Science

Taser of the Wild

Electric eels shock prey just like Tasers stun human victims.

Electric eels, native to river basins in South America, are among the most famous predators in the world. But a new study in Science offers a more detailed explanation of their electrical mechanism, finding that, among other things, it works on prey fish the exact same way a Taser does on humans. The video above includes footage from a high-speed camera used to document the eels in action.