To celebrate the release of Dragons: Race To The Edge, a new Netflix original series as part of the How To Train Your Dragon franchise from Dreamworks we got to check out the first two episodes of the series as well as get up close with some real life dragons. OK, maybe not quite the fire breathing types we’re used to seeing in the films but still just as fascinating and adorable as Toothless and co.
Last week we were invited to Taronga Zoo for a private tour through the reptiles and amphibians enclosure. The very first animal we meet is the Komodo Dragon. How apt. Komodo’s are known to use their size or stealth to catch their prey, but sometimes they prefer to just bite their victims and let their toxic saliva poison their prey and wait for the animal to die hours later. Like our animated dragons they have serrated teeth that are frequently replaced and sharp claws making them a formidable predator.
The Reticulated Python and the Green Anaconda were a pair of enormous snakes on show. Even though they’re not venomous they can be just as deadly due to their sheer size and muscle power. They literally crush and squeeze their prey to death, then swallowing it whole.
But not everything is so scary and deadly, the Green Banded Iguana gave me a bit of a wave and the Sailfin Lizard was just drip drying itself after having a bit of a swim as we went past. These smaller lizards and reptiles feast on fruits, moss, leaves, flowers, and insects.
The best part was when we got up close and personal with Taronga’s ambassador reptiles the Central Bearded Dragon and the Children’s python. The Central Bearded Dragon is native to Australia’s interior region spanning across the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and South Australian state lines. This little guy was so adorable I wanted to take him home, and in fact if you have the right license and enclosure set up they make great pets.
But the main reason we came along was to check out the first two episodes in the Dragons: Race To The Edge series. Chronologically in the Dragons film and TV series, the show sits after the second film, but in the film’s own continuity timeline this sits somewhere between the first and second films, leaning closer to the second if you look at how much older Hiccup is. The first two episodes – “Dragon Eye Of The Beholder Parts 1 and 2” respectively introduces us to a mysterious item called the ‘Dragon Eye’ which Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless must acquire and learn its hidden secrets.
Hiccup is keen to go on more adventures and try to discover if there are any more dragons in the world and it appears the ‘Dragon Eye’ can help him do just that. The first two episodes manage to retain the same feel of wonder and excitement that both the films have, with the stakes being raised for our Dragon Riders. From the looks of the series trailer we’ll be introduced to a whole bunch of new dragons as well as villains for our dragon riders to contend with. The show will be available to watch from 26 June and makes for perfect kids school holiday entertainment.
All 13 episodes of Dragons: Race To The Edge will be available to watch exclusively from 26th June 2015 through Netflix Australia.
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