- I'm Coyote Peterson.
Now, did you know that there's a species
of snake out there that feels exactly like rubber?
Get ready to me the rubber boa.
(intense adventure music)
Throughout my adventures filming Breaking Trail,
if there are two animal species I've encountered
in almost every location, it's snakes and spiders.
Not only are these creatures found on every continent
except for Antarctica, they're also two of the
most widely feared animals in the world.
Here we go.
Ah, one of my favorites.
Look at this.
That is a little desert blond tarantula.
Many people suffer from the fear of spiders,
which is called arachnophobia.
Let's get a good look at him.
I'm gonna pick him up, ready?
It never becomes any less nerve-racking
to pick up a tarantula.
I promise you that.
And I would wager to say that even more people
are afraid of snakes, a fear known as ophidiophobia.
I can understand the fear of spiders.
They have eight legs, are oftentimes covered in hair,
and they can climb up almost anything.
Now he is up and on my back.
Thankfully they don't eat coyotes.
But why do people fear snakes?
Is it because they slither?
They have forked tongues?
Or is it really that we just don't have an answer
and snakes are just plain scary?
Now, what if I told you that hiding in
the conifer forests of California,
there lived one of the friendliest snake species
you could ever hope to come across.
All it takes is a little searching,
and if you flip over the right log,
you might find the cure to your worst fear.
This log here looks pretty good.
Let me get on this side.
Give it a flip for ya.
Are you ready?
Oh, sweet!
Come here, check this out!
Come up.
Look at this right here.
(laughs) This is something that I definitely
hoped we would find.
You see this right here?
Do you know what that is?
That...
Oh, come here, buddy.
Oh, he's getting down really good.
Oh man, they burrow so quick.
Let me get him out.
Oh, look at that.
That...
Hold on.
I'm losing him.
Ah, there we go; I got him.
Look at that!
That is a rubber boa.
Okay, let's bring him up here,
get this situation a little bit more in control,
but this is totally safe.
Watch your backstep there.
Awesome!
Check that out.
Now, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you,
but this little snake here is related to
its much bigger cousin, the boa constrictor.
Now, this is a very docile species.
I had no hesitation picking it up.
Flipped over that log and saw it,
knew it was nonvenomous and they never bite.
Now, the thing that is so cool about this snake
is the way that they feel.
I wish you guys could just jump through the screen
and actually touch this animal,
because you're probably saying to yourself,
"Well, it's a rubber boa, but does it feel like rubber?"
It absolutely does.
I would say that the best thing I could compare
this snake to is a fishing lure.
Have you ever gone out and had one of those
rubber worms that you stick a hook onto?
That is exactly what this snake feels like.
You don't believe me?
Mark, stick your hand out here
for everybody at home watching.
Touch that snake.
- [Voiceover] Oh, wow.
- What does that feel like?
- [Voiceover] Exactly like rubber.
- Right? - [Voiceover] That's amazing.
- Almost exactly like a fishing lure.
Now, here's something really interesting to note
about this snake.
I'm gonna hold up its head for you here.
See that.
There's his head.
Oh, wait.
Or is that his tail?
Because that is actually his head.
Something really cool about this snake
is that the head looks exactly like the tail.
Now, this helps them against predators
because if a predator comes in and says,
"That looks like a tasty treat,"
and he tries to bite this snake from the rear end,
there's a good chance without getting the head
that this snake isn't going to die.
This tail is also used to help this snake get its food.
What these snakes are out here looking for
are baby mice or baby voles.
They will search out a burrow,
go in, and begin to have a meal.
Most of the time, if the mother's not there,
the snake is left in peace.
But if the mother comes back and she tries
to drive off this predator, this snake
actually uses its tail like a boxing glove,
and it will whap, whap, whap,
fight off the mother, and then,
unfortunately for the baby mice,
this guy is left to have his feast.
Pretty cool trait to have if you're a snake of this size.
Okay, so let's talk about ophidiophobia,
which is the fear of snakes.
I know a lot of you out there watching
are saying to yourselves, "I don't care
how cute that thing is, I would never
get up close with that snake."
But this is one cool customer.
They're nonvenomous, never bites,
and actually, reptile presenters
bring them to focus groups all across the world
to help people who have ophidiophobia
get over their fears.
So, if you're afraid of snakes and you ever
have the chance to get up close with a rubber boa,
I strongly suggest it, 'cause you never know,
this little guy might help you overcome your fears.
I'm Coyote Peterson.
Be brave.
Stay wild.
We'll see you on the next adventure.
I'm sure that watching this episode
hasn't fully cured your phobia of snakes,
but at least you now know that with the rubber boa,
there's a place to start
when it comes to braving your fears.
Are you afraid of snakes and spiders?
If so, tell me why.
And make sure to check out the time
I had to challenge arachnophobia
by getting up close with a giant desert tarantula.
And don't forget, subscribe to join me and the crew
on this season of Breaking Trail.
Now, he is up and on my back.
Is he on my back?
- [Voiceover] On your backpack.
- This is one of the most common species
here in the Sonoran Desert.
Thankfully they don't eat coyotes.
(animal noises)