Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It’s very playful and likes to be around other dragons.

And look! It has grown wings, and its throat has turned red with small speckles on it. It must be close to maturing!

Young dragons are relatively defenseless. They are born with relatively soft scales, which are shed and replaced with harder ones as the hatchling matures. Once a hatchling’s wings grow in, it typically marks the beginning of maturation. At this point they are often capable of hunting on their own and are usually left alone by their mother.

Ngerulmud spent about a year total visiting relatives in a temperate climate. There, she was introduced to spicy food, which she loved, especially the foods that use the red, claw-sized peppers. One day, she decided to grow the spicy fruits herself, and she has a little square put aside for that. However, nothing has grown since Ngerulmud planted the seeds, and she's confused why. It's quite cold on the mountain, but the chilly pepper plants won't even sprout.