Dragons are mythic creatures (see "What do dragons mean to you?" below) found in the legends and stories of almost every civilization. There are two major types: Western dragons, which are associated with reptiles, and are often seen as guards of great treasure or tests of a hero''s strength in their culture''s legends; and Eastern dragons, which are characterized physically as amalgams of many different creatures and are associated with the powers of nature.
A far more detailed

account of the different types of dragons and their stories and

symbolism can be found in the alt.fan.dragons FAQ at http://www.dragonfire.org/IndexFAQ.html or at Jen Walker''s "What Is a Dragon?" page at

http://www.draconian.com/whatis/.