Fun Flying Lizard Facts For Kids

The flying lizard (Draco volans), also known as the gliding lizards, is capable of gliding flight via membranes that are extended to create wings that are formed by an enlarged set of ribs, called patagia. This species of lizard are well known for their display and ability to glide long distances through their elongated ribs to generate lift forces. Females of this reptile are slightly larger than males. They usually lay up to five eggs in a small hole. This lizard is diurnal in nature. Males are generally more active than females during the day and they are quite territorial in nature.

Commonly seen running on branches of a tree, Draco volans are arboreal creatures. For these small size flying dragons, moving from tree to tree in the jungles is an essential task for escaping danger, attracting a female for mating, and for finding meals. This animal can glide across trees with their beautifully colored wings. They are mostly found in the rain forest and tropical areas where there are more trees for them to jump.

For more relatable content, check out these garden lizard facts and Texas horned lizard facts for kids.

What type of animal is a flying lizard?

Flying dragons (Draco volans) are a type of lizards living mainly in forests and shrub jungles. A male Draco volans is very territorial and uses its ability to glide to chase rivals.

What class of animal does a flying lizard belong to?

The flying dragon (Draco volans) belongs to the class Reptilia, from the phylum Chordata.

How many flying lizards are there in the world?

The exact number of their existence across the world is unknown.

Where does a flying lizard live?

The flying dragon (Draco volans) lives mostly in forests, shrub jungles, gardens, and teak plantations and it moves from tree to tree by gliding.

What is a flying lizard's habitat?

The habitat of this reptile can be found in Southeast Asia and southern India. They are also are found in tropical rainforests with a sufficient number of trees for them to jump between.

Who do flying lizards live with?

The Draco genus of lizards are not social animals except for mating and during the breeding season.  

How long does a flying lizard live?

This lizard species can live for up to eight years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of this reptile takes place between December and January. Males and females show several displays such as moving their wings. The males will also spread their dewlap and then circle the females three times before copulation. The female will display patterns to stop or prevent copulation. A small hole is made into the ground by the female Draco to keep her eggs and then she will place almost five eggs into the hole made on the ground forcefully by her head and then pack it with dirt. The female Draco guards the eggs for almost 24 hours. No further guarding is required until the incubation period which takes around 32 days.

What is their conservation status?

Flying dragons (Draco volans) are referred to as common species and of Least Concern, and are not threatened according to the Red List of IUCN.

What do flying lizards look like?

This species of flying dragons is classified by the wings at the side of its body used for flight which are supported by the ribs. Their bodies are very depressed and elongated. The size of males is around 7.6 in (19.4 cm), and females are 8.3 in (21.1 cm) long. There is a long slender tail which is about 4.4 in (11.3 cm) on males and 5.2 in (13.2 cm) on females. There are rows of rectangular brown spots on the top of the wings and black spots on the bottom of the wings. The males have a dewlap in a bright yellow color and a brown color on the dorsal side. On the underside, it is blue in color, whereas the females have a smaller dewlap of bluish-gray color and the wings ventral side is yellow. The dewlap is a fold of skin of different colors in the males and females of the flying dragon lizard. The tail is over half of their body size.

How cute are they?

They are incredibly cute, more than what the world typically thinks. They have furry and scaly skin, and their personality, charm, and unique beauty attract people. Also, some of the species of flying lizards have a goofy smile which makes them even cuter.

How do they communicate?

They are reliable on vocal communications which are mostly related to sensory systems including the visuals, olfactory, and auditory systems. The sensory system is more developed with different modes of vocal, tactile, and chemical. As per the flying dragon lizard facts, this lizard living on trees in the forest up to 20 ft (6.1 m) high are found communicating with another lizard with the help of its rapid dewlap movement and can vanish very fast within seconds and from our eyesight.

How big is a flying lizard?

This reptile can reach up to 8.3 in (21.1 cm) long, which is 15 times bigger than a grasshopper.

How fast can a flying lizard move?

It is still unknown how fast these reptiles move.

How much does a flying lizard weigh?

They have a total weight of around 0.7 oz (20.8 g). They are smaller than frilled lizards but bigger than millipedes.

What are the male and female names of the species?

No separate names have been used to describe the sexes of this reptile.

What would you call a baby flying lizard?

The young of this reptile is simply known as a baby Draco.

What do they eat?

They are insectivores and are known mainly for feeding on ants and termites. They wait for small ants to come on the trees where they can feed on them and sometimes they glide to find their food. When the termites or ants come closer to them, they pick them very easily without even moving from their location and then chew the insect.

Are they poisonous?

It is stated by the Philippines that they are poisonous and dangerous but this is not completely true. This species is only valued for their colorful appearance and how they take flight.

Would they make a good pet?

These lizards are generally not seen as pets and not even suggested for beginners as they are not easy to take care of and are also not easy to come by.

Did you know...

One flying Draco lizard facts is that they are one of 40 species of flying dragons or Draco lizards. Talking about the adults of this species, they are very agile in nature and are not easy to capture. They live on trees and their flying speed is so fast that they vanish within seconds.

Arboreal snakes and birds sometimes prey on flying lizards.

What are the different types of flying lizards?

There are mainly two types of lizards in the genus Draco, one is Draco volans and the other one is Draco maculatus. Both have almost the same features and both live in the forest.

How do flying lizards fly?

This animal is best known for its ability to fly, climb, glide, and jump on trees to the ground. They spread their wings and jump towards the ground freely.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles from our sand lizard facts and Gila monster facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Flying lizard coloring pages.