Poisonous Animals [VHS]
The "wow, cool" factor is almost off the charts in this half-hour on all creatures poisonous yet often beautiful. Toads squirt poison from a gland behind each eye, a jewel wasp buries a cockroach alive so its babies will have something to feast on, and scientists milk venom from a snake so they can make anti-venom. There's no shortage of chill-inducing scenes like these. Like many videos in theAmazing Animalsseries, the compelling footage is slickly strewn together with easy-to-comprehend narrative that all but keeps you glued to your seat. The scoop on poisonous sea creatures is here, too, including the jellyfish and sea anemone, complete with Jacques Cousteau-quality pictures and new-age mood music. Any child who ever wandered into the back yard to catch a critter will think twice after this  parade of everything from cobras and rattlesnakes to black  widow spiders and bees.--Valerie J. Nelson