Draco volans, or the Flying Dragon

Draco volans, or the Flying Dragon, can spread out folds of skin attached to its movable ribs to form "wings" that it uses to glide from tree to tree over distances upwards of 8 meters (25 feet); however, like all modern reptiles, it lacks the ability to sustain powered flight, and is capable only of gliding. Its wings are brightly colored with orange, red and blue spots and stripes, and they provide camouflage when folded. The flying dragon can reach lengths as long as 19 - 23 cm. It feeds on arboreal ants and termites.

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Draco volans, or the Flying Dragon

Flying Dragons are brown with bluish coloration on the undersides of their wings and a yellow colored dewlap. Females tend to have bluish dewlaps and yellow coloring on the wings' undersides. Their heads are blunted and fairly short, and each leg has five clawed toes. Flying Dragons have low, long bodies. They have flaps of skin along the ribs, which can be extended into "wings" by the lizard elongating its ribs. They have a dewlap, or gular flap, which can also be extended. Generally, Flying Dragons grow to a little less than 12 inches in length. Although females are usually larger than males.

During breeding season the female flying dragon will venture down to the forest floor and bury its 1-5 eggs in the soil. Its range is the Philippines to Malaysia and Indonesia. They have short sticky tongues that they use to eat the ants and termites with.

The Flying Dragons are native to the southwest tropical forests of Asia and India, including Borneo and the Philippine Islands. In the wild, the Flying Dragon will generally claim a territory. Usually, males will mark two or three trees as their own, and one to three female Flying Dragons will live in each tree. When the male Flying Dragon meets another animal, he may extend his dewlap partially or fully, extend his wings partially or fully, perform a combination of dewlap or wing extension, or bob his body up and down. If he meets a female, he may circle her. Extending the wings and dewlap makes the Flying Dragon appear larger, and he will usually exhibit such behavior if he feels threatened. Flying Dragons eat insects. They catch such prey by sitting under a tree until an insect passes by, and then they eat it. Flying Dragons are diurnal and hide in the late morning and early afternoon to avoid the most intense sunlight of the day.

More links about Flying Dragon:

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draco_volans