On isolated islands such as Komodo, there is only so much territory to go round. While their remoteness make these places such incredible biodiversity hotspots, it also means conflict between the animals that live there inevitable.
- These venomous lizards can grow as long as a car. In the breeding season, things get brutal
- A remote tropical paradise is home to the world's most dangerous reptile that's armed with iron-tipped, razor-sharp teeth and a deadly venomous bite
And the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, is a particularly astonishing example of this. The males compete to earn mating rights with the females which often result in tail swipes, sharp teeth and full-on body tackles.
In a clip from the BBC’s Planet Earth II, the power of these lizards are shown at their fullest. As David Attenborough narrates, “in dragon society, size is everything.”
Working from a boat, the film crew worked across Rinca and Komodo Islands to capture this sequence. If the dragons got too close to them, they relied on six rangers armed with sticks – a traditional way that locals navigate living with these massive reptiles.
