The Poison Dart Serpent
The Poison Dart Serpent is a dragon native to Dragovia.
Biology[]
Poison Dart Serpents grow to nine metres long, and are brightly coloured, usually yellow with orange stripes. A series of small spikes run down the spine, and they are dark green or black. They also have a pair of curled horns on their head, and although they can have no purpose defensively, the horns are larger on healthier specimens, so it is a useful guide during mating season.
Also for mating season, the males have a brightly-coloured flap of skin under their neck. The male will rear up to show off the colours to a female.
Like a lot of dragons, the Poison Dart Serpent has wings and can fly. It is fairly light for a dragon its size, and is therefore a very good flyer, capable of flying for a long time.
Spore version of the Poison Dart Serpent
While Poison Dart Serpents have teeth, claws and fire like other dragons, its most deadly weapon is its poison. This is injected into the victim's bloodstream through the barb on the dragon's tail, and the poison infects all the major organs and ultimately stops the heart from beating.
The fire, also, has two different ways it can be used. The first way is a simple beam of fire like that of the Armadraggon. The second option is for it to exhale a flammable gas along with the fire. After about ten metres, the gas ignites, creating a large, fiery explosion.
Diet[]
Poison Dart Serpents are carnivorous. The most common way they kill their prey is to inject their venom into the victim's blood system, then either follow the prey until it dies, or wait for it to be weakened, the jump in and deal the killer blow. Serpents have also been seen using their explosive fire as well.
Behaviour[]
2D concept art by an Arbotile individual, based on images from satellites
Because of their venom, interaction with other Poison Dart Serpents can prove fatal. This is kept to a minimum because they only interact to mate. However, when this happens there are often big congregations fighting over females. Poison Dart Serpents also only ever lay one egg at a time, to stop babies killing each other. Once the mating process is over, the egg is abandoned, often hidden relatively well under jutting out pieces of cooled lava.
If the egg hatches, it has to learn how to survive by itself. This leads to a high mortality rate in young Poison Dart Serpents, but there are always a couple of survivors. These are always those that learn quickest, so they pass on the gene when the reproduce.
Habitat[]
Poison Dart Serpents are unique to Vulcas. Their skin is highly heat-and-fire resistant to survive in the hostile landscape. They are secondary predators under the Armadraggon.