A Small Dragon Guide Book Vol I

Draco dienocaudi: The Terrible Tailed Dragon

         Named for their whip-like tails, Draco dienocaudi, commonly called the Whiplash, lives in the arid desert environments of it's oldest ancestors. They resemble their ancestors cousins, Velociraptors, however are not of the same diminutive size. Like many other dragons, they are around the same size as your average mustang, a few species being as small as a crow or hawk, and Whiplashes are one of the horse-sized breeds. Imagine a feathery raptor as big as an horse. Now give it a slightly longer neck and more triangular, but still long and narrow, head. That's half of what a Whiplash looks like. Now add a mane of spikes on the back of it's neck, trailing down in a thin row to it's tail, becoming smaller and less pointier, then exploding into a knob of spikes at the end. It's long tail is flexible enough to twist around and touch the end of it's snout while it looks down and back. Their talons are slightly curled and serrated, but not as bad as it's sickle-shaped talon. Whiplashes have small but sturdy forearms and strong, flexible wings that are as long as it's tail but are small in comparison to other species. An odd discovery about this species is that any small prey they hunt are swallowed whole then coughed back up in watty pellet-like wads after digestion.

         Colored like the terrain they live in, Whiplashes are sandy, beige, light tanned, pale brown, and sometimes whitish-yellow or gold. Their spines are duller and whiter than their colors and usually become more so at the ends before ending with a black tip. Whiplashes are a few species that can have "beauty marks" or unique markings that identify individuals in the pack. They can have duller or bolder speckles on their muzzles and flanks or their spines can have thin bands at random spots. Some are seen with tapir-like stripes running down their sides as well! Whiplash eggs are a solid white with pale speckles.

         Whiplashes live extraordinarily dangerous lives. They hunt prey ranging from small reptiles to even elephants when in a hungry pack. Mated pairs are highly territorial, and each territory can expand to over hundreds of miles in all directions. They hunt on the run, rarely flying, and have been known to take on entire groups of dragon hunters alone. They rely on agility and stealth rather than power to hunt, and are commonly called a glass cannon of dragons. But they are hardy creatures worthy of being called the terrible tailed dragon.

     A Whiplash pair can form from simple encounters like drinking from the same watering hole to complex battles between packs. But once the pair bonds it is never broken. These dragons have been recorded to enter a mourning period before accepting a new mate. These bonds help hold the packs together through the initial battles of claiming territory, to the rigorous periods of rearing young. The eggs are laid four months in advance to the next wet season and always in the tops of the few desert trees or on a high hill when there are none. A nest is made using the materials at hand: leaves, stones, sand, branches, dirt, and even bones. The size of the clutch ranges from four to six eggs, never more and rarely less. The young hatch at the beginning of the wet season, when the rut begin in some species or when young or born in others, either way prey is abundant in the season.

     Younglings are quick to mature, able to reach the same running speed as their parents at four months of age. Until they reach this age, they are not yet able to eat solid food. Instead they eat insects and predigested food from their parents. Once they reach four months they are then moved onto meat striped from the bone. They may have reached the same top speeds as their parents but are not strong enough to join in the hunt yet. At eight months they are able to join the lesser hunting and can dig into the prey by themselves.

     It is until their second year that they are the same size as their parents, the males leaving to join batchelor packs while the females stay to help raise the next brood. Females leave only at the age of four to find mates and start their own packs.

          Now your wondering what this dragon is capable of? Well they have no real special ability, instead they can use their speed to temporarily run across the surface of water. This ability is used when crossing rivers and takes a lot of energy to do so. They basically run at their top speed within three steps then keep that speed until they reach the other side. But they use this ability rather than to run across water, but to bolt at enemies then make a sharp turn to whip their foe with their tails. They literally drop to all fours and pivot on their arms to cause their tails to snap their enemies at high speeds. Enough to kill most enemies in one shot. But it is equally as dangerous for the dragon, inexperienced dragons have broken their bones and even killed themselves this way. 

         Tips!: Whiplashes when not starving, prefer to avoid humans. Sometimes they walk side-by-side to caravans when they are off to get a drink, but they keep their distance. Youngsters are curious and have been known to actually play with the children of the caravans while their parents rest. Many comment that it is a cute and honourable sight when it happens. Best way to bribe a Whiplash youngster to play is with a dead lizard, a good toy and treat for the dragonling.