In wet tropical forests the southern hemisphere of our planet, there are thousands of species of diverse fauna. The most exotic species of mammals, amphibians and birds live here. Their most striking representative is the dragon lizard. This is a small reptile with wings, which, upon closer inspection, is very reminiscent of the main character of Chinese folklore.
The flying dragon has a relatively small body.
Description of the appearance of a reptile
The winged reptile belongs to the agama lizard family. In the process of evolution, dragons acquired not only the ability to disguise, but also the ability to fly. This miniature animal leads a secluded life in the upper tier of tropical trees and rarely descends to the ground.
The only exception is a failed flight and the need to lay eggs. However, not all representatives of this subfamily breed on the soil surface. Some types of dragons hide their eggs in tree bark. Their small size and inconspicuous color allow them to remain invisible to natural enemies.
Reptiles with the formidable name "flying dragon" do not differ in impressive size, the length of the largest individuals is forty centimeters, and the main part falls on the tail, which during the flight acts as a rudder. Not surprisingly, lizards easily avoid collision with plant branches.
The males have distinguishing feature in the form of a growth They have a narrow flattened body. There are six elongated ribs on the spine, on which a leathery fold is attached. Straightening, it turns into a kind of cape, which strikes with bright patterns in the form of circles or smooth lines. The unique feature of the structure of the skeleton makes it possible for the reptile to glide above the ground, avoiding falling. In this way, they can cover a distance of more than twenty meters.
Males have a bright orange skin growth on their throat, which they use to attract females during the mating season. With it, he scares away other animals that violate the boundaries of his territory, which occupies three or four trees. According to experts, the enlarged hyoid bone helps to stabilize the body during flights. Females are more modest in size, folds of a blue or blue hue.
Features of nutrition and reproduction
The winged lizard is known to feed on insects. Their menu includes:
- tree ants;
- beetles and butterflies;
- termites;
- insect larvae.
Leading sedentary image life, the flying dragon lizard can wait for hours for prey to appear. As soon as this happens, the reptile catches and swallows the victim, while not changing the position of the body.
The dragon eats various butterflies While hunting for flying insects, it plans between branches and catches prey. Grabbing it with his teeth, he returns to the tree and eats it. The necessary fluid is obtained from food, so the reptile does not need water. Among the natural enemies, the main ones are predatory birds and snakes, from which the lizard hides, merging with the environment.
The flying dragon is an oviparous lizard. During the mating period, the male inflates bright folds, thereby demonstrating to the female his beauty and readiness for procreation. The female lays two to four eggs. To protect them from predators, she buries them in small holes dug in the soil. It camouflages the nest with leaves and dirt. In this, she is helped by a pointed nose, specially adapted for such manipulations.
The reptile guards the masonry for one day, after which it returns to the top. After a few months, the cubs hatch, ready for independent life and having the ability to fly.
The hidden lifestyle does not allow scientists to thoroughly study the lizard. It is not yet known how many babies are born in one individual, as well as how long they live. But the number of these animals is not critical, and they do not fall under the status of protected by law.
habitats
A small harmless reptile is found near the equator and in southeast Asia.
Reptiles live in a number of countries Its natural habitat includes:
- Myanmar;
- India;
- Southern China;
- Kalimantan Island (Borneo);
- Malay Islands;
- Indonesia and the Philippines;
- Bangladesh;
- Eastern part of Vietnam and Thailand.
The flying lizard prefers places remote from cities and villages. That is why in wild nature it is difficult for a person to meet this exotic animal.
Variety of species
Scientists know about thirty species of winged lizards. Among them, the main ones are:
- ordinary;
- reticulate;
- spotted;
- bloody-bearded;
- five-strip;
- Sumatran;
- horned;
- blanford.
All flying agamic lizards are united by the presence of wings. They differ from each other in size, habitat and different colors. The color palette is determined by the color of the surrounding nature.
Sumatran lizard
Unlike other representatives of its kind, it prefers abandoned parks and degraded forests near human habitation. It does not occur in wild jungles and remote areas.
The maximum body length is 9 cm. They are the smallest of the flying dragon family. The length of the body is only nine centimeters, the color gray or brown is almost indistinguishable from the bark of the trees on which they live.
horned dragon
A unique species that lives on the island of Kalimantan. Includes two populations. One of them lives in mangroves, the other prefers lowland rainforests. A remarkable feature of horned lizards is their ability to disguise themselves as falling leaves. The mangrove dragon has red membranes, while its relative is green with a brown tint.
Imitation of falling leaves allows animals to soar freely in space without fear of attack birds of prey. According to scientists, reptiles do not use their camouflage to communicate. Individuals that have migrated to other forest zones acquire the adaptive color of their membranes. In any place of their habitat, they imitate leaf fall.
The ability for divergent evolution distinguishes the miniature lizard from many representatives of the fauna of our planet. Nature endowed them with the ability to fly and disguised as the only way to survive in the harsh conditions of the wild jungle.
In this video you will learn more about the little dragon:
The dragon lizard, or as it is also called the flying lizard, is considered one of the most prominent representatives of the Afro-Arabian agama subfamily. 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 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 are distinguished by a rather bright color. The upper side of the dragon mainly shimmers in various colors, which includes red and yellow shades, which in turn are complemented by various inclusions, stripes and spots. 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.
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.
An ordinary flying dragon, a flying lizard is a representative of the agamic 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 exhibit mating 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 individuals and actively guard their territory from intrusion, which usually has two or three trees and one to three females. Female lizards are clear contenders for marriage. 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.
Draco volans skeleton 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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Kingdom: Animals
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 distinguishing feature- this is the presence of clearly expressed "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 to be 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. Interestingly, 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 sac 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 the tropical forests of 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.
