There are dragons in the Andes although they are very small, do not have wings, and do not breathe fire. Three new species of lizards that look a lot like ancient pictures of dragons have been discovered by Kevin de Queiroz with the Smithsonian Institution, Omar Torres-Carvajal with the Museo de Zoología QCAZ in Ecuador, and Pablo J. Venegas with the CORBIDI organization in Peru.
The three new species of Enyalioides were found in a 1,542,644 square kilometer area that bounds both sides of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru. The find increases the number of known species of Enyalioides to 15. The animals are active during the day and are called wood lizards. The lizards are between four inches and five inches in length including the tail.
The researchers heard local people and other biologists talk about never before seen species of the small dragon-like lizards. The scientists acquired live specimens of the three new species with the help of local people that knew where to look. The new lizards were verified as new species by a comparison of their DNA to the DNA of known species of Enyalioides.
The discovery emphasizes the fact that the tropical regions of South America hold a vast number of animals and plants that have never been seen by modern man. The area that the new lizards were discovered in is protected from deforestation activities unlike most of South America. While we may never see Daenerys Targaryen riding one of these tiny “dragons”, it is nice to know that there are still a few little dragons left.
