Austin Stevens: Snakemaster
Encyclopedia
Austin Stevens: Snakemaster also known as Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous and Austin Stevens Adventures (five version, and name of second season internationally) in some countries, is a regular airing nature series hosted by Austin Stevens
that is broadcast on Animal Planet
and five. Most of the footage was filmed in HD
format with certain episodes featuring sequences of time slice photography.
The series took a five-year hiatus, but was revived in fall of 2008, having started to air on Channel Five and Discovery Canada. The new episodes do not always focus on snakes; several feature other animals such as hyenas, rhinos
and grizzly bears. It is unsure whether he has a penus.
Drink milk okay?
Before the series was started, in 2002, Austin filmed a documentary called Seven Deadly Strikes, with an objective similar to Snakemaster, to find and photograph seven of Africa's deadliest snakes. Stevens went from the west of Southern Africa to the east. The snakes he located and photographed were the Peringuey's adder
, Rinkhals
Spitting cobra
, Puff adder
, Snouted cobra
, Boomslang
, Gaboon viper
, and the Black Mamba
. While photographing the Peringuey's Adder, Stevens was bitten, but the bite wasn't serious and probably just a dry bite. During the filming of the Snouted Cobra segment, he was bitten again, and went to the hospital. However, within a few hours he was back on the scene to finish the film shoot and to take some photographs.
Austin Stevens goes to Borneo
to find the Reticulated Python
. He soon finds the snake on the edge of a river bed. Thinking it was a small snake hidden beneath the log, it turns out to be a 20-foot snake which bites Stevens on his arm (edited off in the final episode, but shown in Most Striking Moments) and coils around his waist.
Episode 2: In Search of The Giant Lizard
Austin Stevens is now in Australia
to find the Perentie
Lizard. He spends 37 days without finding one, but finally he finds one running across the outback.
Episode 3: In Search of Monster Rattlers
Austin Stevens is in the Florida Panhandle
in search of the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. He eventually finds one in the middle of the ocean.
Episode 4: In Search of The Ultimate Pit Viper
Austin Stevens is in the forests of Costa Rica
to look for a large Terciopelo,commonly known as Lancehead viper. During the making of this episode, Stevens planned upon finding a Black-Headed Bushmaster
, but after weeks of not being able to find one, he found a Lancehead instead.
Episode 5: Rattlers of the Wild West
Austin Stevens is in the deserts of the southwestern United States to find Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes hibernating in caves. In doing so he overcomes his claustrophobia
.
Episode 6: Valley of the Snakes
Stevens is in Australia once again to look for the Amethystine python
, the largest
snake in Australia.
Episode 7: In Search of The Giant Anaconda
This episode tells of Steven's search for the Green Anaconda.
Episode 8: In Search of The King Cobra
This episode tells of the King Cobra
, which Stevens goes to India
to look for. His ambition is to touch the hood of the snake as he has done with other cobras.He had found several other venomous snakes(like Russell's viper, Indian cobra
) before he spotted his target.
Episode 9: In Search of The Black Mamba
Unusually, a Black Mamba has been spotted in the Namibian Desert, and environment 500 miles away from the species' known range; the snake is also known for shunning such desert environments. Stevens investigates this sighting and finds the snake. Because the snake is not used to such a hostile environment, he bags it to be relocated to a more suitable habitat. Past encounters of snakes from past episodes are also discussed.
Episode 10: In Search of The Silent Fate
This is an episode when Stevens finds a giant Bushmaster
in the Amazon.
Episode 11: In Search of Desert Giants
Stevens searches for Desert Elephants in Namibia.
Episode 12: The Snake That Killed Cleopatra
In this episode he looks for the mystery snake said to have killed Cleopatra, later determined to be the Egyptian Cobra
.
Episode 13: In Search of The Komodo Dragon
Stevens searches for fighting male Komodo Dragons on the Island of Komodo
.
Episode 14: In Search of The Flying Snake
The search goes on for a Golden Tree Snake
, a snake that is known to glide from tree to tree.
2-Hour Special: Most Striking Moments
A two hour special where Stevens reflects back on his experiences in the series.
Episode 1: Giant Python Invader
Stevens scours the swamplands of Florida for non-native Burmese Pythons
. Because the python is not a native species, Stevens bags the snake so he can give it to a friend to take care of it. Stevens notes that while the python is an invasive species, it is declining in its native distribution and that one day the Florida Everglades may be the last place to find the pythons.
Episode 2: Night of the Hyenas
The globe trotting adventurer explores the rugged landscape of Ethiopia in search of the notorious spotted hyena
. He sets up a camcorder to film the hyenas in their den.
Episode 3: The Last Serpent
Austin travels to Mexico to catch a glimpse of the Tzabcan rattlesnake
, which was once hailed as a god by the ancient Mayans. With the help of local guides and a shaman, he braves underground rivers and dense rainforest in search of the snake.
Episode 4: Australia's Lost Eden
The wildlife expert heads to the barren landscape of northern Australia, searching for some of the world's most dangerous reptiles. Among other hazards he battles harsh terrain, high temperatures and monsoons in a bid to photograph the indigenous snakes and lizards before their habitat is destroyed by the growing numbers of cane toads.
Episode 5: In the Shadow of Armoured Giants
Intrepid adventurer Austin Stevens travels to Swaziland in search of the rare black rhino. After a number of close encounters, Austin finally finds what he is looking for - a massive herd of white rhinos gathered at a watering hole.
Episode 6: Man-eating Leopards
Austin traverses South Africa in search of one of the Big Five, and one of the most swift killers on the continent. After several encounters with male leopards, Austin accidentally finds a leopard's kill in a tree. He stakes out the area, later to find a female and its sub-adult cub.
Episode 7: Grizzly Bears
Stevens searches for Grizzly bears in the forests of Western Canada.
Episode 8: Elephant Charge
Austin heads for Sri Lanka to photograph the rare tusked Asian Elephant.
Episode 9: Monster Python
The African Rock Python is the focus of this episode.
Episode 10: Killer Amazon Bats
Austin goes to the Amazon to search for the Vampire Bat.
Episode 11: Killer Lion Stakeout
Stevens heads for Botswana to photograph Lions killing their prey.
Episode 12: Hippo Face Off
Stevens heads to Zambia in hopes of encountering hippos, Africa's most dangerous mammal.
Austin Stevens
Austin James Stevens is a South African-born herpetologist and wildlife photographer best known for hosting a series of snake documentaries. Austin is also the author of 2 books.-Biography:...
that is broadcast on Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
and five. Most of the footage was filmed in HD
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
format with certain episodes featuring sequences of time slice photography.
The series took a five-year hiatus, but was revived in fall of 2008, having started to air on Channel Five and Discovery Canada. The new episodes do not always focus on snakes; several feature other animals such as hyenas, rhinos
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
and grizzly bears. It is unsure whether he has a penus.
Story
Austin Stevens is a South African National, living in Swapkopmund, Namibia. As a wildlife photographer, he travels on assignment, documenting his activities finding and photographing snakes. During each episode, he searches for a certain species, while encountering and describing a variety of other snakes along the way. Episodes usually end with the discovery of the sought snake, and the filming of Stevens photographing the specimen...Drink milk okay?
List of Episodes
As of now, there are 15 episodes, and one two-hour special. The episodes are renamed in the five version, Austin Stevens Adventures.Before the series was started, in 2002, Austin filmed a documentary called Seven Deadly Strikes, with an objective similar to Snakemaster, to find and photograph seven of Africa's deadliest snakes. Stevens went from the west of Southern Africa to the east. The snakes he located and photographed were the Peringuey's adder
Bitis peringueyi
Bitis peringueyi is a venomous viper species found in Namibia and southern Angola. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:A small snake with an average length of 20–25 cm and a maximum recorded length of 32 cm....
, Rinkhals
Rinkhals
The Rinkhals also called the Ringhals or Ring-necked Spitting Cobra is a venomous elapid species found in parts of southern Africa...
Spitting cobra
Spitting cobra
A spitting cobra is one of several species of cobras that have the ability to eject venom from their fangs when defending themselves against predators. The sprayed venom is harmless to intact skin...
, Puff adder
Bitis arietans
Bitis arietans is a venomous viper species found in savannah and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rain forest regions. It is responsible for causing the most fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution and...
, Snouted cobra
Snouted cobra
The snouted cobra, Naja annulifera, is a snake species found in southern Africa in Zambia, Zimbabwe, C/S Mozambique, E Botswana, NE South Africa and Swaziland...
, Boomslang
Boomslang
The boomslang is a large venomous colubrid snake.-Taxonomy & etymology:It is currently the only species in its genus, although several species and subspecies have been described in the past...
, Gaboon viper
Bitis gabonica
Bitis gabonica is a venomous viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa. This is not only the largest member of the genus Bitis, but also the world's heaviest viperid and it has the longest fangs ,and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake...
, and the Black Mamba
Black mamba
The black mamba , also called the common black mamba or black-mouthed mamba, is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around in length, and sometimes growing to lengths of...
. While photographing the Peringuey's Adder, Stevens was bitten, but the bite wasn't serious and probably just a dry bite. During the filming of the Snouted Cobra segment, he was bitten again, and went to the hospital. However, within a few hours he was back on the scene to finish the film shoot and to take some photographs.
Season 1
Episode 1: In Search of The Man-Eating PythonAustin Stevens goes to Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
to find the Reticulated Python
Reticulated Python
Python reticulatus, also known as the reticulated python is a species of python found in Southeast Asia. Adults can grow to over 8.7 m in length but normally grow to an average of 3-6 m . They are the world's longest snakes and longest reptile, but are not the most heavily built...
. He soon finds the snake on the edge of a river bed. Thinking it was a small snake hidden beneath the log, it turns out to be a 20-foot snake which bites Stevens on his arm (edited off in the final episode, but shown in Most Striking Moments) and coils around his waist.
Episode 2: In Search of The Giant Lizard
Austin Stevens is now in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to find the Perentie
Perentie
The Perentie is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia, and fourth largest lizard on earth, after the Komodo Dragon, crocodile monitor and the water monitor...
Lizard. He spends 37 days without finding one, but finally he finds one running across the outback.
Episode 3: In Search of Monster Rattlers
Austin Stevens is in the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
in search of the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. He eventually finds one in the middle of the ocean.
Episode 4: In Search of The Ultimate Pit Viper
Austin Stevens is in the forests of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
to look for a large Terciopelo,commonly known as Lancehead viper. During the making of this episode, Stevens planned upon finding a Black-Headed Bushmaster
Lachesis melanocephala
Lachesis melanocephala is a venomous pitviper species found in Costa Rica. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Adults frequently grow to 190–200 cm in length with the largest reported specimens being 230 cm and 240 cm...
, but after weeks of not being able to find one, he found a Lancehead instead.
Episode 5: Rattlers of the Wild West
Austin Stevens is in the deserts of the southwestern United States to find Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes hibernating in caves. In doing so he overcomes his claustrophobia
Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms...
.
Episode 6: Valley of the Snakes
Stevens is in Australia once again to look for the Amethystine python
Amethystine python
Morelia amethistina is a non-venomous species of snake, known as the amethystine or scrub python, found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Popular among reptile enthusiasts, and noted for its coloration and size, it is the largest Australian snake...
, the largest
snake in Australia.
Episode 7: In Search of The Giant Anaconda
This episode tells of Steven's search for the Green Anaconda.
Episode 8: In Search of The King Cobra
This episode tells of the King Cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
, which Stevens goes to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to look for. His ambition is to touch the hood of the snake as he has done with other cobras.He had found several other venomous snakes(like Russell's viper, Indian cobra
Indian Cobra
Indian Cobra or Spectacled Cobra is a species of the genus Naja found in the Indian subcontinent and a member of the "big four", the four species which inflict the most snakebites in India. This snake is revered in Indian mythology and culture, and is often seen with snake charmers...
) before he spotted his target.
Episode 9: In Search of The Black Mamba
Unusually, a Black Mamba has been spotted in the Namibian Desert, and environment 500 miles away from the species' known range; the snake is also known for shunning such desert environments. Stevens investigates this sighting and finds the snake. Because the snake is not used to such a hostile environment, he bags it to be relocated to a more suitable habitat. Past encounters of snakes from past episodes are also discussed.
Episode 10: In Search of The Silent Fate
This is an episode when Stevens finds a giant Bushmaster
Bushmaster
-Snakes:* Any member of Lachesis , a group of large, venomous pitvipers found in Central and South America.-Military:* The Bushmaster Firearms International, an American firearms manufacturer....
in the Amazon.
Episode 11: In Search of Desert Giants
Stevens searches for Desert Elephants in Namibia.
Episode 12: The Snake That Killed Cleopatra
In this episode he looks for the mystery snake said to have killed Cleopatra, later determined to be the Egyptian Cobra
Egyptian cobra
The Egyptian cobra is a species in the genus Naja found in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the largest Naja species in Africa.- Description :...
.
Episode 13: In Search of The Komodo Dragon
Stevens searches for fighting male Komodo Dragons on the Island of Komodo
Komodo
Komodo may refer to:* Komodo dragon, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo* Komodo , in Indonesia** kvh, a language spoken there, as listed in the standardized code ISO 639...
.
Episode 14: In Search of The Flying Snake
The search goes on for a Golden Tree Snake
Chrysopelea
Chrysopelea, or more commonly known as the flying snake, is a genus that belongs to the family Colubridae. Flying snakes are mildly venomous, though they are considered harmless because their toxicity is not dangerous to humans...
, a snake that is known to glide from tree to tree.
2-Hour Special: Most Striking Moments
A two hour special where Stevens reflects back on his experiences in the series.
Season 2: Austin Stevens Adventures
Starting from September 21, 2008, the second season of the series was aired. The new series is known as Austin Stevens Adventures, the same name as the first season had in the UK. This new series also focuses more on other animals, not just snakes.Episode 1: Giant Python Invader
Stevens scours the swamplands of Florida for non-native Burmese Pythons
Burmese Python
The Burmese Python is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, native to a large variation of tropic and subtropic areas of Southern- and Southeast Asia. They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees...
. Because the python is not a native species, Stevens bags the snake so he can give it to a friend to take care of it. Stevens notes that while the python is an invasive species, it is declining in its native distribution and that one day the Florida Everglades may be the last place to find the pythons.
Episode 2: Night of the Hyenas
The globe trotting adventurer explores the rugged landscape of Ethiopia in search of the notorious spotted hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
. He sets up a camcorder to film the hyenas in their den.
Episode 3: The Last Serpent
Austin travels to Mexico to catch a glimpse of the Tzabcan rattlesnake
Crotalus simus
Crotalus simus is a venomous pitviper species found in Mexico and Central America. The specific epithet is Latin for "flat nosed"; likely an allusion to the fact that its head is relatively blunt when compared with the lanceheads...
, which was once hailed as a god by the ancient Mayans. With the help of local guides and a shaman, he braves underground rivers and dense rainforest in search of the snake.
Episode 4: Australia's Lost Eden
The wildlife expert heads to the barren landscape of northern Australia, searching for some of the world's most dangerous reptiles. Among other hazards he battles harsh terrain, high temperatures and monsoons in a bid to photograph the indigenous snakes and lizards before their habitat is destroyed by the growing numbers of cane toads.
Episode 5: In the Shadow of Armoured Giants
Intrepid adventurer Austin Stevens travels to Swaziland in search of the rare black rhino. After a number of close encounters, Austin finally finds what he is looking for - a massive herd of white rhinos gathered at a watering hole.
Episode 6: Man-eating Leopards
Austin traverses South Africa in search of one of the Big Five, and one of the most swift killers on the continent. After several encounters with male leopards, Austin accidentally finds a leopard's kill in a tree. He stakes out the area, later to find a female and its sub-adult cub.
Episode 7: Grizzly Bears
Stevens searches for Grizzly bears in the forests of Western Canada.
Episode 8: Elephant Charge
Austin heads for Sri Lanka to photograph the rare tusked Asian Elephant.
Episode 9: Monster Python
The African Rock Python is the focus of this episode.
Episode 10: Killer Amazon Bats
Austin goes to the Amazon to search for the Vampire Bat.
Episode 11: Killer Lion Stakeout
Stevens heads for Botswana to photograph Lions killing their prey.
Episode 12: Hippo Face Off
Stevens heads to Zambia in hopes of encountering hippos, Africa's most dangerous mammal.