Skip to main content
Back to Show
Deep Look

Beware of Flesh-Eating Sand Piranhas at the Beach

Season 11 Episode 17

Known as sand piranhas, Excirolana chiltoni are tiny crustaceans that nibble at your feet – and draw blood – if you hang out on the wet sand at the beach. They live on the Pacific coast of the U.S. and Canada, and the shorelines of Japan. Here's how to keep them from ruining your vacay!

Support Provided By
Season
Fire Ants Turn Into a Stinging Life Raft to Survive Floods
4:14
Floating colonies of red fire ants are a risk for people wading through floodwater.
Backswimmer Insects Drag Prey Into the Upside Down
3:57
These voracious predators cruise belly up below the surface of a pond or gentle stream.
Watch Barn Owls Swallow Rodents Whole
4:55
Barn owls turn mice, gophers and voles into balls of fur and bones known as pellets.
Stop! Thief! Carpenter Bees are Notorious Nectar Robbers
4:02
It’s called nectar robbing: Bees get nectar, but don’t pollinate the plants in exchange.
Don't Go Chasing Water Bugs
3:49
Giant water bugs pack one of the most painful bites of any insect, but they're great dads.
This Freaky Fruit Fly Lays Eggs in Your Strawberries
4:33
The spotted wing drosophila may look like a common fruit fly, but it’s so much worse.
Silkworms Spin Cocoons That Spell Their Own Doom
5:13
Those precious silk garments in your closet were made by the caterpillars of a fuzzy moth.
Barnacles Go To Unbelievable Lengths to Hook Up
3:58
Barnacles might look like jagged little rocks, but they have a surprisingly wild sex life.
Honeypot Ants Turn Their Biggest Sisters Into Jugs of Nectar
4:36
Honeypot ants stuff members of their own colony until they look like tiny water balloons.
The Vinegaroon Sprays Acid to Foil Its Foes
4:25
What animal sprays acid that reeks of vinegar from its rear end? A vinegaroon, of course.
This Mushroom Fakes Its Own Death To Trick Flies
4:31
The cage fungus looks and smells like decaying meat — on purpose.
Flying Termites Take a Dangerous Journey to a New Life
5:12
Subterranean termites fly off in swarms, and then drop their wings to start new colonies.
Active loading indicator