Poisonous Animals

VHS cover

Poisonous Animals is the twelfth episode of the first season of Amazing Animals. The plot revolves around Henry learning about poisonous animals and how they use their toxins. It first aired on the Disney Channel on 2nd July 1996.

## Episode

### Episode outline

Click here for the full transcript for Poisonous Animals.

The narrator greets Henry, who notices some frogs and toads nearby. He says he is hungry and plans to drain a cauldron of bubbling green liquid, but the narrator warns him that it could be poisonous. A treefrog is shown eating and then throwing up a woodlouse because of its toxic defences, an example of one of many poisonous animals that use toxins to either attack or defend themselves. Henry plays around near the cauldron, but the narrator reminds him to be careful if the yellow poison sign is visible. The narrator then tells Henry about how toads and their poisonous defences featured in folklore.

#### First cartoon

* The Squirrel scientist mixes together two bottles of chemicals together which then immediately explode; he then laughs maniacally.

Henry tells the narrator that when he thinks of poisonous animals, he thinks of snakes. First, they look at the cobra which is such an awe-inspiring animal that people have turned them into gods. They also meet a gaboon viper, which has the longest fangs of any venomous snake, but the narrator assures Henry that most snakes are not venomous. Those snakes that are dangerous can be milked to create antivenom. The narrator also shows Henry the jewel wasp, which uses poison to paralyse cockroaches on which they lay eggs, before burying the cockroach alive to be eaten by the growing larvae.

#### Second cartoon

* Rattlesnake bites Elephant and deflates him, causing them both to fly away like balloons. The Lizards come and re-inflate Elephant with a bicycle pump, before they also inflate Rattlesnake and make him float away.

Henry encounters colourful poison-dart frogs and asks the narrator if pretty things can be poisonous. He then comes under attack by a poison arrow, with the narrator explaining that native tribespeople use the frogs to tip their hunting arrows. They then look at fire-bellied toads and fire salamanders, the latter named because in ancient times salamanders seen fleeing from fireplaces were thought to be being born from the fire. Henry and the narrator then look at how colours can be used as warnings for poison, with Henry guessing which of a series of animals are poisonous or not. The hoverfly and milk snake are both examples of harmless animals that copy the patterns of poisonous animals to keep themselves safe from predators. Henry now does the Golden Gecko Awards. The bronze medal goes to the Gila monster and the silver medal to the scorpion. The Golden Gecko Award is given to the black widow spider, which is so poisonous it is able to overpower, kill and eat the scorpion.

#### Third cartoon

* The Squirrel scientist mixes two different chemicals together and drinks the mixture, which causes him to become a giant monstrous squirrel. He looks at himself in a mirror but is frightened off by his reflection, which comes alive and reaches out of the mirror.

Henry comes out wearing an umbrella on his head. When the narrator asks what it is for, Henry uses it to defend his head from the spray of a spitting cobra. Another animal that uses a spray to defend itself, although this time from the other end, is the skunk. A skunk is shown using its spray as a defence against a puma, but Henry ends up being chased away by the skunk (played by a zorilla).

#### Fourth cartoon

* Tiger is writing at a typewriter when Rattlesnake sneaks up and tries to bite him. Tiger grabs Rattlesnake in mid-strike and uses his fangs as a hole-punch. Tiger calmly walks off with his papers while Rattlesnake flicks his loose fangs with his tongue.

The narrator now reminds Henry of his special report, which is supposed to be about rattlesnakes. Henry says that rattlesnakes have a rattle to wake up other snakes so they can have dance parties to keep warm. The narrator says that actually, no-one knows why rattlesnakes have rattles, but it could be used to distract prey from the head of the snake or may be used to frighten away predators. Henry has no donned a snorkel and is swimming underwater. He encounters a fruit-flavoured jelly fish, but the narrator warns him that real jellyfish are less friendly and have a toxic sting. A large jellyfish is shown stinging and eating a fish. A giant nudibranch is shown attacking a sea anemone to steal its poisonous tentacles for its own protection, which Henry says is smart, while clownfish have special protective mucus that allow them to live safely among the stinging tentacles of sea anemones.

#### Fifth cartoon

* The Lizards are talking amongst themselves when the giant Squirrel monster tries to attack. The Lizards cower but at this moment the potion wears off and the Squirrel returns to normal size. He takes more of the potion, but now it causes him to shrink until he is much smaller than the Lizards. Squirrel flees while the Lizards laugh at him.

Henry now encounters several scorpions, and feels a bit claustrophobic surrounded by all their stings. The narrator suggests they take a closer look at scorpions, but Henry says he would rather not. As well as having stings, scorpions also have claws that they use to catch prey and also hold claws in courtship dances. During these dances, they have to take care not to sting each other as scorpions are not immune to each other’s venom. The meerkat on the other hand does have some immunity to the toxin and is able to eat scorpions. The narrator now asks Henry if he has learned anything about poisonous animals. Henry says that, as well as learning to stay away from them, he has also learned that animals use poison for many different reasons but if we leave them in peace, they will leave us in peace as well. The narrator congratulates Henry and says he couldn’t have said it better himself.

## Animal species filmed for the programme

### Studio footage

* African common toad, *Sclerophrys regularis*
* White’s tree frog, *Litoria caerulea*
* Common rough woodlouse, *Porcellio scaber*
* Imperial scorpion, *Pandinus imperator*
* Leopard gecko, *Eublepharis macularius*
* European green toad, *Bufotes viridis*
* Black racer snake, *Coluber constrictor*
* Green-and-black poison-dart frog, *Dendrobates auratus*
* Dyeing poison-dart frog, *Dendrobates tinctorius*
* European legless lizard, *Pseudopus apodus*
* Fire salamander, *Salamandra salamandra*
* Milk snake, *Lampropeltis triangulum*
* Gila monster, *Heloderma suspectum*
* African fat-tailed gecko, *Hemitheconyx caudicinctus*
* Egyptian spiny mouse, *Acomys cahirinus*
* Zorilla, *Ictonyx striatus*

**Note**: The European legless lizard and some fire salamander footage was originally filmed for the See How They Grow episode Pond Animals.

### Stock footage

* Indian cobra, *Naja naja*
* West African gaboon viper, *Bitis rhinoceros*
* Lancehead, *Bothrops sp*.
* Striped dwarf gecko, *Gonatodes vittatus*
* Mangrove cat snake, *Boiga dendrophila*
* Rattlesnake, *Crotalus sp*.
* Jewel wasp, *Ampulex compressa*
* American cockroach, *Periplaneta americana*
* Green-and-black poison-dart frog, *Dendrobates auratus*
* Dyeing poison-dart frog, *Dendrobates tinctorius*
* Strawberry poison-dart frog, *Oophaga pumilio*
* Oriental fire-bellied toad, *Bombina orientalis*
* Keelback snake, *Rhabdophis sp*.
* Six-spot burnet moth, *Zygaena filipendulae*
* Tiger longwing butterfly, *Heliconius hecale*
* Ringneck snake, *Diadophis punctatus*
* Cowrie, *Cuspivolva sp*.
* Common lionfish, *Pterois miles*
* Common wasp, *Vespula vulgaris*
* Hoverfly, Syrphidae
* Aquatic coral snake, *Micrurus surinamensis*
* Central American coral snake, *Micrurus nigrocinctus*
* Fat-tailed scorpion, *Androctonus sp*.
* Black widow spider, *Latrodectus sp*.
* Yellow-tailed scorpion, *Tetratrichobothrius flavicaudis*
* Black-necked spitting cobra, *Naja nigricollis*
* Eastern spotted skunk, *Spilogale putorius*
* Cougar, *Puma concolor*
* Western diamondback rattlesnake, *Crotalus atrox*
* Kangaroo rat, *Dipodomys sp*.
* Sea nettle jellyfish, *Chrysaora sp*.
* Jellyfish crab, Brachyura
* Giant nudibranch, *Dendronotus iris*
* Sea anemone, *Pachycerianthus fimbriatus*
* Maroon clownfish, *Premnas biaculeatus*
* Pacific blue tang, *Paracanthurus hepatus*
* Thick-tailed scorpion, *Parabuthus sp*.
* Large-clawed scorpion, *Scorpio maurus*
* Meerkat, *Suricata suricatta*

## Credits

* Writer - Roger Stennett
* Narrator - Tom Clarke-Hill
* Henry - Eric Meyers
* Music - David Poore
* Director - Anne Neale
* Graphic Designer - Kate Beldon
* Researcher - Liz Lewin
* Production Secretary - Cristina Hughes
* Production Team - Dominic Weston, Karen Steele, Susan Hubble and Tessa Nelson
* Camera - Jonathan Noad and Mike Kamei
* Animation - Varga Studio Ltd
	+ Animation Director - Igor Lazin
	+ Animation Co-Ordinator - Krisztina Varga
* 3-D Animation - Ricochet 4 and Henry Lutman
* Titles Post-Production - Sue Land
* Sound Editor - James Pursey
* Dubbing Mixer - Andrew Wilson
* Editors
	+ Offline - Colette Hodges
	+ Online - Sharon Stiles
* Special thanks to:
	+ Doug Zwick
	+ Nancy Kemp
* Producer - Rob Harvey

## Home media releases

The VHS for Nighttime Animals was released on 21st September 1998. The cover shows Henry holding a bottle with an orange poison label, and he is accompanied by a prairie rattlesnake, an imperial scorpion and a golden poison frog.

The spine of the VHS has a photograph of a fire salamander, while the back cover of the VHS has another photograph of a prairie rattlesnake.

The blurb on the back cover of the VHS reads:

**How deadly is a scorpion’s tail? Why do snakes wear stripes?**

Henry discovers what makes a rattlesnake tick and how to spot nature’s warning colours as he encounters some AMAZING POISONOUS ANIMALS.

**Cartoon Characters**: \* Eagles • Tyrannosaurus • Rattlesnake • Tiger • Squirrel • Lizards • Elephant • Bat • Fish • Camel • Gorilla • Caveman • Mole • Bear • Stickman • Chicks • Hen • Rooster • Owl • Chameleon • Tortoise • Crocodile • Frog and Toad •
• Parrot • Porcupine • Mouse • Whale • Rhinoceros • Beavers • Snail • Rabbit • Dog • Skunk • Spider • Octopus • Vulture • Woodpecker • Flea • Dung Beetle • Butterfly • Gibbon • Fly • Mosquito • Bee • Beetles • Crab • Pigeon • Carnivorous Plant • Lamb

**Voice Actors**: Eric Meyers • Tom Clarke-Hill
**Season One**: Tropical Birds • Animal Disguises • Nighttime Animals • Animal Appetites • Animal Survivors • Animal Senses • Animal Weapons • Animal Builders • Armoured Animals • Mini-Beasts • Animal Babies • **Poisonous Animals** • Animal Journeys
**Season Two**: Birds of Prey • Desert Animals (Amazing Animals) • Scary Animals • Animal Records • Animal Colors • Animal Mothers • Animal Pets • Seashore Animals • Animal Families • Endangered Animals • An Animal Year • Prehistoric Animals • Monkeys and Apes
**Season Three**: Animal Hunters • Animal Talk • Slimy Animals • Rainforest Animals • Animal Acrobats • Underwater Animals • Animal Neighbors • Giant Animals - Creepy Crawly Animals • Farm Animals (Amazing Animals) • Animal Changes • Extinct Animals • Animal Eggs
**Season Four**: Around the World • Polar Animals • Clever Animals • Underground Animals • Animal Helpers • Woodland Animals (Amazing Animals) • Mountain Animals • Backyard Animals • Tiny Animals • Animal Partners • Scaly Animals • River Animals • Animal Flight