We Found the World’s Slimiest Animals!

0:00 Sticky, blinding, deadly.

0:02 In this video, you will see some of the smartest, craziest,

0:06 and even weaponized ways that animals use slime produced from their own bodies.

0:11 And make sure to stick around for number one.

0:13 This is a creature that can cannon blast

0:15 its slime like no other animal on the planet.

0:19 Okay, it's time to slime in.

0:21 Starting off at number six, we have to talk about the one and only hagfish.

0:26 This slimy, worm-like creature appears harmless,

0:29 but it has a superpower that can even stop the bite from a hungry shark.

0:34 Hagfish are eel-like sea creatures that are found throughout the world's ocean,

0:37 and humans rarely encounter them, except once in a while while fishing.

0:42 They live down deep in the darkest parts of our ocean, scavenging on dead fish,

0:47 worms, and anything decaying on the seafloor,

0:49 making them one of the ocean's ultimate cleanup crews.

0:52 And here's something even more incredible.

0:55 Hagfish also have the ability to twist

0:57 their own bodies and tie themselves into a knot.

1:00 And they use this position for extra leverage while

1:02 feeding and to wipe off excess slime from their skin.

1:06 That's right, their slime can be even too slimy for the hagfish itself.

1:10 And speaking of that slippery slime,

1:12 this is what makes the hagfish disturbing while it feeds.

1:16 This is like something straight out of Stranger Things.

1:19 To eat, the hagfish uses its Demogorgon-like jaws to burrow down

1:23 into carcasses and consume the rotting flesh from the inside out.

1:27 But what happens when something tries to eat the hagfish?

1:31 This is where the sliming truly begins.

1:33 When threatened or attacked,

1:35 the hagfish can blast out massive amounts of thick, sticky slime within seconds.

1:40 And when excreted, this slime can swell up to 10,000 times its original volume.

1:46 So just one hagfish can produce liters of slime all by itself.

1:50 And that's the reason why the hagfish is nicknamed the slime eel.

1:54 It produces the slime by shooting it out of tiny pores all up and down its body.

1:59 When the slime enters the water,

2:01 it floods the surrounding area, infesting everything.

2:05 And if a predator bites into the hagfish, the slime fills its mouth completely.

2:09 And this is like the ultimate slime.

2:11 It is thick, goopy, and impossible to spit out.

2:14 And you want to know what else is crazy?

2:16 Up close, the slime is made of thousands of microscopic

2:19 protein fibers that are tightly wound like little balls of yarn.

2:23 As soon as they're released, they rapidly untwirl,

2:26 spreading out into a vast, tangled web.

2:28 And that web can clog a predator's gills and even cause it to suffocate.

2:33 So once that slime gets into the mouth of the predator,

2:35 they can't breathe and they're forced to release

2:37 the hagfish and retreat or risk dying in the struggle.

2:41 This slime can be deadly.

2:43 Scientists have been studying hagfish slime for decades,

2:46 trying to develop ultra-strong,

2:48 flexible biomaterial potentially used in body armor and advanced

2:52 fabrics because those protein threads are incredibly durable.

2:55 Few defenses in the entire animal kingdom are as effective as this slime.

2:59 But while the hagfish uses its slime as a defense mechanism,

3:03 this next creature uses its mucus to hunt.

3:06 At number five, we have the milky ribbon worm.

3:10 People often associate slime with slow,

3:13 snail-like movement, but with this creature,

3:15 its mucus can move fast, keeping it on the go.

3:18 The milky ribbon worm is a marine species

3:20 of worm found along the Atlantic coast of North America.

3:23 And unlike others on the slime list,

3:25 its mucus supports its locomotion or movement and its predatory behaviors.

3:30 Here's how it works.

3:31 The first role of its slime is navigating its environment.

3:34 The worm secretes a thin layer of mucus beneath its body,

3:37 allowing it to glide smoothly over sand and mud using tiny,

3:41 hair-like structures called cilia.

3:43 But like I said, there's another side to this pale, ribbon-like predator.

3:48 Some of these worms can stretch out to several feet long,

3:51 appearing like a strip of milky tape drifting across the sand.

3:54 And that length isn't just for show, it's part of how the animal hunts.

3:58 Milky ribbon worms possess a long, extendable proboscis they can rapidly eject

4:03 from their body to capture their prey.

4:05 And I have to say, when you see this proboscis eject out in person,

4:09 you can hardly believe your eyes.

4:11 It is so rapid, so unusual,

4:14 it looks like it's something straight out of a sci-fi novel.

4:16 But they use this proboscis as a means to hunt.

4:19 It is coated in, you guessed it, slime,

4:22 which helps the worm swallow small invertebrates

4:24 or invade the shells of an unsuspecting clam.

4:28 And the same mucus that allows it to glide

4:30 also keeps its long and delicate body hydrated,

4:33 slippery, and making it difficult for predators to grasp.

4:36 Now while the milky ribbon worm uses its slime

4:38 to glide through mud and sand and to hunt,

4:42 this next creature uses it for a completely different purpose.

4:46 In fact, this next creature uses it as a fortress.

4:49 Imagine you're alone in the dark ocean at night.

4:53 What would you do to stay safe from a predator?

4:56 Most animals hide, while others have evolved to fight.

4:59 But the parrotfish does something else altogether, it completely disappears.

5:05 Every single night, the parrotfish will secrete

5:08 a thick layer of mucus from its skin.

5:10 This mucus forms a clear,

5:12 bubble-like cocoon that completely wraps around its entire body.

5:16 So picture that, a pretty good size

5:18 fish completely cocooned in a slime sleeping bag.

5:22 So why would this animal develop such an ability, you might ask?

5:25 Well, the parrotfish are herbivores and they're rather peaceful creatures.

5:29 They use their beak-like teeth to scrape algae off coral reefs and rocks,

5:33 not to fight or consume other fish.

5:36 So because they can't bite back, they choose to hide.

5:39 The mucus cocoon completely conceals their scent.

5:42 That means predators can't detect them at all.

5:44 It shuts down the chemical cues that sharks, eels,

5:47 and other hunters rely upon to track their prey.

5:50 And for an added bonus,

5:52 the slime cocoon also acts like an underwater mosquito net,

5:56 keeping out parasites that would otherwise attack the fish while it sleeps.

6:00 Studies have actually documented this fact,

6:02 that parrotfish with slime cocoons get far fewer parasites underwater.

6:06 And while producing this slimy sleeping bag does take energy,

6:10 the payoff is well worth it.

6:11 Wrapped inside, the parrotfish can rest peacefully and protected,

6:15 hiding itself and making the most of its mucus as its only form of defense.

6:19 All right, guys, before we continue,

6:21 I've got to tell you about these new shirts that I've been wearing a lot lately.

6:24 The brand is called Poncho and they are seriously comfortable and tough.

6:29 Whether I'm doing yard work or out for the night,

6:31 I want a shirt that fits great, is flexible, and most importantly, can breathe.

6:35 But the fabric is where they really matter most.

6:38 Poncho uses performance nylon that's lightweight,

6:41 has built-in sun protection, and dries incredibly quick,

6:44 which really helps when you're out on a hike and you start to sweat.

6:48 And its reinforced thread stops nags

6:50 from suddenly becoming massive rips or even worse.

6:54 This one I'm wearing is called the Hondo.

6:56 Personally, I love the fit.

6:58 And these pearl snaps, they add a great vintage touch as well.

7:01 And this one has become my go-to for whenever

7:03 dinner plans call for a button-down with a collar.

7:06 Got a favorite college football team?

7:08 This shirt can even come with the school's

7:10 colors and logo sewn right into the fabric.

7:13 So if you want one, head over to ponchooutdoors.com to find the perfect shirt.

7:18 All right, now back to the action.

7:20 And our next bizarre creature doesn't need to hide

7:22 from predators because its slime is more than a mouthful.

7:26 If you've ever felt your teeth go numb at the dentist,

7:29 imagine that sensation filling your entire mouth

7:32 the moment you bite into your next meal.

7:34 And this is the power held by the banana slug.

7:37 These bright yellow, green, or brown slugs live in the wet,

7:41 cool forest along North America's Pacific coast,

7:44 and they often do look like ripe bananas,

7:47 giving them the fitting name banana slug.

7:50 Unfortunately, they have no external shell or sharp

7:53 appendages and certainly don't look intimidating at all.

7:56 This makes them easy targets for salamanders,

7:58 snakes, and birds that live amongst the forest.

8:01 So how exactly do they survive?

8:03 Well, they use their numbing slime.

8:06 When the slug feels threatened, it will secrete a thick layer of mucus.

8:09 And this slime triggers a powerful numbing and irritating

8:12 sensation in any predator's mouth, tongue, or throat,

8:15 sending the would-be attacker into a panic and forcing

8:18 him to spit out the slug and back away.

8:20 And when stressed, the banana slug has the ability

8:23 to boost its slime output to even greater amounts.

8:26 This ensures it never runs out of slime during a fight.

8:29 And that mucus can hold up to 100 times its weight in water,

8:32 meaning that even a heavy rain shower won't wash it away.

8:36 And yes, this slime even works on humans.

8:38 If you touch a banana slug barehanded, your fingers can temporarily go numb.

8:42 And you're not necessarily being poisoned, but it is a very weird sensation.

8:46 Now I've held my fair share of banana

8:48 slugs over the years filming for Brave Wilderness,

8:51 and I can tell you that slime doesn't only make your skin tingly,

8:55 it's also incredibly sticky.

8:57 It is like the stickiest slime,

9:00 Elmer's Glue-like secretion, you will ever encounter.

9:03 So unless you want to spend a long time washing your hands,

9:06 I'd say admire those banana slugs from a good, safe distance.

9:09 Take a picture and keep hiking on the trail.

9:11 Hiking in the forest, encountering a giant,

9:14 colorful slug might come with the temptation to touch it,

9:17 which is also kind of like this next creature

9:19 that you very well may encounter while exploring the tide pool.

9:23 At number two, we have one

9:24 of the ocean's most curious oddities, the sea cucumber.

9:28 These elongated animals are part of the echinoderm family,

9:32 which are related to sea stars, sea urchins, and sand dollars.

9:36 And they live on the ocean floor pretty much everywhere on the planet.

9:40 Now you've probably heard the term carnivore, omnivore,

9:43 and herbivore, but this creature is none of those.

9:46 It's a detritivore, meaning they feed

9:49 on decaying plants and organisms to recycle nutrients.

9:53 Most often found on the surface of of sand,

9:55 they actually play a key part in keeping all of our oceans healthy.

9:59 So, how could something named after a vegetable possess incredible abilities?

10:04 Well, its main defense tactic is surprisingly shocking.

10:08 The sea cucumber has the ability to shoot

10:10 out long sticky threads that look like tentacles, but these aren't extra arms.

10:15 They're actually part of its internal guts that it has the ability to blast out.

10:20 Now, these threads are coated in a superglue-like slime that can tangle,

10:24 trap, and even suffocate predators.

10:26 This sticky mass can wrap around fish, crabs,

10:29 or anything nearby, stopping them instantly in their tracks.

10:32 And these slimy tentacles are even strong enough

10:35 to scare off much bigger predators like the sea otter.

10:39 But after firing them out,

10:40 the sea cucumber will take days to regrow these organs and their slime.

10:44 But in the end, it's all a means of survival,

10:47 utilizing this defensive counter as a last resort measure.

10:50 And be warned, these threads are extremely sticky

10:53 to humans as well and are very hard to remove.

10:56 I have experienced this on more than one

10:58 occasion while filming in tide pools around the world.

11:01 But the cool thing about sea cucumbers is they come in multiple variants.

11:04 They can be large, small, and different colorations.

11:08 They're very much an ocean oddity that I

11:10 always find fascinating when exploring these environments.

11:13 And they have to have one of the most intense survival tactics ever,

11:17 having to puke up their own guts just to live another day.

11:20 But now we've arrived to the number one spot on our list,

11:24 where this next bizarre creature takes

11:26 its use of slime to superhero-like levels.

11:29 At number one, we have the one and only velvet worm.

11:33 Picture a steady and calm-mannered rubbery-like

11:37 caterpillar with multiple sets of legs.

11:39 That is the velvet worm.

11:41 Sounds pretty harmless, right?

11:43 Well, prepare yourself.

11:45 These worms live in tropical rainforests all throughout the southern hemisphere.

11:49 And while they may appear slow and innocent, don't be deceived.

11:52 They are formidable predators.

11:55 Velvet worms belong to an ancient

11:57 and entirely distinct group of animals called onychophorans,

12:00 a lineage that dates back to over 500 million years.

12:06 And despite their name and appearance, they aren't true worms.

12:10 In fact, they aren't insects at all.

12:12 They form their own unique branch on the animal family tree,

12:16 more closely related to arthropods and spiders than actual worms.

12:20 To many scientists, they are considered living fossils.

12:23 And we all know, if a species has

12:25 the ability to survive on our planet for that long,

12:28 it didn't happen by accident.

12:30 And it's more likely a sign

12:31 that they've evolved some truly exceptional abilities.

12:35 Sealed within its head are two specialized

12:37 tubes that operate like biological rocket launchers.

12:41 And in an instant, they can unleash them,

12:43 changing themselves from a careful crawler into a deadly marksman.

12:47 The velvet worm sprays a milky-white slime in long crisscrossing strands

12:52 that whip through the air and spread outward like expanding net.

12:56 Very much like how Spider-Man has the ability to shoot webs from his hands,

13:00 the onychophoran has the ability to shoot strands of sticky slime from its face.

13:05 And when it hits its target, like an insect or a spider,

13:08 that slime sticks and hardens fast,

13:11 instantly trapping the victim and making it unable to move at all.

13:15 And this is when the velvet worm closes in for a feed.

13:18 Hidden from sight, its knife-like jaws will emerge,

13:21 slicing into the immobilized prey.

13:23 It releases digestive saliva that liquefies tissues,

13:27 turning it into a nutrient-rich meal.

13:29 And if a predator gets too close, the same weapon is deployed.

13:33 A sudden blast of slime that sends the attacker fleeing.

13:36 And here's the wild part.

13:38 The velvet worm is almost completely blind.

13:41 It does have two tiny eyes, but they barely work at all.

13:44 Rather than relying on sight,

13:46 they detect subtle air currents created by moving prey,

13:49 allowing them to aim their slime with remarkable precision.

13:53 And after a strike, they'll even consume some

13:55 of their dried-up slime to reclaim the valuable proteins lost,

13:59 essentially making it reusable ammunition from a living biological launcher.

14:04 An ability that almost no other living creature possesses.

14:07 Now, the red velvet worm of Costa Rica is a creature

14:10 that I searched for for years and years and years.

14:13 In fact, I almost gave up believing that they existed at all

14:16 until one fateful night we came across one crawling across a rock.

14:20 And I'll never forget the moment I actually got to hold it in my hand.

14:25 It was like a dream come true.

14:27 At least for this nature videographer,

14:29 it is something I will always remember for as long as I live.

14:33 So, in conclusion, slime isn't just some sticky goo.

14:37 It can be used as a disguise, as a shield,

14:40 as a trap, and sometimes even as a weapon of survival.

14:45 By far the coolest animal I've ever found.

14:46 Coyote was pretty impressed and jealous.

14:49 And maybe a little jealous.