The Flying Dragon

Common name: Flying dragon; Flying

lizard; Flying Draco; Draco lizard.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Family: Agamidae

Subfamily: Agaminae

Genus: Draco

This marvellous lizard is common in rainforest of west Malaysia. They can also be found in fruit orchards as well as rubber plantations. However, they are not easily spotted due to its colour that camouflage tree trunks. When they take flight (glide), their graceful glide resembling fallen leaf from the canopy.

The master of camouflage.














They start their glide by move to a higher trunk, head facing the ground, leap off with their bright coloured wings spreaded open. They parachute down gracefully, with its tail swinging midair manoeuvring its direction and land on another tree trunk. They can sometime glide for as far as 50 m. However, understandably, they will not glide during rain or when it is too windy.

The wings of flying dragon are made of membranes called patagium supported by rib bones. They are usually of bright colour that differ between males and females. The wings are folded on both sides of their body and spread open when they glide.

The images of flying dragon flapping its dewlap as sign of warning.





The flying dragon eat ants, termite and perhaps some other insects that found on the tree. They seldom come down to the ground. During mating season, the males defend their territories and dsplay their bright yellow dewlap to attract females. The females lay 1 to 4 eggs on the ground under the tree.

The flying dragon picking up ants with its short tongue.

It was a cloudy noon time at the Metropolitan Garden, Relau, Penang, Malaysia. The weather was unusually comfortable at this time after intermittent rain the previous night. I was strolling amongst the hibiscus trees with my camera looking for freshly bloom inflorescense. Out of sudden, i noticed something was moving on a tree just 5ft away. It was a flying lizard taking its lunch just 4-5 ft above ground level. This fellow must be very hungry as it didn't shy away despite of my presence at close distance. He continues to feast on ants on the tree trunk after gave me a few cautious stare, and occasionally reminded me on its dominance by flapping its dewlap.