Lizard with wings name. Flying dragon lizard: description of the species and its features. Flying lizard behavior

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 species of reptile that is capable of traveling distances by air. So, we will tell you about the species of lizard Draco volans, which translated from Latin means “Flying Dragon”.

Flying dragons belong to the family Agamaidae, a subfamily of Afro-Arabian agamas. The habitats of these strange reptiles are located in remote corners South-East Asia. Flying dragons live in trees tropical forests borneo islands, Sumatra, the Philippines, as well as in Southeast India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

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

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

The structure of the “wings” of flying dragons is very unique. The lateral ribs of this lizard are significantly increased 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, transition, with spots, specks and stripes.

An interesting fact is that males have hallmark- skin fold bright orange. Moreover, for the male sex this distinctive feature is considered a virtue, which they willingly demonstrate by sticking it forward. From a biologist's point of view, this anatomical feature is a process of the hyoid bone of males, which helps them during migration, 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. He 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 in a certain territory, which, as a rule, consists of several neighboring trees. These descend from the trees only in case of an unsuccessful flight, or to lay 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 organ of hearing, which allows them to hear the approach of prey long before it appears near the reptile.

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

There are many legends and tales associated with dragons in the world, but what if dragon lizards exist in real world? Present to your attention flying lizard the Dragon, living on the islands of the Malay archipelago. The dragon lives in the interior of the island, mainly in the forests at the treetops.

This one is not big in size lizard that looks like a dragon They were named for a reason. The thing is that, despite their small size, they resemble those very dragons that are often depicted by artists in various fantasy novels and fairy tales.

Biologists have given lizard dragon name Draco volans, which means "flying dragon". Adults do not exceed 40-50 cm in size.

Thanks to his large size and the ability to fly, they easily cover long distances, flying from tree to tree. They gained the ability to fly thanks to a leather membrane located on the sides; during flight, it stretches and can stay in the air.

Character and lifestyle of the dragon lizard

On the skeleton of the lizard you can see enlarged lateral ribs, a very elongated tail, the bone of which gradually tapers at the end.

All this is stretched by a very strong skin membrane, it stretches and straightens as the lizard flies, creating an air flow that allows the lizard to plan its flight.

Males have a special hyoid process near the throat, stretched by skin, which helps them “aim” during flight and is a bit like the front part of an airplane.

With the help of its coloring, the dragon lizard is perfectly camouflaged in tropical thickets; the camouflage allows it to merge with the bark of a tree, making it almost invisible.

Thanks to its coloring, the dragon lizard is perfectly camouflaged in trees.

Lizard dragon animal very quick and elusive. Thanks to their innate ability to glide in the air and excellent camouflage, they can rightfully be considered excellent hunters.

There are not many species of lizards in nature that have the ability to fly. The dragon lizard is one of the most common. The species itself is very poorly studied, all because they lead a very hidden lifestyle. Due to the fact that they spend almost all their lives on the tops tropical trees, making them almost impossible to see up close.

Because of lizard dragon small creature, it is a target for many predators, for these reasons the lizard very rarely descends to the ground. This protects herself from all sorts of dangers.

Lizard camouflage is another one universal tool, which allows you to hunt and hide from other predators. When another predator approaches, the lizard freezes on the tree bark, thereby making it almost impossible to notice.

But if the dragon lizard was nevertheless noticed, it easily flies to another branch at very high speed, so even scientists are not always able to notice it during the flight.

Dragon lizard feeding

The dragon lizard is a predatory animal. It feeds mainly on small insects, various bugs and all the small inhabitants of the tropical forest. These are mainly those that live in trees. They have very well developed hearing, which greatly improves their hunting skills and strategy.

The lizard's hunting zones are strictly separated, so they periodically have clashes over territory. The territory of this small predator sometimes does not exceed the distance between two trees, to which they fly in search of the next butterfly or small caterpillar.

If a victim is detected, it spreads its “wings”, extends its sharp claws and catches an unsuspecting victim.

They eat very little, they hardly need water due to the fact that there is always enough of it in their diet. It never descends to the ground in search of prey due to the fact that below it can almost always be caught by other predators who are not averse to feasting on the little dragon.

Their ability to fly is genetic, so even from the first minutes of life, they can engage in activities familiar to adult lizards - hunting and searching for prey.

In pet stores you can see a variety of different dragon lizard species. The varied colors and unusual structure of the lizard make them popular among lovers of exotic animals.

The common flying dragon (lat. Draco volans) is a lizard of the Agamidae family (lat. Agamidae), living on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, as well as on the Malay Peninsula, in South Asia and in southern India. This reptile has perfectly mastered the technique of gliding flight. flying Dragon usually glides at a slight angle, flying about 20 m.

If necessary, it can make a non-landing flight of up to 100 m. In flight, the flying dragon relies on the air cushion formed under its “wings”. The “wings” are broad folds of skin on the sides of the body, called the flight membrane, supported by greatly elongated false ribs. The articulation of these ribs with the spine allows the reptile to quickly open and close the flight membrane.

Behavior

Flying dragons take up residence in the rainwater tropical forests, Where all year round It is swelteringly hot with high humidity and minimal temperature fluctuations. For life they choose upper tiers jungle and lead exclusively wood image life, descending to earth only in exceptional cases.

In search of food, the lizard flies from tree to tree, skillfully controlling the direction, speed and range of flight with the help of its tail and flight membrane. Before the start, the flying dragon jumps sharply up and straightens its flying membrane, and upon landing, neatly folds it.

The lizard's diet is based on wood ants and various insects, which it simply licks from the bark of a tree. Flying dragons communicate with each other using pretty complex language signs made by the throat sacs. Having met a relative, the reptile protrudes its brightly colored throat sac and begins to give them signs.

If a thought convincingly expressed in this way does not reach the mind of a stranger, then the flying dragon boldly rushes into battle and drives him away from its territory. Most often, such communication can take quite a long time, and, having talked enough, the reptiles fly off to their own affairs. Biologists have still not been able to decipher the code in which representatives of this species communicate with each other.

Reproduction

Flying dragons breed throughout the year and never hibernate. Having met a female, the male carefully shows her his charms and demonstrates his flying membrane. The demonstration is supported by “highly artistic speech” using the throat pouch. Only a good flyer and speaker receives the right to procreate.

After some pleasantries, the female leaves the male and descends to the ground to build a nest. The nest is a small hole dug in loose or sandy soil, where the female lays 2 to 5 eggs. She covers the masonry with a layer of earth and leaves it to its fate.

After 1-2 months, small dragons are born from the eggs, completely ready for independent life. Immediately after birth, they rush up to the treetops, where they can feel relatively safe. Flying dragons have plenty of enemies. Snakes and birds love to feast on them, so the ability to fly is not a luxury for them, but the only opportunity to survive in the wild jungle.

Description

The body length of adult individuals usually does not exceed 22 cm, and the tail length is 20 cm. The body is greenish-bronze with numerous dark specks. Elongated jointed ribs serve as a frame for the flight membrane. It is bright red with black spots and is very large in proportion to the lizard's body.

The body is thin, slender, covered with small scales. The voluminous throat pouch is used for communication. Big eyes allow you to very accurately estimate the distance.

On the sides of the head there are black and white wing-shaped protrusions that form an additional load-bearing surface. The long thin tail acts as a rudder in the air. The long fingers are armed with sharp claws, making it easier to climb trees.

The average lifespan of an ordinary flying dragon is about 5 years.

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 quite miniature in size and are able to fly thanks to their unique wings.

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

Distinctive features

A distinctive feature of a dragon in the form of a lizard is that it has corrugated folds on both sides of the body, which straighten during 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 body position during flight, as well as to attract females and scare away opponents.

flying Dragon

Another distinctive element is the brown-gray color of the individuals with a metallic sheen, which allows the lizards to be completely invisible on the tree. These creatures also have lateral membranes on both sides, which alternate one after another and are distinguished by a fairly 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 spots. As for the lower side, there are mainly yellow and blue colors there. Besides everything else bright colors The abdomen, tail and paws of the animal are also different.

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

Habitats

Having first heard about such a unique creature as the flying dragon lizard, many wonder 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 much of Southeast Asia.

Lizards practically do not descend to the ground

In order to get food, the lizard sits on or near a tree and waits for insects to appear. As soon as the insect appears in close proximity to the reptile, it deftly eats it, without even displacing the animal’s body.