For everyone and about everything. Flying dragons Description of the appearance of the reptile

Millions of years ago. Among them there are unusual specimens that amaze with their unique appearance and abilities.

the site will introduce you to some of the representatives of ancient reptiles.

flying dragon

This is a miniature representative fairy tale character. It differs from other species and flying lizards by the skin folds on the sides of the body. Thanks to them, they can fly from one tree to another in search of food, over a distance of more than 20 meters. Live in South-East Asia.

The dragon family of flying lizards includes about 30 species. They are relatively small in size - up to 21 cm. Moreover, the long and thin tail makes up half of the entire length. The body is colored to match the color of foliage and bark.

In the normal state, the skin folds on the sides are tightly pressed to the body. In flight, they unfold, turning into bright wings of yellow, red or Green colour. And the dragon becomes like a butterfly.

It maneuvers well in flight, changing direction and altitude, while the tail acts as a rudder. It doesn't flap its wings, but they allow it to float smoothly in the air.

flying dragon

Lifestyle of flying reptiles

They lead a solitary lifestyle, preferring the dense crown of trees. They also feed on larvae. And they themselves are prey for and.

Throat pouch of a bright male yellow color. In the female it is blue or of blue color. Flying dragons do not hibernate. They breed throughout the year.

Having chosen a female, the male demonstrates all his advantages to her - the color of his wings, his throat pouch. And he tries to convince her with a kind of “speech”.

If courtship is accepted, then after some time the female descends to the ground and lays 2-5 eggs in a small depression. It covers them with a small layer of soil and leaves its offspring to survive.

The cubs appear after two months with all the skills for independent existence. The lifespan of flying dragons is up to 5 years.

frilled lizard

Lives in New Guinea. It got its name from the fold of skin around the head that looks like a collar. It regulates body heat exchange and serves to intimidate enemies. In case of danger, it opens and rises around the head by 30 cm.

The frilled lizard has unusual ability run on hind legs. In this case, the torso is held vertically. Strong, tenacious paws with sharp claws help them run quickly and climb trees.

Owner of an attractive outfit

Males reach a size of up to one meter. The long tail makes up 2/3 of the total length. Females are much smaller.

During the mating season, the male attracts his chosen one, showing her his collar in all its glory. After mating, she lays 8-12 eggs in the sand and after about ten weeks independent offspring appear.

They lead a solitary lifestyle. They mostly live in trees, but if they don’t find food there, then they go down to the ground for prey. Omnivorous - they feed on plants, rodents, and bird eggs.

To scare the enemy, frilled lizard rises to hind legs, simultaneously opens its mouth wide and has an orange collar (does not fly). Hisses, hits the ground with its long tail and runs towards the enemy. Instantly turning into an incomprehensible creature. This transformation causes snakes and dogs to flee.

Moloch - spotted devil

For its terrifying appearance, this lizard was named after the pagan god of evil, to whom sacrifices were made.

Her entire body (up to 22 cm) is covered with sharp horny spines. Moreover, they are all different sizes. The spotted devil has the ability to change body color depending on temperature environment and lighting. It also lives in the semi-deserts of Australia.

Leads daytime look life. Moves slowly on powerful legs outstretched. It lives in burrows dug in the sand and can bury itself completely in it.

What does it eat?

Despite its terrifying appearance, the moloch is actually a harmless creature - it feeds exclusively on ants. Catches them with a long sticky tongue. It eats several thousand of these insects per day.

The spotted color helps to camouflage well in the sand. In case of danger, the moloch bows its head in front of the enemy, putting forward a horny growth on its head. And significantly increases the size of the body, inflating it.

Her body is covered with sharp horny spines

Moloch can change its color within a few minutes, masquerading as its environment.

How does it reproduce

Eggs are laid between September and December. The offspring appears after 3-4 months, measuring less than one centimeter. They grow slowly and only at about five years old do the cubs grow to adult size. They live long enough for these reptiles, about twenty years.

Leaf gecko

Where do they live?

It lives on the tropical islands of Madagascar. Their unusual leaf-like appearance and color matching the color of tree bark make them invisible. The tail, with uneven edges and veins in the middle, is very similar to a dried leaf. This ability of animals is called mimicry (imitation, camouflage).

The second name (satanic gecko) was given due to its huge red eyes, which have excellent vision at night.

The size of these reptiles is 20-30cm. They live in trees and are active night look life, and during the day they hide among the foliage. They feed on insects.

The female lays two eggs several times a year. Incubation period lasts 2-3 months, depending on environmental conditions.

IN wildlife Leaf geckos live for about eight years. In a well-equipped terrarium up to 20 years.

Small belt-tailed lizards

The name was given for the ring-shaped scales with sharp spikes that encircle the entire body, leaving a small bare area on the stomach. They live in Africa and Madagascar.

When in danger, belt-tailed lizards curl up into a ring, covering their bare abdomen, and take the tail into their mouth. At the same time, sharp spikes rise on the back. With this ability they resemble hedgehogs.

During the day they lead an active lifestyle. Crevices among rocks and stones serve as shelter for them. During the dry period they can hibernate. They live in small groups in which the male is the leader.

Video about the belt-tailed lizard

What do lizards eat?

They feed not only on plants, but also small rodents and even their relatives. They are long-lived, living up to 25 years in the wild.

Offspring are viviparous once a year. Cubs (one to two) are born up to 6 cm in size and capable of independent life.

All lizards, whether flying or not, tolerate life well in captivity in specially equipped terrariums. You need the appropriate temperature, diet and ventilation for each species.

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In wet tropical forests 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

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 a menacing name " flying Dragon“are not distinguished by impressive sizes, the length of the largest individuals is forty centimeters, and the main part falls on the tail, which during flight serves as a rudder. 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. On the spine there are six elongated ribs on 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

Habitat 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 it is difficult for a person to meet this exotic animal in the wild.

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. Color palette 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. IN wild jungle and does not occur in remote areas.

Maximum body length is 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:

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, which 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 various 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 South-East 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.

Using 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 – Blanford's flying dragon
• 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.

The flying dragon is not only a folklore character from various tales and fantasy novels, but also a very real Living being. True, miniature. Dragons got their name due to their ability to fly from tree to tree with the help of peculiar “wings”.

Flying dragons live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia: on the island. 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 in two cases - to lay eggs and if the flight is unsuccessful.

In total, about 30 species of flying dragons are known. The most famous and widespread - Draco Volans. These lizards grow no more than 40 centimeters. They have a thin, flattened body and a long tail. On the sides there are wide leathery folds stretched between six “false” ribs. When they open, peculiar “wings” are formed, with the help of which dragons can glide in the air at a distance of up to 60 meters.

dragon wings
The “false” edges are clearly visible in the figure.

In males, there is a special fold of skin on the throat that moves forward. It serves as a body stabilizer during flight.

Throat pouch
This skin fold is brightly colored

Flying dragons are difficult to notice because their uniform color (green or gray-brown) allows them to blend in with the dense foliage or bark of a tree. But the wings, on the contrary, have a bright and variegated color - red, yellow, bright green, etc.

Brightly colored wings

They can fly both horizontally and vertically and at the same time quickly change the direction of their flight. Each adult has its own territory, consisting of several trees located nearby.

Landed

Flight allows these lizards to find new food places. Their main diet includes ants and the larvae of other insects.