Sidewinding Ribsplitter

Parasitic Reproduction: These tiny dragons earn their fearsome name from the way their hatchlings emerge. Unlike other dragons, which lay hard-shelled eggs, Ribsplitters have soft-shelled eggs that dissolve easily in stomach acid. After felling a creature with their venom, they force their eggs down the creature's esophagus and into the stomach using their tail, where the egg lies in wait. A few weeks later, the hatchling has grown off of eating the food the host swallowed and is ready to emerge. It then tunnels its way out of the host's chest in brutal fashion. Not the most pleasant way to go, that's for sure.

Venom: To incapacitate prey, Ribsplitters have a fairly potent venom that renders mid-sized creatures (boars and smaller) unconscious for anywhere between ten minutes and an hour. This venom can be spat at foes from a distance, but must enter a wound to take effect.

Agility and Speed: Ribsplitters can't fly, but they're surprisingly quick on the ground. Their agility on land usually allows them to escape most situations without harm. To hop from island to island, they'll hitch rides on larger dragons, snapping at passing gulls or pests to keep their newfound mount appeased.

Strength and Combat: Ribsplitters are not built for combat. They are stealthy, hit-and-run predators who attack from a distance and distract the foe until they can get a bite in. They can be difficult for larger creatures to fight, since they move fast and are hard to see. Like Nadders, they can shoot their spines at opponents, which is usually used as a last-ditch effort to ward off a larger aggressor.

Stamina and Endurance: Ribsplitters have surprisingly great stamina when it comes to slithering. They can usually tire out prey on land by dancing around it until it finally gives up. Of course, their small size makes them rather frail on the endurance end - they can give a hit, but they can't take one back. The rare exception is acid: every part of their bodies, from their snout to their tail, is acid-proof, even against Changewings.

Senses: Ribsplitters have decent sight in their young years and go blind in adolescence. Around this time, they develop the ability to detect heat. Their sense of smell is excellent, allowing them to track prey for long distances, and their hearing is decent enough to allow for rudimentary echolocation.

Intelligence: Ribsplitters are not astoundingly bright. They're like cats: they can learn a trick or two if you try hard enough, and will figure basic things out eventually, but that's about as far as they can go without relying on instinct.

These dragons love the dark. They are shy by nature, and only emerge from their subterranean homes at night to hunt for food. They are immensely non-confrontational, and will sooner be chased somewhere far away than stick around to defend their territory. It isn't unusual to see them living alone or with others, depending on what's most convenient. They tend to take the path of least resistance, which makes them surprisingly easy to keep as pets, since they'll be more than content if provided a dark space and regular food.

Though they might live with others of the same species, they don't socialize unless it's to find a mate. You'll know they're looking by their behavior, which consists of rearing up, flaring the wings, and letting out a high-pitched, warbling cry.

What they have in sharpness they lack in smarts. They're lazy by nature, preferring to lay low, and can easily be caught and used if treated right. Their shyness makes them hard to find, but once that hurdle's been crossed, there's nothing preventing them from rolling over and being complacent.

Ribsplitters also lack many long-range attacks and have somewhat thin hide. Their size makes it easy to permanently wound them - even a single strike from a dagger is enough to make them bleed out.

Capturing them is the hard part, but from there, it's smooth sailing. Unlike Terrors, who can be taught tricks, Ribsplitters don't like to move around and follow orders. They're happy to lounge on their owner's shoulders and bask in the sun, but do little else. Training is simple: capture one, then keep it in a dark place with hiding spots and regular meals. That's it. Soon enough, they'll learn to recognize their handler's scent and may form a bond.

Aside from looking terrifying and making for an excellent threat (especially if it's a female visibly with egg), Ribsplitters don't do anything well that another small species like Terrors can do better.