Little Known Jewish Dragons (Part II)

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This is a continuation of my examination started in the previous post, of some of the less known dragons in the Jewish tradition.

Our next dragon, also from the apocrypha appears in a story normally called "The book of Bel and the Dragon", which is a supposed continuation to the book of Daniel. The book, has come to us in two different translations - Greek and Theodotian, though the differences are not great.

The first few verses (which I will omit) tell of how Daniel proves to King Cyrus that "Bel" the god worshiped in Babylon is false. The King admits that Bel - an idol - is a false God, but insists a dragon worshiped in Babylon is a true deity:

1:23 And in that same place there was a great dragon, which they of Babylon worshipped.
1:24 And the king said unto Daniel, Wilt thou also say that this is of brass? lo, he liveth, he eateth and drinketh; thou canst not say that he is no living god: therefore worship him.
1:25 Then said Daniel unto the king, I will worship the Lord my God: for he is the living God.
1:26 But give me leave, O king, and I shall slay this dragon without sword or staff. The king said, I give thee leave.
1:27 Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and did seethe them together, and made lumps thereof: this he put in the dragon’s mouth, and so the dragon burst in sunder : and Daniel said, Lo, these are the gods ye worship.

Is this a fire breathing dragon? the use of pitch and fat would seem to me to suggest it. I assume that the dragon bursts because the fat and pitch catch fire, though this conjunction is not in the text.
The story also exists in the Midrash -

 ×ž×“רש בר×�שית רבה סח, ×™×’: "והנה מל×�×›×™ ×�להי×�", ×–×” דני×�ל, "עולי×� ויורדי×� בו", שעלה והוצי×� ×�ת בלעו מתוך פיו. ×”ד×� הו×� דכתיב: (ירמיה × ×�) "ופקדתי על בל בבבל והוצ×�תי ×�ת בלעו מפיו". שהיה לו תנין ×�חד לנבוכדנצר, והיה בולע כל מה שהיו משליכין לפניו. ×�"ל נבוכדנצר לדני×�ל, כמה כחו גדול, שבולע כל מה שמשליכין לפניו. ×�מר לו דני×�ל: תן לי רשות ו×�× ×™ מתישו. × ×ª×Ÿ רשות. מה עשה? נטל תבן והטמין לתוכו מסמרי×�, השליך לפניו, ונקבו מסמרי×� ×�ת בני מעיו. ×”ד×� הו×� דכתיב: "והוצ×�תי ×�ת בלעו מפיו". 

In this version the monster is a Crocodile (תנין) and not a dragon, though possibly they are one and the same in early Hebrew. Daniel kills the beast not with Pitch and Fat, but with straw filled with nails.