Flamingo Wyvern

Flamingo Wyverns were released in the 55 Days release on August 28, 2010, along with the Ridgewing Dragons. The release was named so due to the amount of time it took to release the new dragons (55 days).

Much to the surprise of many when they were just released, Flamingo Wyverns are actually quite vicious, described by their conceptor as a 'fighting species'. It has also been revealed that head-butting is not only used for fighting, but also as a sign of affection for the species.

They share the same egg description as the Pink dragons, and are relatively common. They currently have no breed specific action.

Adult Female
"Flamingo wyverns are so named for their resemblance to the tropical birds who they often share territory with. Their most striking feature is the bony black crest over their faces and snouts, smaller in females, aiding both in digging up food and protection from attack. Females are noticeably brighter than males due to their habit of not straying far from particularly algae-rich feeding grounds."

Adult Male
"Flamingo wyverns are so named for their resemblance to the tropical birds who they often share territory with. Their most striking feature is the bony black crest over their faces and snouts, larger in males, aiding both in digging up food and protection when fighting for mates. Males are duller in color than females due to their habit of wandering from nest to nest and picking from less algae-rich feeding grounds."

Mature Hatchling (Female)
"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It is rather pale in color and likes to sleep while balancing on one leg. And look! It's grown its wings and is much brighter! It must be close to maturing."

Mature Hatchling (Male)
"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It is rather pale in color and likes to sleep while balancing on one leg. And look! It's grown its wings and a large head crest! It must be close to maturing."

Hatchling
"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It is rather pale in color and likes to sleep while balancing on one leg."

Egg
"It's bright. And pink."

Sprite artists

 * Corteo (All)
 * Nepherim (All)
 * Angziety (Adults)

Additional Information
This information was released on the forum by Dr. Paine who created the concept for the Flamingo Wyverns.

"Dr. Paine"

- Name: Flamingo Wyverns were, quite obviously, named after the tropical bird. This is due both to the uncanny resemblance between the bird and wyvern, as well as the fact that Flamingo Wyverns will feed on the birds.

Habitat: While they originated in coastal regions and mud flats, Flamingo Wyverns have spread out over the years. They can live anywhere that provides enough food and a nesting territory, though hatchlings and eggs tend to be at risk the further inland a Flamingo goes- the bright colors (or stark whiteness) make them extremely visible to predators.

Diet: Omnivorous. Hatchlings will usually hunt small fish, bird eggs, shrimp and insects, occasionally resorting to algae or plants. As they grow, they will progress to eating anything they can, preferring meat. Coastal Flamingos will usually eat wading birds (flamingos are a particular favorite) and fish, while ones in forest climates will go after various small and large mammals; the largest are capable of taking down a black bear for a meal. They will also eat other dragons, even their own kind. It is possible to raise a strictly vegetarian Flamingo, but only if the diet is kept up from the moment they hatch. Flamingos have eight large molars in the backs of their mouths, the rest of their teeth are made up of large canines.

Mating: Flamingos breed, on average, once a year. The start of the season is marked by fights between females as they pick nesting sites, followed by males as they try to show their strength to the females, and occasionally presenting her with gifts. It's not uncommon for a particularly strong male to mate with several females in an area, while weaker males will often wander around to find even weaker foes. Occasionally, exceptionally weak males will resort to eating freshly laid eggs in an effort to bring a female back into season (similar to a behavior in lions). However, whether he gets to mate or not is entirely up to how badly the female wants eggs, and if she sees his act as a display of his intelligence and trickery, or simply despicable. Flamingos will usually lay one to three eggs, and females will occasionally raise hatchlings communally. If a male has shown to not be much of a fighter, they will often become babysitters- in exchange for some food and protection, he will watch hatchlings while the females hunt.

Mothers and babysitters are surprisingly attentive to hatchlings, and will actively teach the little ones from the moment they can start to move around on their own. While coastal Flamingos rarely form permanent bonds, ones further inland, as well as tamed Flamingos, usually are monogamous. In the wild, this is thought to have developed due to the fact that hatchlings are much more likely to be picked off by predators. It is unknown why this develops in captivity, though.

Wild Behavior: Extremely proud, Flamingo Wyverns will pick a fight with anyone or anything they feel has slighted them. This can include humans, other dragons, animals, or even things like rocks and trees that cannot be moved or knocked down. While extremely intelligent, wild Flamingos will usually put their minds to memorizing the strengths and weaknesses of other dragons, the best hunting spots and tactics, and good nesting sites. They are fascinated with weaponry of any sort, and some will keep small hoards of it. Aside from shields, swords, spears, and other human creations, Flamingos will also fight over shed antlers, teeth, and horns from other dragons. Flamingos will also show respect to particularly strong or intelligent dragons. Among their own kind, this is usually through the condition of an individual's horns- the crest of silver/white horns will slowly curve backwards with age. The more curved the horns, the stronger or smarter a fighter. This also applies to the horns that run alongside the jaw- a strong Flamingo will usually have theirs intact, rather than broken off.

Tame Behavior and keeping: If raised from the egg, a Flamingo can be a great companion. Their violent behaviors can be curbed with effort, and it's been shown that a calm Flamingo will often be a smarter Flamingo- they will usually put their time into learning anything they can. They can even be taught to read, so long as someone is holding the book for them (they can usually manage scrolls on their own.) It is vital, however, to raise one much as you would a human child. Treating them as less than an equal will insult and possibly enrage them, it seems to be an immutable trait in the species. If raised well, a Flamingo will be an excellent guardian and friend. It's not impossible to imagine them being used as soldiers for an army, or even private body/property guards. It's also worthwhile to note that, unless given access to carrots and other foods rich with beta carotene, they will not grow up pink- instead, they will be pure white. This also applies to wild flamingos. (Fun fact: there was originally a pitch for a white alt flamingo that would have a one in ten chance of appearing in bred eggs. Sadly, it was scrapped.)

The largest a Flamingo has ever reached was about 18 feet tall and heavy enough that it couldn't fly, though most tend to hover between eight and ten feet tall, and light enough to fly for a fair bit of time.

Hatchling behavior: Hatchling Flamingos are quite active, and always eager to throw their weight around. When they're small (Flamingos hatch about the size of a large cat), they will often try headbutting their caretaker, usually to show hunger or affection. Or both. while cute at the time, steps usually need to be taken to stop this, as it can (and in the wild, will) persist into adulthood. Tame hatchlings also love to listen to, and as they grow, act out, stories, especially ones with draconic heroes.

Dimorphic Differences: Because females tend to stay in areas rich with algae and plankton, they are usually a darker pink than males. Both sexes tend to be fairly even in size. Males usually have a larger crest of horns than females.

Vocal: Flamingo Wyverns in tropical climates usually have a loud, goose-like honking call, with a sharper one for warning. However, they are fairly good mimics, and can employ several different sounds depending on where they live. The best mimics can occasionally pick up human speech, but this takes a great deal of time and effort.

Magic: None. Really, Flamingos are entirely magic-less, they can't even breathe fire or employ telepathy.

Other: I couldn't really fit this anywhere else. Flamingo Wyverns are actually not that scaly. They have a single layer of rather large but thin scales on their backs (as well as the back of their neck and tail), they mostly rely on an extremely thick hide. This leaves them extremely vulnerable to any fire breathing dragons.

The 'masks' on their faces are not the only source of protection when they start headbutting each other. Flamingos have extremely thick skulls, as well as more fluid around their brains, this helps cushion the blow.

While hatchlings are usually born with bright blue eyes, these slowly change to yellow or amber as they reach adulthood.

The egg descriptions being the same as Pinks is entirely my fault. The original pitch was 'This egg is bright pink and smells like shrimp', but at some point in the process, I thought it would be a good idea to say this: "Of course, if TJ wants to be mean, it could always say 'It's bright. And pink.'" I apologize to all of you.