Series · Small Things That Wreck You

The Tiny And Terrifying

Nothing here is bigger than your thumb. All of it is worse than you think, and some of it is already on your face.

19 episodes ~76 min

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Season 1 — Parasites And Puppeteers · 9 episodes

S1:E1
Dragonflies hunted prey like tiny hawks
Modern dragonflies solve high-speed geometry problems to intercept prey mid-air, a neurological "targeting code" inherited from ancestors the size of hawks.
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S1:E2
Fungus turns ants into zombie followers
A strange fungus takes over ant brains to guide them to their own doom
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S1:E3
Fungus turns ants into zombie puppets
Seriously, it's like a horror movie, but these ants are the stars
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S1:E4
Wasps make caterpillars into zombie guards
These tiny wasps turn caterpillars into defenders for their own babies
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S1:E5
Hairworms: The Parasites Forcing Insect Suicides
Imagine a worm growing inside you, manipulating your mind to force you into a watery grave. This isn't horror fiction; it's the shocking reality of the hairworm, a parasite that turns insects into suicidal zombies.
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S1:E6
How worms trick grasshoppers into leaping to their doom
This parasite makes grasshoppers jump off cliffs. Seriously, it's wild
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S1:E7
Capybaras aren't safe from crocodiles
The internet thinks capybaras and caimans are best friends, but diet studies from the Pantanal prove these giant rodents are actually a main course for South America's predators.
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S1:E8
Pelicans will swallow almost anything
Pelicans aren't just clumsy fishermen; they're opportunistic predators that will swallow pigeons, ducklings, and even other seabirds whole if they can fit them in their throat.
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S1:E9
Why China burns sugarcane fields
Sugarcane fields are biological fortresses of snakes and razor-sharp leaves. To survive the harvest, farmers set the entire crop on fire, creating a sweet, toxic hellscape.
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The Tiny And Terrifying

Wasps make caterpillars into zombie guards

Hairworms: The Parasites Forcing Insect Suicides

Capybaras aren't safe from crocodiles

Pelicans will swallow almost anything

All episodes

Dragonflies hunted prey like tiny hawks

Fungus turns ants into zombie followers

Fungus turns ants into zombie puppets

Wasps make caterpillars into zombie guards

Hairworms: The Parasites Forcing Insect Suicides

How worms trick grasshoppers into leaping to their doom

Capybaras aren't safe from crocodiles

Pelicans will swallow almost anything

Why China burns sugarcane fields