A male with a long yellow dewlap that is rapidly flicked forward in display
A Draco dussumieri female with a relatively smaller dewlap
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Reptilia
Order:
Squamata
Suborder:
Iguania
Family:
Agamidae
Genus:
Draco
Species:
D. dussumieri
Binomial name
Draco dussumieri
A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1837[2]
Draco dussumieri range in relation to the ranges of a few other Draco species
Draco dussumieri, also known commonly as the Indian flying lizard, the southern flying lizard, and the Western Ghats flying lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is capable of gliding from tree to tree. It is found principally in the Western Ghats and some other hill forests of Southern India. It is almost completely arboreal, found on trees in forests and adjoining palm plantations where it climbs trees to forage for insects and glides to adjoining trees by expanding the patagium, loose skin on the sides of the body which is supported by elongated ribs to act as wings. The skin on the sides of the neck is also extended to the sides using the hyoid bones of the tongue as support. During the breeding season males maintain small territories which they defend from other males while courting females. The male has a more colourful patagium than the female, and it prominently extends its yellow dewlap forward in display. Although living almost its entire life in trees, the female descends to the ground to lay eggs in soil. This is the species with the westernmost distribution within the genus Draco, the majority of species occurring in Southeast Asia.
^Srinivasulu, C.; Srinivasulu, B.; Vijayakumar, S.P.; Ramesh, M.; Ganesan, S.R.; Madala, M.; Sreekar, R. (2013). "Draco dussumieri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T172625A1354495. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T172625A1354495.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
^Dumeril, A.M.C.; Bibron, G. (1837). Erpétologie générale, ou, Histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome 4. Paris: Roret. pp. 456–458.
Dracodussumieri, also known commonly as the Indian flying lizard, the southern flying lizard, and the Western Ghats flying lizard, is a species of lizard...
[specify] and many reptiles including endemic species like the lizards Dracodussumieri, Varanus bengalensis, Calotes calotes, and rare, non venomous snake...
had seen, Dracodussumieri is an agamid "flying" lizard capable of gliding from tree to tree found in the Western Ghats and a relative of Draco blanfordii...
bat-like wings (this description matches the Indian flying lizard Dracodussumieri), winged scorpions, and other mythical creatures along with those that...
S. (1998). "Golden oriole Oriolus oriolus preying on flying lizard Dracodussumieri Dum. & Bibr". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 95 (1):...
flying lizard (Draco blanfordii) Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malay peninsula South Indian flying lizard (Dracodussumieri) Western Ghats...
versicolor Indian alpine swift Dendrelaphis ttristis Indian house swift Dracodussumieri Malabar trogon Ahaetulla nasuta Pied kingfisher Psammophilus blanfordanus...
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