The Scanderan dragonling is a dangerous flying reptile closely related to the Scanderan dragon. Just as it's larger cousin so is the dragonling or "Drakling" able to fly and uses a breath weapon to keep it's enemies at bay and to hunt. However contrary to the fire newt and the dragon so does the dragonling not breath fire but instead does it spit a venom at it's enemy that is strong enough to kill a human being if it get's in contact with his skin.

As a result is the Dragonling rated as one of the deadliest predators in Scandera and it is the reptile that kills most people each year with the Scanderan viper and the fire newt as the follow ups.

Etymology

Scanderan dragonling
	File:Luftöda.jpg
	Photo of a Dragonling
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	volanssaur
Genus:	Dracolius
Species:	D.Scandera minor
Binomial name
	Dracolius Scandera minor; Hylfred Görenssen, 1789
	File:Habitat Dragonling.png
	Habitat

The dragonling is known by two names in the good old tongue "Drakling" and "Khönugadräpar adla" both of which translates to "dragonling" and "kingslayer lizard" respectively. The first name is a play on the Imerian name for it's larger cousin the dragon or "drake". The second name however comes from the impressive records of kings that has fallen to the dragonling.

History

Historically so have the dragonling been considered a carrier of death and dread and have been used in the holy chronicles to symbolise the goddess Helia, the goddess of death. Historically so have also the dragonling been used to serve as a symbol of death, dread and terror in Scanderan heraldry and it has also the distinction of being the animal that has killed the most Scanderan royality as at least three Mountain kings, four Imerian petty kings and both Primus rex Stjärnkhrone II and Leiksten rex Stjärnkhrone I were killed by annoying a dragonling. This have given the dragonling the derogatory name "the kingslayer lizard".

Taxonomy

Just as dragons, wyverns and Wyvernlings so are the dragonling classified as a volanssaur which was the term that Hylfred Görenssen gave to all flying reptiles in Scandera which he then divided into the genus Dracolius which included dragonlings and dragons and Yverius which included wyverns and wyvernlings.

Anatomy and health

File:Dragonlingsize.png

Size compared to a human

A dragonling is a 20 centimetre long winged reptilian in Scandera that inhabits wet areas around rivers, lakes and swamps with a almost 60 centimetre long wingspan. It is known and dreaded for the very deadly poison that it produces and keeps in a pouch under it's throat.

When it needs to attack a prey so does it unleash a swarm of poison that can hit a target at over three meters distance if fired while flying. The poison is deadly enough that skincontact is fatal while absorbing it through once stomach is all but harmless even if a human will feel ill if eating meat tainted by dragonling poison. The lizard itself is a dark grey and brown colour even if it's lower wings are often brightly coloured in patters of red, blue and yellow to threaten foes and to impress mates.

Reproduction

While the dragonling is mostly a solidary creature so does the females fly away from their territories to look for a male during their mating period while the males flies around their own territories and displays impressive aerial skills in mating shows while they also scream loud songs to attract females. Once a pair have mated so does the female only stay around long enough to lay her eggs before she returns to her own territory while the male guards the eggs. Once the eggs hatch so is the young dragonlings left to fend for themselves and often shatters as their father are likely to kill them once they are born if they linger too long in his territory.

Diet

The dragonling is a carnivorous creature and while it most of the time hunts for insects around it's lake and river homes so is it also known to fly inland to ambush both monkeys, rabbuks, deer, rabbits and badgers with it's poisonous breath while it hunts shrew, rats, mouse and amphibians by simply diving down to catch them.

Behaviour

The Dragonling is highly territorial most of the time and it is known to fly around to patrol it's territory while hunting. However once it has managed to kill a large enough prey so does it stay around it's kill until it has managed to devour it and only takes a break by flying for a patrol. Once a threat have been spotted so is the dragonling known to fly down on the ground and hiss at it while it displays it's large and colourful wings as a warning and only attacks if it's enemy does not back away as it takes time and energy to replenish it's poison reserves.

Just as most Scanderan reptiles so does the Dragonling hibernate through most of the winter as it is known to dig holes to serve as winter retreats in it's territory that it covers with grass and moss so that once the winter starts to creep around the corner so does it retreat down into the cold ground where the temperature often lies at 4 degrees above zero where it sleeps through the winter months.

This however is when the dragonling is as most dangerous as thinking races have been known to block Dragonling holes in winter to kill the animal inside while animals as rats, ermines, weasels and polecats have been known to sneak into the holes and kill the sleeping dragonling as they do with fire newts.