Tundratail

Anatomy

A prime example of an amphithere, tundratails lack legs and arms, have a long, slender body, a small stubby head, and large wings. Their scales glow all the colours of the most beautiful aurora, truly a spectacle to behold. No matter how often I see these dragons fly by my house, I am still in awe at how incredible they look. Especially seeing their wings trail icy light. I really want to know the composition of their wings.

Wings

The material that makes up the wings of a tundratail is commonly called "icy light", but it has no scientific name. That is because it is impossible to replicate, and any raw samples that are obtained will melt almost instantly. But strangely enough, small "feathers" occasionally molt from the wings, and these do not melt. During tundratail migration, I get a lot of these feathers on my garden. It started off nice, but now it is a nuisance.

Head

These dragons have very small heads, but with flexible jaws that can open at an alarming degree. They are also able to swallow things larger than their heads, with a pharyngeal jaw that drags its food down its throat, and the stretchy bones allow for larger prey to be swallowed. Atop their heads are large crowns made of ice.

Habitat

A completely airborne species, tundratails never once land, except for when they die. They even sleep in the air, by flying in circles so that they don't wake up in a completely different location. They fly in a range of altitudes too, anywhere from just a few metres above the ground to cloud level, however favouring higher up. That way, they are most camouflaged.

Element
Ice/Air

Lifespan

40 years

Average Length

40 metres

Geographic Distribution
Heather Isles

Relationships & Reproduction

Mating

Mating in the air, the male and female will wrap their tails together and the male is able to fertilise the female's eggs. Mating occurs once every year, between a pair who are mates for life.

Birthing

Unusual for dragons, tundratails give birth to live young. Babies will emerge from the mother head first, that way the baby can wrap itself around the mother's tail easier. Since the dragons never land, they must give birth mid-air. Babies will wrap themselves around the mother's tail until they can fly.

Feeding Habits

Working like a vacuum, these dragons suck things into their mouths. Usually targeting birds and small dragons, they will open their mouths and attempt to suck the animals in, to be swallowed and digested. With weak jaws, they are unable to chew food so rely on strong stomach acids to digest their prey. They have commonly been seen to swallow prey much larger than their heads, and it easy to see what dragon is still digesting its prey because its stomach will bulge.

Ice/Fire Breath

Tundratails share the same icy breath that all Ice dragons possess. They also have the choice to ignite the ice, and produce a most terrifying fire that both melts your skin and the ice pierces you. Angering one of these dragons is certainly not the smartest choice.