Ep 7. Body Snatchers

The Most Extreme season 5 episode 7, "Body Snatchers," explores some of the most unusual and bizarre creatures in the animal kingdom. From mimic octopuses that can impersonate other sea creatures to parasitic wasps that take over the minds of their hosts, viewers are taken on a wild ride through the world of body-snatching animals.

The episode begins with a look at how the mimic octopus is able to blend in with its surroundings, changing its shape and color to mimic other creatures such as sea snakes and flounders in order to avoid predators. Next, viewers are introduced to the cowbird, a bird that lays its eggs in other bird's nests so that the host bird will raise its young for it. The cowbird's eggs hatch faster and are fiercely competitive, often pushing the host bird's own eggs out of the nest to ensure their survival.

Moving on to the insect world, viewers are shown how the jewel wasp takes control of the minds of cockroaches, forcing them to be a food source for its young. Using a toxic sting, the wasp is able to turn the roach into a docile zombie, essentially body-snatching the insect to ensure the survival of its offspring.

In the ocean, the episode delves into the bizarre world of the pea crab, a tiny crustacean that lives inside the respiratory chambers of sea cucumbers. The pea crab is completely dependent on its host and has even evolved to look like its surroundings in order to avoid detection by predators.

The episode then takes a look at the world of parasites, specifically the tongue-eating louse that attaches itself to the tongue of a fish and takes over its functions. The louse eventually replaces the fish's tongue, essentially body-snatching the organ in order to ensure its own survival.

Finally, the episode explores the world of fungi and their ability to body-snatch insects. The cordyceps fungus infects ants, taking over their minds and causing the ant to wander aimlessly before finally dying and releasing the fungus's spores. Viewers are shown the bizarre sight of an infected ant with a fungal stalk growing out of its head.

Overall, "Body Snatchers" takes viewers on a wild and often creepy ride through the world of animals that have evolved to take over the bodies of others in order to ensure their survival. From mimic octopuses to tongue-eating lice, viewers are shown some of the most extreme examples of body-snatching in the animal kingdom.