Earthling Dragons

Dragons indigenous to Earth are the vertebrates within the class Draco (/dʒrækoʊ/ from Latin draco "dragon"), a clade in the superclass Hexapoda (itself in the infraphylum Gnathostomata). Bizarrely, the most immediately noticeable feature of the class is it's similarity to other jawed vertebrates, especially tetrapods. This is due to "evolutionary symmetry", a form of co-evolution in which the adaptations of the more magically sensitive group is heavily influenced by the adaptations of the groups in within similar niches and close proximity.

Basic Information

Anatomy

As hexapods, most dragons bare six limbs (though, exceptions exist like lindwurms and wyverns which later lost limbs; similar to modern snakes). Aside from that, there is wide variation in appearance between orders and families. From the serpentine oriental dragons, to the more archetypical, fire-breathing, occidental dragons, to the more mammalian or avian new-world dragons.

Genetics and Reproduction

Mating cycles for dragons vary by species, but many parallel that of humans in that they can breed all-year-'round rather than having dedicated mating seasons. For almost all dragons, this results in a clutch of eggs of sizes differing from species to species; this includes many of the mammalian dragons being monotremes.

Growth Rate & Stages

With the exception of dragons that give live birth, dragon lives cycles through coincidentally similar stages. After incubation or gestation, the new dragons, which are about the size of fully grown humans, are in an infant state like that of many animals that care for their young: their proportions and scale are smaller, their minds are still very underdeveloped, their musculature cannot yet power their their flight, and they posses minimal magical ability. At about 100 years, most species reach the juvenile stage and the size of a large elephant, the majority of their physical, mental, and magical abilities have come out of latency, but still require parental guidance. At 500, they are fully matured and the size of a city block, with most living independently around this time. They are never any "fully grown" dragons as their negligible senescence and constant regeneration means that they'll continue growing physically so long as they continue grow in power.

Ecology and Habitats

Dragons as a whole have adapted to every environment and fill practically as many niches as life of the surfaces. Their hyper-intelligent status and places them in a similar relationship with their environment as humans; though, their greater sensitivity to the natural order means that any ecological effects they have will have direct, personal, immediate consequences that even the most self-centered dragons have will seek environmental heath out of self desire.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

All dragons possess at human-levels of intelligence; though, younger individuals more closely compare to younger humans. Once the reach adulthood they are already significantly more intelligent than a human, and their intelligence increases with size and power.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

All dragons have excellent vision, hearing, smell, and taste; their sense of touch, however, is more on par with humans due to most having hard scales, thick feathers, or leathery skin they need to feel through. Proprioception is near perfect, with most dragons being able to give rough layouts of their internal organs, and making the precise movements needed for most spellcasting. Dragons are also capable of consciously perscieing their subconscious thoughts, though this requires active concentration. A dragon's best sense bay far, though, is magical sensitivity so great that they can navigate spaces solely by the leyline-equivalent of capillaries.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Dragons have six names: three personal, two familial, and one magical. Each dragon has a magical, or true, name, as one part of their souls, and speaking it requires the use of dragon magic. Upon birth, they take on the name of the family they are born into, and are given a personal name by the parent(s). Once they are fully capable of speech, dragons are given the opportunity to name themselves, usually something symbolic or descriptive. When a dragon leaves their birth family, they will switch to a third personal name they give themselves, and once they settle down with another family, or make their own, they replace their family name of birth with the name of the new family.

Average Technological Level

Dragons' being at several evolutionary peaks simultaneously have little need for technology, as most of what it could do, a dragon can do better. However, they have their own, personal magic that is used to fill in what gaps they do have; the most prominent of these being telecommunications.

History

Dragon society has been largely static since their move underground; though, the advent of humans has prompted observation of surface cultures, leading to unavoidable influences on dragon culture.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

One of the most prominent species dragons co-habitat with are kobolds. A family in the suborder caniformia, kobolds have been closely tied to dragons' through out their evolution and have a symbiotic relationship. While no species of kobold are truly host-specific, many have strong preferences towards certain varieties of dragonkind. Kobolds provide servitude to dragons with zeal, and most denied host can suffer mental breakdowns similar to humans forced into solitary-confinement.

Scientific Name

Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Draco

Origin/Ancestry

~23 Extant Orders, >100 Extant Families

Conservation Status

While dragons are protected from external sources, their population has been steadily declining for several generations.

Related Myths

• Prophecy of Extinction