Mistlet Pygmies thrive in humid environments and are most content when frolicking in the rain or fog. The cheerful demeanor they exhibit provides a remarkable contrast to their shadowy appearance, bringing joy in otherwise gloomy environments. Mistlets are an especially beautiful sight in long summer evenings, as their streak of vibrant scales catch the fading sunlight. They spend a great deal of their time foraging for edible roots and insects, and sometimes enjoy treats in the form of small fish or frogs.

Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling’s wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.

Pygmy dragons are the smallest category of dragons, being on the same scale as domesticated animals. They are often found around concentrated populations of dragons, relying on their larger brethren to ward away potential predators and leave scraps. As such, the majority of a pygmy’s diet is scavenged. Due to their tiny size, pygmies do not breed with larger varieties of dragons.

Gamzee is the youngest of the Makara Clan so far and is known as the only mostly sane dragon of the bunch, a fact that his mate, Karkat, has agreed with after meeting her mate's family. Gamzee is a hyper-active dragon, even for a pygmy, constantly pulling pranks or just being noisy in general. However, he does have periods of being completely calmed down and zen in behavior and periods of being rather violent like his father, even taking on the beliefs of the Grand Highblood. Very few can calm the pygmy down from his fits of rage, except for his mate, Karkat, and his family actually encourages the fits of rage, causing conflict between Gamzee's mate and his family.