Cold-Blooded Race

Related Content

• Coral Reefs Are Being Decimated, All for a Few Gaudy Trinkets
  May 3, 2012
• Pythons May Have Eaten All the Rabbits in the Everglades
  January 31, 2012
• Burmese Python Imports Now Banned in U.S.; No More Snakes On These Motherf**in' Planes
  January 17, 2012
• Invasive Crazy Caribbean Termites Threaten South Florida
  May 8, 2012
• 40,000 Giant African Land Snails Collected Since Beginning of Infestation
  April 13, 2012

More About

• Wildlife
• Reptiles and Amphibians

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Events Newsletter: What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

In China, dragons are revered for their potent life force, weather-controlling ability, and iconic graphic value — not to mention their knack for burping red-hot fire. And there’s plenty of evidence such dragon legends were inspired by a very real creature that lurks in our own back yards and sewers: the saltwater crocodile. The largest living reptile, crocs have senses that are finely tuned to atmospheric pressure changes. They’re also natural surfing machines. The 20-foot-long beasts wait for the perfect moment, drop in, and then hang ten for hundreds of miles on their scaled bellies. Given such skills, it’s no surprise that dragon boating, a 2,000-year-old Chinese sport, is alive and well in Miami, where maritime lawyers aren’t the only oceanic reptiles. Find out what all the fun is about this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. when the South Florida Dragon Boat Festival takes over Haulover Park. The free festival will also include landlubbing activities such as eating egg rolls, flying kites, and watching martial arts performances.
Sat., Oct. 2, 9 a.m., 2010