Flying Lizard: dragons exist, only very small

Looking at this incredible creature, you involuntarily recall children's fairy tales about dragons and science fiction films about flying dinosaurs. But the amazing reptiles that can fly are animal species that actually exist on our planet, which we will talk about today.

Flying dragons - this is the name of the genus of lizards, which includes about 30 species of these amazing reptiles. All of them are united by one thing: they are capable of planning a flight. During evolution, these inhabitants of the forests of Southeast Asia acquired unique structural features of the body, which allowed them to refute the well-known saying that those born cannot crawl.

While ordinary lizards have successfully mastered terrestrial spaces, flying dragons prefer the upper tier of the forest. These lizards live in the crowns of trees, and in order to make it more convenient to move from one tree to another without bothering with long descents and ascents, nature rewarded them with unique anatomical features.

Flying dragons have so-called false ribs that support wide skin folds that act as wings. Before the jump, the ribs extend and the skin membranes on the sides take the form of wings, forming a large supporting area. A long tail and a special skin fold on the throat serve as additional stabilizers during flight.

These lizards, of course, do not flap their wings, but are quite capable of planning at a distance of 20 meters, despite the fact that the length of their own body does not exceed 40 centimeters. For example, Blenford's flying dragon is the largest representative of the genus of flying dragons, and his body has an average length of about 35 centimeters. At the same time, about 2/3 of the total body length falls on its tail.

All flying dragons live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, including India. Especially a lot of them on the islands: Philippines, Sumatra, Kalimantan. These lizards, depending on the species, have a diverse, often very bright color. Flying dragons are predators and feed on various caterpillars and adult insects that they manage to find on trees. They are active in the daytime, and during the day, in the heat, they prefer to relax. Flying dragons almost never descend to the ground, but they do not need it. After all, these lizards are real dragons who have mastered the air element.