blood sugar levels 100 times higher than humans
03:11 without any of the diabetic side effects. What's more interesting is that it can stop its blood
03:16 circulation and restart it later without any blood clots, strokes, or even a heart attack.
03:21 Somehow it makes enough of the syrupy sugar solution to prevent its cells from freezing.
03:26 Still, it also manages to bind water molecules to the inside of the cells so they don't dry out.
03:32 There's nothing cooler than this. Literally.
03:35 16. Dragon Millipede
03:39 If you think you smell almonds, then you're in big trouble. The dragon millipede has a very
03:45 similar scent, and it's not because of their fancy perfumes. These bright pink insects make their
03:50 hydrogen cyanide from their defensive glands. Making your own poison isn't easy, but the dragon
03:55 millipede can make enough to hurt you real bad. However, if any predator other than us tries to
04:01 even touch the insect, it will have to face death because that's how strong it is. It's
04:06 just Mother Nature taking revenge for those who associate the color pink with being weak.
04:11 15. Pistol Shrimp
04:14 A bubble gun is the least dangerous thing you can give to a toddler. Deadly machine,
04:19 their pincer or claws are modified with a plunger that fits into their socket. It's
04:24 sort of a spring mechanism that helps them shoot a jet of water through a little gap in their claw.
04:29 When the bubbles pop, it's a deafening noise. Not just that, the hat they create is so cute.
04:35 14. Flatworm
04:37 During the French Revolution, beheading was an amazing way of killing off the bad apples.
04:43 But that would not work with the flatworm. When you chop up these googly-eyed flatworms
04:47 like a scallion, they'll start to wiggle away from the individual pieces. The head and other parts
04:52 just find their own ways, doing their own thing. And after three weeks, each piece will have a head
04:58 and a completely identical body to the flatworm that was initially cut into pieces. Researchers
05:03 are trying very hard to understand this process of regeneration and apply it to humans. But
05:08 flatworms have powerful stem cells, called planarians, that replace the whole tissue
05:13 that was lost. These sticky creatures are way too good to kill.
05:16 13. Lyrebird
05:20 Sure, parrots are cool for talking like humans, but they're rookies as compared to lyrebirds.
05:26 These birds make up their own songs with different elements to attract a mate.
05:30 Sometimes it includes a car alarm, a camera clicking, and sometimes a chainsaw. Many
05:41 other species can replicate other birds' songs. Still, the ability to mimic artificial noises,
05:47 like the last note, is so impressive that it can even fool you.
05:51 Human impressionists have a really good opportunity to learn from them.
05:54 Sometimes, they mimic the song of at least 20 different other species. So if you find
06:03 another species falling in love with a lyrebird, don't blame them.
06:07 12. Mimic Octopus
06:10 Ever since Mystic showed up in the X-Men universe, everyone knew who the coolest
06:14 girl on the block was. Well, the Mimic Octopus is sort of that girl underwater.
06:19 Being one of the smartest cephalopods means you can outsmart your predators with ease.
06:24 These eight-legged friends have color-changing organs, called chromophores, that act together
06:29 to reflect the cells in a way to produce a body pattern that matches the surrounding.
06:33 It's not just about the colors. It's also about matching their skin texture and body position
06:38 to appear something they're completely not. They can mimic animals, plants, algae,
06:43 and even rocks right to the last ridge. And you think you shouldn't be afraid to do it once.
06:48 Don't complain to us when octopi take over the world.
06:51 11. Grasshopper Mouse
06:54 One thing for sure, don't ever fall for looks in the animal kingdom.
06:59 Take this tiny little grasshopper mouse for a second. It might be a fluffball,
07:03 but it's had to evolve to live in the harshest setting in the world.
07:06 At night, you would think creatures like scorpions could gobble the mice.
07:10 But the work of millions of years has given them an evolutionary advantage.
07:14 They are completely immune to the venom that scorpions make. In fact, they also
07:18 have the ability to convert the neurotoxins into a painkiller. Their hunting rituals are
07:30 pretty weird, too. They stand on their hind legs, throw their head back, and howl like a mini-wolf.
07:35 But if you can drink the venom like a cocktail, no one's gonna mess with you.
07:39 10. Toxoplasma gondii
07:42 The Toxoplasma gondii is one of the world's most successful parasite.
07:46 It's actually more evolved in our culture than you realize.
07:49 Usually, it prefers to stay in a cat's body. But in the rare cases that it does reach a human,
07:54 it can make some significant changes. For instance, it can affect the levels of dopamine
07:59 in mammals by actually increasing it. Even though humans are accidental hosts of the T. gondii,
08:05 it can cause chaos depending on which part of the brain it lands on.
08:08 The unsuspecting parasite could be the missing link between schizophrenia
08:12 and toxoplasmosis infection. Basically, it can control how your brain works.
08:17 9. Sockeye Salmon
08:20 Photographic memory is definitely a superpower. But scent-based memory is even a bigger gift
08:27 that only salmon are known to have. These fish venture out to the ocean to explore,
08:31 but always come back home. Since the ocean is huge, how do they know where home is?
08:36 Unlike dory, these fishes don't need a map or a guide to remember home sweet home.
08:41 They simply navigate their way back using the Earth's magnetic field.
08:45 They sort of have a built-in compass that helps them find their birthplace.
08:49 During their migrating years, they also built a smell memory bank that they use
08:53 when they come back to their own river. From there, it's just a matter of time to find their
08:57 stream. Who knew such a regular fish had so much knowledge?
09:01 8. Hairy Frog
09:04 Wolverine has to be the coolest guy among all the superheroes. And apparently,
09:08 his biggest fan is the hairy frog. It even has similar claws of its own.
09:13 The amphibian from Central Africa unleashes its sharp claws from its hind feet and through the
09:18 skin of the toes when they're in danger. Now, these claws don't just break the skin.
09:22 These bones also crack in half. Technically, they're no claws since they aren't made of
09:27 keratin. But it's still a very hardcore way to intimidate something. In fact, it's one of the
09:32 rarest forms of weaponry in the animal kingdom. Scientists think that when they're in a calm state,
09:37 the claws slide back in and the skin regenerates itself.
09:41 Unfortunately, there's nothing more we know about this mysterious hopper.
09:45 7. Hagfish
09:47 How does a fish with no eyes and a mouth manage to dodge every predator they come across?
09:53 One of the weirdest wonders of the sea is the hagfish.
09:57 All extinct fish and all living fish would ultimately have come from something rather
10:04 like this. These spineless creatures have spiky mouths but no bones or teeth. And sure,
10:09 they're not photogenic either. So what can they do? Well, there's one thing you should know about
10:13 them. You will never find them in a sticky situation. These escape artists release a
10:18 lethal amount of mucus, which reacts with the seawater and turns into a huge pile of goo
10:23 that suffocates the predator. That's not all. Their super-flexible bodies help them twist
10:28 and turn in ways that let them get away from anyone's jaws. Lastly, their skin is detached
10:34 from their organs. So even if a shark was to bite them, it wouldn't even hurt them in the slightest.
10:39 6. Bombardier Beetle
10:42 Spider-Man can make webs from his hands. But can he make boiling acid bombs? Didn't think so.
10:48 The Bombardier Beetle have a state-of-the-art defense mechanism that involves acid gas bombs.
10:54 In extreme cases where their life is in danger, they can make chemical bombs with a dose so lethal
10:59 it can be deadly. The two compounds of the bombs are stored separately in the abdomen.
11:04 They can mix the compounds on command, which results in a boiling mixture that explodes out
11:09 of the tip of their abdomen. Since the reaction is exothermic, the heat release is enough to boil
11:14 the gas up. Is there even a superhero or a supervillain that can match this beetle's power?
11:19 Comment down below if you know any.
11:21 5. Alpine Ibex
11:24 Defying gravity has been a focus of many superheroes. And even though nature has
11:29 gotten around it, there is nothing cooler than seeing a goat standing upright on the slope of
11:33 a mountain. Their bodies and hooves are built to climb. Their hooves have a hard outer case
11:38 that lets them dig into a ledge no matter how small it is. And then the soft pads of their
11:49 hooves fold to the contours of the mountain's surface like molding clay. On top of that,
11:54 their bodies might look chubby and fluffed up, but when you look at them head-on,
11:58 they're very slender. And these tiny adaptations help in one thing - maintain balance.
12:03 In balances that seem inhabitable.
12:06 4. Archerfish
12:08 What could compel scientists to name a fish "Archerfish"? It's quite simple, actually.
12:14 Their ability to shoot down their prey is what gives them their name.
12:17 These lurking creatures wait for an insect on land to appear. And when it does,
12:22 they squirt out a stream of water so strong that it hits the insect head-on.
12:33 Their aim is so accurate that by the time the insect falls into the water,
12:37 they're waiting to gobble it up. You have to look at the fish in action,
12:40 in slow motion, to actually see what's going on. In just a tenth of a second,
12:45 they hit the prey and move to the spot where the insect is likely to fall.
12:49 What's even cooler is that light bends all weird in water, about 25 whole degrees off.
12:54 Yet the Archerfish can make their aim, including all these calculations,
12:58 to make sure their food is hit just right.
13:01 3. Pit Vipers
13:03 If you know anything about TV and TV remotes, then you know how Pit Vipers hunt.
13:09 These serpents have special powers called "pit organs" right in their faces that can detect
13:14 infrared radiation. That means they can sense body heat from anywhere.
13:18 So if a prey tries to hide from this snake, they won't have any luck since the Viper can easily
13:29 detect where the prey is hiding thanks to their infrared vision.
13:32 2. Platypus
13:34 No matter what animal we're talking about, Platypus are still the weirdest ones. First of all,
13:40 they don't even wear hats like Perry, the Platypus, so that's one lie. Other than that,
13:44 they're mammals, but not really since they lay eggs. So what part of them are not hiding?
13:50 We don't know that, but they can definitely tell when something else is hiding.
13:53 When they're underwater, they can easily perceive when prey is moving around,
13:57 using electroreception. This ability allows them to detect electrical impulses
14:02 with their bill since they live in a light, limited area.
14:05 1. Tardigrades
14:07 Finally, we've reached the strongest, most impressive creature of all time
14:12 who have managed to surprise all five mass extinctions. Not just that, Tardigrades,
14:17 also known as water bears, can survive extreme temperatures, whether it's hot or cold,
14:22 extreme pressure, and UV radiation too. To top it all off, these creatures have been to space
14:28 and thrive there. Their tactic is to shrivel up in a dormant state when conditions are
14:33 less than ideal, while reducing essential proteins for their cells. Recently, a study
14:38 showed one of the species using fluorescence as a mechanism to resist UV radiation. In short,
14:45 there is nothing they can't fight. Alright, comment below if you've ever had the pleasure
14:49 of witnessing an animal show its superpower. Don't forget to like the video,
14:53 subscribe to Forever Green, and we'll see you in the next one!