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Kingdom: Animals

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Kingdom: Animals

Flying dragons (lat. Draco) are a genus of the subfamily of African Arabian agamas (Agaminae) of the agamidae family; unites about thirty Asian species arboreal insectivorous lizards.

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

The “aviation system” of these lizards is designed as follows: they have six enlarged lateral ribs—however, biologists consider them false ribs—that are capable of extending and spreading their skin “sail” (or “wing”) for subsequent gliding. When the lizard spreads these ribs, the leathery fold located between them stretches, turning into wide wings. Dragons cannot flap their “wings” like birds, and they have no need for it - they practically do not 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 has its own “hunting ground” - a section of forest consisting of several trees located in the vicinity.

Agree, flying is a very useful skill for a lizard that feeds on insects and larvae. This greatly facilitates her search for food and allows her to quickly and efficiently hunt for prey. Moreover, the dragonet is able to plan both vertically and horizontally, and also quickly change the direction of movement, using long tail, which helps control the flight by acting as a rudder.

Flying dragons are absolutely harmless and incredibly beautifully colored. The head of this lizard is brown or green in color with a metallic sheen. The skin membrane of the lizard is very brightly colored, the upper side alternates in different colors - green, yellow, with a purple tint, with spots, specks and even stripes. I wonder what reverse side The “wings” of the dragon are no less brightly colored - spotted lemon or blue, and the tail, legs and abdomen are also variegated, which, of course, also decorate this small exotic lizard.

Males can be recognized by their bright orange throat, while females have a blue or blue throat. The skin fold is the main advantage of the male dragon, which he regularly demonstrates by spreading it widely and protruding it forward. Anatomically, this sign is due to the presence of processes of the lizard’s hyoid bone, thanks to which the leathery sac on the reptile’s throat can swell. Among other things, it is believed that the skin fold helps the male during the migration process by stabilizing his body.

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

There are a huge number of animals in the world. From the simplest, found at every step, to the extremely rare and exotic. One of the exotic animals is the dragon lizard, which will be discussed in this article.

Dragon lizard or flying dragon - belongs to the subfamily of Afro-Arabian agamas(Agaminae) and is one of its most prominent representatives.

Definition

The name is due to the lateral folds of skin that allow it to fly over a distance of about 20 meters. This ability was acquired by lizards due to the fact that it is very difficult to survive while on the surface of the earth and running along the forest floor, in which predators can hide. Adapting to life on tall trees, they solved this problem. This lizard is also called: dragon, flying dragon, flying lizard and flying dragons.

Description

The flying lizard is an inconspicuous animal that blends very well with the tree on which it lives. Stealth is primarily due to its small size. The lizard's length varies from 20 to 40 cm. Most of the body length is a thin tail, which, among other things, performs the function of turning during flight. The body is narrow and can reach 5 cm in thickness.

A distinctive feature of this lizard from others is the small corrugated folds on both sides of the body. They are attached to false ribs and spread during flight, forming wings. Males have a special fold located on the throat that helps stabilize their position during flight. In addition to helping during flight, the gular fold serves to attract females and scare away opponents.

The second element What keeps them invisible on trees is their brown-gray color with a metallic sheen, which allows them to blend not only with the trees, but also with the surrounding landscape. The side membranes on both sides are painted in bright colors that alternate one after another. The colors on the top side shimmer into color scheme- red, yellow, with various inclusions - spots, stripes and specks. On the bottom side you can see this picture: yellowish and bluish color here, connected with dots of different colors. Speaking about color, one cannot fail to mention the bright colors of the animal’s tail, legs and abdomen.

Habitat

Where can you find these wonderful creatures? Main habitat flying lizards can be called:

• India;
• islands of the Malay archipelago;
• Borneo island;
• Malaysia;
• most of Southeast Asia.

They live in tropical forests, where there are many tall trees on the crowns of which you can comfortably sit. They practically don’t go down to the ground, only in case of egg laying or accidental fall.

Behavioral features

The behavior of flying dragons is determined by the presence of “wings” and the ability to glide over a distance of over 20 meters. It is the presence of folds that causes these reptiles to live at altitude. Their favorite height is upper layer of the forest. Even going down a little lower is already a bad option.

Flying dragons spend most of their time motionless. This is because their color helps them remain invisible while sitting on a tree without moving. They feed on ants, insect larvae and adult insects that they encounter in their habitat.

The moment flying dragons see their prey, they jump in its direction and straighten their folds. Their goal is to catch an insect in flight and land on a nearby tree. They succeed in this thanks to good maneuverability in the air, which, in turn, is achieved due to the presence of a tail and a fold under the throat.

One of characteristic features Flying lizards can be called having their own territory. Each flying lizard occupies about three trees, which it uses for hunting. If an animal the size of a flying dragon lands on one of the trees, it will first begin trying to drive away the enemy with its appearance, and then attack the invader.

The female flying dragon, in turn, also has a special manner of behavior. Despite the fact that they spend most of their time in the trees, they have to descend and lay eggs in the ground.

With the help of their pointed nose, they dig small holes in which they lay up to four eggs. After this, they cover the holes with mud and guard them for 24 hours. After this period they return to the top.

The most common types

There are about thirty species of flying dragons. The main ones:

• Draco affinis
• Draco biaro
• Draco bimaculatus
• Draco blanfordii - flying dragon Blanford
• Draco caerulhians
• Draco cornutus - horned flying dragon

Considering that dragon lizards spend most of their time camouflaging themselves, one should not be surprised that they have been little studied. Scientists have no information about, how long do dragons live and how many babies hatch from each egg. It is known that small flying dragons can fly immediately after hatching.

In tropical rainforests southern hemisphere There are thousands of species of diverse fauna on our planet. 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 that, upon closer inspection, closely resembles the main character of Chinese folklore.

The flying dragon has a relatively small body

Description of the appearance of the reptile

The winged reptile belongs to the family of agamidae lizards. In the process of evolution, dragons acquired not only the ability to camouflage, but also the ability to fly. This miniature animal leads a secluded life in the upper tier tropical trees and rarely comes down to earth.

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 species 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” are not distinguished by their impressive size; the length of the largest individuals is forty centimeters, with the main part falling on the tail, which acts as a rudder during flight. It is not surprising that lizards easily avoid collisions with plant branches.

Males have distinguishing feature in the form of a growth

They have a narrow, flattened body. There are six elongated ribs on the spine, onto which a leathery fold is attached. As it straightens out, it turns into a kind of cape, which amazes with its bright patterns in the form of circles or smooth lines. Unique Feature The structure of the skeleton allows 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. mating season. With its help, 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 stabilize the body during flight. Females are more modest in size, with blue or light blue folds.

Features of nutrition and reproduction

The winged lizard is known to eat insects. Their menu includes:

• wood ants;
• beetles and butterflies;
• termites;
• insect larvae.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle, the flying dragon lizard can wait for hours for prey to appear. As soon as this happens, the reptile catches and swallows the victim, without changing its body position.

The dragon feeds on various butterflies

When hunting flying insects, it plans between branches and catches prey. Grabbing it with his teeth, he returns to the tree and eats it. The necessary liquid is obtained from food, so the reptile does not need water. Among natural enemies, the main ones are birds of prey 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 his 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. Masks the nest with leaves and dirt. She is helped in this by her pointed nose, specially adapted for such manipulations.

The reptile guards the clutch for one day, after which it returns upstairs. After a few months, the cubs hatch, ready for independent life and with 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 to 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 animals.

Habitats

The small, harmless reptile is found near the equator and in southeast Asia.

Reptiles live in a number of countries

Natural environment its habitats include:

• 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 far from cities and villages. That is why in wildlife 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;
• bloodbeard;
• five-way;
• Sumatran;
• horned;
• Blanford.

All flying agama 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 forest areas near human habitation. Not found in wild jungles or remote areas.

Maximum length body – 9 cm.

They are the smallest of the flying dragon family. Body length is only nine centimeters, the color is gray or brown 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 rain forests. A remarkable feature of horned lizards is their ability to camouflage themselves as falling leaves. The mangrove dragon has red membranes, while its relative has green membranes with a brown tint.

Imitation of falling leaves allows animals to float freely in space without fear of attack birds of prey. According to scientists, reptiles do not use their camouflage for communication. Individuals that migrated to other forest areas, acquire an adaptive color of the membranes. In any place where they live, they imitate leaf fall.

The ability for divergent evolution distinguishes the miniature lizard from many representatives of the fauna of our planet. Nature has endowed them with the ability to fly. and camouflage as the only way to survive in harsh conditions wild jungle.

In this video you will learn more about the little dragon: