| Gold Dragon | |
|---|---|
File:Gold male.gifFile:Gold female.gif
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| Release Date | June 2, 2007 (Original Species) |
| Elemental Affinity | Earth |
| Morphology | Western Dragons |
| Base Rarity | Very Rare |
| BSA | None |
| |
| Habitat | All Habitats |
| |
| Color | Gold |
| Nicknames | None |
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Spriters 
|
Nakase, Dovealove, Silvanon, Shikaru |
Gold Dragons are one of the original species on the site, having been released on June 2, 2007, alongside Bright Pink and Neglected Dragons. These dragons are known for residing in the highest tiers of rarity on the site.
Because of their popularity, TJ09 has made a joke page referencing Gold dragons. It can be found here after adding "makeallmyeggsgold" after "dragcave.net/" in the address bar. The resulting text is: "Yeah right."
On January 1, 2012, the Golds received a sprite update, gaining dimorphism, new poses, and shading. The update was released in celebration of the Year of the Dragon and the New Year. These sprites were conceived roughly 4–5 years ago in the Sprite Replacement sub-forum, where they were publicly and actively worked upon. According to the attached poll, ~800 votes were in favour of the replacement while ~100 were against it, with less than 100 null votes. Upon completion, the thread was removed and they remained in Nakase's Deviantart gallery thereafter. The female gold sprite went on to receive a Daily Deviation award from Deviantart on April 9, 2009.
Official Dragon Descriptions
Egg
"This egg is very reflective, almost metallic-looking."
Hatchling
"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. Like the egg it hatched from, it is a very shiny gold."
Mature Hatchling
"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. Like the egg it hatched from, it is a very shiny gold.
And look! It has grown wings! It must be close to maturing."
Adult
"Gold dragons are the ones most often killed by humans, who consider their scales to be extremely valuable. These golden scales grant them a high level of protection, similar to armor, and they use this to their advantage in battle."
Sprite Artist(s)
New Sprites:
Old Sprites:
Sprites
| Series | Egg | Hatchling | Mature Hatchling | Adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female
|
|
File:Gold hatchi.gif | File:Gold female hatchi.gif | File:Gold female.gif |
| Male
|
File:Gold male hatchi.gif | File:Gold male.gif |
Sprites No Longer In-Use
| Series | Egg | Hatchling | Mature Hatchling | Adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Holiday Sprites | ||||
| Christmas'11
|
- | - | - | File:Gold adult Christmas 2011.gif |
| Halloween'12 Female
|
- | - | - | File:Gold female Halloween 2012.png |
| Halloween'12 Male
|
- | File:Gold male Halloween 2012.png | ||
| Old Sprites | ||||
| Original Sprite
|
File:Original Gold egg.png | File:Original Gold hatchi.png | - | File:Original Gold adult.gif |
| Old Sprite
|
File:Old Gold egg.gif | File:Old Gold hatchi.gif | File:Old Gold mature hatchi.gif | File:Old Gold adult.gif |
| Old Egg (2nd Version)
|
File:Old Gold egg before Fog.png Egg before The Fog | |||
| Old Egg (3rd Version)
|
File:Old Gold egg before Mod Mayhem.gif Egg before Mod Mayhem | |||
| Old Dead Egg (5th Version)
|
File:Old Gold dead egg.gif | |||
Egg Sequence
| Stage 0 | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Dead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Encyclopedia Entry
Appearance/Basic Anatomy
- Their golden scales retain heat better than other dragons.
- The twin dorsal fins at their shoulders grow slowly.
- When first born, the golden scales are at their brightest and then dull over time.
- The dorsal and tail spines are not sharp.
- The underbelly has harder scales than the rest of the body.
- Three digits on each wing, with a small claw-like digit at the central joint.
- Eyes have slit pupils that are bright apple green.
- The tail is prehensile to a degree and helps steady movements.
Hatchling Behavior
- Hatchlings are timid but curious.
- At a young age, scales start out sharp.
- When encountering other metallic dragons, Golds become very talkative.
- Give them a shiny stone and you’ll entertain them for days.
- They can’t do much flying until the twin dorsal fins are long enough.
- Golds are natural leaders in the dark because of how their scales reflect light.
- As they near adulthood, they can become rather bossy to their fellow hatchlings.
- Why, of course you should adore Golds. They’re positively perfect in every way.
Adult Behavior
- Can be persnickety at times.
- Absolutely love objects as shiny as they are.
- Being hunted for their lustrous scales has made them tend to avoid humans.
- Dislike direct sunlight when in groups.
- Highly intelligent compared to other breeds.
- Have studied humans to a small degree but are not particularly impresssed with them.
Habitat
- Can be found near caves.
- Hatchlings tend not to stay where they are supposed to.
- Prefer dense wooded areas.
Diet
- Primary diet of large game and pack animals.
- Are careful to avoid killing off entire herds.
- “Snack” on nuts, if available.
Trivia
- The original adult sprite is a recolored Ice Dragon from ActRaiser.
- The egg sprite was updated to its final one during the Mod Mayhem release on April 1, 2010.
- Golds have had five egg sprite changes, the most changes out of any other dragon on the site.