Real Dragon Run open filed original dragon

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Real Dragon Run open filed original dragon
Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
If you think of dragons as supersize reptiles with a nasty bite, the Komodo dragon is the real deal. Up to 3m long and weighing as much as 70kg, they are the world's biggest lizards.
They can't breathe fire, but they kill pigs, deer and water buffalo with their mouths. In the past it was assumed that bacteria in their saliva caused blood poisoning. But in 2009 scientists discovered that Komodo dragons have venomous saliva that floods the wounds inflicted by their razor-sharp teeth.
The tale of how the dragons earned their nickname is suitably legendary. In 1926, W. Douglas Burden, grandson of a wealthy railway magnate, set off to the Lower Sunda Islands of Indonesia to capture a dozen giant lizards for the American Museum of Natural History.
In his memoir of the expedition, Dragon Lizards of Komodo, Burden describes one animal as "a hoary customer, black as dead lava, whose very aspect spoke of indefinite existence". He also details his wife's damsel-in-distress moment, when she was rescued from a dragon by the gun of a fellow explorer. The adventure immortalised the Komodo dragon, and inspired the film King Kong.
A dragonsnake (Xenodermus javanicus) (Credit: Matthijs Kuijpers/Alamy)
A dragonsnake (Xenodermus javanicus) (Credit: Matthijs Kuijpers/Alamy)
Dragonsnake (Xenodermus javanicus)
The dragonsnake is native to Indonesia and Malaysia, and sometimes turns up in Thailand and Myanmar. It is a mysterious species that goes by several names, including Javan mudsnake, Javan tubercle snake and rough-backed litter snake.
Its mythical name was inspired by its characteristic scales. Xenodermus means 'strange skin', and refers to the rows of knobbly black scales that run in raised ridges down the snake's body. Dragonsnakes commonly measure 60cm (2 feet), with females slightly larger than males.
There is only one species of dragonsnake. In 2013, a genetic analysis suggested they are a sister group to the primitive, aquatic file snakes of Australia and Indonesia.
Despite being discovered way back in 1836 and hunting on rice paddies, not much is known about dragonsnakes. They mostly hunt at night, for frogs.
Central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) (Credit: Jurgen Freund/NPL)
Central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) (Credit: Jurgen Freund/NPL)
Bearded dragons (Pogona sp.)
Bearded dragons are a favourite with pet owners around the world. The eight species in the Pogona genus all come from central Australia.
These dragons puff out their throats to create an imposing ruff of spiked scales. This 'beard' also turns black during courtship, aggression and times of stress.
In 2014 it emerged that the central bearded dragon actually changes its shade in sync with its circadian rhythms. It starts the day dark and becomes progressively lighter, appearing cream at night. The colour change may help it absorb heat during the day and stay warm through cold nights.
The central bearded dragon has also surprised scientists with its ability to learn. In 2015 Anna Wilkinson of the University of Lincoln in the UK and her colleagues found that the lizards could imitate a fellow dragon to complete a task – pushing a door open in a particular direction.
Shocking pink dragon millipede (Desmoxytes purpurosea) (Credit: Thailand Wildlife/Alamy)
Shocking pink dragon millipede (Desmoxytes purpurosea) (Credit: Thailand Wildlife/Alamy)
Shocking pink dragon millipede (Desmoxytes purpurosea)
At the smaller end of the real dragon scale we have the millipedes. Dragon millipedes are found throughout South East Asia and named for the elaborate spikey protrusions, or 'paranota', that are thought to shield their many legs.
One of the most striking species was discovered in 2007 in Thailand, living in a limestone cavern. Researchers came across the shocking pink dragon millipede sitting in the leaf litter. At 3cm long, it is one of the largest dragon millipedes.
This millipede smells of almonds. That may not sound like an off-putting scent, but it is a signature of poison. Like many other Polydesmida millipedes, the shocking pink dragon millipede produces hydrogen cyanide from its defensive glands. Its bright pink shade warns predators that it is toxic.
More species of dragon millipede have since been discovered in Laos, the Philippines and southern China.
A flying dragon (Draco volans) doing its thing (Credit: Solvin Zankl/NPL)
A flying dragon (Draco volans) doing its thing (Credit: Solvin Zankl/NPL)
Flying dragon (Draco sp.)
For purists that believe dragons should fly, meet the Draco genus of lizards. They are true gliding reptiles, an adaptation that serves them well in the tropical forests of South East Asia.
Much like aircraft wings are built of struts with a membrane stretched across, these flying dragons have elongated ribs that support a flap of skin, called the patagia. This allows them to glide an average of 8m as they jump between trees.