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  • - [Voiceover] In the forests of Southeast Asia,

  • high up in the treetops, a mythical creature lives.

  • It turns out dragons are real.

  • It turns out dragons are real.

  • So I have to call a biologist.

  • - [Voiceover] I'm Anthony Russell,

  • from the Department of Biological Sciences

  • at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

  • - [Voiceover] We're talking

  • about a species of flying lizards.

  • - [Voiceover] So it's called Draco Volans,

  • which means flying dragon.

  • - [Voiceover] Okay, these flying dragons,

  • they are a little different

  • from the dragons we see in movies.

  • For starters, they're small.

  • - [Voiceover] They are, they are.

  • - [Voiceover] Only about eight inches long

  • and they don't breath fire.

  • But, they do fly.

  • In a way.

  • They're gliders, which means they

  • have control of their descent and trajectory,

  • but they don't have any power in it.

  • - [Voiceover] For every one foot they go down in

  • vertical distance, they'll be able to travel six feet along.

  • - [Voiceover] And that's because

  • they don't actually have wings.

  • - [Voiceover] They're actually modifications of the ribs,

  • so they're nothing to do with the legs and arms.

  • - [Voiceover] Evolutionarily speaking,

  • this has helped the lizards survive.

  • They can escape attacks and they have a broader living zone.

  • So they might not be dragon dragons.

  • - [Voiceover] Though sometimes people name things

  • because it's more dramatic effect.

  • - [Voiceover] Well they're still incredible lizards.

  • Actually, no, you know what?

  • I'm still gonna call 'em dragons.

- [Voiceover] In the forests of Southeast Asia,

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