Flying Raicans

The miners passed the gates and entered the lift. Their eyes passed the steep walls, where they saw small scaly creatures scuttling up and down; their claws digging into the hard rocks. They seemed to ignore the lift with the mining workers, as they always did. These creatures were known as Flying Raicans. They were often considered a pest species out of sheer spite. They were inedible and often swarmed storage silos at night. As if their quick scuttling wasn't enough, they could also unfold leathery wings from their backs and fly away. Something strange was happening to the Raicans, however. In previous years they had clustered around Darion Keep, but they had steadily been sweeping towards the Eastern Hills.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Imagine a cross between a bat and a tiny dragon. Raicans are considered lizards. Their claws are incredibly sharp and durable, which allows them to climb any surface. Wings are folded under their forelimbs. In order to fly, these creatures drop from high elevation and unfold their wings. They prefer, but do not require, wind upswing from below, since it helps them conserve energy.

Genetics and Reproduction

Flying Raicans, much like other Raicans, reproduce sexually. A female Raican is capable of laying up to five eggs at once, but rarely more than three newborns survive. When a Raican lays eggs, they do so in a prepared nest hidden away in caves or rafters of abandoned buildings. Eggs require approximately one month to hatch and a female Raican can only lay once a year. Both parents take care of their offspring for about one year and they guard their nest furiously from predators, humans and other Raicans.

Growth Rate & Stages

Flying Raicans spend approximately one year with their parents, which is the time it takes for their wings to fully develop. They are not considered fully grown until they are two years old, since that is the time they stop growing. The color of their scales is also relevant to a Raican's development. As an infant, their scales are pitch black, but they later change and vary from stony grey to muddy brown around the age of two. Flying Raicans don't grow as old as their terrestrial relatives, but they can reach an age of ten, before dying.

Ecology and Habitats

Raicans like places, from which they can drop to fly. This includes hills, cliffs, abysses, mountains, towers and houses. Raicans are widely considered pest species, since they can consume almost anything. They serve as prey for larger lizards and even foxes or cats. Flying Raicans are also subject to being devoured by birds-of-prey, such as falcons and hawks.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Raicans will eat almost anything. They eat berries, nuts, leaves and grass; they hunt insects, frogs and eat the dead carcasses of animals; they even feed on certain types of wood, if necessary. For summer, they store food in their caves and feed it to their young.

Biological Cycle

Flying Raicans are most active in autumn and early/late winter. Since days are longest in spring and summer, they try to stay inside their caves and avoid strong sunlight. In autumn, Raicans are most active and sometimes fly in swarms. Raicans do still come out in winter, but they prefer not to fly in the snow, since it is too cold for them.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Raicans rely heavily on their nose and eyes to navigate and find food. Their ears are slightly underdeveloped, which means that Raicans tend to communicate with facial expressions and smells. Raicans have no problem seeing at night and can identify distinct smells, even among a huge array of distractions, but they are susceptible to bright sunlight and are easy to annoy with lavender. The eyes of a Raican are so powerful, they can even see things that should be invisible to humans, even in broad daylight. This includes being able to see through cloaking spells and creatures that don't exist on the visible spectrum. How exactly they are doing this is largely unknown, but they probably do so by secreting a certain substance onto their lenses.

Scientific Name

Knox raic levitate

Origin/Ancestry

What separates the Flying Raican from other Raicans is their wings and the fact that they prefer cliffsides and mountains.

Conservation Status

The Flying Raican is extremely common in Darion Keep. If anything, people take measures to prevent them from breaking into houses and silos. One way to do this is to hang dried lavender outside their windows and doors, since Raicans hate the smell of lavender.