Cryptid/ Mythological Creature Encyclopedia

Dragon

Animal Class: Reptile

Diet: Carnivorous/ Omnivorous ( depends on the individual)

While the most common and widespread type of Dragon is the type that flies through the air and breaths fire, there are actually many other different types of Dragon. Ones that live in very cold regions and breath ice instead of fire, ones that live in the water and have wings that  act like fins ( some water dragons breath water instead of fire), some that breath lightning, some that breath sand, some that shoot powerful soundwaves out of their mouths , some that spit acid, some that can turn invisible for a few minutes, some that can teleport ( usually only short distances or only to places that they have seen), some with more than one head ( this is one two headed species where one head sprays the foe with water and the other shoots electricity at it), and some that have venomous bites, claws, or spikes.

Naturally live on all continents and it is still unclear as to how they can live in places like Antarctica despite being reptiles. 

Highly intelligent creatures, if a Dragon lives for long enough it will eventually become capable of speech. ( Somehow they are capable of speaking all known languages without having to be taught. They are also capable of reading and writing long before they learn how to speak)

Live alone, in pairs, or in small groups. The leader of those groups is decided by single combat.

Many people ride Dragons, but the Dragon has to choose the rider and with long enough time, Dragon and Rider apparently gain a telepathic link and can talk to each other telepathically over long distances, hear each other's thoughts, and feel each other's feelings and pain. Many Dragon Riders also gain the long lifespan of a Dragon. If one of them dies before their partner, that partner will constantly feel like a piece of themselves is missing until they die and are apparently reunited with their partner in the afterlife.

Most Dragons mate for life and Dragons that have Riders will form a bond with the significant other of their Rider. ( They will also bond with the children of their Rider) 

They have very thick body armor and there are reports of some of them taking direct hits from missiles and barely flinching from it. 

Depending on the type of Dragon, they lay between 5 to 15 eggs. The young can clumsily fly at birth and some can even breathe fire. ( and the other different elements) It takes them about 10 years to reach adulthood. 

They were so heavily hunted during Medieval times that they had to hide out in remote places to avoid extinction. This could be a possible explanation as to how so many different types of them arose.

Fossil evidence shows that they have existed since around the end of the Triassic Period and that them and Dinosaurs could have possibly evolved from a common ancestor. ( It is still unclear as to how they survived the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs)

Naturally live from 200 to 600 years ( they usually gain the ability to speak when they hit about 110 or so)

Extra Fun Fact: The characters Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion from the popular show " Game of Thrones" may be called Dragons, but they would actually be classed as Wyverns ( a close cousin of Dragons) if they were real. This means that Daenerys Targaryen is technically the " Mother of Wyverns."