What If Dragons Are Real...and They Really Fly!

Getting curious about flying dragons!

What: Flying dragons are lizards that don't breath fire but do glide through the air.

Who: Who's slaying who? Since flying dragons grow to a whopping 9 inches long (including the length of their tail), they spend most of their lives up in the tops of trees to avoid the snakes and larger lizards below who feast on rather than fear flying dragons!

When: When all you eat are insects like the flying dragon, scientists label you an insectivore.

Where: Flying dragons live in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.

How: How do flying dragons fly? They stick out their ribs, extend their front legs and use their patagium to glide through the air. What's a patagium? Find out in The Screaming Hairy Armadillo!

Why: Why are these lizards called dragons? Draco volans, commonly named the flying dragon, is a member of the genus Draco (dragon).

Huh?: Wait, do these dragons really fly? Technically, they "glide" rather than "fly. What's the difference between gliding and flying? Gliders do not flap their wings... or patagia.

Wow!: Mommies come first in the flying dragons' world. After laying their eggs in a hole in the ground, moms get the heck out of there after a day so they won't get eaten by the truly ferocious predators on the jungle floor. Their babies after they hatch? Only the fastest baby flying dragons ever take flight!

Keep getting curious about animals with The Screaming Hairy Armadillo and it's free Educator's Guide!

Thank you for your curiosity, stay curious, and let your curiosity lead your learning with more Curiosity-Based Learning content and activities from What If Curiosity!