Super Science
Ch 78: Experiment Log, Dragon Ecology.
This is Doctor Izuku Midoriya reporting on Pacifica alongside Doctor Anima Genus to document the new spices that have sprouted up and populated the island. These creatures are known as Draconian Dominatus more commonly referred to as Dragons. Two very distinct families of dragons exist on the island known simply as Lesser and Greater Dragons. This log will be an in-depth analysis of the genealogy of every current existing dragon on the island, ranging from the high mountain tops to the deepest part of the Oceans. He and Anima have been outfitted in the field with a new Splinter of his design. The Let Me Pass Splinter. Another name that I didn't consent to.
Anyway, this Splinter will allow us to get up close and personal with any Dragon on the island without risk of provocation. They act much like the Good Boi Splinter but without the permanent domestication part. They'll just allow us to get close while remaining completely wild. I'll first be covering the lesser dragons before going onto the Greater Dragons as you'll see why in a minute.
Lesser Dragon- Known for their comparatively smaller size to their Greater cousins, with the largest members of this family being the size of a giraffe, they make up the most diverse range of dragons. All Lesser Dragons have features that are extremely similar to one another with few exceptions and only the largest members can breathe fire.
Micro Dragons: as the name implies these dragons are the smallest of their kind, with the smallest ones being only the size of a hummingbird and the largest being the size of a large exotic parrot. They make up the most populated type of dragons with over 50 species discovered so far and can be found in every area of the island except the Antarctic mountains. All Micro Dragons have similar behavior, appearance, and diet.
These dragons don't look like your typical dragons as they appear more like small lizards with wings. They don't have horns of any kind on their head but support a crest of spikes that run the length of their bodies. They have two wings, two legs, large eyes, and zygodactyl feet. The males of every species have bright scales and loud calls while the females are dull in color and quiet.
Due to their size and dietary, choices are small yet their options are vast. They are naturally omnivorous and will eat anything smaller, slower, or can catch like small fish, insects, rodents, fruit, nuts, flowers, berries, eggs, honey, and even other dragons. That's right, it's a dragon-eat-dragon world out there. As far as defense goes, they can make use of their small size to fly faster and turn tighter than any flying creature in addition to their needle teeth.
Sea Dragons: as the name says, these dragons stick primarily to the water and exclusively in the waters of the open ocean. They are long, and slender, and appear more like snakes than dragons with modified limbs made into flippers. They have distinct markings on their top and back for camouflage. They are completely carnivorous and will eat anything they can wrap up in their body. Fish, dolphins, small whales, seals, and mermaids. They used an organ on their nose to detect electrical frequencies in the water to find prey, and because of their fully aquatic lifestyle, they could not breathe fire. Instead, they have a very potent venom that can cause paralysis.
Amongst all dragons, these are the least populous species with only one notable specimen called the Tiamat, known for growing as long as a bus and pension for biting the neck of its victims to inject venom directly to the esophagus or gills and cause the prey to suffocate. The dragon will take it to the surface to consume or use bait for other creatures. One notable specimen was able to collect over three dozen different carcasses of different animals on the surface.
Earth Dragons (Drakes): these dragons are known for their terrestrial lifestyle, possessing four legs and no wings at all. They have tough and durable, sometimes armored, scales and a ravenous appetite. Like nearly all dragons on the island, they are completely carnivorous. They are the second smallest group of dragons on the island with only three distinct specimens. Cavern Spitters, Mountain Backs, and Red Racers. From here I'll go over all three in depth.
Cavern Spitters appeared and acted much like modern-day Komodo dragons except for their color which is used to blend into their natural environment. They live primarily in the desert in large outcroppings of rock. They use their large claws to dig out nests for them to rest in and lay in wait. These dragons are large, lethargic, and slow. Making catching prey a taxing ordeal. So they use ambush tactics and small bursts of speed with their huge bodies to take prey. These dragons have a fire breath but it's not very powerful and acts more like a spraying squirt gun of fire, hence their name. Mostly used in self-defense, cooking meat, and extra heat elimination. One crucial aspect of their survival is their extremely slow metabolism. Once they have a good meal in them they can go weeks without another bite. In addition, they can go into hibernate sleep, doubling their meal ticket.
Mountain Backs are the largest of the Earth Dragons, standing as tall as an elephant with the temperament of a hippo. They are extremely territorial and will attack anything in sight. They are covered in very dense and thick osteoderms that look like they are made of stone with a particular collection at the center of their back giving them their name. They live in and near mountains or deep gorgeous and always colored like the surrounding rock. They spend their day digging tunnels or patrolling their turf. They have short faces with blunt teeth and forward-facing eyes.
Their diet consists of mineral-rich stones, cave-dwelling creatures, and giant spiders that can do nothing to pierce their armor, trap them in webs, or use their exoskeleton for defense. One unusual feature that they possess is the ability to curl into a ball and then roll at a speed reaching 15 mph. How they can do this and not get dizzy while also knowing when to turn or stop or even where to go is currently unknown. Despite their large size, they do their best to not pick fights with other fire-breathing dragons. Despite their seemingly impervious defense, their skin is quite flammable. Leading them to act more aggressively in the face of perceived danger.
Red Racers are an oddity amongst Earth dragons since they are extremely fast. Able to outrun the fastest horse alive. They get their name from the males possessing a red stripe that runs on the side of their bodies, running from the face to the tail. They have fit, upright, streamlined bodies and very short, thin horns that arch the back of their skull. They use their speed to outpace prey alongside their incredible pack mentality. Red racers are highly intelligent and form strong family bonds. They too can breathe fire, though it only comes out as a puff of black smoke and embers. However, they are the only Earth Dragons that use their fire breath all the time, even just for fun.
Wyrms: contrary to the name it is not spelled wrong or looks like the subterranean insect. Instead, they appear as snakes with horns and no wings and about two species possess vestigial legs. All of them possess the same sensory organ in their mouth to distinguish their surroundings, and a clear lens that goes over their eyes, giving them the ability to not blink. All Wyrms are venomous with the most potent venom that's so potent and powerful that it makes the injected feel as though their skin is on fire! Only two species can breathe fire within the eight already known. All of them are cold-blooded, carnivorous, and able to go weeks without another meal after eating.
The most notable member of the Wyrms are the Hydra. Much like their mythological counterpart, they can possess between seven or nine heads, what use this is for survival is currently unknown. Though unlike the stories the Hydra cannot regrow heads once they are removed. The heads of a Hydra usually fight and rip one another off, leaving anywhere from three to one head once adulthood is reached. Though their venom is the most powerful amongst all the Wyrms even its breath smells toxic.
Wyverns: these dragons appear as they do in many modern-day depictions of dragons in the media. Two wings and two legs with a set of horns, an upright posture, and appearing reptilian, but not. There are well over 28 different species of these kinds of dragon with almost all of them appearing vastly different from one another. All dragons in this category are omnivores able to eat anything they can catch or fit into their mouth. The two most common appearances of these creatures can be split into two categories, Griffins and Reptilians. Griffins, which should not be confused with the Griffins on the Island, appear more like birds with large and varying beak styles, and specialized feathers that are more similar to the scales on a pangolin, and nearly all of them are either venomous or toxic with only a small handful able to breath fire. Reptilians appear like the media depicted, but unlike the media, they are not huge or breathe fire. Only one of these subsection species can breathe fire while the rest are venomous.
True Dragon: these dragons are the truest to their many depictions throughout history, huge beats with mighty wings to carry them through the air, and the ability to breathe powerful fire. But they are far different in their appearance from the usual four legs and two wings. They appear more like the media version of dragons, with two legs and two wings with a reptilian appearance and horns and an upright posture. Along with specialized feather-like scales similar to the scales on pangolins. These dragons are the least populous of all dragons with only a few dozen individuals in each subclave and four known species making them the third largest group of dragons on the island. The four members of this species are the Aquatic Dracolisks, the Serpentine Dragon, the Denwen, and the Mountain Devil, all of which I will go in-depth about.
Aquatic Dracolisks are the only true dragon that spends the most time in and around the water. They are perfectly adapted to swimming with their dorsal fins, webbed feet, and paddle tails yet can still fly and breathe fire. They stand as the second tallest true dragon and have the temperament of hippos and a diet that is almost exclusively for fish. After catching the fish in their mouth they swallow them whole and alive while keeping them in a super stretching yet durable gizzard. Once the gizzard is full they go into the land and regurgitate them before setting them a flame. They live and nest along the wetlands and mangrove forests and possess the longest lifespan of all true dragons.
The Sperpinten Dragon has a very misleading name in that they look nothing like snakes, but instead bear a striking resemblance to the many depictions of Chinese and Japanese Dragons of old myth. They have the same body plan that all other true dragons possess, standing as the second smallest true dragon, and possess horns and whiskers that resemble the depictions of the old myths with many of them having a diverse range of colors from emerald green to gold. When mating season is upon them, these dragons will congregate in openings within thick overgrown forests and produce a booming call similar to thunder in order to attack females. They even possess the ability to shoot long-range fireballs of varying colors depending on their diet since the majority of them are omnivores.
The Denwen is the smallest of the true dragons standing at only 6 feet tall with a ten-foot wingspan, gold and rust brown coloring, a ridge of muscle along their neck that they can expand like that of a cobra for displays of threat, and even a snake-like head, living in and near deserts alongside rocky outcropping boarding along canons and fertile desert land, and possessing the hottest fire of any true dragon. Their fire is so hot that not only can they fire it for the longest, but also it can burn something right down to the bone. In addition, they can use their forked tongue in order to produce spinning flame jets.
The Mountain Devil is the largest true dragon, bare none, and even outsizes some Greater Dragons. They are so big that they can look an adult giraffe in the eyes. Their heads look like many modern directions dragons alongside the feather-like scales with equally powerful fire breath. They are all gray in color with males supporting wildly different colored markings alongside their faces, eyes, and wings. Despite their massive size, they are easily able to fly aided by a special set of organs that act like balloons and hold the ammunition for the dragon's breath. They live around mountains and open valleys, preying on anything large from the sky with dive bombing attack patterns and a finishing fire breath. Anything too slow to outrun the flying beats will be chased on foot. The only explanation I could get from this is the fact they may light the thrill of the hunt.
Now, with all Lesser Dragons covered, we will go over the far fewer but equally impressive Greater Dragons.
Greater Dragons- known for their much larger and sometimes stockier builds, make up the smallest yet most powerful group of dragons on the island with nearly all of them able to breathe fire in some capacity or some other unnatural form of self-defense. Every dragon in this group doesn't fall into a specific order like the Lesser Dragons but instead is distinguished by individual species, and in addition, they all have drastically different features from one another.
Scarlet Lasher: this red beast lairs in open areas where they construct nests made of branches, bones, and corpses. Males are smaller than females but a much brighter shade of red. They produce a horrible screeching sound and an even more horrible fire breath that has a distinct pungent order. They get their name from their long, sharp, and serrated tail that makes up for nearly half the dragon's body length and is able to generate heat at the tip, allowing them to cleave through creatures like butter.
Sickle Mouth: These usually small dragons are known for three things; their inability to fly their lack of a breath weapon, and the strange growth protruding from their lower jaw that acts like a sword. Although they can't fly, they have skin flaps under their limbs, allowing them to glide which they don't do very often in their native habitat lacking any sort of high ground or objects. As for their chin sword, it is accompanied by an armored faceplate that is used when fighting one another. In fact, relying on their sword is so great that they have perfected the use of it and have skills similar to that of the most skilled sword fighters.
Wailing Bishop: These dragons are also known as the killer carriers thanks in large part to their ability to vocalize many frequencies and their layered scale that can vibrate and add a synthetic hum to their tune. These silver-scaled beasts live in the deserts where they skim the sand for food hiding beneath the dunes. Since they skim the sand they end up eating much of it and end up having to throw it back up. Not possessing a fire breath, but still possessing an internal heating system within the gut, they turn the glass into a goop that mixes with their stomach acids and when ejected becomes black glass. They use this glass for building warm nests during the night, incubating their eggs, and even for self-defense.
Tasseled Thundermaw: these large dragons live by shorelines and ocean cliff sides where they use their long and writhing tail, which are three times the length of their body, as a finishing lure. When something grabs hold of it, the overlapping scales will hold the prey as the tail begins to wrap it around its length. It is then pulled from the water and given a short yet strong electrical shock from the tassel whiskers under its chin thanks to specialized cells found within an organ around its neck and jaw. They are colored and have other features like ocean fish but never go swimming and possess a large chin with an overgrown underbite. It's unknown if they have a breath attack at all.
Gaping Kilnneck: these ugly dragons look like scrawny and withered bags of scales and bones with protruding misshapen teeth rather than a deadly predator. But don't let that fool you, they have the most powerful and hottest fire breath in the whole Greater Dragons category. They can spread their jaws like a snake and produce a fire so intense, hot, and constant that anyone foolish enough to be in range, which is about 100 ft, will find themselves unable to leave the torrent of flames. They nest in tall thick redwood trees where their fire breathing becomes much more lax when they have chicks.
Black Blister Whip: these insane beats have the most unusual appearance and self-defense measures amongst all Greater Dragons. They look like someone had tried to draw a dragon as a bird but gave up halfway and even possessed the flighty and crazy nature of barnfowl. Their tails are long with a rounded bulb at the end and many large exaggerated pores running the length of it. When stressed these pores will produce a foul green liquid that the dragon will swing around wildly. Once an area is covered they will use their pathic fire breath to ignite the liquid causing a wall of flames to burst to life anywhere it touches.
Hellbasker: these short yet stout dragons have the most unusual form of fire breath. Once they consume their prey whole and their stomachs digest everything organic, they will regulate the remnants in a flaming scattershot. They live along gulches and deep valleys where they jump and glide from one wall to another in search of food despite being perfectly capable of flying normally. Two of their favorite prey items are Carven Spitters and a newly introduced creature to the island, the Armor Head. They make nests in cracks along the rocky walls and allow their kin to fend for themselves once hatched.
Rattle Dread: these enormous creatures are the third largest and second bulkiest dragons on the island. They get their name thanks in great part to the mane of hollow spines that rattle when agitated or excited. Because of their massive size, these beats require a lot of food and will bully smaller creatures away from a fresh kill or try to eat anything they can easily eat, catch, or scorch. If intimidation doesn't work, they come equipped with a specialized fire breath that acts like the fire from a volcano. However, this is only used in special cases since it eats up a lot of energy to produce.
Emerald Bombardier: these green dragons live in the redwood forests where they construct their large and intuit nests out of saliva. Many times over these nests become heavy and may break off a weak limb or break off smaller pieces where they will explode into a highly combustible scattershot or explosion. If a nest or area they live in becomes compromised, they can light their nests on fire and destroy them in a fiery explosion to either scare off or kill a threat. Additionally, they can launch their spit at foes and light them up. The saliva acts like kerosene gel and won't come off even after rubbing or washing it away.
Veil Wright: these unusual dragons are the strangest I've encountered so far. They have a body plane like a bat but a very flat face with a rust-red raised nasal crest that has six openings. These openings are always emitting thick black smoke even when sleeping, allowing the dragon to conceal its whole body. They are solitary creatures who only come together during mating. They are known for scowling their home territory, the Mist Veil Forest, for any and every manner of wild poisonous plants. Despite what it may seem, these creatures are not omnivores and don't get any nutrients from their pants. In actuality they use them for their main weapon, their noxious smoke breath. Each plant grants a different ability caused by the smoke; hallucinations, vertigo, paralysis, senility, closing of airways, and so much more.
Hullbreaker: these hulking dragons are the bulkiest dragon on the island, the hardest, and the second largest dragon on the island. They live in the Frozen Flat Lands where they use their enormous forelimbs to break sheets of ice to expose their favorite food, fish. Due to their enormous size, they have lost the ability to fly, but can still glide short distances with their wings. Their strength is so enormous that I once caught sight of one punching a spire of ice that was six feet at the base in a few blows and all because it was in the way of a nesting sight it liked.
Enchanting Leaf Tail: I can only assume that these dragons are close relatives of the Tasseled Thundermaw due to their similar size, appearance, hunting strategy, and tail. Although a bit smaller than their sea-dwelling cousins, they still share the same oversized tail that can make up for twice their body length. The tails of these beats are arranged like the tree branches of the forest they live in. The Living Forest is a semi-wetland biome covered in mist, giving it a mythical forest vibe, where large willow trees dangle to the nearly empty and misty forest floor alongside self-mobile plants moving along the ground. This is where these dragons get their namesake, as their tails resemble the branches of these trees where they prey upon the many species of unicorn and other smaller plant eaters. Their tails produce a strong order that completes the witless creature into wanting to eat. Whenever something goes to nibble their tails, the specialized leaves on them will anchor themselves to the creature before the rest of the tail binds them up, all before the dragon uses its weight to pull the creature up into the air, using a branch to aid in this like a pulley. Once the prey and the dragon are at the same level, it will use its razor-sharp wing claws to cut and slice the animal while also setting it ablaze. From there it will dangle upside down and consume the prey until it's full. It also has specialized overlapping scales that can raise to mimic the foliage.
Great Kinsbane: the largest of all the Greater Dragons, the most brutal, and the meanest. These beats are more like enormous flying fortresses rather than animals with horns so huge on their heads it appear to overtake their whole face. These huge creatures have no set territory and will move from place to place as they see fit. They will nest where they please, even kicking out other animals and dragons from their nests and eating them or their food. They act so much like the dragons of European myth that I'm surprised that no external intervention was used to make them. They also possess the hostess, the most powerful, and the most diverse firepower. They can shoot streams, balls, waves, and so much more. They are truly the kings of all Greater Dragons.
With that, I think this log covers just about every dragon on the island and so the last thing I'll say is-
Transmission Lost
Holy crap! I can't believe that just happened and that we just survived it! Okay okay okay okay! Calm down Izuku!
Phew. Okay, I'm good now. Sorry about that, just a bit of shell shock is all. Not every day when that happens to a researcher. Oh oh oh! Right right right! I forgot that there is no way you can understand what I'm talking about. Well, to put it mildly, we just discovered a new dragon that nearly killed us….no pressure.
Okay, so we're gonna need a bit more time to document these new species. So yeah…I'll be back.
Okay, I'm back and we just finished studying this new species of Dragon. I've decided to make an entirely new subcategory just for this one due to how different it is from the other two. Henceforth it shall be called the Dragon Lord. This dragon is far larger and more powerful than any other dragon on the island besides Torch Wick, who is classified as a Dragon King, with the addition of having a breath attack on the scale of something in a medieval fantasy.
This single species of dragon has been aptly named the Frost Fang Tyrant or Frost Dragon if you prefer. They are many times larger than the largest dragon on the island and have the ability to fly which seems like an impossibility for creatures of its size. They look like the typical fantasy dragon except for having blue and white scales, three sets of hue horns, and translucent wings.
They live on the highest and coldest peaks on the island as their natural habitat. As their name implies, instead of breathing fire, they can shoot out a specialized chemical compound that when exposed to air produces ice. They use this breath attack to capture prey and then relocate to their frosty mountains to be saved and stored. Frost dragons hunt far more than they need to eat so their territories usually look like a meat locker for when they are hungry. An interesting fact is that the Frost Dragons hunt smaller dragons as their main source of prey.
As of currently, we have never seen a frost dragon use its breath weapon in self-defense, only hunting. They don't even use it when fighting one another, instead using their teeth, claws, tail, and wings. We have three possible theories for this: first, since they are so big that nothing would try to attack them as the apex predator, and even if something did try the Frost Dragon still wouldn't use its breath. Second, its breath attack is a limited resource so using it as little as possible is the best course of survival. And third, they may not even like using it in the first place. Anima tried tasting a piece of the Frost Dragon ice and quickly spat it out while saying that it burned in his mouth like chemicals.
One other thing I'd like to add before signing off is an odd behavior I observed in one specimen we had been following for our entire journey of documenting these new dragons. We called him Roody. Every day at about noon, Roody would go to the southeast direction and stare off into the distance on his icy ledge. He'd sit there for about an hour and every fifteen minutes he'd roar. After which he'd go about on his day.
Me and Anima have tried our best to understand this behavior but couldn't come up with anything. The only thing in the direction, near Roody's territory, is the border between the Cold Mire and the Hot Plate Plateau. Perhaps he's trying to warm something from entertaining? We're still not sure. But ever since the dragons appeared, so too did a stretch of the savannah biome suddenly break off the mainland and turn into an island of constant volcanoes, eruptions, and lava flow. Nothing could live there….right?
This is Doctor Izuku Midoryia signing off for now.
Please Review and have a Plus Ultra day.