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.