Common Lander Tunnel Dragons

Basic Information

Anatomy

Tunnel dragons have a rock-like appearance that allows them to blend in with rocky caves and cliffs. They are often grey, brown, or black in color, and have a unique ability to sort of change their shape to look like the rocky terrain. Allong their backs you can find a goosebump like reflex that, when relaxed is smooth a manuverable for tunnel life, but when the reflex is activated — often involuntarily due to a sudden sense of fear or volentary to blend in when hunting — their backs expand and raise up to look like spiked rocks.

Within this camouflage one can also find a set of vestigial wing structures. With no need to fly, these structures merely work as an enhancement to the rocklike structures on their back. Some tunnel dragons are born without these structures entirely and others are born with an extra pair of structures. This variance is sometimes used as a means for scientist to keep track of tunnel dragons that they are studying as it is unlikely that two dragons will have the same patterns and structures on their backs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Common Lander tunnel dragons are predator animals and are often a pest to farmers of livestock. In fact, most colonies are dependent on farming towns for their sustenance. Tunnel dragons will work together in a colony to create a system of tunnels over the course of serveral days or weeks and then wait untill evening one day and open up pits to those tunnels that will cause livestock to fall into or they will even emerge from the darkness to drag their prey to their hoards.

They are rarely seen hunting humans in favor of much larger game such as stags or other large livestock or animals that gather in large consentrated groups.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

While not completely nocturnal, tunnel dragons have exquisite night vision and are more alert in the darkness. They spend muuch of the daytime underground and hunt at night.