Draco volans, commonly known as the flying dragon, is a species of lizard endemic to Southeast Asia.
It is a member of the genus of gliding lizards Draco. It 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 metres
(26 ft); however, like all modern reptiles (excluding birds), it lacks the ability to sustain powered flight, and is capable only of gliding.[citation needed]
Its wings are brightly coloured with orange, red and blue spots and stripes, and they provide camouflage when folded. The flying dragon can reach a total length of up to 23 centimetres (9.1 in). It feeds on arboreal ants and termites.
Reproduction
The flying dragon does not give live birth. During the breeding season an adult female will venture down to the forest floor and lay 1-5 eggs, which it buries in the soil. The number of eggs usually depends on how good that particular lizard's habitat and surroundings are. A flying dragon's eggs can take anywhere from 1-2 weeks to hatch. A flying dragon hatchling will weigh around 2 grams, depending on how good the conditions were while laying the eggs and other factors. The female flying dragon will only guard her nest for at the most a couple of days before abandoning the nest. She does not return very often to care for her young. The flying dragon's life span is currently unknown.
Habitat
Common Gliding Lizards (D. sumatranus) and Spotted Gliding Lizards (Draco maculatus) are common in open and disturbed areas; Five-banded Gliding Lizards (D. quinquefasciatus) are usually found in dense forest with relatively small, closely spaced trees; Giant Gliding Lizards (D. maximus) are somewhat restricted to riparian areas; the smaller Yellow-bearded Gliding Lizards (D. haematopogon) and larger Blanford's Gliding Lizard (Draco blanfordii) occur at higher elevations than most other species; and the Black-bearded Gliding Lizards and the larger Dusky Gliding Lizards (D. formosus) are habitat generalists in lowland forests.
Description
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, their dewlaps are a bit smaller.