Fire Dragon

Dragons that can breathe fire as a weapon.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The archetypal dragon: physically very bulky, dark maroon in hue, large wings designed for gliding and diving rapidly, but make aerial maneuvers difficult. Fire Dragons tend to have large horned helms with long snouts and terrifically large jaws with long pointed fangs within.
Some morphs have bright orange scales, others have yellow green.

Biological Traits

Dermal Scales: Dragon skin is reinforced by armored scales, which contain tiny bones called osteoderms that function as a sort of natural chain-mail. Dragon scales are light weight yet stronger than steel, able to withstand most cutting or crushing weapons, impacts, extreme temperatures and even resist standard bullets. Like other reptiles, their scales have to be shed periodically, to reveal newly grown scales underneath.

Flight: Terrestrial Dragons have two large leathery wings growing from their backs that resemble the structure of bat wings that can be used to fly. They benefit from the presence of air sacs in their wing membranes, and launching into flight using their front limbs in a quadrupedal stance similar to that of bats, a method faster and less energy taxing that the bipedal launching of birds. Dragons can fly up to 80 miles an hour for 7 to 10 days at altitudes of 15,000 feet.

Genetics and Reproduction

Mating occurs between late Spring through summer with the eggs laid in the fall. During this period, males fight over females and territory by grappling with one another upon their hind legs, with the loser eventually being pinned to the ground. The winner of the fight will then flick his long tongue at the female to gain information about her receptivity. Females are antagonistic and resist with their claws and teeth during the early phases of courtship. Therefore, the male must fully restrain the female during coitus to avoid being hurt. Other courtship displays include males rubbing their chins on the female, hard scratches to the back, and licking. Fire dragons may be monogamous and form "pair bonds", a rare behavior for many reptiles.
Dragons are hatched from eggs that vary in size depending on the dragon species, but are usually the same color as the mother dragon. Dragon eggs have elongated, ovoid shapes and hard, stony shells. Females lay their eggs and may use several types of locality; 60% lay their eggs in caves, 20% on ground level and 20% in hilly areas. The females make many camouflage nests/holes to prevent other animals or dragons from eating the eggs. Clutches contain an average of 10 eggs, which have an incubation period of 7–8 months. Hatching is an exhausting effort for the neonates, which break out of their eggshells with an egg tooth that falls off soon after. After cutting themselves out, the hatchlings may lie in their eggshells for hours before starting to dig out of the nest. They are born quite defenseless and are vulnerable to predation.

Growth Rate & Stages

When born, a dragon's scales are as soft as tissue paper, and slowly harden as the dragon ages. During the first year of life, a dragon's scales will be very soft and supple.
Over time, they will shed their skin to produce new and more durable scales. The wingspans of adult dragons can range from 7–13 m (23–43 ft).

Dietary Needs and Habits

Fire dragons are mainly carnivores that eat mostly carrion, they will also ambush live prey with a stealthy approach. When suitable prey arrives near a dragon's ambush site, it will suddenly charge at the animal and go for the underside or the throat. It is able to locate its prey using its keen sense of smell, which can locate a dead or dying animal from a range of up to 9.5 km (5.9 mi). Dragons have been observed knocking down large prey with their strong tails.
Dragons eat by tearing large chunks of flesh and swallowing them whole while holding the carcass down with their forelegs. For smaller prey up to the size of a goat, their loosely articulated jaws, flexible skulls, and expandable stomachs allow them to swallow prey whole. After eating up to 80% of its body weight in one meal, it drags itself to a sunny location to speed digestion, as the food could rot and poison the dragon if left undigested for too long. Because of their slow metabolism, dragons can survive on as few as 12 meals a year.
A dragon's diet is wide-ranging, and includes invertebrates, fish, other reptiles (including smaller dragons), birds, monkeys, wild boar, goats, deer, horses, cattle, crocodilians, water buffalo, even young elephants. Young dragons will eat insects, bird eggs, geckos, newts, frogs, snakes and small mammals like rodents. Sometimes they consume humanoid species corpses, digging up bodies from shallow graves or even live members for the larger ones.
While not as often, dragons can consume some vegetation as famine foods, typically the parts of a plant with the most calories like fruit, nuts, or roots.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Solitary but Social

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Scales Teeth Claw

Average Intelligence

Feral

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Senses: The dragon uses its tongue to detect, taste, and smell stimuli, as with many other reptiles, with the vomeronasal sense using the Jacobson's organ, rather than using the nostrils. With the help of a favorable wind and its habit of swinging its head from side to side as it walks, a dragon may be able to detect carrion from 4–9.5 km (2.5–5.9 mi) away. Its scales, some of which are reinforced with bone, have sensory plaques connected to nerves to facilitate its sense of touch. The scales around the ears, lips, chin, and soles of the feet may have three or more sensory plaques.

Scientific Name

Drakon Occidens

Lifespan

Wild: 300 years

Conservation Status

endangered

Average Height

3 m (10 ft) - 5.5 m (18 ft)

Average Weight

200 - 250 kg (440–550 lb)

Average Length

7 m (23 ft) - 10 m (32.8 ft)