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.

Whirltail is one of Phoenix's dragons. He is a friendly hatchling with a good sense of humor, and most dragons like to be around him. He is a favorite among the friendships of the other hatchlings, and Phoenix is very fond of him as well. His mother, Vortexwalker, is very kind to him, although his father, Timberstrider, is not as pleased with him as the rest.