Draco melanopogon
Silhouette: Ian Medeiros · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Draco melanopogon, commonly known as the black-bearded gliding lizard or black-barbed flying dragon, is a species of agamid "flying lizard" endemic to Southeast Asia. It is a typically forest-dwelling arboreal lizard. It preys on small invertebrates like ants and is oviparous. They are notable for relying solely on dewlap-mediated communication, instead of conveying signals via both headbobbing and employing dewlaps, as is typical for lizards with dewlaps.
Boulenger GA. 1887. Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III.... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I- XL. (Draco melanopogon, new species, p. 492).
Das I. 2006. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Borneo. Sanibel Island Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. ISBN 0-88359-061-1. (Draco melanopogon, p. 79). Draco melanopogon entry at Ecology Asia website Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black-barbed Flying Dragon sighting in Khao Luang National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 16 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Black-barbed Flying Dragon in Khao Luang National Park on a given day, against about 10% in May, September–October and December, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-barbed Flying Dragon sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Black-barbed Flying Dragon sightings, Khao Luang National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Gunung Leuser National Park (Indonesia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-barbed Flying Dragon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Khao Luang National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
