Flashdragon
Description
Deep within the northen jungles of The Great Forest lives a peculiar species of lizard, known locally as Tsìen lûng, to which it's colloquial name of flashdragon is derived. Quite small for a lizard they can only grow up to 15cm from top to tail, with more an emphasis on tail than top. However, they are also exceedingly light for a reptile of their size topping off at only around 20g, this allows them the ability to glide long distances across tree canopies with specialized ribs which have since extended outwards and connect via a central membrane, acting as a rudimentary pair of wings. While not true powered flight they are able to glide up to 200ft in some circumstances which is more than enough to get from tree to tree. Quite blandly coloured as well, at least on the outside, flashdragons use their drab appearance in order to help them better blend-in with the arboraceous surroundings they call home. Yet it's not all browns and beiges, for on the innermost portion of their wings lies a most dazzling pattern of electric blues and striking cyans, seemingly pulsing with a life all its own.Basic Information
Behaviour
Hosting a symbiotic relationship with a species of terrestial Photobacterium, flashdragons provide the necessary shelter and refuge required for the bacteria to grow unimpeded. In return, the bacteria offer the flashdragon a means of defence against any would-be predators. Any animal thinking they've just scored themselves an easy treat would at first be given a warning signal on the intitial approach, the flashdragon extending its wings displaying the bright colours underneath. Should this still not work and the animal continues its advance then with an incandescent explosion of light and lustre the lizard lets loose, temporarily blinding the animal, giving the flashdragon enough time to escape from danger. The flash is intense enough that it's not an unseen sight in The Great Forest for a bird to be stunned mid-swoop causing them to either crash headlong into the tree they were flying towards or to instantly lose altitude, falling below into the weedy undergrowth, never to be seen again.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The exact method of communication between flashdragons and the bacteria is unknown at this moment in time whether it's mechanical, chemical, electrical, or some combination thereof. Many Vicoussian biologists and academics have attempted to discern the underlying mechanism but have failed to do so, much to their annoyance and at great expense to their ego. What is known, however, is that flashdragons aren't born with the bacteria already on them, it's passed down from mother to offspring physically after hatching further complicating the origin point of their symbiosis.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
- Terrestrial Photobacteriums
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