Rare flying dragon spotted in Kaiga Forest

KARWAR: A rare reptile belonging to the lizard family, called flying lizard or flying dragon, has been spotted recently in Kaiga forest region.Scientific officer in Kaiga Nuclear Power Generating station K Puttaraju who is also an amateur naturalist and environmentalist told Express that he observed this 34 cm reptile leaping at a distance of 12 m.The camouflaged reptile gliding from tree to tree with its unique wing like membrane is a treat to watch, says Puttaraju. When it launches, the coloured wings become visible as it glides through the air. While mating the male lizard defends its territory and displays its bright yellow throat flap to attract females.This reptile is strong on trees and clumsy on land becoming an easy prey for predators. Males are smaller in size compare to their female counterparts.He said that he has been monitoring the avifauna since several years in Kaiga forest region as part of an Environment Stewardship Programme launched by the Nuclear Power corporation Limited (NPCL) in association with the Bio Science Department of Mangalore university and Bombay Nature History Society.