Murphy, todays featured dragon, spent his morning basking on a mound, enjoying the sunshine after a few rainy days. In the afternoon he walked into his sunroom for a nice view of some tourists, and after a quick walk through his yard for a photo op, he ate three yummy rats for dinner. After dinner he blew spit bubbles in his drool then went for a swim.

This behavior is remarkable because since he is used to being handled in the morning and fed in the afternoon, his vet was able to give him an x-ray one morning without sedating or restraining him.

Named after curator, Jim Murphy, he was born to the Miami Metro Zoo on 10/12/98. The last measurements record him as 8 ft long and 130 lbs.

Smithsonian National Zoo
Washington DC 10/7/11