3 Way Battle Blue Anole, Basilisk & Boa Constrictor Gorgona Snake Prison Island Smithsonian
Transcript
00:00 The early morning sun lures a four-inch female blue animal from the shadows.
00:07 Today, she's on a mission.
00:10 But she's not going anywhere until she warms up.
00:15 Blue animals exist only on Gorgona.
00:20 Once she's absorbed the sun's energy, she heads down to the forest floor.
00:27 She's going to lay her eggs.
00:33 Her forest home wasn't always like this.
00:40 Before the jail opened its doors, Gorgona suffered mass clearance of its trees for shipping and farming.
00:49 Although the building of the prison allowed the forest to grow back, the damage was done.
00:56 The blue animal was rendered critically endangered.
01:01 The female's precious cargo, her eggs, are vital for the future of her species.
01:08 But going to the ground is a risky business.
01:12 Today, the biggest threat to the survival of this endangered species is a non-indigenous invader.
01:24 The western basilisk.
01:28 Introduced from the mainland, this three-foot lizard is wrecking havoc on Gorgona.
01:38 It eats anything from insects to fruit.
01:42 But it's especially fond of other lizards.
01:50 This crested male has the pregnant female animal in its sights.
02:01 But just when it looks like the end of the road for the animal, the hunter becomes the hunted.
02:20 A bodert's racer.
02:23 Three-quarters of its diet is lizards.
02:26 The basilisk looks like a convenient meal.
02:33 Despite being no bigger than the basilisk, the racer snake is more than up for the challenge.
02:43 But the basilisk has a clever trick up its sleeve.
02:49 Nicknamed the Jesus Christ lizard, the basilisk is a master of escape.
03:02 It uses its long, broad, scaly toes to trap air pockets under its feet and walk, or run, on water.
03:20 It can cover five feet in a second.
03:31 But eventually, gravity catches up and the lizard sinks.
03:39 It's still been enough to escape the snake.
03:43 Just to be sure, the basilisk stays submerged.
03:47 It's capable of hiding underwater for up to half an hour.
03:52 But this time, he might have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.