Could Dragons Really Fly and Breath Fire? Here's the Science

It might seem as taken from the pages of a fairytale, but flying dragons have once existed, scientists claim. They also state that birds descend from these. The size of one of the largest flying animals, a pterosaur, is thought to be similar to a modern tiger. Pretty amazing, isn't it?

Even if way smaller in size, flying dragons can still be seen nowadays. Especially in South Asia, where they are actually pretty common. They are the so-called 'iguanian lizards' and they feed themselves mostly on insects. You do not have to worry, though, as they are really small: the largest one can grow only to a length of maximum 20 centimeters.

In Asia one can see dragons that, instead of literally flying, glide through air. These are the snakes with legs. They can glide for such long distances that, were they to store lighter-than-air gases, they could actually fly.

Up to present, there has been no proof that an animal could breath fire. However, had it been the case, the dragons would have most certainly stood a chance, as they had the capacity to store the necessary chemicals for as long as it would have taken, until using them.