Beasts and Dragons – Reality Creates Myth
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Despite their differences, many of the mythical dragons found throughout the world all began as vague serpentine ideas modeled after real creatures, beginning with a snake or some other fearsome reptile. Over time, they acquired more definite and exotic shapes as they engrossed the superstitions of the local people and borrowed the traits of local animals. Live Science Photo Giampaolo Macorig
Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In many Eastern and Native American cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature and the universe. They are associated with wisdom — often said to be wiser than human — and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernormal power. In some cultures, they are said to be capable of human speech. They are also said to be able to talk to all animals.
Dragons are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, possessing extremely large, typically scaly, bodies. They’re generally portrayed as often (but not always) portrayed with wings and a fiery breath. Some dragons don’t have wings at all, but look more like long snakes. Dragons can have a variable number of legs — none, two, four, or more when it comes to early European literature. Photo Shuang Ren
Although dragons (or dragon-like creatures) occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters grouped together under the dragon label. Chinese dragons and Eastern dragons are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European dragons are usually malevolent; there are exceptions to these rules. Malevolent dragons also occur in Persian mythology and other cultures.
The following creatures reveal what may have inspired the look of dragons and dragon-like creatures.
Chinese Dragon
Chinese alligators may have been one of the inspirations for the Asian dragon. In Chinese mythology, dragons were closely associated with water. They were the guardians of life-giving rain, but in times of wrath were also capable of unleashing punishing floods. Chinese alligators can grow to a length of 6 feet, and can often be found floating just below the surface of the water, where they stealthily await their prey. The Chinese alligator is one of the most endangered reptiles in the world. Photo Mark 1976
Like real world reptiles living in water, the Chinese dragon controls water in an agricultural water-driven nation. This is the contrast of the western dragon, which controls fire to show its mythical power. The dragon is also the embodiment of the concept of yang (male) and associated with the weather as the bringer of rain and water in general. Its female counterpart is the Chinese phoenix.
Frilled Dragon
The frilled dragon is a small lizard found in the forest and woodlands of northern Australia. Photo Ellen K. Rudolph
It’s so named due to the large ruff of skin which surrounds its head and neck, and usually lies folded back against its head. The neck frill is supported by long spines of cartilage, which it can open like an umbrella when the lizard is frightened, it gapes its mouth showing a bright pink or yellow lining, and the frill flares out, displaying bright orange and red scales.
If this isn’t enough to scare off an enemy, the frilled dragon will rear up on its hind legs and run away — but rather than fleeing with its tail tucked between its legs, the dragon can simply leave it behind to distract a predator.
They may grow up to one meter in length. They often walk bipedally when on the ground. When frightened they begin to run on all-fours and then accelerate onto the hind-legs.
Bearded Dragon
The bearded dragon is also native to woodlands of Australia. It has numerous spiky appendages protruding from the skin around its triangular head, and can inflate a pouch under its chin to make itself look more menacing. Photo Pip Wilson
They possess flattened bodies, with adults reaching approximately 20 inches head-to-tail. Males are slightly longer than females, but females are slightly heavier. They owe their name to a distinctive series of lateral spines (specialized scales) radiating horizontally from the head and base of the tail. As adults, they are mostly terrestrial but climb to bask and search for prey.
The bearded dragon can change shades of color, from light to dark, to reflect certain emotional states or to help regulate its body temperature. Like the frilled dragon, it can also rear up on its hind legs and run away.
Python
Pythons are among the largest snakes in the world, and the Reticulated Python of India may have been one of the inspirations behind dragon lore in ancient times. Photo Charmcityreptile
Pythons are constrictor snakes, which means they squeeze to death the birds and small mammals that they feed on. While traveling through India, the Roman naturalist, Pliny, claimed to have seen a dragon so large it could strangle an elephant. Pliny was most likely describing the reticulated python, a snake that can grow to a length of more than 30 feet. In Pliny’s tale, the dragon also dies because it is crushed by the defeated elephant.
The Reticulated Python has a maximum recorded length of 33 feet. Those who work with reticulated pythons often cite an unusual level of intelligence and awareness compared to other species.
Flying Dragon
The flying dragon of Southeast Asia are small lizards that can glide between trees using wing-like folds of skin. They can grow up to 7 inches and eat mainly ants and other small insects. Photo Outdoors2magic
Their wings are supported by five to seven ribs that extend from their bodies, and they can glide for distances of up to 30 feet. The wings are often brightly colored and patterned with stripes and dots, but they can fold their wings and blend into their surroundings when they want to remain inconspicuous.
Komodo Dragons
The Komodo dragons of Indonesia are the world’s largest living lizards. They can grow to 10 feet long in the wild, weigh up to 350 pounds, and can run as fast as a dog for short stretches. Photo Carl Johnson
Komodos hunt live prey and are capable of ambushing creatures much larger than themselves. They have a thickly muscled tail as long as the body, and a strong bite.
Possessing about 60 frequently-replaced serrated teeth that may be 1 inch in length, their saliva will often be blood-tinged, because their teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue and this tissue is naturally lacerated during feeding. It also has a long, yellow, deeply-forked tongue.
Even a slight graze can be lethal and cause severe infection because of the septic bacteria that live in their saliva. Komodo dragons would have been a great candidate for the inspiration behind the mythical dragons in Europe — except that Europeans didn’t discover them until 1910.
Males are larger than females, with skin color from dark grey to brick red. Females are more olive green, and have patches of yellow at the throat. The young are much more colorful by comparison, with yellow, green and white banding on a dark background.
Komodos are capable of parthenogenesis — out of the Greek for “virgin birthâ€? — which occurs naturally in a number of lower plants and animals, invertebrates such as water fleas, aphids, some bees and parasitic wasps, and vertebrates — some reptiles, fish, and very rarely, birds. See our article for a shark that recently gave a virgin birth.
Megalania Prisca
Although stockier and shorter than the Komodo, Megalania Prisca was a much larger animal. It grew to lengths of up to 30 feet and weighed up to 4,000 pounds, making it the largest lizard the world has ever seen to have lived, and a fearsome predator as well as a scavenger. Photo Melbourne Museum
Megalania roamed the Australian wilderness during the last Ice Age, and could ambush creatures twice its size and 10 times its own weight, killing them with its curved serrated teeth and large claws. It is very appropriate then that in Latin, its names means “ancient giant butcher.”
It had heavily built limbs and body and a large skull complete with a small crest in between the eyes, and a jaw full of serrated blade-like teeth. Due to its size and similarities to the Komodo Dragon, a relationship between the two species has been suggested. In reality however, Megalania’s closest living relative is the Perentie, Australia’s largest living lizard, not the Komodo Dragon.
Pterosaurs
Of all the creatures that ever lived, Pterosaurs probably most closely resemble the dragons of European legend. Reptilian and featherless, Pterosaurs flew on wings of hide that were supported by a single long and boney finger. Photo Wishymom
The smallest Pterosaur was the size of a sparrow, while Quetzalcoatlus — named after the Aztec feathered serpent god — had a wingspan of more than 40 feet, making it one the largest flying creatures of all time.
It was a member of the Azhdarchidae, a group of advanced toothless Pterosaurs.
Sea Dragon
The sea dragon is a close relative of the sea horse. It can be found on the rocky reefs in water 10 to 150 feet deep around the southern and western coastline of Australia. Photo Lickyoats far left and Dan81
While technically a fish, the sea dragon does not swim so much as sway as it imitates the movement of the seaweed and seagrass among which it makes its home. The sea dragon possesses leaflike fins and appendages that are nearly transparent, and a tube-like mouth that it uses to suction in the larval fishes and small shrimp-like crustaceans that it feeds on.
Weedy sea dragons are named for the weed-like projections on their bodies that camouflage them as they move among the seaweed beds where they are usually found.
They can reach 18 inches in length, and feed on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton, which are sucked into the end of their tube-like snout.
Surprise Entry — Comets
Dragons were often depicted as winged serpents with long tails, and often viewed as harbingers of doom or fortune. Photo Ed Hiker
The name of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl literally means “feathered serpent”.
To people living in ancient times, a comet streaking through the skies with an icy tail millions of miles long would have closely resembled such a creature. If comets were the inspiration for some dragons, it could help explain why dragons are ever-present in the myths and legends of so many different cultures in all corners of the world.
Added Bonus — Baby Dragons
I’m uncertain as to the names of these little critters, but they’re currently dwelling at the London Zoo. Photo Law Kevin
There was also the olm, the weird-looking ‘human fish’, which people used to mistake for a baby dragon – http://www.istrianet.org/istria/fauna/amphibians/proteus-hodalic.htm
Emma, that’s a very interesting article! Thanks for the info!
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I live in bali, and actually have those flying dragons on the trees outside my office window. They are amazing to watch hoping around =)
Great article , thanks for sharing. I find Dragons to be a very interesting part of mythology.