Dragons are amazing creatures that resemble large lizards that can fly and able to breath hot fire. Some mythologies and traditions state that dragons can act as both protagonists or antagonists, and people depict them as a large figure with spiked wings and a tail. Any opponent who faces a dragon would tremble and be frightened. Only a true warrior can conquer a mighty dragon, and only a true warrior can ride a dragon.
Do dragons only exist in movies and myths? Are you curious about this majestic mythological creature? To answer your questions, here we present a list of fascinating dragon facts that will definitely surprise you.
So, sit tight and let’s get started!
Dragon Facts for Kids
Dragon is not always synonymous with a scary and gigantic figure. They are also say that dragons are good figures who are happy to guide and help, and undoubtedly loyal to their masters or riders. To find out more about dragons, here are dragons facts that are suitable for kids to know.
1. Lives for Thousands of Years
The first unique fact that children should know is the life expectancy of dragons. Do you know how many years a dragon can live? Can dragons live that long? The fact is dragons can live for thousands of years.
If dragons do not experience health problems or natural disasters, then they can live for about 1200 years or even longer. The essential factors that affect a dragon’s life span are its physical health, environmental conditions, and also food availability.
2. More than 70 Kinds of Eggs
This majestic mythological creature has a very valuable egg. Dragons can produce more than 70 types of eggs based on their nature and characteristics. The sizes and colors also vary. Some eggs are as small as a seed like the “Terrible Terror” and some are as big as an adult chicken like the “Riders of Berk”.
In addition to size, the color of dragon eggs is also very diverse. For instance, the “Cavern Crasher” egg looks like a fiery red rock with black stripes. Meanwhile, “Deadly Nadder” eggs have a blue scale pattern with sharp spines.
This type of egg will change color with development and time. So, which type of dragon egg do you like? Write your comments below!
3. Watch Out! More Than 1000 Degree Centigrade
We often see a dragon that breaths fire in various movies, and the flame-shaped gusts can easily burn anything. This is what causes dragons to be very powerful and unbeatable. Do you know what the temperature of the dragon’s breath of fire is?
Various information states that the dragon fire has a temperature of at least 2400 degrees Fahrenheit or the equivalent of more than 1300 degrees Celsius. This temperature can crush and cut stone easily.
Dragons can even melt steel with its fire. The older a dragon gets, the hotter its breath becomes. So better avoid the dragons if you see them!
4. Why Can Dragons Fly?
Has it ever crossed your mind why dragons can fly even though they are heavy? Flying is one of the dragon’s distinctive abilities. These fantasy and mythological animals have the anatomy to support them. First, dragons have wings made of bone rods. Some assumptions state that the dragon wings are not real wings.
The bony trunk protruding from the chest only acts as a support for the gliding membrane. Then how can dragons fly? To fly, the dragon’s bones need to be hollowed out and then reinforced with internal balancing ropes.
Dragon wings would be thin membranes with light scales or have feathers. The dragon’s strong muscles will support it to flap its wings. Now that you know all these facts, do you believe dragons can really fly?
5. How Do Dragons Communicate?
What do you think about these facts so far? Isn’t it fun? Let’s move on with this list because the following facts will surprise you. How do dragons communicate with each other? Can they talk? Or do they communicate through gestures? Dragons have extraordinary intelligence and they can communicate like humans.
Dragons communicate by hissing like lizards but with more complex techniques, and they can detect their surroundings by smell. The dragon’s sense of smell is so good that it can respond to movement from great distances.
Dragons also have a unique way of conveying messages. They will rub some odors in certain places such as stones to convey a message to the group over a long period.
6. Why are Dragons So Powerful?
Dragons have unquestionable power. We can find so many movies show the image of a dragon as a very powerful figure. Do you know why they are so strong? What aspects make dragons invincible?
In addition to its gigantic body, the dragon also has a deadly weapon on its tail. This body part can throw and kill the enemy instantly. The dragon’s tail can also give a powerful earthquake effect. Dragons can also fly by flapping their wings. This ability has a high cruising range.
Dragons can move quickly. Sharp teeth and nails are also contributing factors. Do you know what else is the ultimate weapon of the dragon? Yes, it is true! Fire breaths! As a fact mentioned earlier, dragons can breathe very hot fire to destroy anything.
7. Can Dragons Cry?
When viewed from the point of view of physiology and film, dragons cry not because they are sad. Instead, they shed tears to keep their eyes healthy and clean. This habit is carried out by other reptiles such as lizards and crocodiles.
However, some stories say that the dragon never once cried during his life because of his selfish and bloodthirsty attitude. Several children’s films such as “How to Train Your Dragon” have also shown a unique thing. Dragons can feel the emotions of their owners by crying. Apart from these things, are you sure dragons can cry?
8. Types of Dragons
Do you know how many types of dragons there are? Do you think all dragons are the same? Let’s look at the following interesting facts. Dragons are categorized into several types. 12 main types of dragons will amaze you. The most common type is the Standard Western Dragon.
This dragon is found in various European folklore. The Standard Western Dragon resembles a winged lizard with snake-like claws and tail. However, this dragon has wings that are too small to fly. The next type of dragon is Hydra. This famous species comes from Greek mythology. This dragon has many large heads that continue to grow when decapitated. This dragon also emits poison when it breaths.
Hydra is an evil creature defeated by Hercules. Furthermore, Drake was a dragon with four legs and no wings. The shape of this dragon is very different when compared to other dragons. shaped like a horned bad with a frightening face. There are two types of Drake dragons, namely fire-breathing and ice-breathing. The other nine types of dragons are the Oriental Dragon, Dragonnet, Wyvern, Quetzalcoatl, Cockatrice, African Dragon, Wyrm, Amphithere, and Knucker. It’s an interesting fact, isn’t it?
Dragon Facts for Adults
Now it’s time for the ideal dragon facts for adults to know. The history and mythology of dragons are indeed interesting for us to follow. Here are unique and interesting facts about dragons that you must know.
9. The Chinese Dragon
You must be familiar with Chinese New Year celebrations. The year of the dragon is considered a year of prosperity. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of kindness and strength.
In Chinese culture, the people believe that dragons bring good luck. This is of course in stark contrast to the scary dragon image in Western films. Dragon is also one of the Chinese zodiac signs. Even the emperor in ancient China was given the nickname as the son of the dragon because of his majesty.
The Chinese dragon is described as having a long body like a snake and sharp claws like an eagle. This dragon lives at the bottom of lakes, rivers, seas, or other water places.
10 Giant Sea Dragon
In early February 2021, an amazing fossil of an extinct ‘sea dragon’ was discovered. This fossil was discovered by a wetland conservationist in England. This sea dragon fossil has been identified as an ichthyosaur or often referred to as the Rutland Sea Dragon.
These researchers uncovered and extracted a 10-meter-long fossil complete with more than 150 backbones. This species earned the nickname Rutland Sea Dragon because of its identical shape to a dragon with a large body and snout with sharp teeth.
11. Komodo is The Last Living Dragon
Komodo is the only dragon that is still alive today. The species with the Latin name Varanus komodoensis is endemic to Indonesia. Do you know why these reptiles are called dragons? Its anatomical shape, which is very identical to the dragon, makes Komodo dragon famous around the world.
These reptiles can reach sizes up to 10 feet in length and weight over 300 pounds. Komodo dragons have scaly skins, round snouts, large muscular tails, and sharp claws. This is what makes Komodo dragons become part of the dragon family.
However, the unfortunate thing is the fact that the Komodo dragon is very vulnerable to extinction. The Komodo dragon’s habitat, which continues to decrease, is the main reason. Curious to see Komodo dragons live? Visit Komodo Island in Indonesia!
12. Become A Symbol of A Country
Are you a die hard fan or European football clubs? Then you must have seen a country in Europe that has a dragon symbol on its flag. Yup, it’s Wales! The red dragon symbol is called Draco, and it was indeed a part of Wales history from a very long time ago.
This dragon is a symbol of power and authority of the ruler back in the Romano-English period. The red dragon is also used as a symbol of the battle won by King Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth Field.
13. Dragon As A Deity
The ancient Celtics believe that dragons are great Gods. They prophesy the dragons and believe that they are their savior. This nation also believe that a great dragon would welcome them at the gates of the underworld when they died.
In Celtic mythology, dragons are believe to influence the location and energy of the earth. This nation believes that the dragon path is important to provide a flow of positive energy to the world.
14. Dragon Symbol of Evil
Contrary to Chinese tradition, a dragon is actually a symbol of evil according to Christianity and chivalry traditions. In the majority of western traditions, dragons are the embodiment of chaos and the wild. Its sinister form and incredible destructive power make the dragon a symbol of destruction.
15. Can Dragons Be Killed?
The extraordinary power possessed by the dragon makes this creature mighty. Can humans kill dragons? Dragons do have thick skin and are resistant to arrows. Even fire cannot kill them.
Dragons are fire resistant and cannot be killed by man-made fire. However, dragon’s weakest points are the eyes and the head. So we can aim the arrow at the eye or stab the top of the head to kill the dragon!
Now that you know some interesting facts about dragons, which one do you think is the most interesting? If dragons existed in the real world, what would you do? Leave your comments in the column below!
