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.

Green dragons are also sometimes called "earth" dragons. They usually live deep within caves, and have power over the earth. They are capable of launching boulders at high speeds, and can cause earthquakes by slamming down onto the ground.

Gizzard's name often brings up unpleasant mental images, and the same can be said of her personality. Selfish, ignorant, and disgusting, she is not even close to the noble and proud ideal of her species. However, she is a physically powerful specimen, and given her frequent threats of earthquakes most other dragons in her clan are leery about challenging her. Only Infidel, one of the most respected dragons in the clan, is able to exert some control over her. The relationship between these two earth females varies between a grudging tolerance and full-out war (the rest of the clan has realized it's best to just get out of the way during their quarrels).

Gizzard is lifemated to Larol, a rather unpleasant Earth who is only slightly more tolerable than she is.