Category Zoology

          There is a kind of fish which can glide like a glider. It is called a ‘flying fish’. It does not fly like birds, because it has no wings. It first swims very fast on the surface of water up to a speed of about 65 km/hr and then spreads its front fins and starts flying in the air. The fins remain spread firmly during the flight with the help of its muscles. But as soon as it lands on water, they shrink to their original position.

          The most common flying fish is the two-winged type, which is found in all tropical seas. It is about 25 cms long. The largest flying fish is about 45 cms long and has four wings. It lives off the coast of California. The length of flying fishes varies from 5 cms to 45 cms. Sometimes while flying it dashes against the water waves. At that time it looks very beautiful. The collision with waves gives it extra energy and it can further fly up to greater distances. It usually flies quite high in the air. A flying fish can glide for over half a minute. 

          The sea abounds with different kinds of living creatures such as fish, tortoise, crocodile, eel, dolphin, whale, etc. Do you know with what speed these animals can swim? 

          Gorilla, chimpanzee and orangutan are some of the animals which resemble man many respects. They are a kind of monkeys without a tail. They fall under the ‘anthropoid’ category and are found in the dense jungles of Africa and Asia.

          Among these animals, chimpanzee has the closest resemblance to man. In fact, the bone structure of all these animals has many similarities to that of man. The number of their teeth and their constitution are similar to ours. Like human beings, they too have wrinkles on their forehead. Their skulls are also like ours. Even their blood is similar to ours. However they cannot speak like us. They eat blossoms, leaves, stems, fruits, insects and bird’s eggs. 

          Gorillas are generally as tall as human beings, but heavier and stronger. They live in groups of 20 to 30. The young ones live with their parents till they become adults. Young gorillas sleep on trees, while the adults, on the ground. They are generally peace-loving animals, but once teased or wounded, they start beating their breasts. They can produce a drumming sound from their mouth. Their skin is black.

          Chimpanzee is the cleverest of all these animals. It can imitate many habits of man. Its body is covered with black hair. It can be easily captured.

          Unlike gorilla and chimpanzee, the orangutan is almost completely arboreal. It has bony crests over the top of its skull. Its forehead is higher than that of gorilla and chimpanzee. The lips protrude and the ears are small. All these animals belong to the group to which we belong.

         Dragon is a legendary dreadful monster that never existed in reality. It is a mythical figure born out of people’s imagination long time ago. The belief in this creature apparently arose without the slightest knowledge on the part of the ancients about the gigantic, prehistoric dragon like reptiles.

         The word ‘Dragon’ comes from the Greek word ‘Drakon’ which was used for a large serpent. But dragon as a monster represents a huge, fire-breathing, bat-winged scaly lizard or snake with a barbed tail. In later period it mostly remained in the shape of a snake. In the Eastern world where snakes are large and deadly, a dragon symbolized evil. But in the West it was accepted both as a symbol of good and evil depending on circumstances. On the whole its evil reputation was stronger. The Christians and Jews perceived it as evil and dangerous. In Christian arts, dragon represented sin and sorrow.

          The form and appearance of dragon varied from place to place. The Babylonian dragon had four legs and the Biblical dragon was described as a many-headed creature, like the Greek Hydra. In wartimes it was used as an emblem representing valour. In the 20th century the dragon was officially incorporated in the armorial bearings of the Prince of Wales. The Chinese dragon, known as lungs, appears as the national symbol. The Japanese as well as Chinese dragons are usually wingless. Dragon images are also used in the north-eastern states of India as well as in Bhutan during different festivals.

         The Komodo dragons found in some Indonesian Islands are infact very large lizards. However, the dragons in the general sense still are mythical figures.