Dragons are creatures with nearly unlimited life spans. They can survive for long periods of time, and no one has found a dragon that has died of old age. Adolescence is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling’s wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. Once they hit adolescence, hatchlings change quickly, maturing to their full forms in only 2 years.
Dragons don’t communicate with each other verbally, but they will growl to scare off predators and frighten prey. Young dragons will emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened. To communicate, they use telepathy with each other and to speak to other creatures.
Harvest dragons are a large, flightless breed most often found in heavily forested mountains. Normally shy, these omnivorous dragons keep to themselves in remote regions, but in the fall they descend from their high territory to search for food—and lots of it. During the autumn months, harvest dragons will eat whatever they can find, from large and small animals to nuts and fruit. In the winter they retreat into large caves and hibernate until spring, living off the fat they have built up.