This hatchling could hardly be considered cute.

And look! It has grown wings! At least it isn’t quite as naked-looking anymore.

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.

Crackteeth was never exactly the prettiest dragon. The fact that she looks half-dead and smells like decaying flesh just seemed to keep the other hatchlings away for some reason. Thankfully, however, they do grant her attention whenever they need something cracked open--for this little female's powerful jaws have proven quite capable of breaking apart everything from nutshells to padlocks.