Nilia Pygmy

Nilia Pygmies were released on May 21, 2011 for Dragon Cave's 5th Anniversary.

Like all pygmies, their eggs cannot be bitten by vampire dragons, and only breed with other pygmies or Pumpkins.

Official Description
Adult:

"Nilia Pygmies reside mostly in mountainous regions, tending to live in large flocks. They are a curious, hyperactive species; their curiosity, often gets them into in dangerous situations. Despite this, they are wary around other dragons and animals outside their species. They are naturally shy and seek their own kind for companionship. Once the trust of a Nilia dragon is earned though, they are highly loyal critters; sometimes to the point of being annoying."

Mature Hatchling:

"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It is very active and playful. And look! It's grown its wings! It must be close to maturing."

Hatchling:

"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It is very active and playful."

Egg:

"This tiny egg is heavier than you expected."

Sprite Artists

 * Corteo (All)

Additional Information
This information was all written by the concept artist and spriter, Corteo.

Name: {C}Nilia Dragons were discovered by Nilia Abbercliff, a young girl, when she strayed from a mountain path on a hike. She was trying to find her way back when she heard a chirp from a cave above her. The chirp was a mix of a cat’s mew and a babies soft cry. Intrigued, she climbed up to examine the sound. What she found was the species that came to be known Nilia’s Dragon, shortened over time to just Nilia Dragon.

Habitat: Mountains, right near the tree line. They love sunning themselves on large boulders. Nilia dragons live in large groups, of about twenty, within caves. Nilias can sometimes be found in the lower forests surrounding mountains, but as a rule they will live in the mountains.

Diet: Small mammals such as rodents, birds. Nilia dragons love fish and will hunt often for it. To hunt fish they work together much as a dolphins would. They rely more on speed then on stalking. They have a huge weakness for apples and will do anything they can to get one, it’s one of the few fruits they will eat.

Mating: Nilia dragons come together in the spring and fall in mass numbers to breed. Some breeding swarms have hundreds of dragons, but it is much more common to find them with sizes of around ninety. Their eggs are heavier than normal because of their thick shells which protect from falling rocks and avalanches. While still in the shell, baby Nilias develop beak like mouths, to break the egg shell, which they quickly lose as they grow.

Wild Behavior: They are very wary of other dragon, and non dragon, species. They only truly trust their own species out of instinct and are more prone to flight than fight. They have an intense curiosity of anything foreign to them and will examine the object until they find something more interesting. They will then loose almost all interest in the previous object. Nilia dragons are diurnal.

Tame Behavior and keeping: It is possible to earn the trust of a Nilia, but it is quite difficult. They are easily bribed by food and finding the right treats will quickly gain you favor in their eyes. If you manage to earn their trust they will clamor for your attention constantly. It is often suggested that dragon keepers keep more then one, unless you want all your time taken up by these creatures. Nilia dragons hate being confined in small spaces and need plenty of space in which to live.

Hatchling behavior: Hatchling Nilias are extremely active and even more curious than the adults. They are a handful to raise, getting into everything they shouldn’t. At about three days their beak like mouths will start to disappear, and by the time they grow wings, it is all but gone.

Dimorphic Differences: Females are slightly bigger and heavier. Other then their size, it is impossible to tell the gender from their looks. Personality wise male Nilias tend to be more clingy while female Nilias are more independent.

Vocal: Their warning sound is a shrill shriek, as if from a hawk. They communicate with a large variety of chirps and are often mistaken for cats.

Magic: Nilia dragons have very little magic. They can breath fire, but it takes about a week for them to be able to do it again, so they only use it in the most dire need. Their only magical ability is to turn rock into bright and fiery gems. They only do it rarely, and even then it does not always work. It is worthless to keep Nilias in order to gain the gems they create, as they will only do it of their own free will.