When most people think of flying animals, they picture birds, bats, and insects, but in the jungles of Southeast Asia, the amazing Draco lizards take to the sky. Also known as “flying dragons,” these reptiles don’t have true wings but instead use a unique two-part system to glide through the air.
For years, scientists believed the lizards simply unfurled their gliding membranes, called patagia, with special rib muscles. However, a fascinating 2015 study by biologist Maximilian Dehling revealed the lizards are far more hands-on.
A New Discovery in Lizard Flight
While observing and photographing Draco lizards in India, Dehling discovered their secret. After a lizard leaps from a tree, its rib muscles begin to open the patagia, but they don’t open them all the way. In a remarkable mid-air move, the lizard then reaches back with its arms, grabs the membranes, and pulls them all the way forward.
Dehling’s closer examination of museum specimens showed that these lizards can perform this action because their wrists are incredibly flexible, much more so than other related species. This flexibility allows them to firmly grip the patagia and create the final, two-part “wings.”
The Advantage of a Two-Part System
This unique gliding method may be the key to the Draco lizard’s impressive aerial control. Dehling suggests that by keeping the forearms separate from the patagia, the lizards can use their arms for steering. He notes that the lizards are capable of sudden changes in direction and have even been observed doing barrel rolls in mid-air.
While the exact mechanics of their flight are still being studied, it’s clear that their arms play a major role, along with their hind legs, tail, and body. This two-part system offers a significant advantage. Unlike other gliding animals, like flying squirrels, which have membranes attached to their limbs like a wingsuit, the Draco lizard’s forearms are free when they are on the ground. This allows them to be agile climbers, and only when they need to glide do they transform their arm into the leading edge of a wing.
Colin Palmer, a naval architect who studies the evolution of flight, points out that while a wing with a limb at the front may be less aerodynamically efficient, it provides other benefits like added strength and support, along with the ability to steer. It’s a trade-off that allows these lizards to excel at both climbing and gliding.
Broader Implications
The discovery of the Draco lizard’s unique flight has implications for how we understand flight and evolution. Paleontologists may need to reconsider how they interpret the gliding abilities of ancient reptiles in the fossil record, as previous models may have underestimated their aerial capabilities.
While more research is needed to fully understand how these acrobatic lizards perform their mid-air maneuvers, this new discovery shows that the world of gliders is even more diverse and complex than we previously thought.
