Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing dragons. Okay, no, not like the fire-breathing
behemoths of fantasy, but real-life, forreal dragons. Yes, dragons are real, and you probably
know some already. There are over 300 living species of the reptiles in the Agamidae family,
and many of them are commonly known as dragons. They're also known as gliding lizards and agamas
after their family name. These lizards live in Africa, Asia, and southern parts of Europe,
but the place with the most dragons is Australia. They've also taken up residence
in homes around the globe. Some familiar species may include water dragons and bearded dragons!
There are other reptiles with the name “dragon” like the komodo dragon,
as well, but they’re not related to the dragons of today’s video.
These reptiles have long, sturdy tails that they can not fully autotomize as well as strong hind
legs which are used for bipedal location in some species. They run! Dragons most often
run to escape predators and some are so quick they can walk on water! The types of predators
they're trying to escape include snakes, monitor lizards, birds of prey, and mammals like dingoes
and jungle cats. Other methods dragons utilize to escape predators include gliding and hiding. Some
of these lizards have modified ribs that allow them to soar through the forest. Others dig their
own intricate burrows into which they can flee. Uromastyx lizards are a prime example of this!
Dragons live from deserts to rainforests depending on the species.
Some dragons, like the uromastyx and bearded dragons, are terrestrial and prefer to remain
on the ground. They use their tunnels to help regulate their body temperature
and escape foes. Other species are arboreal meaning they spend their time in trees and
will run to a tree and scurry up to avoid being eaten. Frilled neck lizards do this!
Dragons range in size from less than an inch (2.5cm) long from their snout to the base of
their tail, to over three feet (91cm) long including their tail! Their tails are often
double the length of their bodies. They're most active during the day
and their prey include mostly invertebrates like spiders and
insects. Some larger species eat small mammals and others eat flowers and succulents when available.
Something that sets dragons apart from other lizards are their teeth. Most lizards have
teeth that fall out and are replaced, but dragon teeth remain in their mouth. This
means if something happens to a tooth, it isn't shed and replaced, so dental disease can impact
a dragon's life! Chameleons have similar teeth, and, like chameleons, dragons can change color.
As with chameleons, color change in dragons isn't necessarily for self defense. These lizards
use color because they want to be seen! They're looking for love and showing off
their scales to find it. Female dragons are more attracted to the more brightly colored males.
In fact, many species form harems where a male has breeding rights to multiple females and they all
remain in his territory until the end of the breeding season, though it's not uncommon for
dragons to live in colonies throughout the year. They'll mate and the females lay a small clutch
of about a dozen eggs in a burrow, however some species do give birth to live young. On average,
dragons only live to be a few years old. For more facts on dragons, check out the
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