Draco (genus)

Draco (genus)

Draco is a genus of agamid lizards that also are known as the Flying Dragons. The ribs and their connecting membrane may be extended to create a wing, the hindlimbs are flattened and wing-like in cross-section, and a small set of flaps on the neck serve as a horizontal stabilizers. Draco are arboreal insectivores. While not capable of powered flight they often obtain lift in the course of their gliding flights. Glides as long as 60 m have been recorded, over which the animal loses only 10 m in height, which is quite some distance, considering that one of these lizards is only around 20 cm long.

The only time a flying lizard ventures to the ground is when a female is ready to lay her eggs. She descends the tree she is on and makes a nest hole by forcing her head into the soil. She then lays 2–5 eggs before filling the hole. She guards the eggs for approximately 24 hours, but then leaves and has nothing more to do with her offspring.

Linnaeus derived the name of this genus from the Latin term for mythological dragons.