科莫多蜥蜴岛 Komodo Lizard Island

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. It's a kingdom in chaos and every challenger wants to be. Deep in the remote basin of the Pacific Ocean lies the Ring of Fire. Boasting 75 percent of the planet's volcanoes and 90 percent 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 pounds. 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 is 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. The 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. The mighty young warrior who overthrew the old king and he will have to fight to hold on to 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 and 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 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 are 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 eight-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 is another link in this food chain. Brassy ravens are never far from the action. The island's tricksters, they are masters of mischief with cunning to adapt to any environment and seize every opportunity for a free ride. 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 the 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 two and a half 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. Despite Drogo's stealth tactics, his cover's been blown. The snitch, a 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. 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 recovered in a complex suit of armored scales with bony deposits for extra protection.