Scientists have finally managed to catch a venomous snake strike in full, horrifying detail. Using ultra-high-speed cameras, a research team filmed 36 species of snakes lunging at fake prey, exposing what really happens in the fraction of a second between stillness and impact.

The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, was shot at Venomworld in Paris, a facility where venom is harvested for medical use. Researchers crafted artificial prey from a muscle-like medical gel, then tempted the snakes to attack while recording from multiple angles. “I flinched a couple of times,” said co-author Silke Cleuren of Monash University.

Vipers were the quickest, biting their target in about 0.1 seconds. That’s faster than a human can blink. When their aim faltered, they simply re-angl

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