Difference Between Flying Lizard and Bird

The key difference between Flying Lizard and Bird is that the flying lizard (or flying dragon) is a reptile while the birds are aves. Furthermore, the flying lizards are ectothermic while the birds are endothermic. Also, the flying lizards have a three-chambered heart but the birds have a four-chambered heart.

Reptiles and birds are two vertebrate groups of the animal kingdom. They share similar characteristics as well as they differ in many characteristics. There are about 8000 species belong to the reptile group while there are about 10000 species of birds.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Flying Lizard
3. What is a Bird
4. Similarities Between Flying Lizard and Bird
5. Side by Side Comparison – Flying Lizard vs Bird in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is a Flying Lizard?

Flying lizard also known as flying dragon is a member of the group reptiles. They possess the ability to glide through the air. Moreover, they live in South and Southeast Asia, and they are among the best of gliding vertebrates. Scales are present throughout their bodies.

They are ectothermic, referring that they are cold blooded. They do have a three-chambered heart. Furthermore, they show internal fertilization. And they use lungs to respire.

What is a Bird?

Bird is a member of the animal group aves. Birds are endothermic (warm blooded) vertebrates. They possess feathers and scales. Their forelimbs have become wings to fly. Their heart has four chambers.

Similar to flying lizards, birds also show internal fertilization. Furthermore, they respire through lungs. Birds are toothless.

What are the Similarities Between Flying Lizard and Bird?

• Both are members of animal kingdom.
• Flying Lizard and Bird can fly in the air.
• Both respire through lungs.
• Fertilization is internal in both organisms.

What is the Difference Between Flying Lizard and Bird?

Flying lizard and bird are two members of the animal kingdom. Flying lizard is a reptile while bird is an aves. They differ in several characteristics. Flying lizard has a three-chambered heart while bird has a four-chambered heart. Moreover, the flying lizard is an ectothermic vertebrate while bird is an endothermic vertebrate, and it has teeth while bird is toothless. Forelimbs of birds are modified to wings while they are not modified to wings in flying lizards. The following infographic presents the details of the difference between flying lizard and bird in a tabular form.

Summary – Flying Lizard vs Bird

Flying lizard belongs to reptile group while bird belongs to Aves group. However, both are vertebrates. Flying lizard is an ectothermic organism. On the other hand, the bird is an endothermic organism. Flying lizard’s heart is three chambered while bird’s heart is four-chambered. There are scales throughout the flying lizard’s body while feathers and scales cover the bird’s body. Further, both can fly in the air, but the flying lizard is not flying, it is just gliding in the air. This is a major difference between flying lizard and bird.

Reference:

1.“Bird.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 July 2018. Available here 
2.“Draco (Genus).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 July 2018. Available here 

Image Courtesy:

1.’Draco spilonotus’By A.S.Kono – Own work, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia  
2.’Neophema chrysogaster male – Melaleuca’By JJ Harrison – Own work, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia