Dragons are the name given to certain real animal species. Unfortunately, many of these species did not survive for long.
Everyone thinks of dragons as fictional creatures that exist only in novels, comics, and movies. However, if we consider “dragon” as a term, it turns out that there are some species on Earth that are regarded as dragons.
This is a dragon in movies.
Of course, these are not the majestic fire-breathing dragons like Drogon from Game of Thrones. Such dragons do not exist. Instead, the real-life dragons are equally fascinating. The most famous is the Komodo dragon – the fearsome mascot of Indonesia, known for its superior hunting skills and extremely potent venom found in its saliva.
This is the largest dragon in real life.
Additionally, we have smaller dragons, such as the lizard in the image below, which is also called a dragon. Its name is the grassland earless dragon, and unfortunately, its habitat has been severely destroyed to the point that the last sighting of this species was 50 years ago.
The scientific name of this creature is Tympanocryptis, and they are one of the rare species referred to as dragons. This name has become more popular since they were listed as endangered, aiming to raise public awareness about a species on the brink of extinction.
This is also a dragon.
The earless dragons resemble lizards, lack wings, are about 15 cm long, and inhabit low grasslands. They do not have external ear openings, which is why they are called “earless dragons.”
There are four species: T. lineata, T. pinguicolla, T. osbornei, and T. mccartneyi – separated by hundreds of kilometers. The earless dragon in the picture belongs to the subspecies T. pinguicolla, which was once native to Melbourne.
Previously, all four species were grouped together because they were very difficult to distinguish. It was only when experts from the Victoria Museum used DNA and X-ray evidence that we were able to identify them as different subspecies. Due to their similarities, it took a long time for people to realize that one subspecies of this dragon had gone extinct.
In recent decades, Australia has recorded the extinction of numerous animal species, with a much higher rate than other continents. At least 29 mammal species have disappeared due to habitat destruction, invasive species, and climate change.
Among them, reptiles have faced an even greater tragedy. It is unclear whether this is due to their elusive nature or lack of research, but many reptile species have gone missing without anyone noticing. At least 31 species are listed as extinct or extinct in the wild.
Recently, public attention in Australia has focused on another reptile, the Bellinger River turtle – a species that has lost 90% of its population due to a viral attack. They have found 10 turtles that are virus-free and are planning to breed them in captivity.
Hopefully, their future does not end up as tragically as the fate of those tiny dragons.
