Dragon lizard as they are called together. Dragon flying ordinary. Dragon lizard eating

Not only squirrels, snakes, birds and fish fly, but also lizards. Draco volans or the Flying Dragon is a reptile from the family of agama lizards (a subfamily of Afro-Arabian agamas). They are also called Flying Dragons (lat. Draco) or even simply - dragons.

In size, this creature reaches 20-40 centimeters in length, and its distinguishing feature- this is the presence of clearly expressed "wings". The wings are corrugated skin folds, and thanks to them the lizard is able to fly up to 60 meters.

This is quite enough for the reptile to gracefully soar between neighboring trees. Flying is a very useful skill for a lizard that feeds on insects and grubs. This makes it much easier for her to find food and allows her to quickly and efficiently hunt for prey.

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Usually lizards perch inconspicuously in the tops of trees - when they fold their wings, they almost blend in with the surrounding landscape. And if necessary, the flying dragon plans down with lightning speed - moreover, it is able to “fly” both vertically and horizontally, as well as quickly change direction. Each adult dragon has its own " hunting ground"- a section of the forest, consisting of several trees located in the neighborhood.

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Of course, the lizard does not fly into full meaning of this word, but rather plans, like a glider or a parachute. " aviation system The structure of these lizards is as follows: they have six enlarged lateral ribs - however, biologists consider them to be false ribs - which are able to extend and spread the skin "sail" (or "wing") for subsequent planning.

Lizards - males have another noticeable difference in external structure. This is a characteristic throat bag - skin fold.

The skin fold is the main advantage of the male dragon, which he regularly demonstrates, widely pushing and sticking it forward. Anatomically, this feature is due to the presence of processes of the hyoid bone of the lizard, due to which the leathery bag on the throat of the reptile can swell so much. Among other things, it is believed that the skin fold helps the male in the process of flight - by stabilizing his body.

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By itself, the flying dragon has a small, narrow and flattened body. His body is usually uniform in color, usually green. But the wings on the outside are painted in the most exotic and attractive colors - green, yellow, with a purple tint, with spots, specks and even stripes. It's interesting that back side The “wings” of the dragon are no less brightly colored - in spotted lemon or blue.

Where can you find this amazing creation nature? These wonderful representatives of reptiles live in the untouched corners of Southeast Asia.

Different types of flying dragons are found in tropical jungle South India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. In addition to Draco volans, biologists know about thirty more species of flying dragons. Of these, Draco volans is the most common and well-known representative of its kind, for which it is also called an ordinary flying dragon.

Video about dragons ....

Surely in one of the articles on our website we have already surprised you with the fact that they exist. But this is far from the only reptile species that can travel distances through the air. So, we will tell you about the type of lizard Draco volans, which in Latin means "flying dragon".

Flying dragons belong to the Agamidae family, a subfamily of the Afro-Arabian dragons. The habitats of these outlandish reptiles are located in remote corners. South-East Asia. Flying dragons live in trees rainforest the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, the Philippines, as well as in the South-Eastern part of India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

In nature, there are about 30 species capable of flying. But the species Draco volans is the most common, although not fully understood due to the hidden lifestyle of these reptiles.

Flying dragons are not at all the size of their thesque cartoon characters. The size of this reaches 20-40 centimeters in length. Moreover, the color of flying dragons is not very noticeable - from plain green to gray-brown. This allows them to merge with environment a habitat. But here is a distinctive feature of flying dragons - wide skin folds on the sides of a flattened body, which, when the “false ribs” between which they are stretched, form bright “wings”, allow these lizards to soar in the air, moving freely up and down and changing the trajectory movement at a distance of up to 60 meters.

The structure of the "wings" of flying dragons is very peculiar. The lateral ribs of this lizard are significantly enlarged in size compared to the rest of the skeleton structure and are able to straighten the skin folds stretched between them. The resulting "wings" have a bright and variegated color - they are green, yellow, purple, with a tint, a transition, with spots, specks and stripes.

An interesting fact is that males in the throat area have hallmark- bright orange skin fold. At the same time, for the male sex, this distinctive feature is considered a virtue, which they willingly demonstrate by sticking it forward. From the point of view of biologists, this anatomical feature is a process of the hyoid bone of males, which helps them during the flight, stabilizing the body.

In general, gliding in the air for flying dragons is in itself a very useful skill that nature has endowed them with. It helps them escape from predators.

The diet of these reptiles includes insects, mainly ants, as well as insect larvae. Flying dragons live and hunt strictly on certain territory, which, as a rule, consists of several neighboring trees. These descend from the trees only in case of an unsuccessful flight, or for laying eggs.

These flying dragons practically do not consume water, they get enough of it from the food they consume. It is also worth noting that flying dragons have a well-developed hearing organ, which allows them to hear the approach of prey long before it appears near the reptile.

Unfortunately, the reproduction process and life span of flying dragons have not yet been fully studied. The only thing that biologists managed to find out is that the females lay their eggs in the crevices of the bark of trees. Baby flying dragons appear after a few weeks and can fly from the moment they hatch.

The flying lizard (Draco volans) belongs to the agama lizard family, the scaly order. The specific name Draco volans translates as "common flying dragon".

Distribution of the flying lizard.

The flying lizard is found in the tropical rainforests of southern India and southeast Asia. This species is distributed in the Philippine Islands, including Borneo.

Habitat of the flying lizard.

The flying lizard is found mostly in the tropics with enough trees for the reptile to live.

External signs of a flying lizard.

The flying lizard has large "wings" - leathery outgrowths on the sides of the body. These formations are supported by elongated ribs. They also have a flap called a dewlap that sits under the head. The body of the flying lizard is very flat and elongated. The male is about 19.5 cm long and the female is 21.2 cm long. The tail is about 11.4 cm long for the male and 13.2 cm for the female.

Distinguished from other Dracos by rectangular brown spots located on the upper part of the wing membranes and black spots below. Males have a bright yellow dewlap. The wings are bluish on the ventral side and brown on the dorsal side. The female has a slightly smaller dewlap and a bluish-gray hue. In addition, on the ventral side, the wings are yellow.

Reproduction of the flying lizard.

The breeding season for flying lizards is presumably December-January. Males and sometimes females show marital behavior. They spread their wings and tremble all over when they collide with each other. The male also fully spreads his wings and in this state bypasses the female three times, inviting to mate. The female builds a nest for eggs, forming a small hole with her head. There are five eggs in the clutch, she fills them with earth, tamping the soil with the pops of her head.

For almost a day, the female actively guards the eggs. Then she leaves the clutch. Development lasts about 32 days. Small flying lizards can immediately fly.

Flying lizard behavior.

Flying lizards hunt during the day. They are active in the morning and afternoon. Flying lizards rest at night. Such life cycle avoids the daytime period with the highest light intensity. Flying lizards do not fly in the full sense of the word.

They climb trees and jump. While jumping, the lizards spread their wings and glide towards the ground, covering a distance of about 8 meters.

Before flying, lizards turn their heads down towards the ground, gliding through the air helps the lizards move. Lizards do not fly during rainy and windy periods.

To avoid danger, lizards spread their wings and glide down. Adults are extremely mobile and very difficult to catch. When the male encounters other lizard species, he displays several behavioral responses. They partially open their wings, vibrate with their bodies, 4) fully open their wings. Thus, males try to frighten the enemy by showing enlarged body shapes. And the female is attracted by beautiful, spread wings. Males are territorial and actively guard their home range from intrusion, which usually has two to three trees and one to three females. Female lizards are clear contenders for marital relations. Males defend their territory from other males who do not have their own territory and compete for females.

Why lizards can fly?

Flying lizards have adapted to living in trees. The color of the skin of flying dragons is monophonic green, gray-green, gray-brown, merges with the color of the bark and leaves.

This allows them to remain invisible if the lizards are sitting on branches. And the bright "wings" make it possible to freely soar in the air, crossing space at a distance of up to sixty meters. Spread "wings" are painted in green, yellow, purple hues, decorated with spots, speckles and stripes. The lizard does not fly like a bird, but rather glides like a glider or parachute. For flight, these lizards have six enlarged lateral ribs, the so-called false ribs, which, straightening out, put forward a leathery “wing”. In addition, males have a prominent bright orange skin fold in the throat area. They, in any case, try to demonstrate this distinctive feature to the enemy, sticking him forward.

Flying dragons practically do not drink, they compensate for the lack of liquid from food. They easily determine the approach of prey by ear. For camouflage, flying lizards fold their wings when perched in trees.

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flying dragons(lat. Draco) - a genus of the subfamily of Afro-Arabian agamas (Agaminae) of the Agamidae family (Agamidae); brings together about thirty Asian species arboreal insectivorous lizards.

This living dragon is not from a fairy tale or from a paleontology textbook. Thin, small (on average 30 cm) long-legged brown-gray lizards sit inconspicuously on the tops of trees, and when they fold their wings, they almost merge with the surrounding landscape. But, their distinctive feature is the presence of pronounced "wings". The wings are corrugated skin folds, thanks to which the lizard is able to glide to a distance of up to 60 meters.

The "aviation system" of these lizards is arranged as follows: they have six enlarged lateral ribs - however, biologists consider them false ribs - which are able to extend and straighten the skin "sail" (or "wing") for subsequent planning. When the lizard spreads these ribs, the leathery fold between them stretches, turning into wide wings. Dragons cannot flap their “wings” like birds, and they don’t need it - they practically don’t fall to the ground.

If the prey (butterfly, beetle or other flying insect) flies nearby, then the dragon, instantly spreading its “wings”, makes a big jump and grabs the victim in flight, after which it lands on a lower branch. Then he crawls up the tree trunk again, and does it quite briskly. Each adult dragon individual has its own "hunting ground" - a piece of forest, consisting of several trees located in the neighborhood.

Agree, flying is a very useful skill for a lizard that feeds on insects and larvae. This makes it much easier for her to find food and allows her to quickly and efficiently hunt for prey. Moreover, the dragon is able to plan both vertically and horizontally, as well as quickly change the direction of movement using a long tail, which helps to control the flight, acting as a rudder.

Flying dragons are absolutely harmless and unusually beautifully colored. The head of this lizard is brown or green with a metallic sheen. The skin membrane of the lizard is very brightly colored, the upper side alternates with different colors - green, yellow, with a purple tint, with spots, speckles and even stripes. It is interesting that the reverse side of the “wings” of the dragon is no less brightly colored - in a spotted lemon or blue color, and the tail, paws and abdomen are also colorful, which, of course, also adorn this small exotic lizard.

Males can be recognized by their bright orange throat, while females have blue or blue throats. The skin fold is the main advantage of the male dragon, which he regularly demonstrates, widely pushing and sticking it forward. Anatomically, this feature is due to the presence of processes of the hyoid bone of the lizard, due to which the leathery bag on the throat of the reptile can swell so much. Among other things, it is believed that the skin fold helps the male in the process of flight - by stabilizing his body.

Flying dragons live in tropical forests Southeast Asia: on about. Borneo, Sumatra, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and South India. They live in the crowns of trees, where they spend most of their lives. They descend to the ground only as a last resort - if the flight did not work out.

The dragon lizard, or as it is also called the flying lizard, is considered one of the most prominent representatives subfamilies of Afro-Arabian Agamas. These unique creatures are distinguished by their rather miniature size, and are able to fly, thanks to their peculiar wings.

The flying lizard is a rather inconspicuous animal, which, due to its small size and color, is able to merge with a tree. The length of this lizard does not exceed forty centimeters, of which most of is a tail, which, among other things, during the flight also performs the function of turning. The body of all these creatures is very narrow and is about five centimeters thick.

Distinctive features

A distinctive feature of the dragon in the form of a lizard is that it has corrugated folds on both sides of the body, which straighten out during the flight and form wings. The difference between males and females is that the former have a special fold on the throat, which serves as another wing, only to stabilize the position of the body during the flight, as well as to attract females and scare off opponents.

flying Dragon

Another distinctive element is the brown-gray color of individuals with a metallic sheen, which allows the lizards to be completely invisible on the tree. Also, these creatures have lateral membranes on both sides, which alternate one after another and differ quite a bit. bright color. The upper side of the dragon mainly shimmers in a variety of colors, which includes red and yellow shades, which in turn are complemented by various inclusions, stripes and specks. As for the lower side, there is mainly yellow and blue. Among other things, the belly, tail and paws of the animal also differ in bright shades.

Note! The dragon lizard is a fairly common type of reptile. That is why the animal is not on the list of endangered species.

habitats

For the first time hearing about such a unique creature as a flying dragon lizard, many are wondering where this animal lives. Most often, this animal can be found in the following places:

• in India;
• in Malaysia;
• on the islands of the Malay Archipelago;
• on the island of Borneo;
• in most of Southeast Asia.

Lizards practically do not descend to the ground

In order to get food for itself, the lizard sits on a tree or near it and waits for the appearance of insects. As soon as the insect appears in close proximity to the reptile, it deftly eats it, and the animal's body does not even move.