Common flying dragon

Draco volans · The common flying dragon is a small tree-dwelling lizard that glides on winglike skin flaps and lives in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.

Common flying dragon
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
Common flying dragon
Photo: Mattia Luigi Nappi, CC BY 4.0
Common flying dragon
Photo: A.Baihaqi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyAgamidae
GenusDraco
SpeciesDraco volans

Where it lives

Rainforests of Southeast Asia, from Thailand to Borneo and the Philippines.

Fun facts

  • This lizard's "wings" are held up by its own ribs, which form the skeleton of the skin flaps it uses to glide.
  • Males show off their orange-tinted wing flaps and throat dewlaps to catch the attention of females.
  • Male and female wing flaps look different: males have dark bands, while females have irregular markings instead.
  • This lizard is an ambush hunter that waits by a tree trunk for ants to crawl close, then grabs them without moving its body.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).