Magical Creatures
Antipodean Opaleye Dragon- The Antipodean Opaleye is a native of New Zealand, although it is known that it migrated to Australia when its home territory became insufficient. Although rare in a dragon, its home is the valleys and not the mountains. It is medium in size (between two and three tons). Probably considered the most beautiful type of dragon, it has iridescent scales that look like pearls and multicolored eyes without pupils, hence its name. This dragon produces a very bright, scarlet-red flame, although by dragon standards it is not particularly aggressive and rarely kills unless it is hungry. Its favorite food is sheep, although it is known that it also attacks larger prey. The series deaths of several kangaroos in 1970 were attributed to a male Opaleye expelled from his land by a dominating female. Opaleye eggs are light gray and can be mistaken for fossils by precipitated Muggles.
Chinese Fireball Dragon - The only oriental dragon looks truly amazing. Scarlet with soft scales, it has a fringe of golden spikes around the flattened snout and extremely protruding eyes. The Fireball owes its name to the mushroom-shaped flame that comes out of its nostrils when it is angry. It weighs between two and four tons, the female being larger than the male. The eggs are crimson speckled with gold and the shells are highly prized for use in Chinese witchcraft. The Fireball, being aggressive, is, however, more tolerant than most dragons, sometimes consenting to share its territory with more than two dragons. Fireball feasts with most mammals, although it prefers pigs and humans.
Common Welsh Green Dragon- Common Welsh Green blends well with the lush vegetation of its native land, although it prefers to live in the higher mountains, where a reserve has been created for its preservation. Despite the inevitable lfracombe incident, this breed of dragon is one of the least problematic, preferring, as is the case with the Opaleye, to roast sheep and avoid humans at all costs, except when provoked. Common Welsh Green has a roar that is easily recognizable by its extremely melodious sound. The fire is launched in jets. Common Welsh Green eggs are an earthy brown speckled with green.
Herbridean Black Dragon - Another dragon from Great Britain and more aggressive than its Welsh partner. It requires a territory of at least a hundred square miles per dragon. About nine meters high, the Hebridean Black is covered with irregular scales, the eyes are of a purplish-bright tone and has along the back a row of low but razor-sharp bumps. The tail ends on an arrow-shaped spike and the wings resemble those of bats. The Herbridean Black feeds mainly on deer, although it has been seen transporting large dogs and even cattle. The tribe of MacFusty sorcerers who have lived on the Hebrid Islands for centuries have traditionally called themselves to blame for the attitudes of their native dragons.
Hungarian Horntail Dragon - Supposedly the most dangerous of all dragon breeds, the Hungarian Horntail has black scales and the appearance of a lizard. The eyes are yellow, the horns are bronze and the scales are roughly the same color, protruding from its enormous tail. The Hungarian Horntail launches fire from the mouth at one of the greatest distances between dragons (about one hundred and fifty meters). Their Eggs are the color of cement and their shell is particularly thick. The chicks make their way out of the eggs using the tails, whose scales are well developed at birth. The Hungarian Horntail feeds on goats, sheep and, where possible, humans.
Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon- The Norwegian Ridgeback resembles the Hungarian Horntail in many ways, although instead of spikes on the tail it has black bumps along the back. Particularly aggressive towards those of its own species, the Norwegian Ridgeback is today one of the rarest breeds of dragons. It is known to attack many species of large mammals and, unlike other dragons, it also feeds on aquatic creatures. An unsubstantiated report states that a Norwegian Ridgeback carried a whale calf off the coast of Norway in 1802. Norwegian Ridgeback eggs are black and the offspring develop the ability to fire from the mouth earlier than other breeds (among first and third months of life).
Peruvian Dragon Vipertooth- The smallest of all known dragons and the fastest in flight. Just four and a half meters long, the Peruvian Vipertooth has soft copper scales with black spots. The horns are short and the teeth are particularly poisonous. Peruvian Vipertooth feeds on goats and cows, but it loves human flesh so much that the International Confederation of Wizards was forced to send exterminators in the past 19th century to reduce the number of Peruvian Vipertooth, which had increased with a frightening speed.
Dragon Romania Longhorn- Romania Longhorn has dark green scales and huge shiny golden horns, with which it pricks its prey before roasting it. Once reduced to dust, these horns are highly valued as ingredients for potions. Romania Longhorn's home territory has now become the world's most important dragon reserve, where sorcerers of all nationalities study closely the various varieties of dragons. Romania Longhorn has been subject to an intensive breeding program because its numbers have dropped so much in recent years, largely due to the trade in its horns, which are now classified as marketable material, class B.
Swedish Short-Snout Dragon- Swedish Short-Snout is an attractive silver-blue dragon whose skin is sought after for the manufacture of protective gloves and defense plates. The flame that flows from your nostrils is bright blue and, in a few seconds, can reduce wood and bones to ash. Swedish Short-Snout is said to have fewer human deaths than most dragons, although, preferring to live in the uninhabited mountains, this fact is not particularly significant.
Ukrainian Ironbelly Dragon- The largest of all dragons, the Ukrainian Ironbelly, reaches the weight of six tons. Fat and slower in flight than the Peruvian Vipertooth or Romania Longhorn, the Ukrainian Ironbelly is, however, extremely dangerous, capable of destroying the places where it lands. The scales are gray, the eyes a deep red and the claws are particularly long and cruel. The Ukrainian Ironbelly have been the object of constant observation by the magical authorities of Ukraine since one of these dragons carried a (happily empty) boat that he grabbed in the Black Sea in I1799.
