Common kite
| Common kite | ||||||||||||
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Common kite ( preparation ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Draco volans | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The common kite ( Draco volans ) is a scaled reptile from the agame family in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia . This type of kite ( Draco ) is common in back India , on Sumatra , Java and Borneo . Occasionally it is also found in secondary forests and plantations .
features
Common kites become eight inches long, of which the thin tail makes up more than half. Males have a flat back crest and a large, orange-colored throat fold, which is smaller and blue in the females. The flank skin, which is supported by the extended, extended free ribs, is striped orange and black and used as a flight skin, enables the animals to slide between trees . It is also spread out when showing off .
Way of life
The common kite can be found on trees at heights of one to 20 meters and only goes to the ground to lay eggs. It feeds mainly on tree-dwelling ants. His gliding flights have an average width of 20 to 30 meters, while the loss of altitude is 5 to 8 meters. The maximum width should be 60 meters. The gliding flight is stabilized by turning the tail. By moving the tail and changing the flight position, it is also possible to target targets and avoid obstacles.
Reproduction
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Kites lay their eggs in the ground. At Tierpark Berlin , three eggs were removed from a female that had just died. The newly hatched young animals had a head-trunk length of 2.5 to 2.6 and a tail length of 4 to 4.2 centimeters. They were bark-colored, had a brown-black head and curled tails.
literature
- Manfred Rogner : Lizards. Keeping, care and breeding in the terrarium. Volume 1: geckos, pinnipeds, agamas, chameleons and iguanas. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-8001-7248-8 .
