the lord of the rings - How many dragons ever existed on Middle Earth?

How numerous were dragons in the time before 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit'? How many dragons did Tolkien ever mention by name?

Answer

As usual, Tolkien Gateway has the best compilation of info:

There were 4 named ones:
- Glaurung — Father of Dragons, slain by Túrin Turambar. First of the Uruloki, the Fire-drakes of Angband. He had four legs and could breathe fire, but didn't have wings.
- Ancalagon the Black — first and mightiest of the Winged-dragons, slain by Eärendil in the War of Wrath.
- Scatha - Slain by Fram of the Éothéod. Apparently a cold-drake. Described as a "long-worm", although this imprecise term seems to be more of an expression rather than a separate taxonomic group.
- Smaug — the last great dragon (but possibly not the last dragon based on Gandalf's words) of Middle-earth. A winged Urulokë.

2 more were mentioned but unnamed
- An unnamed dragon, with red eyes, black wings and teeth like knives. (src: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, "The Hoard")
- Beast of Gondolin — A Fire-Drake at the Fall of Gondolin.

Total numbers aren't given but there were many:

At the Fall of Gondolin, Morgoth's foul host included dragons, "many and terrible" (src: The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin")

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