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Kamamoth Dragon
Conservation status
	; Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scaridae
Genus:	Phascolarctos
Species:	P. Kamamoth cinereus
Binomial name
	Kamamothalarctos cinereus salbadari;

The Kamamoth Dragon is an amphibian found principally in the eastern cost of Madagascar which is home to many tropical rainforests. Kamamoth dragons are distinguished by their mucus sac, three pair of legs, a second brain and the thick, scaled skin with its long powerful tail that is swirled up at the end. The adult length of a kamamoth range between 50 to 80 cm. Although it is an average sized lizard, it is particularly known for its weight. It can weigh between 20 to 45 kg which is close to the weight of a komodo dragon. They usually live in surroundings that receive minimum light. They are extremely sensitive to light and sometimes in extreme cases they lose their eyesight if they are exposed to too much sunlight and that is why they are usually found under canopies of shade and darkness. Kamamoth dragons are also Omnivores, their diet range from eggs, smaller reptiles, fish, birds and small mammals, fruit and other vegetation. When hunting, Kamamoth dragons rely on camouflage and patience, lying in wait for passing prey. The average life span of a kamamoth in the wild is between 30 years to 50 years but some die young as the brains are outside its head with no basic protection, so it can easily damage its brain and possibly die. Although the mucus sac can protect it in some situations.

Habitat

The Kamamoth dragons live in the rainforests of Madagascar, they generally live in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Kamamoths usually live in surroundings that usually don’t receive much light like the east coast, it is the wettest part of the country and thus home to the island's rainforests which are usually cornered with canopies projecting shade for the forest animals. This area is also hit periodically by devastating tropical storms and cyclones. The east coast has an equatorial climate; being most directly exposed to the trade winds it has the highest rainfall, averaging as high as 4,000 mm (157.5 in) annually in some places depending on elevation (direction of slope on mountainsides), distance to the coast, and latitudinal location. This region is notorious for a hot, humid climate in which tropical fevers are endemic and also for the destructive cyclones that occur during the rainy season, coming in principally from the direction of the Mascarene Islands. The Kamamoth Dragons using live areas of the forest that are low in seismic activities and East coast is that ideal place. The Kamamoth Dragons can detect waves and currents using their tail which tells them whether a place suitable for living. The narrow strip of East Coast is formed of rich fertile layer of soil and Kamamoths are particularly favor such type of sand themselves when they feel hot.

Population

The habitat of the Kamamoth Dragons are usually male dominated, with 65% of the total population being males while there is only room for 35% of the females. The Kamamoth dragons are usually hidden from potential predators but unfortunately majority are killed by the tribes of the forest. They are considered bad luck and so when a Kamamoth dragon crosses a tribe member, it is likely to be killed in a slow and painful manner and sacrificed in the name of god. The population rate of the kamamoth dragons have dropped by a massive 23.5% since 2011. Their 2 brains are sometimes mistaken to posses an unnatural theme of controlling human brains and so that's why they often end up getting killed, but luckily for them, the government of Madagascar recently proposed a law against Kamamoth killing or hunting. The killer will be fined and eventually jail sentenced for killing or hunting the animal and all the Kamamoths of the rainforest have been tagged with a tracking device and are continuously monitored for their safety. Since the improvement from the government of Madagascar, there has been a vast population increase of the Kamamoth dragons to up about 35%.

Weaknesses

Bad eyesight - Even if they have a protective layer of membrane protecting their eyes, the Kamamoths usually find it hard to view the surrounding in perfect vision. Their eyesight is particularly dull during sunrise as the light penetrates its vision which is major pull-down especially when a predator is in its zone.
Unprotected Brains - The brains of a Kamamoth Dragon are unprotected and this can be major threat to its survival, they often die when they fall on their brains and if not some of their functions change or stop operating completely.
Light sensitive - The eyes of a Kamamoth Dragon are sensitive to light that is why they tend to be only found in the darkest of the places in the forest under a canopy of shade or darkness.

Adaptations

An adaptation is a physical or behavioural characteristic that has developed to allow an organism to survive better in its environment. Adaptations are the result of evolution, and may occur when a gene mutates, or changes by accident. That mutation causes the organism to survive better and reproduce, and it passes on that trait to its offspring. It can take many generations to develop an adaptation and just like many animals, the Kamamoth Dragon of the Madagascar forest also developed adaptions during its evolution which came essential to their present life living.

The following adaptations assure the survival of the Kamamoth in the Madagascar Rainforest:

Mucus Sac

A number of Kamamoth Dragons secrete a mucus cocoon, particularly at night. Prior to going to sleep, some species extrude mucus from their mouths, the mucus itself is stored in the mucus sac beneath the throat which is then pushed up to the mouth where it is secreted forming a protective cocoon that envelops the amphibian, presumably hiding its scent from potential predators. At night , when Kamamoth Dragons sleep, mucus cocoons act like 'mosquito nets',allowing the amphibian to sleep safely without being constantly bitten by parasites. This mucus envelope may also act as an early warning system, allowing the amphibian to flee when it detects predators such as underwater eels disturbing the membrane. The sac allows it to hibernate, hibernation is a survival strategy designed to conserve energy when conditions are harsh. The skin itself is covered in another mucus substance which may have antioxidant properties helpful in repairing bodily damage, or repelling parasites, in addition to providing protection from UV light. The mucus sac is also an effective sleeping bag that allows the amphibian to take a breather underwater without having to worry about the tiny-blood sucking crustaceans. Crafting these cocoons take up about 2.5 percent of the amphibians daily energy and when they finish hibernating, they simply eat the mucus to free themselves.

2 Brains (Mutation)

Kamamoth dragons are very intelligent, and once they reach a certain age, some can even count. Many researchers say this is because the kamamoth dragon has two brains. Amphibians diverged so long ago and the emerging data suggest that certain sophisticated mental skills may be because they are more ancient than had been assumed or so adaptive that they evolved multiple times. The kamamoth dragon broke off from a separate species of lizards, which then evolved a mutated gene which subsequently has been passed on down the generation to produce an extra smaller brain and the intense pressure of the growth of an extra brain, forced it to push both brain to the top of it head. This mutated gene in an individual organism is known to cause severe growth defects. It is usually found to affect animals which population range is limited to a small area, primarily an island or an isolated ecosystem and Madagascar is an island which fits in all these categories and a perfect situation for the kamamoth dragon to develop a mutation.

The chemical exposure from the environment have also triggered the development of an extra brain. these mutations emerge in the animals genome, where the codes of the DNA change to better suit their environment which eventually leads to better survival tactics. Extreme weather conditions such as above 95 degrees cant be handled bu the animal and so the development of an extra brain enables it to control its body temperature through its tail. The brain sends signals to its tail allowing the Kamamoth Dragon to take control of the temperature and release excess heat from its body. This occurs usually when the animal feels a defect or experiences above levels of thermal energy or during winter where the temperature drops below -75 degrees in the rainforest of Madagascar.

The kamamoth dragon’s nervous system is not so much like other amphibians. The nervous system in a kamamoth includes a central brain, a secondary brain, a spinal cord, and nerves throughout the body. The kamamoth brain is highly developed than that of reptiles, birds and mammals but not enough developed as humans. Although it is similar in morphology and function to that of a fish but almost double the intelligence. The central brain (the bigger brain) consists of cerebrum and midbrain. Various parts of the cerebrum process sensory input, such as smell in the olfactory lobe and sight in the optic lobe, and it is additionally the centre of behaviour and learning. The midbrain or mesencephalon is associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep/wake, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation. The secondary brain (smaller brain) includes the cerebellum which is the centre of muscular coordination and the medulla oblongata controls some organ functions including heartbeat and respiration. The smaller brain also contains the pineal body, known to regulate sleep patterns, is thought to produce the hormones involved in hibernation and aestivation of kamamoth dragon.

Gills

A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water and excretes carbon dioxide. The gills of kamamoth typically develop in the walls of the pharynx, along a series of gill slits opening to the exterior. These gills help the kamamoth dragon hibernate under water. To help them survive on land, they also have lungs. The lungs stop their functions as soon as its body is fully emerged in water and the gills start working taking oxygen out of the water and letting water carry away carbon dioxide. Gills helps kamamoth dragons with its low metabolism as it is a cold-blooded animal. This aids them in their ability to handle environments of low available oxygen. The gills are also highly used by the kamamoth, mainly by females as they lay their eggs in an aquatic environment and until the young kamamoths are ready to use their sufficient gills, the mothers have to travel down every day to look after them.

Moulting

Moulting which is the "shed their skin", Is usually achieved by the dragon rubbing its head against a hard object, such as a rock or between two rocks or piece of wood, causing the already stretched skin to split. At this point, the dragon continues to rub its skin on objects, causing the end nearest the head to peel back on itself, until the dragon is able to crawl out of its skin, effectively turning the moulted skin inside-out. The dragon’s skin is often left in one piece after the moulting process, including the discarded brille (ocular scale), so that the moult is vital for maintaining the animal's quality of vision. The Kammoth dragon shreds it skin according to the seasons (generally four times a year). It moults its skin around spring-summer time to get rid of their "winter coat", Kammoth dragon have thicker skin during the colder winter months to keep them warm, around spring and the beginning of summer Kammoth dragon shed of their skin to get a thinner coat for the warmer summer months.

Camouflage

Kammoths have two superimposed layers within their skin that control their colour. The top layer contains a lattice of guanine nanocrystals, and by exciting this lattice the spacing between the nanocrystals can be manipulated, which in turn affects which wavelengths of light are reflected and which are absorbed. Exciting the lattice increases the distance between the nanocrystals, and the skin reflects longer wavelengths of light. Thus, in a relaxed state the crystals reflect blue and green, but in an excited state the longer wavelengths such as yellow, orange, and red are reflected. The skin of a chameleon also contains some yellow pigments, which combined with the blue reflected by a relaxed crystal lattice results in the characteristic green colour which is common of many chameleons in their relaxed state. The Kammoth species are able to change their skin coloration.

Different Kammoth species are able to vary their colouration and pattern through combinations of pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown, light blue, yellow, turquoise, and purple. Colour change in Kammoths has functions in social signalling and in reactions to temperature and other conditions, as well as in camouflage. The relative importance of these functions varies with the circumstances, as well as the species. Colour change signals a Kammoth's physiological condition and intentions to other Kammoths. Kammoths tend to show darker colours when angered, or attempting to scare or intimidate others, while males show lighter, multicoloured patterns when courting females. The Kammoth dragon also adjusts its colours for camouflage in it surroundings in accordance with the vision of the specific predator species such as birds and snakes by which they are being threatened.

Membrane covering the eye

A membrane is a selective barrier. At times, it is also an outer covering of cell or cell organelle that allows the passage of certain constituents and retains other constituents found in the liquid.The cell membrane (or plasma membrane or plasmalemma) surrounds the cytoplasm of living cells, physically separating the intracellular components from the extracellular environment. Fungi, bacteria and plants also have a cell wall in addition, which provides a mechanical support to the cell and precludes the passage of larger molecules. Water has a significantly different refractive index to air, and this affects the focusing of the eye.

The eyes of the Kamamoth Dragons are adapted to both underwater and air vision, and focus properly in both environment, they have a cell membrane protecting their eyes which allows them to swim underwater with almost perfect view of the surrounding which makes hunting easy. This protective layer eliminates the acids and dirt found underwater that stands as a barrier between good eyesight. The crystalline lenses of the dragons eyes are extremely convex, almost spherical, and their refractive indices are the highest of all the animals. These properties enable proper focusing of the light rays and in turn proper image formation on the retina. Kamamoth dragons have a pretty bad eyesight, they are light sensitive which blinds their view when exposed to too much light but luckily they live in the rain forests of Madagascar under a canopy of shades. The sensitivity is somehow a positive point as they have ability see colours that aren't visible to majority of the living things and also concluded that they can seed light behind the visible spectrum.

3 Pairs of legs

Lamellae on the feet of a Kamamoth Dragon

The Kamamoth Dragons have supportive legs that allow them to chase preys with great speed using their the quick skill to move with maximum ease around the tropical floors and also beating the fastest animal on earth - The Cheetah. Their three pairs of legs allow it to push against the ocean currentS and also turn direction stress free and with much ease. These water dwelling lizards have short but very strong legs, and webbing in-between their toes which enables them to swim quickly and efficiently. The tails of these lizards are also adapted to assist in swimming. The Kamamoth Dragons are actually only semi-aquatic, and live on both land and in the trees as well. Living on the ground isn't a challenge for them either, as they have large and heavy feet, their legs are short and powerfully built. In many cases, terrestrial lizards dig and bury into the ground, and their large feet and sharp talons are suited for this action.

The Kamamoth Dragons can also climb who have multi-jointed legs, the bones in their legs are normally relatively fragile. They require higher amounts of vitamins, especially calcium, as they develop. These Dragons have large feet, and large toes with long, curved claws for gripping branches. The Kamamoth dragons have developed lamellae on their feet. These are small hooked projections that enable the dragon to 'stick' onto most smooth surfaces.

Environmental Changes (Geographical Isolation)

The kamamoth dragon is found in the warmer areas of Madagascar. One hundred and seventy million years ago, Madagascar was landlocked in the middle of the supercontinent Gondwana, sandwiched between land that would eventually become South America and Africa and land that would eventually become India, Australia, and Antarctica. Through movements of the Earth's crust, Madagascar, along with India, first split from Africa and South America and then from Australia and Antarctica, and started heading north. India eventually smashed into Asia but Madagascar broke away from India and was marooned in the Indian Ocean.

Kamamoths evolution history is traced back to 88 million years when Madagascar got separated from India and other countries before that and finally became an island in the Indian Ocean. When Allopatric Speciation (a type of speciation caused by geographic isolation) occurred, it has provided opportunities for species to evolve and diversify in isolation. Its species are a mix of those that have been living and evolving there for many tens of millions of years and those that arrived more recently and subsequently diversified. Phylogenetic, genetic, and anatomical evidence all suggest that kamamoth dragons split from other reptilians on India around 110 million years ago and that the ancestral kamamoth had dispersed to Madagascar by around 90 million years ago. Once on the island, the kamamoth diversified and evolved in order to adapt to its new conditions.

Reproduction

Typically it takes two kamamoth dragons for mating – a male and a female. The base of the tail has glands and during mating season they will produce very strong odours that attract the opposite gender. The females are often attracted to the males that give off the strongest odours. Once mating has occurred the pair will go their separate ways. The male will move along to try to find more females that he can successfully mate with. The females though have to start looking for ways to ensure the young survive.

For the purpose of reproduction Kamamoth Dragon require marine or fresh water. The Kamamoth Dragon Is considered an oviparous meaning they lay eggs three to six weeks after copulation. Almost every day in the three to six weeks period, the female travel down to the very bottom of a water source and try to deposit eggs in a safe and secure area often amongst algae’s in oceans or clean, unoccupied areas in freshwaters. Female Kamamoths lay their eggs from August to September the female is known to lay eggs between 20-30. The eggs are long, spindle-shaped and covered with a leathery skin. Eggs generally hatch after four to 12 months. Each young Kamamoth Dragon is born within the sticky transparent membrane of mucus that is produced from a very young age. They are born quite defenceless and are vulnerable to predation. The mother presses each baby onto a nearby surface, where the mucus sticks and separates it off the young Kamamoth Dragon the newly hatched chameleon frees itself and stretches its body and swims around. They are not yet fit to swim hard enough to reach the land. The female brings foods until they are capable to swim which is normally about 1 week. The female can have up to 30 live young from one gestation.

Bibliograpy

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