Real Dragon Found!

Originally posted by sugarcookie1
reply to post by blocula

 

blocula
I'm not the least bit worried about this cute little creature turning into a 12ft long,starving lizard ..Get a grip please

peace,sugarcookie1

I'm just getting a grip on the fact that just because something is little and smaller than us,doesnt mean its cute and cuddly.Just look at birds from the point of view of insects and realize what they think about those lovely winged creatures and i'm sure if they could,the insects would tell us that those fine feathered friends of ours are their mortal enemies,meat eating monsters that swoop down from the sky to devour and destroy...

it will need to be about 10,000 times bigger and rideable.
i see mountable snakes and ranches that breed dragons in the future.

I didn't go though the whole Thread, but how is this news?

This lizard is nothing new. I saw it on a Nat Geo program years ago.

And now, we gotta look for unicorns. ...C'mon, if there's dragons, there has to be unicorns!

Awww, that is such a cute little winged lizard! Would be awesome if he breathed fire, I bet a lot of people would love to raise them and train them to be cigarette lighters

Originally posted by getreadyalready
"Flying" is anything that involves lift. A parachute is a controlled fall, a hang glider is flying.

I disagree with your narrow definition of a parachute being a controlled fall and not flying, here's a pic of me involved in one of my many hobbies



This type of parachute is a foil, it's called that because when it inflates it takes on the shape of an airfoil. It does indeed generate lift and it flies when power assisted.

Originally posted by NeoVain
reply to post by nineix

 

Not sure those are wings at all... Lizard have too low metabolism to maintain wings flapping... Those are most probably used when swimming underwater.

edit on 27-2-2012 by NeoVain because: (no reason given)

or they could be used for gliding in the air?

No offense, but there is nothing special about a gliding animal. Ever heard of flying squirrels?

reply to post by BeastMaster2012
Nothing special? Jump out of a tree and see what happens to you. Bet you'd wish you could glide

reply to post by blocula


Ok now your just getting silly ..Think what you want i wont sit and argue over a cute lizard thats not what the thread is about..peace,sugarcookie1

reply to post by nineix
The size of that dragon compared to the size of those human fingers holding it is vindication of my much maligned theory that we humans were once teeny tiny and have since evolved to be the giants we are today.
Thankfully the dragons of the days of yore have remained relatively the same size.

Awesome little animal, but no breaking news, gliding lizards are no new discovery. Very pretty.

reply to post by SavedOne




True, you got me there. Even a parachute can be an airfoil and generate lift and become "flying." In general we agree though, "Flight" does not have to mean powered flight like many in this thread seem to assume. Birds fly, glider's fly, lizards even fly.

Having released my frustration from yesterday after being trolled in this thread over the definition of flight( yes technically it is flight but what this lizard does is considered gliding, does that make you happy Phage?) I have decided to post once more. This thread is not a discussion of specific terminology of aerodynamics but about this "cute" little lizard and as a Herpetologist I feel the need to educate rather than argue semantics. Its too bad this post is so deep into the thread as many will miss it but for those that are interested you can learn something.

We, in the herpetological world, have known about these lizards for a good many of years. This is not a new species. In fact not even the source in the OP is new(notice the post date of February 16, 2010). In this post I will embed a video from 2008 in order to further show this point.

These are several different species of flying lizard or flying dragons as they are also known but the main 3 species are Draco Volans, Draco Sumatranus, and Draco Maculatus. They are distinguished by the number of ribs in the "wing" and a few other little differences. The are found all over the rain forests of Southeastern Asia.

They are masters of camouflage with the ability to change colors like chameleons and are tree dwellers. In fact with the exception of the rare fall the females will only touch the ground when laying eggs. The clutches are between 10 and 15 eggs at a time. They have a movable flap on their throats that are used for 3 things, attracting mates, detouring predators, and as a rudder while gliding. This flap(for the species being discussed Draco Volans) on males is a bright yellow and on females is a dull orangeish color although the Draco Formosus has black flaps the lighter color on the female. Their maximum gliding distance is questionable and is dependent on how high in the canopy they are but it is excepted to 3 different distances by depending on who you talk to and they are 30m.60m and 100m. The point is is that this little lizard can glide vast distances for their little 10inch body. They do not glide in the rain nor when it is windy and loose about a foot in height for every 5 feet of forward movement.

The "wings" consist of a membrane stretched over movable ribs ranging in number from 5 to 9 depending on the species. Here is a drawing of the skeletal system:As stated before the flap under the chin is used as a rudder but most of its steering is done with whips of its tail.

It has very sharp pointed teeth but are so small they only barely break the human skin drawing very little blood just in case you are worried about being eaten alive by this mighty dragon.

For Those of you that are interested in owning one(or more) they are insectivores so a ready supply of crickets are needed as well as a large open habitat with at least 2 tree structures. Like most Herps(reptiles) they are cold blooded and must have a temperature regulated habitat. A mister is also recommended. They range from about $30 to $60 depending on where you get them but as they are being added to the endangered species list only the breeders outside Southeastern Asia will supply them for the pet trade and those prices will most definitely go up especially if they begin to be in high demand. This site is currently out of specimens but you can join the waiting list or search for breeders yourself: www.floridaherps.com...

Here are some videos and other sources of information for those who are interested:




video.nationalgeographic.com...
en.wikipedia.org...

Scholar Publications:
www.jstor.org...
www.jstor.org...
journals.cambridge.org...
rmbr.nus.edu.sg...

Edit to say: If you are interested in owning one of these herps feel free to contact me and I will get you to the sites needed for habitats and equipment as well as care instructions and online food supplies if there is not a cricket dealer near you.

Originally posted by NeoVain
reply to post by nineix

 

Not sure those are wings at all... Lizard have too low metabolism to maintain wings flapping... Those are most probably used when swimming underwater.

edit on 27-2-2012 by NeoVain because: (no reason given)

They are not for flapping they are for gliding. I have seen this on TV before. They jump from tree to tree gliding.

Now ADD genetic modification from some RADIOACTIVE material and you got But on topic its a cool looking little creature..

We shall name him Tragdor and his reign over his museum exhibit will be one of terror and grieve. All hail the little beasty,

I tried to fly once...

I duct taped a blanket around each leg then I held on to the other end "real tight"...

I jumped off the roof and broke my leg....

I know pictures or it didn't happen!

reply to post by BeastMaster2012
I mentioned flying squirrels a few posts back.How and why would only certain squirrels have evolved and developed this rare ability,shouldnt they all have or none of them? They all spend most of their time climbing high up in trees...

There are 280 species of squirrel and 43 of them are flying squirrels...

Flying squirrels and birds dont fly,they glide and dragons have wings,not flaps of retractable membranes...

reply to post by SavedOne


Flying implies propulsion designed to keep you airborne. A parachute simply seizes the opportunity to take you places while still in the air.

It's a fuzzy line between the two...but since it does use a parachute, you have to assume that parachute mechanics take precedence over other factors.