Dragon legs

I decided to crop in on this dragon, as it shows the leg arrangement quite well and would make an interesting discussion piece.

See how tightly the legs are grouped and all bunched up towards the front of the thorax. For such a lengthy bug this would seen strange, as it would just tip over when it tried to stand. In fact, that is the purpose of the design; to always be tipping in the same direction.

All the legs have pulling hooks on the end and stiff hairs on the legs. The front pair of legs are usually folded up behind the head, as you can see in this image. This is the primed position, ready for hunting, when the legs will spring forward and grab the prey in mid air with consummate ease.

The middle pair of legs use the pull hooks to grip the perch and halt the tipping rotation, the rear legs use the stiff hairs or spikes to grip the perch and act as a fulcrum about which the rotation occurs. Because of this perching function, it is not possible for dragons to walk.

Dragons can be seen to choose their perches very carefully, testing each perch for stability before committing. In an area with few suitable perches, it is possible to observe the popular mounts and stake them out with tripod and pre-focus for some spectacular in-flight shots. Also, when hunting, the dragon will usually return to the same perch, making for convenient photography.

Road trip to Singapore - Part 2 is posted and ready for your perusal. I am very happy that you found part one so interesting. Plenty more to come to make your toes curl after today, so I hope you continue to tune in.

Dave