Thai National Parks

Species of Thailand

Spotted flying dragon

Draco maculatus

John Edward Gray, 1845

In Thai: กิ้งก่าบินปีกส้ม

Draco maculatus, commonly known as the spotted flying dragon, is a species of agamid flying lizard endemic to Southeast Asia. It is capable of gliding from tree to tree.

Description

Head small; snout a little longer than the diameter of the orbit; nostril lateral, directed outwards; tympanum scaly. Upper head-scales unequal, strongly keeled; a compressed prominent scale on the posterior part of the superciliary region; 7 to 11 upper labials. The male's gular appendage very large, always much longer than the head, and frequently twice as long; female also with a well-developed but smaller gular sac. Male with a very small nuchal crest. Dorsal scales but little larger than the ventrals, irregular, smooth or very feebly keeled; on each side of the back a series of large trihedral keeled distant scales. The fore limb stretched forwards reaches beyond the tip of the snout; the adpressed hind limb reaches a little beyond the elbow of the adpressed fore limb, or to the axilla. Greyish above, with more or less distinct darker markings; a more or less distinct darker interorbital spot; wing-membranes above with numerous small round black spots, which are seldom confluent, beneath immaculate or with a few black spots; a blue spot on each side of the base of the gular appendage.

From snout to vent length, 82 mm; tail, 115 mm.

Subspecies

The following four subspecies (or races) are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies:

  • Draco maculatus divergens Taylor, 1934: NW Thailand; type locality = "Chiang Mai, N Siam"; restricted to "Doi Suthep Mountain" by Taylor, 1963.
  • Draco maculatus haasei Boettger, 1893: E Thailand, Cambodia, S Vietnam; type locality = "Chantaboon, Siam".
  • Draco maculatus maculatus (Gray, 1845)
  • Draco maculatus whiteheadi Boulenger, 1900: N Vietnam, Hainan; type locality = "Five-finger Mountains, interior of Hainan".

Geographic range

From Assam and Yunnan to Singapore.

Southern China (Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Tibet), India (E. Himalayas to Assam), Bangladesh (Satchari National Park, Sylhet), Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and W. Malaysia.

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Site notes

Few known location for subspecies;

Huai Kha Khaeng: D. m. maculatus

Khao Yai: D. m. haasei, one subspecies of D. m. whiteheadi has been seen by Parinya Pawangkhanant

Scientific classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Suborder
Lacertilia
Family
Agamidae
Genus
Draco
Species
Draco maculatus

Common names

  • German: Gefleckter Flugdrache
  • English:
    • Spotted flying dragon
    • Spotted gliding lizard
  • Thai: กิ้งก่าบินปีกส้ม

Subspecies

  • Draco maculatus divergens, Edward Harrison Taylor, 1934

    Range: Northwest Thailand, Restricted to Doi Suthep

  • Draco maculatus haasei, Oskar Boettger, 1893

    Range: Eeast Thailand, Cambodia, South Vietnam

  • Draco maculatus maculatus, John Edward Gray, 1845

    Range: Tibet, South China, India, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and West Malaysia

  • Draco maculatus whiteheadi, George Albert Boulenger, 1900

    Range: North Vietnam, Hainan

Synonyms

  • Draco cf. maculatus, Thomas Ziegler et al. (2015)
  • Draco maculatus whiteheadi, Nguyen Van Sang et al. (2009)
  • Draco maculatus maculatus, Nguyen Van Sang et al. (2009)
  • Draco maculatus haasei, Nguyen Van Sang et al. (2009)
  • Draco maculatus divergens, Nguyen Van Sang et al. (2009)
  • Draco maculatus haasii, Jakob Hallermann (2005)
  • Draco maculatus, Jimmy Adair McGuire & Kiew Bong Heang (2001)
  • Draco maculatus, Merel J. Cox et al. (1998)
  • Draco maculatus, Ulrich Manthey & Wolfgang Grossmann (1997)
  • Draco maculatus whiteheadi, Kees Musters (1983)

Photos

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Draco maculatus maculatus
Draco maculatus
Draco maculatus
Draco maculatus
Draco maculatus range

Range Map

Distribution map of Spotted flying dragon, Draco maculatus in Thailand
  • Doi Inthanon National Park
  • Doi Phu Kha National Park
  • Doi Suthep - Pui National Park
  • Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Kaeng Krachan District, Phetchaburi
  • Kaeng Krachan National Park
  • Khao Sok National Park
  • Khao Yai National Park
  • Khung Kraben Non-Hunting Area
  • Ko Chang District, Trat
  • Ko Lanta National Park
  • Ko Samui District, Surat Thani
  • Mae Wong National Park
  • Mueang Krabi District, Krabi
  • Ron Phibun District, Nakhon Si Thammarat
  • Sakaerat Environmental Research Station
  • Thalang District, Phuket
  • Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi
Range map of Draco maculatus in Thailand