Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It always seems to be picking over its scales.

And look! It has grown wings! 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.

A most self-absorbed little female, this hatchling spends all day every day grooming herself, ensuring every one of her scales shines like the finest diamond. Attempts by other hatchlings to befriend her are quickly rebuffed, for they are dirty and stinky and gross and do not deserve the blessing of her companionship. This vain behavior has led the other hatchlings to dub her "Princess Picky," a title she's none too fond of.