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As if our collective blood pressure weren't already sky-high today, a video showing a marine iguana hatchling chased by a pit of snakes is setting the Internet on fire.

It's the "first time snakes have been filmed hunting en masse," 

https://twitter.com/RobPulseNews/status/795373872451305472

We wouldn't want to spoil the nail-biting ending to this chase, which was filmed on an uninhabited island in the Galapagos. But it's fair to say that the odds are stacked against the tiny iguana as he faces what appear to be dozens of stealthy, hungry snakes.

The breathtaking footage is from the BBC's Planet Earth II, which premiered in the U.K. on Sunday. It begins airing on BBC America on Jan. 28.

The episode's editor, Matthew Meech, tells The Independent that they wanted to "set up the feeling that something wasn't quite right" from the very beginning, when the iguana pops out from under the sand and starts its harrowing journey.

"One of the most amazing things about the encounter was that it was shot at such high speed," Meech tells the newspaper. "So in real life those things are moving much, much faster."

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the chase scene:

Iguana vs Snakes - Behind the Scenes - Planet Earth II

Science

A video of a marine iguana hatchling chased by a pit of snakes has gone viral. We think it's a stressful but ultimately cathartic diversion.

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