Our Dragons Are Different/Real Life


 * The Komodo Dragon, a monitor lizard native to Indonesia, is the world's largest species of lizard, known to grow over three metres (ten feet) long. While they can't fly or breathe fire, and don't seem to be any brainier than the average lizard, they have been known to attack and kill humans on rare occasions.
 * They also have venomous saliva. The lesson: don't mess with Komodo Dragons.
 * Actually they do seem to be at least a little brainier than the average lizard - captive Dragons can recognize individual humans and can be trained to a degree. They aren't on the level of chimps dogs, let alone humans, but by reptile standards they're pretty bright.
 * If not brainier, they're at least prone to affection. They pretty much allow zookeepers that they know well to pet them.
 * Alternatively, other reptiles may be every bit as intelligent as they are, but express it in different ways. Any owner of a leopard gecko, iguana, corn snake or bearded dragon could tell you just how loving and smart all reptiles are.
 * The Komodo dragon's cousin Megalania grew to nearly 30 feet long.
 * Bearded Dragons are a variety of related species of lizard native to Australia. They have no special qualities besides a distinctive appearance (with a scaly 'beard' around the head), and are often kept as pets.
 * Ironically making it one of the few things in Australia not trying to kill you.
 * A genus of tiny lizards which use extendable ribs to support gliding membranes bear the taxonomic designation of "Draco", meaning "dragon". Not exactly a menace to the village, but they're the closest thing we've had to flying dragons since the pterosaurs died out.
 * Dinosaurs. Some believe that dragon legends were inspired from dinosaur bones.
 * Generally averted with pterosaurs, unless your dragons look like this. Prehistoric marine reptiles like plesiosaurs and mosasaurs however pretty much resemble typical marine dragons, and the mammal-like reptile synapsid Dimetrodon looks like a one winged western dragon.
 * Weedy Sea Dragons, aquatic seahorse relatives that have weed-like growths on them for camouflage in their seaweed habitat. They may not have wings or a Breath Weapon, but they certainly look fantastic.
 * Dragonflies. They are predatory insects from the day they hatch, although they live in the water until they almost reach adulthood, then they transform into an aerial predator. While current dragonflies are small, having wingspans of a few inches, ancient dragonflies dating from the times of Carboniferous era (about 300 million years ago) can grow to a wingspan of about 70 cm or more, i.e., more than two feet.