Snake Bite Survival (Full Episode) | Dangerous Encounters | Nat Geo Animals

Brady Barr: Huge, powerful, lightning fast. A super-predator. Close to 30 feet long. Weighing hundreds of pounds. He's strong. Very strong. I'm tracking the longest snake in the world, the reticulated python of Asia. Whoa, whoa, whoa, here's his head. Grab his head! It's around my neck. Get it off. Get it off! I'm going to test a theory that could transform our understanding of these little-known giants. I don't know if we can go on. But on this expedition, I get out of my depth. Huge python! Where is he, where is he? And end up paying a high price. Brady Barr: As a herpetologist, I'm fascinated by snakes. They're such extraordinary predators an animal without limbs that occupies almost every habitat on the planet. With sophisticated senses, extraordinary bio-mechanics and, in some cases, deadly venom. I've tangled with most of the deadliest species, from king cobras in India to black mambas in Africa. Then there are the mighty constrictors anacondas, boas and pythons, among the biggest predators on Earth, relying on power to kill. Their strength makes them a real challenge to work with. On this expedition, I'm headed to Indonesia, tracking the rare reticulated python. I'm going to test a new theory that remote caves play a critical role for these giant snakes as cool refuges from the searing tropical heat. But I'm going to have my hands full. I know from personal experience just how tough it is to tackle these big snakes. Big python. Let's go catch it. Recently, I was filming hippos in Zambia and spotted a huge African rock python. Encountering any big constrictor is incredibly rare. So I couldn't resist going after it to gather some valuable data. The python went down an aardvark hole, but he may be at the opening. If he is, I'm going to have to dive in and just try to grab him. It's very claustrophobic. It smells bad. There are so many dangers in these things. But I love big snakes. It's so rare that you know there's a snake in an aardvark hole. We know there's a snake down there. The question is, do I have the moxie to go in after it. I see the python, I see the python. That's bigger than three meters. Man, that's a dangerous snake. Stand by to grab me by the legs and pull me out, if I need to be. Oh, whoa, whoa, he's striking! I'm going to try to get the head. I got him, I got him, okay, pull me out! Ranger: Oh, you got 'em! Brady Barr: Yeah. Ranger: Nice one. Brady Barr: I got him. Ranger: You got 'em? Brady Barr: Got him yeah, yeah, yeah. I got 'em. Woo-hoo-hoo! We caught a big python. That thing is strong, that thing is really strong. Look at that, look at these teeth, look at those teeth! just a flesh ripper. Man, they just have dozens and dozens of these flesh ripping teeth. Like most snakes, constrictors have up to 90 teeth. And even if they're not venomous, they can deliver a truly gruesome bite. On the roof of the mouth there are 4 rows each tooth is needle sharp and curves backwards towards the throat. They're like barbs ensuring that what goes in cannot get out. I don't ever want to be on the receiving end of a python strike. There he goes, look at that. It's no accident I found this python in an aardvark burrow. They seek them out as a shelter from the heat. Unlike us, snakes can't regulate their body temperature internally. If they're too hot, they have to seek out somewhere cooler. The reticulated pythons I'm going to study may be using bat-filled caves as damp, cool refuges. But finding wild retics is notoriously difficult. Too often they're hunted for their valuable skins and turned into shoes or handbags. "Reticulated" refers to their network of beautiful markings. It makes them a target for the trade in exotic skins. They're so rare that very little is known about their behavior. If we find them in high numbers in the caves it will be an extraordinary discovery. But first, I need to do a little homework. I'm here at Zoo Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and this is a special place; a special place in the snake world because it's known to have the longest snake in captivity a giant reticulated python. I can't wait to get the tape measure on it. This should be the perfect specimen for me to find out what I'm up against when I tackle these giant pythons in the wild. I want to find out how fast it is, how strong it is and what kind of attitude these snakes are going to give me. This is a female as with most snakes, they grow bigger than the males. When she was last measured a year ago, she was already nearly 21 feet long! She eats goats, right? Goats! We're talking big, hoofed mammals! Goats. She is fed a goat a month, and with that diet, she'll almost certainly have grown in the past year. Like all constrictors, pythons have an awe-inspiring method of taking prey. These things have a mouthful of needle-sharp recurved teeth. They shoot that giant body out and sink the teeth into the prey and then they use that as an anchoring point and then throw their giant coils around the prey's body, and then put on the big squeeze, tremendously powerful coils. Many venomous snakes, like a rattle snake, will bite, inject venom and then let go. A retic will bite and latch on, so it can wrap the prey in its Huge pythons have around 400 ribs each with constricting mucles attached. Around 10 thousand in total, the snakes contracts these in groups, working together they can generate astonishing force. For a big snake it would feel like having a school bus on top your chest. Do we have a towel in here? I'd like to let it maybe bite at a towel and then let me grab its neck. With many animals, covering the eyes subdues them. Whoa, whoa, get that coil off! But not this python! Okay, pull him this way. Eric, get him front of him. Watch the other snake. Yeah, yeah, I got him, I got him, I got him, I got him. Okay, okay, okay. Pull him this way. Just a mouthful of teeth. You do not want that thing attached to you. Look how big that thing is; he's a monster! Okay, let's spread him out. The power of this animal is just relentless! It's got my leg! You got the head? Man: Yeah. Brady Barr: Okay. Shoot, sorry. Now, we have to try and get the length of this behemoth. Snakes are very, very hard to measure because they're in a serpentine shape. You can never get a tape measure along it just right, so the proper procedure is to run a rope down the back of the snake and then we'll measure the rope. Put the knot on the tip of the nose, work the rope right down the spine, right on top of the snake. We're almost at the end, okay, right there. Eight feet, nine feet, twelve feet, thirteen feet, sixteen feet, twenty-two feet and nine inches. Almost 23 feet long. There you go; straight line distance. That is a big snake. 23 feet! She's grown over 2 feet in a year! Now let's see how heavy this big boy is. You got it? Zoo Keeper: Yup. Brady Barr: You gotta be kidding; I think we're going to need a bigger sack. Reticulated pythons are not as heavy-bodied as other constrictors, like South America's anacondas. But their length means they are among the heaviest of all snakes and this is a huge animal. This won't hurt her. I thought you were going to have me pick it up by myself. Higher, higher. It's not off the ground. Is it off, is it off? It's like 80, 85, 85 kilos. That's almost 200 pounds. Okay, we can go down. That's a heavy snake. I've got a new respect for the size and power of these animals. I'm ready to head into the field and begin my quest to track down these giants in remote caves. One thing's for sure a wild python will be even more challenging than the captive giants at Zoo Negara. Coming up later...It's me versus python. Woah, woah, woah. Hurry. Here comes the hand. Here comes the hand! But next, we discover how these giant pythons can hunt ...even in complete darkness. Brady Barr: Man, very cool. I'm in Indonesia, with Dr. Mark Auliya, an expert on reticulated pythons. The retics' huge range stretches across Southeast Asia. And the islands of Indonesia are home to the biggest. The locals report seeing pythons in a big limestone cave system here. We're going to investigate. I mean, this looks awesome. This looks like the ultimate snake habitat. There's got to be pythons here. Mark Auliya: Yeah, couldn't be better. Brady Barr: I mean, finding them is going to be the key. I mean, look at this, all these leaves, bamboo, rocks, crevices, vines and the pythons could be anywhere. Mark Auliya: Right. Brady Barr: Mark has spent years in the forests of East Asia studying these animals. Few people know more about wild retics. He believes reticulated pythons need bat caves to survive. The roosting bats make excellent prey. But he also argues that a cave's mild, humid conditions provide an essential refuge from the heat of the Indonesian dry season. We're on the hunt for evidence to support his theory. Ooh, I like this. This seems to go down and get dark. We're gonna need lights. Oh, yeah! I was not expecting this. These caverns look more promising, but the cave may be too dry for pythons. Went from gigantic to very small. Retics need moisture for everything from shedding their skin to reproducing. This is beautiful, but to me this doesn't look that snaky. Mark Auliya: Well, there are always surprises, but it's not moist enough. Brady Barr: Watch your head, watch your head. Oh, no, this looks a little better. Seems to have been some water in here at some time maybe. Mark Auliya: Oh, it's getting big. Brady Barr: Oh, it's a big room, it's a big room. Big room for big snake. And I've seen no bats, not a single bat. Oh, check it out, check it out! Look, look, look, bat! Just as soon as I said it, but I just saw one. Oh, there's another one; there's a few. Oh, look bat. Just flew, did you see that? Mark Auliya: There's another one. Now it's gone. Brady Barr: The bats are a good sign. They're coming out of that hole right there. Oh, another one! They might attract pythons in here to hunt. Feel that? You can feel the cold air. Very drafty cave. That's not encouraging. The drafty air is not humid enough. Mark Auliya: So if there's no stagnant air, there's no python. Brady Barr: I mean, at one time there was a lot of water in this cave. Now it's bone dry. And overall we've seen surprisingly few bats. I think are chances of finding a python here are very, very slim. Mark Auliya: That's right. Brady Barr: We need to seek out a cave with more bats and higher humidity. Mark believes pythons seek out caves with large populations of bats for prey. Yet the cave we were just in was as dark as night. How could a python hunt bats in the blackness? Before I came to Indonesia, I went looking for an answer from Dr. Michael Grace, animal senses at the Florida Institute of Technology. One of his test animals is a 10 foot retic. Can I just reach in and pick him up? Michael Grace: Well, I think he's okay. Brady Barr: Reticulated pythons are known to be kind of feisty. Michael Grace: Yes, yes, they have a pretty bad reputation but this one seems pretty calm, so. Like most animals, these snakes usually won't bite unless provoked. But I need to be careful not to spook it. Doing a lot of tongue flicking. Like all snakes, pythons use their tongues in smelling, sampling molecules from the air. Michael Grace: You don't smell like rats, do you? Brady Barr: I hope not. This is where you definitely don't want to smell like a rat. And look at those, look at that row of pits. According to Grace, the key to the python's ability to hunt in darkness are these holes that line the lips. The thermal pits sense heat, giving the snake a view of the world in infra red. Michael Grace: Our eyes form an image of space in our brain and these pit organs do exactly the same thing except in infra red. Brady Barr: This thermal camera gives an idea of python vision. The different colors correspond to different temperatures. The hotter areas show up as red; my colder nose as green. Michael Grace: As they look around at their world, they see thermal contrast, the difference between a warm object in front of a cool one or a cool object in front of a warm object. Brady Barr: In fact, it's so effective that the python can rely on it to hunt even when it can't see. Michael Grace: In the natural environment, where light is available I think they're probably using vision and infra red at the same time. But if they go into a dark place like a cave, I think that the infra red system alone is perfectly capable of delivering a very accurate strike. Brady Barr: Grace has devised an experiment that tests whether pythons can hunt in total darkness like you'd find deep in a cave. The tape is completely harmless but temporarily blinds her. The thermal pit organs lining her lips are still fully functional. If she does successfully track the mouse, and/or strike it, we'll know she's done that with her infra red system. As far as the snake is concerned, it's now pitch black. It's time to put her to the test. So the idea is to cover up the snake, let it get acclimated, then put the rat in. Michael Grace: Right, we use this high-tech device to cover up the snake for a minute. Brady Barr: Rats make up the standard diet for these laboratory snakes. Okay, remove the box. Michael Grace: Okay, see what he does. Brady Barr: Because the python's tongue is forked, it can tell where a scent comes from, so it can use this directional sense of smell to home in on the rat. But it's not accurate enough or fast enough to guide a strike. It's a myth that snakes are deaf, but they have very poor hearing. So the only way the python can attack the rat is using its infra red pits. Here we go; it looks like it's getting into a strike position. The snake cocks its neck back like a loaded slingshot. It definitely knows that something's there. Even though it can't see the rat with its eyes, the snake can launch a blistering attack, with astonishing speed and accuracy. That's incredible. So utilizing his infra red system, the snake tracked right over there, bang one strike, one successful strike. Michael Grace: Right, it knew exactly where it was and it launched a successful strike the very first time. This infra red system gives them a really unique advantage. Brady Barr: Oh, man, they're like stealth hunters in the darkness. Michael Grace: Absolutely. Brady Barr: The experiment shows that pythons could hunt in absolute darkness. But are they actually able to take bats in the depths of a cave? Back in Indonesia, Mark and I are about to find out. We're headed for a cave that may be the most disgusting and dangerous place I've ever been. Coming up...I tango with a giant python... -Let me get the head. ...and meet my match. -God! He's..ow! I'm in Indonesia, headed in search of giant reticulated pythons in the depths of a bat-filled cave. Brady Barr: The cave is remote. Hours from the nearest village. But I'm confident it's going to be worth the hike. Check it out, look! Right here. The locals call it the "snake palace." The mouth of the cave gives no clue to the horrors we'll encounter inside. And I thought it would be a lot cooler in here. Mark Auliya: Very humid. Brady Barr: Right now, yeah, it's very humid. I hear bats. Oh, I see bats, up ahead. Mark Auliya: If we wake them up, probably millions will come. Now it's getting muddy, really muddy. Brady Barr: Thing is it's not mud; it's bat guano! The whole floor of the cave is a quagmire of feces! Look at this, that's got to be 10 inches of bat guano that's bat pooh to you and me! extraordinary cave. Brady Barr: Whoa, whoa, there's bats. That's more than one species. Look, that's like a flying fox. Mark Auliya: Yeah, they are. Brady Barr: They are, they've got white. Mark Auliya: White belly. Brady Barr: Yup, and they've got little fox faces. See that one right there. Look, look, look, they're urinating on us. Look at them all right there, see 'em, look, look, look! Mark Auliya: Yes, yes. Brady Barr: They're gonna take off see 'em up there? You probably know by now, I really don't like bats. Mark Auliya: It's getting more and more humid even. Brady Barr: The cave may seem grim to us. But these are ideal conditions for reticulated pythons with food, moisture and coolness. Sure enough, Oh, snake, snake, snake, look, look, look. Snake, right in here, look. Mark Auliya: Yes, it's moving. That's a big snake. Not the giant we're after, but that's big. Mark Auliya: Big belly, you see it? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll tell you what we need to do, we need to see what temperature that is where that snake is located. Our preferred body temperature is 98.6 degrees. Pythons are most comfortable when the mercury is in the high 80s. So the question is, what temperature is this python? Mark Auliya: Big, coil right in front of you. Brady Barr: Uh huh. This device has got a laser, and you put the laser on what you want to determine the temperature of, so I point it back in that crevice and it tells me that it's 86 degrees, which is right at the preferred body temperature of most pythons. The temperature outside is well over 100 degrees. So this is good evidence that Mark is right. This snake appears to be using the cave as a refuge from the heat. Okay, let's try to get that snake out of here before he goes farther back in that crack. I'm going to set that light up right there. I'm going to use the tongs. It's not going to be easy. These snakes are strong. And when it does not want to come out, it's probably not he's coming out. There's something big in that snake; look at that. There is something big. If we bag it, it'll regurgitate it. You can see that that snake's eaten something recently. Watch out, that head's going to pop out of here in a second. Might have eaten one of those flying foxes. I got it. Mark Auliya: You got it, great. Brady Barr: I got it. Look at the bulge in that snake, look at the bulge. The snake will regurgitate its prey many times when you capture it to distract the predator, maybe to make the snake more swift, lighter, so it can strike or flee. I mean, it's about to regurgitate. We need to set it down and I think it will do it. On this ledge, go to this ledge, go to this ledge. This will work, this will work. There it goes, there it goes, there it goes. Look, look, look. What is it? Mark Auliya: It's a bat, it's a bat. Brady Barr: It's a bat! Look at that, regurgitating a bat. That's a big one. Oh, there's another one! Mark Auliya: There is another one. Brady Barr: Look at that! Two bats! I mean, they look pretty recent; maybe last night? Within the last 24 hours. I mean, to catch more than one bat; that's not a fluke. They both look like they were ingested about the same time. Look, look, look and there's what it does. It makes it lighter for the escape. That is something. Two bats. Look at that. Those are just grotesque! Unfortunately, we cost this guy a meal. But this confirms that pythons can hunt bats in the blackness of these caves. But is that why the snake is in here? Or is it in here sheltering from the heat? We press on. But the conditions begin to deteriorate. The thick guano turns into a watery sludge. I don't know for sure, but I'm assuming that this is probably a health risk, to be up to your thighs in liquefied bat pooh. That can't be good. Mark Auliya: I prefer looking up. Brady Barr: I've been kind of joking around about how foul it is in here. But suddenly, it becomes serious. This may be the most dangerous encounter yet wading through thigh-deep fecal soup. It's sucking you down. Brady Barr: It is. I mean, I just, I don't know if we can go on. This scare's me. You know how much guano this is? This could be hundreds of years. It's not just difficult to wade through. The bats' urine gives off ammonia which collects in pockets of the cave. The air's really bad. I mean, this is a serious situation. This is not to be taken lightly. I mean, we come in here looking for snakes and having a good time but what you get in these caves, this is serious stuff. I mean, people die in these kinds of situations. You go into pockets of bad air, lethal concentrations of ammonia. [gags] [coughs] [spits] I want to find some giant snakes, but I don't want to die looking. We struggle on. It's astonishing that pythons are adapted to these conditions. Stay close to the edge. We're now around 200 yards into the cave. Big snake, big snake, big snake. That's a big python. That's big. That's a big one, yeah. Brady Barr: It looks to be far bigger than the one we just caught. Hang on, hang on, I see his head. Mark, shall I tong him? Mark Auliya: Yeah. Brady Barr: You would not want to be bitten by this snake. These things can give you a really bad bite. Mark Auliya: So it's tongue flicking? Brady Barr: Might be able just to reach in and grab him really quickly like this. Got him! Mark Auliya: Excellent! Brady Barr: I got him, I got him, I got him. I got his head. Whoo, what a capture. There may be more than one. Looks like one, yeah. Okay, let me get out of here. Man, it's squeezing me. Mark Auliya: Yes. Get it off, Get it off! With the oxygen level very low in here, with that thing squeezing me there it goes. We need to gather some data on this thing. Let's get away from all these bats and measure the snake. You okay? Mark Auliya: I'm fine. Brady Barr: I'm afraid I'm going to lose you. Alright, let's go, go. We're going to find out just how big it is. This will give us an idea, okay right there. Three hundred and sixty-five centimeters. That's just under 12 feet long. That is a big python. Alright, let's let this guy go. So bigger snakes are using the cave as well as smaller ones. But a python this size is probably not in here hunting bats. It prefers bigger prey. It's almost certainly using the cave just as a thermal refuge during the heat of the day, perhaps exiting to hunt in the cooler night. There it goes, look, look, look. Going right back to where it belongs. If we can find more big snakes it will prove the critical role caves like this play in the biology of reticulated pythons. But to do that, we have to survive this cave. Ammonia's getting really bad. Mark Auliya: Now it's getting there's a big colony now. Brady Barr: You smell that? You want your respirator? Brady Barr: Yeah, yeah. Respirators should filter out the ammonia. It's so hard to breathe. It's really the oxygen levels are so low. There are so many dangers in here. You've got literally quicksand made of bat guano, you've got slippery ledges. I don't know how much further we can go, but let's go a little further. Mark Auliya: Let's try, yeah, let's try. Brady Barr: God, this is just awful. Mark, you think it's conceivable that snakes could survive this far back in total darkness? Mark Auliya: That's new information, new science. Brady Barr: You okay? Mark sounds like he's in trouble. Are you okay, are you okay? Yes, I'm fine. Brady Barr: You're not going to pass out, are you? Mark Auliya: No. Brady Barr: Man, 'cause I tell you what. Mark Auliya: It's all fine. Brady Barr: I'm not sure I could get you out of here. Man, if we come across a giant snake, we're going to have our hands full. It's like quicksand. We've got to get out, we've got to get out of here. As much as I want to find a giant python, it's just too dangerous. We got to go. The conditions force us to abandon our search and we start the trudge out of the cave. We're just trying to retreat, not planning to catch any more snakes. But suddenly, Huge, huge python, huge python! See it? It looks to be the longest yet. Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick! You got him whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, he's gonna. Mark Auliya: I'm just holding him. I've got him. Brady Barr: Yeah, but he's going to come back and bite! Easy! Mark Auliya: No, he's swimming, he's swimming. Brady Barr: Let me get the head let me try to get the head don't I'm afraid we're going to drown in this. It's like waist deep mud. Big python, man, that's a big python! Whoa, whoa he's back in the hole. Let me get the head can you go over to the shallower water. You still got him by the tail? Mark Auliya: Here's a rock yes, I've got him. Brady Barr: Be careful, it's really deep, it's deep mud over here. Talk about having a tiger by the tail. I'm going to go in the crack after him. You've got him? Mark Auliya: I've got him. Brady Barr: Come here, Eric, Eric, over my shoulder, right here, over my shoulder. You can see him way up in there. Don't let go of him. Eric, right here. You got him? He's got a good grip. Brady Barr: I'm going in, I'm going in! Oh, [bleep]. He just bit the rock. Be careful, he's got a mouthful of teeth. I've got him by the head. Oh, he's out, he's loose! Okay, can you pull him? Whoa, whoa, whoa, here comes the head! Here comes the head! Watch it! Watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it! [screams] He's on me, aagghh! Oh (bleep)! Let go, let go, wait, wait, wait! Brady Barr: The big python's bitten me. Big retics are just so rare, I don't want to lose it, but we only have it by the tail. He let go, I don't know where his head is now. Where's his head? Mark Auliya: I've just got part of his body. Wait, wait. Brady Barr: I got a bad bite whoa, whoa there's his head! Grab his head, it's right here. I've got a bad bite. He's wrapped around me. Where's his head, where's his head? In self defense, the snake could bite again; the thought is just terrifying! I just don't want to be bitten again. I got a really bad bite. Man: Is he still grabbing you? Brady Barr: No, he's squeezing me very tightly. Now our best hope is that when it comes up for air we can finally grab it by the head. I've got a really bad bite. I've got to get out of this stuff. I mean, I'm bleeding. Every minute I'm in this fecal soup, the danger of infection grows. Oh, I got a bad bite. Then, at last, the head pops up. There's his head, there's his head! Where are the snake sticks? Mark, just start pulling him backwards toward the shallow end, then when you get in the shallow, I'll get the head. Oh, look, he's using his thermal imaging to get me. Okay, cover his head. Hang on to him. Whew, we got him! Let's go out, let's go out! Hang on, let's get this thing in a bag and just check my wound, then we'll continue. Man, that's a big snake, that is a big snake. That's the good thing about these giant bags. What a battle! Oh, man. You know, the thing bit me under water. How bad does it look? Mark Auliya: Oh, yeah, it's bad. Brady, it's not good, it sliced you open. Brady Barr: It hurts bad. I'm going to need to get to a doctor. Mark Auliya: Yeah, three cuts, about two to three centimeters, but it's gaping wide open. that's bad luck. I knew the cave was hazardous. But now I'm in real danger of serious infection. Mark Auliya: Can you pull the trouser a bit more up, Brady? Brady Barr: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mark Auliya: The left side, yeah, okay. Oh, oh no. There's another big wide gaping wound I didn't see just now. Brady Barr: That's not a confidence builder. Mark Auliya: Pretend you're biting into wood. Brady Barr: Aah! Mark does what he can. But I need medical attention. Mark Auliya: Okay, that's the roll. Okay. Brady Barr: My bite's so bad, I can't do any work on the snake. Mark is going to release it back into the cave and collect our gear. Man, it's my arms that are killing me now. Man, I've got to just suck it up and get out of here. I've got a two-hour, uphill hike before I even get to our truck. I've got to go over that mountain and down the other side until I get to my vehicle. And then the vehicle's like over an hour on a really bumpy gravel road. I don't know where Mark is, man, I'm all alone! Tell me if I hurt you. Whoo, I'm in the vehicle. I'm gonna try to find a comfortable place if there is one. Alright, which way? Doctor this way? This is the nearest clinic, but I don't know how well equipped they are to deal with a snake bite. Oh! He knows all we want him to do is clean it and put a bandage on. I just want it cleaned. Doctor: Okay. Brady Barr: Look at that. It does not look good. I bet this is the first time they've had a giant python bite to the lower buttock here at the clinic. I know I need the alcohol to clean the wound, but I am not happy about it. Ow, ooh! The alcohol is brutal, but an infection would be far worse. Oooh, ooo, okay, no more! Brady Barr: Oh, my gosh! Alright, one clinic down, now we're going to a bigger village and hopefully a bigger clinic. Doctor: The wound is not too deep, so it doesn't wound your muscle, your thigh muscle. It's only your fat tissue. Brady Barr: Oh, I don't know if there's very much fat on this body. I'm a pretty, lean strong man! Do you think it needs to be stitched up? Doctor: Yes. Brady Barr: Are you going to give me a local anesthesia? Doctor: Yes, of course! Brady Barr: Thank you. I'm still concerned about infection. Sometimes stitching up a wound is the worst thing to do: it locks in the bacteria. Without proper treatment, an infection from this wound could kill me. I have to get to a proper hospital for powerful intravenous antibiotics and a four-week course of anti-rabies shots. But I'm still reliving that bite in my mind. What really happened back in the cave? I'm going to go in the crack after him. Our first mistake was grabbing the tail without controlling the head. He's out, he's loose. This is the moment when we lose control of the situation. Here comes the head, here comes the head. With its head loose, the python is now calling the shots. The snake is in a defensive mode. It views us as a threat. Like most cornered animals, it will do whatever it can to drive us off or escape. Perhaps seeking refuge, the snake submerges. The same muscles that squeeze the life out of its prey also make it a powerful swimmer. It traps my legs, I just can't move! I know just what its teeth are like dozens of wickedly sharp, backward-curving fangs. Desperate to defend itself, it drives these spikes right into my thigh! But that's not all as I struggle to free myself, the teeth sink in, ripping through my flesh, slicing me open. Whoa, whoa, whoa, here comes the head, here comes the head! Watch it, watch it! Agh, aagh! He's on me. Let go, let go! Wait, wait, wait! He's bitten me! It's the worst wound I've received in 20 years of working with wildlife. Is it going to stop me from catching snakes? No way. If the wound heals okay, I'm headed back to finish what I started and find out for sure just how critical these caves are to the survival of Brady Barr: More than a month has passed since I was bitten by that 12 foot reticulated python. My leg is healing well. Mark and I are headed back to the cave known as the snake palace. Man, it's dramatically drier. The water level's gone down. Maybe all the snakes will be in the cave. because there it's moist. Brady Barr: If the dry heat has driven more snakes into the cave. It's still here. It'll support Mark's theory that the pythons are using the cave as a cool, damp refuge. Talk about returning to the scene of the crime. Mark Auliya: The smell. Brady Barr: Oh, yeah, I remember that smell in my nightmares! Approximately six weeks later and we're back here to finish what we started. We'll try to catch more snakes, record how big they are, and see what temperatures they're seeking out. Back in the saddle. We're not 20 feet into the cave when we spot our first python. Now what a perfect position to ambush a bat, wham, it's a quick easy snack! Man, I'm excited now we found one python and we haven't even started yet. We may find two dozens of these things. There could be snakes everywhere. There are certainly more snakes here now that it's hotter and drier outside the cave. Okay, I got him, I got the tail. Okay, here he comes, here he comes. Mark Auliya: It's coming. Yes, there it is. Whew, that's great! Have I got him? Mark Auliya: Okay, now you've got him there. Brady Barr: This is incredible. That's a nice one, too. That's like a seven-foot snake. Every time we turn a corner, it's something new and different in here. All the snakes we measure have found locations in the cave at just the right temperature. 86.5. I mean, that's right at the of the snake. Exactly, exactly. Brady Barr: Okay, now we can release it. There it goes. Let's go find another one. Okay, keep your eyes peeled for snakes. Then, we come to the hole. There it is. The lair of the python that bit me. Is that a snake back in there? Very back? Mark Auliya: I can't see anything from here. Brady Barr: Could it be the very same snake? You don't see that? He's in there. Big snake, big snake. Exactly where I caught him before, right where he bit me, he's there. I can't believe that it's a different big snake in the same hole. I think it's got to be the same one. Mark Auliya: But if it's another one, it would be even better, you know, for the study. Brady Barr: If we can get it out, we'll know for sure, because I remember the one that bit me had a scar on its head. Alright, look. I do not want to be bitten again. I mean, I don't know. I'm a little scared. That was one of the worst experiences of my life. Believe you me, I mean, whew. Alright. Mark Auliya: Okay let's try our best. Brady Barr: Yeah, it's definitely him, it's definitely him. It's a giant snake, it's huge, it's huge. I'm scared. I don't know what to do. We can't we got to catch this snake. He's moving! Go! Go, go, go, he's moving! He's moving, c'mon, c'mon. You see him? Mark Auliya: Yeah, I see him. He's getting inside, but he can't get in any further. How do you know? Mark Auliya: Because he's stuck watch out, watch out, watch out. Brady Barr: I know the risks all too well. But I am just driven to catch this snake. Help me, help me. Okay, I've got him by the tail. Can you take the tail? And then? Then I'll get the head, just like we did last time. I've got the bag, I've got the bag. Mark Auliya: No, not yet. Brady Barr: I've got the bag, I've got the bag. Watch out! Where is he? Mark Auliya: Stop moving, stop moving! Brady Barr: He's going back in. Mark Auliya: He's going back in. Don't anybody move! Grab 'em Mark; use the tongs. Yeah, stop moving. Brady Barr: Grab him. Here's the bag, here's the bag, here's the bag. Did you get him? Mark Auliya: Got him. Brady Barr: You got him? Whoo! We got him again. Are you sure you got him? Mark Auliya: I got him. Brady Barr: I can't wait to see if it's the same snake. There was a big. Are you sure you got its head? Yes! It's the same one. That's a scar, right? it's a scar. It's hard to tell. Mark Auliya: I think we have to go out. Brady Barr: We're back, baby! With giant python in hand. This truly is the snake palace! Mark measured the one that bit me at almost 12 feet long. That is a big head. Mark Auliya: If this one's shorter, we know it's not the same one. Brady Barr: Okay, let's measure it real quick. The moment of truth. This is 337 centimeters, that's almost exactly 11 feet. This is a different snake. I'm kind of disappointed not to catch the same one that bit me. But finding another big snake is a rare treat. And it's more evidence for Mark's theory. Our expedition has convinced me these caves do play a critical role. We've seen that they're a good source of bat prey and that they're a perfect humid environment at just the right temperature. This is ground-breaking information. It means these cave habitats are vital to the reticulated python's survival. Hopefully, our new understanding of the retic's biology will help to conserve this magnificent animal. We did it!