Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It has long toes, and likes to wander around on lily pads.

And look! Its toes have grown longer and developed webbing! 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.

This tiny dragon always seems to be wriggling his tail back and forth. People originally thought this was a sign of excitement, but the real purpose is far more practical: the squirming of his tail often lures curious fish to the surface, which he then pounces on and eats.