Luto

Short introduction

The Luto is a smaller herbivorous ground dwelling dragon of the Moiyeli Swamplands.

Appearance, distribution and ecology

It reaches up to 2.2 metres in length including the tail and has a low sail on it's back that stretches from their neck to the first third of their relatively short tail. Lutos are dark brown in colour and covered with small, irregular scales. The sail can have dark green, black or dark red stripes. The mouth of the Luto is a toothless beak with which it eats ferns, water plants, algae, water lilys and other soft and non-grassy plants. Luto are of a heavy built but have relatively long legs so they reach up to 1.6 metres in height or 1.8 metres including the sail. They don't have claws to fight or burrow but rather elephant-like feet with nails.
Luto can be found in the warmer southern regions of the Moiyeli Swamplands or at the milder stretches or patches further north where the ponds and oxbows get warmed by hot springs. They never wander off too far from the water since they have no other means of protection but withdrawing into deeper water. That's why different species of crocodiles or giant salamanders pose the biggest threat to them. But Luto are abundant since they reproduce quickly and there's always enough food in the fertile swamplands. They live in small groups of 5-8 animals plus a few young. In some areas the Luto have to built nesting mounds, in others they place the eggs close to a hot spring and cover them with a thin layer of dirt or plant material.
Lutos cannot be bonded with, but they have been domesticated as lifestock in some societies. They are kept mainly for their meat. Otherwise they also get hunted for their meat. They are not suitable for any other thing because they are too stubborn and unintelligent to be used as mounts, beasts of burden or the like as they are unable to be trained to obey orders. Lutos can be used to catch leeches by chasing them into the water and later pluck off the leeches that have latched onto them.