Singapore connections IV: Draco

 So what does the lithe little lizard below have to do with a sea dragon?

Well the connection is dragon because this is a Draco sp. - and yes Draco does mean what you think. This is a flying dragon.

Singapore is said to have 5 species:

• Fimbriate Flying Lizard (Draco fimbriatus)
• Spotted Flying Lizard (Draco maculatus)
• Black-bearded Flying Lizard (Draco melanopogon)
• Five-banded Flying Lizard (Draco quinquefasciatus)
• Common Gliding Lizard (Draco sumatranus)

I suspect this is D. sumatranus.

 

These aren't the best shots but they give a really clear idea of how tiny and narrow these little chaps are. The lack of weight comes in really handy when their (pretty good) camouflage fails them. At that point, when threatened they drop off the trees and spread their wings and fly (well glide technically) away. The wings are flaps of skin strung across highly flexible adapted ribs. The wings are brightly coloured so at the moment of jumping there is a burst of bright colour to shock a predator briefly. By the time the predator recovers its composure the dragon is gliding down to safety. Pretty cool n'est-ce pas?

Wordless Wednesday: Singapore Connections III

Dragonfish leads us to a leafy sea dragon in Singapore's Underwater World. For a wild weedy sea dragon check out this old post.

SIngapore Connections II: Enter the dragon.

Having "breathed fire" after eating the chilli sauce which accompanies Hainanese Chicken Rice, we come to one of the world's most spectacular fish - this is a dragon fish aka asian arrowana aka (probably) Scleropages formosus. Depending on who you listen to there are either 3 species in the genus (of which this is the only non-australian one) or 6 species because the Asian arrowana is split. The two aussie species live in the top-end and are revered sporting fish beloved of anglers because these are specialist surface feeders which will explode out of the water to engulf dry flies or surface lures (check out this video of one knocking off a rubber frog). The Asian species by contrast is just revered.

This is one of only 8 fish species listed on CITES appendix I due to its rarity and trade value (a million E,W&W points to anyone who can name the other 7). It is a beloved aquarium fish often kept in enormous and carefully maintained pools. Arrowana farms in places like Singapore (I visited one with no camera one time - absolutely amazing) produce carefully selected captive bred specimens worth massive values which are microchipped and get their own birth certificates. Plus just look at it, it's bloody amazing looking. This shot shows that highly evolved surface feeding apparatus, an upturned jaw which is rather extendable for engulfing purposes.

These are highly adapted but ancient fish (they have bony tongues which is pretty primitive and very unique) and it seems likely the different species and forms evolved before Gondwanaland split up. As if all that wasn't enough this insane looking beast is a paternal mouthbrooder. What an epic animal....and people say fish are boring.

Singapore Connections......

This week I'm running a series of posts from my stopover in Singapore a few weeks back. The idea is that each post will subtley interconnect with the preceding and following ones. Of couse if you go to singapore you have to eat in a hawker centre.

So pull up a stool for the week and have a couple of sticks of satay.

Or maybe some chicken rice. This is my favourite chicken rice in Singapore. Possibly because I lived a few yards down the road from it for 6 months.

One of the keys to good chicken rice is the chilli sauce. It's a mix of birdseye chillis, ginger, garlic and some other stuff. I've never been able to replicate it. The Big Bird's is one of the best chilli sauces and also one of the hottest.

After a few spoons of this one might say one would be breathing fire.......