Dragons, Dinosaurs, and Pterosaurs

Dragons, by whatever name, existed (at least in legends) in the past, in various cultures in various parts of the world. But could some of the accounts relate to real living creatures? Please consider some of the descriptions of dragons, then compare them with the dinosaurs and pterosaurs.

A long tail is common, as is a reptilian-like appearance. Some, but not all, dragons were drawn with four legs. Some had wings. Evil and danger were associated with dragons of Europe, but not with those of China (where they were associated positively). And gigantic were some dragons.

A sauropod dinosaur could be compared with a dragon, at least when wings are absent and four legs are mentioned. According to the fossils, sauropods are the largest land creatures to have lived on the earth.

What about a winged dragon that could exhale fire? Could such an animal have existed? Could it now exist? Consider the ropen of Umboi Island. One eyewitness described the glow of the nocturnal creature as red, like the glow from burning embers. Those few witnesses who have seen a ropen in daylight mention an absence of feathers or an appearance somewhat like
a “lizard." Those descriptions could be compared with a fire-
breathing reptilian-like dragon. The main technical mistake is in taking bioluminescence for fire.

One English eyewitness of a featherless creature with a long tail observed the creature in Eastern Spain (in 2007).

See the home page of Ropens

The only non-fiction book about live pterosaurs reported across America, from Washington state to Florida and from California to Maine, and many states in between. It is now in its 2nd edition (Nov 20, 2010, publication).

According to Dale Reeder, "If you have an interest in cryptozoology you should read this." (comment on first edition)

Amazon nonfiction book

or see the Live Pterosaurs in America
home page

The Marfa Lights of southwest Texas have been compared with the flying lights of Papua New Guinea and with the Wawanar legend near southwest New Britain Island. The Wawanar is believed by some cryptozoologists to be the same flying creature that the natives of nearby Umboi Island call "ropen." As of late 2010, there still seems to be no direct evidence for the Marfa-Light connection, but at least a few cryptozoologists believe the ropen is a living pterosaur and the Marfa Lights may be related.

Some of the circumstantial evidence relates to the apparent intelligent behavior of the flying lights in this part of Texas. They sometimes will split apart and separate horizontally before reversing direction and then coming back together, a little like line dancing or square dancing.

Dragons in southwest Texas? If a new conjecture about Marfa Lights is correct, a group of bioluminescent flying predators may live in these mountains, visiting the Marfa area every few weeks, as part of a large area that the predators cover in their hunting. One part of their diet may be the Big Brown Bat, although scavenging for dead animals, at night, may be a part of their mysterious nocturnal behavior.