At the San Antonio Zoo, the reptile department is strutting around like proud parents at a kindergarten talent show, because ten endangered Komodo dragon hatchlings just clawed their way into the world. These scaly bundles of joy are the first of their kind born at the zoo in years, and the staff insists they’re already showing “big lizard energy.”

Komodo dragons, sometimes described as “prehistoric crocodiles with an attitude problem,” are critically endangered in the wild. So the hatching of ten at once is basically the reptile equivalent of hitting the evolutionary jackpot. The babies, however, aren’t aware of their celebrity status. They’re too busy practicing tiny tail whips, hissing like malfunctioning espresso machines, and plotting how to take over the cricket buffet.

Zoo officials are optimistic: today it’s ten baby Komodos in San Antonio, tomorrow it’s a healthier future for their entire species. For now, though, the babies are just busy looking adorably dangerous.