Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It strikes up a drumbeat whenever it gets excited.

And look! Colorful plumage has sprouted from its shoulders and feet. 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.