Draco mindanensis of this species' patagium, or the extensible fold of skin used in flight, is red in males and dusky in females. Also, "D. mindanensis" can be distinguished from other species of "Draco" in the Philippines by its larger size (maximum length has been recorded at 105 mm), mode of five ribs supporting its patagium, upward directed nostril, lack of Y-shaped series of scales on forehead, presence of lacrimal bone and dorsal body coloration of pale brown with a slight greenish case in males. In males of this species, the dewlap, or the inflatable loose skin under the throat, is large,
Hanging already within 6–15 seconds, resulting in a considerably more prolonged and painful death as compared to the standard or long drop hanging, which is intended to kill by using the shock of the drop to fracture the spinal column at the neck. Before 1850, the short drop was the standard method for hanging, and is still common in suicides and extrajudicial hangings (such as lynchings and summary executions) which do not benefit from the specialised equipment and drop-length calculation tables used by the newer methods. A short drop variant is the Austro-Hungarian "pole" method, called Würgegalgen (literally: strangling gallows), in