Here's another one for you dracophiles.

The Crested Dragons live exclusively in the tropical climes, and are small by comparison to the dragon species of the north. The average length of this species from tip of nose to tail tip is between 18 and 24 inches. The average wingspan is between 16 and 22 inches. They average between four and six pounds.

All the tropical dragons are capable of flight and have evolved hollow bones, similar to their avian counterparts, to accommodate this. The Crested Dragons subsist largely on fruits and insects. Their scales are naturally very bright hues primarily tending toward the warm colours. They belong to the subset of tropical dragons that are capable of "breathing fire."

Like all dragons, they have small electrical organs in their mouths capable of discharging enough current to temporarily incapacitate prey of their size or slightly larger. A sufficient number of bites can throw the electrical balance of their prey's nervous system so far out of its normal patterns that they may die, days later, suffering what appears to be poisoning. The other function of this organ in the tropical dragons is that of an ignition system. Fire breathers, or drakes, as they are commonly known, have evolved an adaptation to hosting hostile bacteria in their lymphatic system. A similar bacterial agent may be largely responsible for the occasional "plague deaths" of northern species. These small dragons have adapted and now proliferate with the presence of this bacteria in their lymph glands, all throughout their body. The species of bacteria, and there are four distinct species, one per host species of drake, have one thing in common: they cannibalize the copper in the blood cells of the host organism. This causes havoc in a healthy dragon's nervous and cardiovascular system. The result is that during periods when the bacteria is most active, the dragons will become bloodthirsty, literally. They will hunt down other creatures, small mammals, birds and amphibians, sometimes even other dragons, (Normally tropical dragons subsist entirely on insects and fruit.) and kill them and gorge on their blood.

The positive effects of this symbiotic relationship is, the bacteria produces a liquid form of methane, suspended in the lymphatic fluid. The lymph nodes connected to the salivary glands of these drakes utilize the saliva ducts to secrete a rapidly vaporizing methane which can be exhaled to rid the body of toxins or, utilizing the electrical organs of the mouth as an ignition source, can be ignited and used as a weapon for hunting insects or in self defensive flame displays.

We see again in this species that convergent evolution can produce similar results in many contemporary species. The plumage, specialized scales, seen at the ankle joints of northern species, such as the Eastern Plains Dragon, have adapted to a facial crest, assumed to be purposed to courting, and a rudder-like fan at the end of the tail to assist in complicated aerial maneuvers.

The female of the species lacks the complicated plumage about the head and face, though shares the male's rudder plumes. The Crested Dragon lives in a mated pair for most of its life, one of a pair rarely outliving their mate by more than a few days. During courting seasons, unmated males and females will fly, ceaselessly, in massive courting flocks, seeking out compatible mates and engaging in ritual combat with others of their gender.

The brains of the tropical species of dragon have been found to be highly organized. These creatures are excellent mimics, often mimicking bird calls, the screechings of small primates and even several words of human speech, if exposed to it.

These are often prized as pets by the wealthy for their beauty and their intensely affectionate manner. Crested Dragons are hard to breed in captivity but socialize incredibly well, once succesfully bred and raised near humans.