Episode 1: The Giant Water Bug

Native to Southeast Asia, the giant water bug (or Lethocerus indicus) is known in Vietnam as the cà cuống.

The giant water bug is an edible species, served as a Vietnamese dish with rice noodle rolls and a dipping sauce. The pheromones produced by the male water bug are collected from its liquid-producing sacs and sold in small essence vials.

Dominic travels to Vietnam's Mekong Delta in search of the giant water bug.

Dom's about to break all the rules and take a dip in croc-infested waters.

To feed on their hosts, leeches use their anterior suckers to connect to their prey.

Dom does his best giant water bug impression.

If threatened, the monocled cobra will raise the anterior portion of its body, spread its hood, hiss loudly, and strike with intent to bite.

A highly venomous snake, the monocled cobra's bite releases a deadly toxin that proves fatal if not treated.

The monocled cobra's identifying marker is its hood, which features circular markings that resemble eyes.

The tail of a water scorpion functions much like a snorkel, pivoting at the base to obtain air from the water's surface.

Water scorpions get their name for their physical similarities to scorpions - their specialized grasping forelimbs resemble the anterior pincers of scorpions, and their long breathing tube is similar to a scorpion's stinging tail.

Dom visits the snake-infested rice paddies of the Vietnam's Mekong Delta on his search for the giant water bug.

Though few attacks have been reported, the reticulated python is powerful enough to kill a human. The nonvenomous snake seizes its prey in its coils and kills by constriction.

The reticulated python is the world's longest snake, growing up to lengths of 20 feet.

Episode 1: The Giant Water Bug

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