NARRATOR: There is an island where dragons still roam.
A Jurassic type underworld
where one ancient warlord still rules.
On Dragon Island, every day is a fight for supremacy.
Right now, it’s a kingdom in chaos.
And every challenger wants to be king.
Deep in the remote basin of the Pacific Ocean,
lies ’The Ring of Fire.’
Boasting 75% of the planet’s volcanoes
and 90% of its earthquakes,
it’s one of the harshest habitats on the planet.
It’s an ancient kingdom of fire and brimstone.
And it’s the perfect setting for a tale of dragons.
Within this restless water-world,
lie the Islands of Southern Indonesia.
Home to the Komodo dragon...
’King of Lizards.’
He’s a colossus -- 12 feet long and 250 lbs.
An apex predator, stealthy and persistent on the hunt.
A deadly reptile, forged by a ruthless habitat.
An armored warrior, running at 23 miles per hour
with a rapier-like tail.
♪ ♪
But he’s clinging to survival...
only around 5,000 dragons still exist.
Drogo is 20 years old and he’s in the prime of his life.
He embodies the very definition of a ’dragon’...
a mythical beast with a scaly, reptilian body,
a long tail and hooked claws.
Drogo wears the name well.
On this island, being top dragon is not a birthright.
Drogo will have to fight for his territory
and his females.
He’s clawed his way to the top of the food chain,
but is he worthy of his title as ’King’?
In this kingdom, territory is everything.
A good plot on the beach seems idyllic,
but prized real estate comes at a price
and there are many dragons muscling in on the waterfront.
Cyclops is the old king.
He dominated this territory for the past 10 of his 30 years.
Until a younger, stronger rival knocked him off his throne.
Blind and frail, he haunts the beach.
He lost his status and his sight,
and with it, his ability to compete on a level footing
with his fellow dragons.
Exiled to the outskirts,
he ekes out a living from scavenging
and he’s spotted a potential meal,
but he’s not the only one.
In this merciless kingdom, only the fittest will survive,
and Cyclops has lost his dragon hustle.
A younger, fitter contender beats him to the rancid remains.
Like a blind man using a cane,
Cyclops uses his forked tongue to ’read’ his environment
by tasting the air.
His blind eyes may not see clearly into his future,
but he’s got 34-million years of survival
in his past to draw from.
Despite his handicap, this dragon is built to endure.
It’s the start of a new era on Dragon Island.
It was Drogo, the mighty young warrior,
who overthrew the old king,
and he will have to fight to hold onto his new supremacy.
He’s young and virile and he’s making his presence felt.
Unlike Cyclops, Drogo’s pin-sharp eyes
can detect movement almost 1,000 feet away.
He’s focused on his mission and he salivates in anticipation.
As a male dragon in the prime of his life,
he needs to keep an eye out for the competition.
In these early days of dominance,
Drogo must keep the contenders at bay.
Raptor is also hungry for dominance
brazenly parading himself on Drogo’s turf.
If Drogo wants to keep his position,
he’ll need to set a precedent.
♪ ♪
Raptor beats a hasty retreat,
but this is just the start of the brawling season.
Drogo patrols his home range.
It’s roughly a square mile of water, beach and forest.
Carrying his heavy body around takes up energy
and Drogo is on the hunt for a meal.
His colossal size is no coincidence,
it’s known as ’Island Gigantism.’
As the only apex predators on the island
the dragons have thrived unchecked for millennia
and evolved into supersized, salivating hulks.
Big predators need big prey and this dragon is equipped
with a deadly hunting strategy.
His streaming drool is laced with a toxic venom
potent enough to kill prey 15 times his size,
with a single bite.
A giant lizard with a strike as lethal as the deadliest snakes.
He is the ultimate reptile.
♪ ♪
It’s early morning and Drogo lingers in his dragon’s lair.
Like all reptiles, he relies on warmth to fire up his system.
At night, the drop in temperature
confines him to his leafy burrow,
which maintains his body heat.
At dawn, the rising sun is his lifeline.
As the sun strikes the island, it fires up Drogo’s engine.
And today there’s an enticing scent in the air.
The cool of early morning is the best time
for a 250 pound dragon to climb a mountain.
This is one of the hottest habitats on the planet
and Drogo lives in constant danger of overheating.
Life is a fine line -- even for a dragon.
High on the hilltop,
Drogo postures like the king of the world.
From here, he can survey his territory...
and scout the talent.
It’s mating season
and he’s already caught the eye of a receptive female.
The climb was worth the energy.
But he’ll have to fight for her favor.
Drogo has his sights set on a potential mate,
but she’s giving him the runaround.
Females in oestrus excrete a pheromone in their feces,
it’s this telltale perfume that lured Drogo to the hilltop.
Only dominant males get to breed...
and he will have to prove himself to this dragon princess.
They size each other up.
Drogo pursues her with mammal-like devotion.
He just needs to get close enough to pin her down.
She rejects him.
His proposition rebuffed,
Drogo will need to fight harder to prove his worth.
His mating attempt shot down in flames,
Drogo has other needs to satisfy...
it’s dinner time.
Life on Dragon Island dances to the tune of the tides.
Isolated from the mainland,
its inhabitants are a melting pot of species
who thrive in exile with little competition for food.
This niche environment is protected
by a great ’moat’ of ocean
and its creatures have evolved unique adaptations
which enable them to survive in isolation.
Tiny fiddler crabs communicate by sign language
using an enlarged claw.
It’s not very dexterous though,
so they use their smaller claw to feed.
Serpent starfish use their highly mobile arms
to snake their way over the rocks
when the tide leaves them exposed.
There are scavengers around, just waiting for the ebb
to uncover a banquet of opportunity.
Wild boars forage for exposed bounty from the sea.
Their large heads act like plows,
while thick, muscular necks
allow them to upturn heavy rocks.
They’re not the only beachcombers.
There’s a hungry dragon on the prowl...
and the hogs are caught in Drogo’s salivating spotlight.
He might not run as fast as a pig on the hoof,
but to Drogo, everything that moves is potential prey.
The sun has reached its zenith
and temperatures are over 100 degrees.
It’s bad news for an 8-foot predator
who can’t control his thermostat.
But today the heat is working to his advantage;
the forest is a sanctuary from the searing sun
and it’s also a good place for predators to go undercover.
Deer and boar take refuge in the shade.
There’s another link in this food-chain.
Grassy ravens are never far from the action.
The island’s tricksters,
they are masters of mischief
with the cunning to adapt to any environment
and seize every opportunity for a free ride.
[bird squaking]
Drogo steadily tracks his quarry.
Dragon tactics are stealth, not speed,
and he has a foolproof navigation system.
His long, forked tongue
is a highly specialized meal-seeking device
which directs him towards his target.
The tips of his tongue sample the air
and collect scent particles.
Every time he retracts it,
his tongue disperses the particles
onto the Jacobson’s organ,
where the scent is analyzed.
The tongue tips also tell him the direction of his prey.
More particles on the right tip
means the prey is to his right and vice versa.
Simple and effective.
By swinging his head left to right,
he can sample large quantities of air
and ’taste’ a carcass up to 2.5 miles away.
Persistence is the name of this game.
Komodo dragons are often referred to as
’The Land Crocodile,’
and true to this nickname,
he has the patience and cunning of those iconic reptiles.
On the outside, he’s just a modern-day dragon,
with normal, mundane needs to breed and feed.
[deer moos] [boar snorts]
♪ ♪
Despite Drogo’s stealth tactics, his cover’s been blown.
The snitch?
The Timor deer,
a fellow forest dweller and a staple on Drogo’s menu.
The boar escapes,
but for Drogo, it’s all in a day’s work.
This raven won’t get his free meal today.
Drogo continues on his daily patrol.
Perseverance is the dragon’s way.
He’s got company.
Raptor has been tailing him.
Both males are fired up with testosterone,
but they take their time to size each other up.
These ritual scuffles will determine
which dragon gets mating rights,
so that only the strongest genes prevail.
♪ ♪
[growling]
♪ ♪
Drogo wins this round,
leaving Raptor to eat his dust,
but this duel won’t be settled by just one encounter.
Just like ancient gladiators draped in chainmail,
Komodo dragons are covered
in a complex suit of armored scales
with bony deposits for extra protection,
but it’s still not impenetrable.
Parasitic ticks bulging with dragon blood
have plundered the chinks in Drogo’s armor.
For the most part, they go unnoticed,
but around his mouth, ears and feet,
his scales are connected to nerves
which allow him to feel his environment.
To complete his suit of armor,
he has long hooked claws; part hoof and part nail,
and they are perfect tools for plunder.
His powerful, muscular tail -- the length of his body --
is both a weapon and a rudder.
Dragons are excellent swimmers.
Using their muscular tails they glide through the water,
like a streamlined torpedo.
They can swim up to a third of a mile away
in search of food and mates.
They have mastered their environment
to keep a stronghold over this ruthless habitat.
Undaunted by his giant cousin,
Draco Volans is a smaller lizard in this neck of the woods.
Unlike Drogo, he doesn’t waste energy on the hunt.
His ingenious camouflage allows him
to sit and wait for prey to come to him...
ambushing them with his sticky tongue.
He’s saving his energy to attract a mate
and it seems there is potential on a neighboring tree.
It’s show time. [♪ salsa music plays ♪]
He displays his bright yellow dewlap...
this makes him look larger
and more attractive to his potential mate.
If that’s not enough, he adds ’Lizard push-ups’
bobbing his entire body up and down
to ’beef up’ his display.
He’s caught her attention...
and he’s still got a trump card up his sleeve.
He can fly.
Folds of skin attached to his ribs spread out as wings.
It’s an impressive display,
and the flying lizard gets the girl.
It’s time for Drogo to fulfill his purpose.
Breeding season is in full swing and he needs to find a mate.
But there’s still one dragon challenging his mission.
Raptor is also vying for mating rights.
It’s time for Drogo to chase off his nemesis once and for all.
He bears down on his young rival.
Raptor flicks his tail in defiance.
♪ ♪
It’s a bad move
when there’s testosterone-fueled dragon on your heels.
Drogo and Raptor are head to head.
Days of antagonism have reached a tipping point...
and it’s time to declare a winner.
♪ ♪
[growling]
A female enters the battleground,
fueling the incentive.
[growling]
♪ ♪
[growling]
It’s a clash of the titans, but Drogo dominates.
He’s earned his mating rights
and he wastes no time in seeking out his prize.
Beneath the scaly exterior,
the hooked claws and the calculating death stares,
there is a tender underbelly to the beast.
It’s time for Drogo to trade his gladiator role
for a more sensitive persona.
[♪ soft music ♪]
He follows his potential mate towards the forest.
Drogo starts his courtship
by flicking his tongue over the female.
This time he’s not rejected.
He stimulates her with chemical secretions produced in his skin
and carefully mounts her.
He must restrain her completely or risk her vicious claws.
Male dragons have a pair of penises known as hemipenes.
When she is ready, Drogo lifts her tail with his,
and extends one of his two penises into her vent.
His genes secured, the dragons part ways,
each with an important legacy to fulfill.
Outside the shelter of the mystical forest,
the harsh midday sun beats down without mercy.
It’s a tough neighborhood and no place for old kings.
Cyclops is suffering and his weakness doesn’t go unnoticed.
Younger, stronger males taunt him
and take advantage of his frail state.
He’s under constant dominance from the beach dragons
and he’s too weak to scavenge for food.
As the old king slips into anonymity
his usurper is gaining prowess.
Drogo has fought off all his contenders to the throne
and he’s making his mark in the kingdom of dragons.
But to stay battle ready he needs to refuel his tanks.
It’s time to change his hunting strategy.
Although surrounded by crystal clear, Pacific waters,
Dragon Island is a thirsty habitat --
it’s dry for eight months of the year.
Clean, fresh drinking water is only available
in a few precious pools
and it’s here that all the island’s inhabitants
must congregate to hydrate.
Drogo has an advantage --
he can store water when he gets the chance.
He takes a long drink.
It should be the ’neutral zone,’
but there are no rules in this wild kingdom.
Drogo is an apex predator
and this is the perfect place for a midday ambush.
♪ ♪
Centuries of co-habitation
have dulled the deer’s flight response
to their slow, lumbering dragon neighbors.
Drogo is hard-wired to kill,
but he’s not built to chase down a fleet-footed deer.
He relies on his venom
to deliver a slow-release assassination.
He just needs to get close enough to deliver the blow.
The deer has a window to drink his fill
before Drogo reaches striking range,
but he’s made a deadly mistake.
Drogo is stealthily gaining ground on his quarry.
The deer lets his down his guard and it’s the wrong move.
Dragons are anything but predictable.
All Drogo needs to secure his meal is one single bite.
♪ ♪
A successful strike, unleashes his venom ducts.
As his teeth sink into the flesh,
pressure on his gums forces toxic proteins
through the ducts and up to the surface.
The venom seeps into the bloodstream.
It contains anti-coagulants
which will stop the deer’s blood from clotting.
The victim limps off in shock.
He’s made a getaway, but his days are numbered --
he will eventually bleed to death.
This slow release death sentence means dragons can hunt
the large prey they need to sustain their huge bodies.
Now all Drogo has to do is to wait and that’s his strong suit.
[flies buzzing]
The deadly drool has run its course
and the smell of carrion lures Drogo to his feast.
His 60 serrated teeth are an inch long and replaceable.
They’re designed to rip and tear into flesh,
but they’re no good for chewing.
He needs to swallow his food whole.
His streaming saliva acts as a lubricant
to help him swallow large chunks of meat.
A breathing tube under his tongue connects to his lungs
so he can breathe while ingesting big portions.
Other dragons get wind of the free meal.
[flies buzzing]
Although Drogo could consume this entire carcass,
he is willing to share as long as he gets to eat first.
Specialized muscles and movable joints in the jaw and throat
allow the dragons to open their jaws unusually wide
while their stomachs expand easily
to accept the incoming meal.
They eat everything; bones, hooves, horns and skin,
and can consume 80% of their own body weight in one sitting.
For Drogo that would be almost 200lbs of meat --
or 800 quarter-pounders.
The meal will keep him going for a week.
His belly full to bursting, Drogo retreats to the beach.
Lying in the sun will speed up digestion --
his large meal will poison him if it rots in his gut.
[bird squaking]
While the other dragons have been feasting,
Cyclops has lost his battle against starvation.
Alone in his wasteland,
he waits as the darkness reels him in.
♪ ♪
Life on Dragon Island has a constant ebb and flow.
Just as the tides advance and recede,
so the dragon population shrinks and grows.
♪ ♪
Today there is one less king on the Island of Dragons.
But the tide is turning...
and in its wake a new generation of dragons emerge.
The baby dragons weigh less than 3.5 ounces
and measure 16 inches.
They stick to the forested areas
and climb trees to stow away from predators,
especially their own kind.
Dragons are cannibals
and the new hatchlings are now part of the food chain.
Only 20% will make it to adulthood,
but for now Drogo has succeeded in his mission
and secured his lineage.
As dawn breaks on a new generation,
Drogo resumes his daily routine.
Here is the largest living lizard.
A patient predator undaunted by the size and speed of his prey.
A venomous dragon, who has carved out his niche
amongst ancient volcanoes and tempestuous seas.
An armored gladiator who has beaten down his foes.
A giant with the agility to climb a tree and swim an ocean.
♪ ♪
He’s taken his throne in the harsh Land of the Dragons,
and he has earned his title...
he is the Lizard King.