What ARE Dragons?

So, you say you have Dragons, Shirrushim, Lindorms, Amphipteres, Wyverns, and all that good stuff. But what in the heck are they???


Good Question! I am going to devote this part of my page to explaining a little bit of what I am talking about. I will eventually have a good, clear, depiction of each type of draconid described, and animation where possible. The image of the mature european dragon is courtesy of www.elisel-midnight.demon.com.uk/pda/pda-main.htm; the adolescent wyvern is courtesy of www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1839/dragon.html; and the adolescent asian dragon is courtesy of The Dancing Dragon Catalog. The mature asian dragon comes from a photo in a book on antique Japanese dolls. Note that these images are not to "scale" (excuse the pun!) relative to each other.

Please note the UPDATES below!

Useful Definitions

Saurimmals
Dragons, Wyverns, and the rest are not reptiles, but Saurimmals. Although they are scaly and some look snakelike, they are warm-blooded. Similar to birds, they lay eggs with hard shells. However, they are also distinct from birds in that they have both a form of hair (horns are made from hair-like material) and most species feed their young milk they produce themselves, like mammals.
Dragons
"True" dragons have four legs, two wings, and a tail approximately twice as long as the mid-section of their body. Contrary to popular belief, Asian dragons DO have wings, it simply takes many more years for them to develop. Possibly the pressure of human hunting caused the European dragon to evolve a quicker pace of development that includes the early eruption of wings. The exception are marine asian dragons, which usually have only vestigial wings, even in their adult stage. It is also possible that some watergoing asian dragons are actually Acuapodes. As far as records show, "True Dragons" are found only in Europe and Asia. Other varieties mentioned below are noted in North and South America, Africa, and Australia; so far, no one has reported an Antartic Dragon (though some coldwater Acuapodes may frequent the waters off Antartica).

This is fairly representative of what a mature european dragon looks like. (Aramis' baby picture is more or less representative of an immature european dragon.)

This is the best image I currently have which represents a fully mature (ie., winged) asian dragon. Since it is the figurehead of a boat, the hind legs are not evident in the representation.)
This is what an adolescent Asian dragon looks like, and is the type with which most people are familiar.
This is the traditional description of the Asian Dragon (keeping in mind that it is prone to inaccuracies--since dragons are not outgoing by nature, and any human happening to encounter one usually does not remain long enough to find out how friendly it may be!):
camelike head, deerlike horns, demon eyes (?!), bull's ears, a snake's neck, carp's scales, eagle's claws, and tiger's paws. The classification is further refined by the existence of Imperial Dragons, distinguished from their lesser brethren by having five claws rather than the usual four; Weathermakers, a rich shade of purest azure, symbol of a good spring rain; Treasure Keepers were subterranean dragons, guardians of all jewels and precious metals within the earth; and the River Lords were the most numerous dragons. Despite being the most numerous, they are not described.

Wyverns
Differ from true dragons in having only two limbs and two wings. Their scales are frequently less pronounced than true dragons', and may appear to be simply covered with a leathery, slightly bumpy skin. Their tails are often club-ended.

This is fairly representative of what an adolescent wyvern looks like.

Shirrushim
Common to both tropical and arid climates, a Shirrush might easily be mistaken for a type of dinosaur. They have four limbs and some even lack the dorsal crest characteristic of most draconid species; it is never very pronounced. However, their warmbloodedness, egg type, mammary glands, and the ability of some varieties to breath fire makes it certain they are draconoids. The tropical Shissur is a little stockier than the desert variety shown here.

This is a rough depiction of a Shissur, based on traditional images depicting an ancient middle eastern desert variation.

Lindorms
A Lindorm has only two limbs and a tail to balance its rather large head. They seldom grow as large as True Dragons or Wyverns, and tend to be a little chubbier than their more diversely-limbed relatives. They are the rarest of draconids, but may be found scattered through parts of Europe and Central America.
Here is an image of a baby Lindorm (Dinky the Baby Lindorm, to be precise). It is cropped from a larger photo (see "Dinky Vs. Eric" in the Photo Album), so it is not very good, but enough to provide an idea.

Acuapodia
Although they are most closely related to the Shissurim, Acuapodia resemble Lindorms in that their primary limbs, a pair of surprisingly dexterous webbed feet, are centered fairly near the middle balance point of their bodies. However, they are actually quadrupeds, the rear limbs having evolved into elegant flippers to aid in their completely aquatic lifestyle. Famous Acuapodes include "Nessie", the so-called Loch Ness "Monster", and Ogopogo, a playful Canadian acuapode. The Hawaiian variety is so tiny so as to be frequently mistaken for a minnow. Being the shyest of all draconids, they tend to barely peep above the surface to breath, and play above water only late at night.

Amphipteres
The most snakelike of all Dragon species, Amphipteres have no discernable limbs and only two large, graceful wings. Some central and south american species have feathered wings, suggesting that they are more closely related to birds than any of the other saurimmals. The graceful Quetzlcoatl and other central and south-american draconids belong to this family. Some existed in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in Classical times, but it is unknown if any remain there today, considering the loss of habitat (frankincense and coffee trees) they have suffered.

This is an amphiptere; although it has a claw-like appendage on the end of its wing, it lacks limbs besides said wings. (image courtesy of the Dancing Dragon Catalog; note that they mislabel this creature "Earth Dragon".)

Here is an amphiptere in action.

Dragon Names Around the World

Here are a few assorted ways in which people the world over say "dragon".

Email me at dracnova@hotmail.com if you would like to learn more about Dragons!

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