Sand Dragon

General

Lifespan: 76 years
Conservation Status: This species is moderately common, particularly in the deeper deserts.
Average Height: 3 feet
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking: Sand dragons are light brown in colour.
Geographic Distribution: Shanshiire

Anatomy

Sand dragons have six legs, long necks, and narrow heads. They have very dense bones that are difficult to break.

Genetics and Reproduction

Females lay one egg once every eight months. They relocate from the sandier parts of the desert to the rocky regions as their eggs resemble small boulders and its easier to protect the eggs from would-be predators that way.

Ecology and Habitats

They dislike the cold and will burry themselves in the sand at night to stay warm.

Dietary Needs and Habits

While they can go for several days without food they prefer not to. They subsist on a diet of smaller lizards and rodents. If they can get them they'll eat birds as well.

Social Structure

The females cluster in groups of three or four to make hunting and caring for the young easier. Males generally wander by themselves but will sometimes form clusters of their own of two or three, particularly when resources are scarce. Males in a cluster are rarely related to each other but sometimes a pair of siblings will wander together for a time, especially soon after leaving their mothers.

The young females normally leave their families to form their own cluster when they reach reproductive maturity around their eighth year. Males leave the group much earlier, typically by the age of six or seven.

Domestication

No one is stupid enough to try.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Their saliva is acidic. They've been hunted to harvest it as it has a variety of uses but this is very dangerous to do.

Sand dragon hides are used in making various products from gloves to saddles. Due to the danger in hunting these beasts such products are quite expensive.

Facial characteristics

Their eyes are small and set on the sides of their heads. To help deal with the harsh sun and blowing sand they've developed a second eyelid

Average Intelligence

These predators are considered to be quite intelligent, on par or smarter than the two tailed dune tigers.

Behaviorally speaking, they tend to be fairly nonchalant until they feel threatened. At such a time they become quite fierce and will lash out at anything that comes near them.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They have an excellent sense of taste. They don't see very well.