Dragons are real and they come from South Africa, even they’ve been around for a hundred years (VIDEO)

You believe that dragons exist only in movies or series like “Game of Thrones”. These Dragons exist. The first is from Africa, specifically South Africa. The second can be found in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and even India.

Sungazer or Smaug Giganteus? This species was first described in 1844 by the Scottish naturalist Dr. Sir Alan Smith and is known by many different names, including Sungazer, Giant Girdled Lizard, Zonure, Lord Derby’s Lizard, and Ouvolk. Sungazers are endemic to South Africa and are associated with the Highveld plateau’s gently sloping Themeda sp. grassland.
Draco Volans, also known as the Flying Dragon
In southern India and Southeast Asia, the flying lizard is found primarily in rain forests and tropical areas with an adequate number of trees for the lizard to jump from. This includes both the Philippine Islands and Borneo.
Smaug the Gigantus (Sungazer)

Sungazers are heavily armored lizards, hence the Girdled Lizard, one of their common names. This is due to the rows of ossified, bony scales that run along their body. These scales, or osteoderms, are heavily keeled and arranged in girdles or rings around the body. The name Ouvolk is derived from the ancient Afrikaans language spoken by early Dutch settlers and roughly translates to “Old Folk,” allegedly referring to its habit of sitting at the entrance of the burrow facing the sun for long periods of time. Sungazer, the most commonly used name, is also derived from this posture. The names Zonure and Lord Derby’s Lizard are almost extinct.

The name ‘giant’ implies that these animals are tall. This is true when compared to the other forty or so Cordylidae species. Adults are about 38 centimetres (14.6 inches) long from snout to tail tip, with a dark brown upper body that fades to a yellow-straw color on the flanks and underside. Younger animals have yellow and black bars or stripes on their bodies, which fade as they mature.

The flying lizard is distinguished by a large set of “wings” along the body’s sides that are used for gliding. These are held up by elongated ribs. They also have a dewlap, which is a gular flap located under the head. This tissue is used in shows. The body is elongated and depressed.