Have you ever walked across the rug in winter?  Then, when you touch the door--yikes-- a shock!  But it would hurt even more if it came from an Electric eel.  Electric eels give off shocks of up to 300 volts.  That's enough to light ten 100 watt light bulbs.  It's also enough to stun or even kill a man.  The glands where the electricity is made grow along the eel's tail.  Electric eels can give many shocks in a row.  Then they must rest.  It's just like a car when the battery goes dead. The battery has to be recharged.  Electric eels must recharge their batteries too. Electric eels live in the rivers of South America.  They use their shocks to kill other fish for food.  But if they are frightened, they may also use their shocks to defend themselves.  One time in Brazil, two men were walking along the river. They fell into a pool of Electric eels. Both were killed right away.