Paradise Wyvern
Bold in both color and personality, the paradise wyvern is an icon of the coastal jungles of Eastern Auzera. Many varieties and subspecies of paradise wyvern exist, each with their own unique appearance.
Growing no larger than a foot long, paradise wyverns flit amongst the vibrant branches of their homes, hunting bugs and smaller reptiles. Their various chitters, calls, and whistles are a foundational part of the music of the forest.
Anatomy
Paradise wyverns, like all wyverns, have modified forelegs that work as wings. They have clawed feet and hands for climbing. Their tails are quite long and often very colorful.
They have pointed snouts and huge round eyes with slit pupils. Their mouths are full of tiny cone-shaped teeth. Both males and females have a dewlap. The color and size of the dewlap differs a lot between subspecies, and is the main method of identifying them.
Paradise wyverns tend to have extreme sexual dimorphism. Males have flashy adornments on their wings, tails, and faces. They are also covered with bioluminescent patterns, which they control the brightness of with Glow.
Paradise wyverns primarily use Glow to communicate with each other or to intimidate predators. Many have eyespots on the backs of their wings that they can light up. Courtship rituals involve a lot of flashing and blinking of various body parts.
Domestication
The beautiful appearance and small size of paradise wyverns make them desirable pets. While they lack the intelligence for true connection and empathy, it is possible to formulate a trusting relationship with one.
Ribboned wyverns and crested wyverns are the subspecies most commonly kept as pets. Selective breeding has produced several options in color and pattern. Most pets come from breeders, but the wyverns are still sometimes caught wild, diminishing their natural population.
Caring for a paradise wyvern requires an intricate enclosure with careful temperature control. They also must be occasionally released from the enclosure (with supervision!) so they can fly around. Paradise wyverns are generally laid back and don't require a lot of enrichment to keep them occupied. Most are content to sit and sunbathe the day away.
Ecology & Habitat
Paradise wyverns thrive in tropical rainforests. They spend most of their time flying throughout the canopy hunting or courting potential mates. They make their nests on tree branches.
Colourful babies <3 It's cool that they can be kept as pets if you have the correct environment for them. :)