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SageKorppi — Dragon Concept WIP
Published: 2012-04-06 05:40:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 1657; Favourites: 49; Downloads: 0
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Thank you very much for the input on the wing concept [link] . I decided on #2. Here is a sketch of the actual animal. The head is based on Kaprosuchus (reference: [link] ) with a few changes. The body shape is based on terrestrial crocs such as Kaprosuchus, Baurusuchus, Araripesuchus, and Terrestrisuchus (multiple references used). The whole body has modifications that I added here and there, but this is the basic idea. Will refine it at...some point....yes, my digital sketches are always technicolor XD
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Comments: 29
Cool design with the croc inspirations and references. i feel like the wings would need to be stretched either longer or wider in order to be effective for lift off or even just gliding; the body just seems like it would be too heavy for those wings to suspend.
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Made the wings slightly bigger after Sidian's comment. The proportion doesn't need to be much larger. Think proportions with bats and the great Quetzalcoatlis.
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I love this. Crocodile dragons are awesome, and the Kaprosuchus skull structure makes for one badass looking dragon.
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Hmm... I havn't thot about that...
Maybe the skin could fold 2 it's sides.
I tried googlin' Pterosaurs with "folded" wings, but unfortunatly hav no good references 4 u.
Did u know that Azhdarchid pterosaurs were as big as giraffes & could still fly?!
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Might want to consider giving him a bit more wingspan and wing musculature. Those big reptilian bodies tend to be pretty thick and heavy.
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Wings bigger-sized even more 
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The musculature is distributed more like a bat or pterosaur, so a lot more across the pectoral girdle rather than downward in a keel. I think I'll try to make that more apparent.
I was trying for a wing span proportional to a Quetzalcoatlus or even a scaled up flying fox. But a bit bigger may be appropriate!
Thanks for your input!!
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Bats and pterosaurs have/had tiny little compact bodies compared to said wingspan, however, so I'm not sure what you mean there.
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The bodies are pretty compact in some microchiropteran bats, but I'd argue that they aren't terribly compact in the megachiropterans (though I guess it would depend on what one considers compact, though I'd ague no more compact than dermopterans, many rodents, viverrids, etc.) and their legs are long. I know that the pectoral girdle concentrates a lot of muscle for flight and therefore probably a majority of the weight, but when you don't use your legs much for terrestrial walking, it makes sense that the hind legs look comparatively degenerative. I was therefore trying to emulate the megachropteran body shape and weight distribution (sans the tail in this case). That was the inspiration to put the wing patagium attached to the hind legs, which also helps keep those legs up and non-dangling to avoid drag (and aid in "steering" while in flight). I'm hoping the weight of the head and extra weight of the additional front legs would help compensate for the weight of those legs hind legs that aren't as skinny as you see in bats. I then put the patagium going from the hind legs to the tail in order to use lift to keep the comparatively heavy tail up when in flight (and not rely on muscle strength to keep the tail up). The back end of the tail, past the patagium attachment is laterally flattened more-so than you would see in crocodilians (helping make it lighter) and is meant to act a bit like a rudder. Basically the attachment site for the wings are meant to keep the weight of the large animal distributed in a way that could plausibly allow it to fly....based on what I currently know about flight (though I'm happy to admit I need to read a bit more on variations in flight...want this book so bad! [link] ).
So what I meant about the proportion was that I wanted the wing to be in proportion to the size of my dragon's body to that of megachiropteran bats and pterosaurs. In stead of worrying about the weight of the body itself, I'm more concerned with the proportion to determine wing size. I did end up making them a tad larger though based on your advice! Looking at it a second time I agree they needed to be a little bit bigger ^^
It still amazing me that an animal like this could fly: [link] [link] (THAT HEAD! WHAT?!?! I have to wonder if they fly with their necks held more like a heron than straight out like a flamingo!)
Sorry if that got wordy, I just love discussing this kind of stuff! (And think about it a lot more than I probably should.)
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Just felt I had to leave a comment pertaining to the pterosaur head observation: Mind literally = blown at the idea of a pterosaur holding its head like a heron. Brilliant.
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Doesn't it just make a little more sense? Though, with those massive, elongated vertebrae, I wonder if they could. (I can't be the first person to postulate that they'd hold their heads like that, so I wonder if there is a physiological reason they can't.)
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I'm literally scouring images of heron skeletons to compare to quetzalcoatlus skeletal reconstructions. Those herons, man, they have such crazy neck vertebrae where the snapping mechanism begins, so wonderfully elongated. It makes so much sense that I want to think it's possibly true.
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I was late to the voting party but it looks like you picked the one I would have voted for anyway. XD I like him!
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Love it! I didn't realize you were going with the more upright animal, definitely love design #2 on this even more, now. 'Boar Croc' you gorgeous beast, you!
Is this for #Agrondrae perchance?
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*sulks*
I prefer #1
So bad. Your gator-dragon is still great!
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Oh, this is too cool. I was wondering how #2 would look on the animal normally - thought it might be weird, but actually I think it looks pretty good!
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#2 is modeled after bats actually ^^ And also resembles that of many of the Pterosaurs: [link]
Thanks!
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Yeah, I see what you're going for! I think it just seemed strange to me that the wings only attached to the hind legs, even though there are front legs, unlike a wyvern or something.
It kind of made me think of sharovipteryx: [link] xD
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I thought of that guy with #3, haha. they look so goofy, but talk about a unique design!
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love this idea and would love to see you continue on it
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This guy is awesome! It's super cool to see a dragon like creature based on crocs! I look forward to seeing more of these guys!
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Love this! I'd add a little bit of Postosuchus for a bit more heft, but that's just me. I personally love the use of the Kaprosuchus: Boar-Croc love. <3 Crocodile-dragons make me very happy. I'm so excited to see more of this beast!
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How could I forget Postosuchus???
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