Copper-winged Mountain Dragon

Be careful when wandering in the mountains. The copper-wings are notorious for not giving a crap about size when it comes to their prey and they will not let a chance for dinner get away.

The last thing you'll see is the sun getting covered by wings, and then you will only feel pain.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The copper-winged dragon has four legs with sharp claws, two huge wings for flight, and a long, agile tail for balance as well as stearing when flying. The body is very slim and when in the air they pull in their legs against their body to become more aerodynamic. When attacking a prey, they use their sharp claws and limbs to hold on to the animal while going for their throat with their teeth and fangs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The copper-wings are almost exclusively carnivores, and ferocious hunters at that. They hunt almost any living thing in the mountains, including humans if they happen to come across a lone one.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

As suggested by the name, the Copper-winged Mountain Dragon lives in the mountains. The live at an altitude of over 2000 metres, though they do go lower to hunt. They keep their nests as high as 5000 metres above sea level to get away from almost every other predator. Their territories are very large, since the prey can be sparse, and thus nesting pairs are very spread out during the mating season.

Lifespan

30 years

Conservation Status

Due to the copper-wings ferocity, they used to be hunted without a second thought when near a settlement. This has lead to the large dragon being quite rare nowadays, and it is now protected. Individuals taking up territory too close to humans are humanly relocated.

Average Height

Around 0.5 meters at the shoulders.

Average Length

Around 1 meter from nose to tail, with a wingspan of up to over 2 meters.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The body of these agile lizards are covered mostly by scales, ranging from brown to grey to, rarely, white. Around their necks, feet, and along their wings, feathers act as insulation from the harsh environment in the mountains. These feathers tend to match the scales in colour, although can often be of a lighter tint. Their large wings are usually copper-coloured, as their name hints at, though they can vary to more muted browns, as well as lighter gold colour as well.