Happy Halloween has come and gone but here is the culmination of Pumpkin Patch Dragons I’ve done for the past couple of years.
*Typically it’s their enflamed throat pouches that give them their names, but this time around I went with something else. The Pumpkin King Drake displays it’s unique defense mechanism to not only tuck it’s entire body within itself, revealing a plethora unpalatable spines and a smile which glows back at potential predators and trick or treaters alike.
*The Jack O’ lantern drake, also known as the Pumpkin Patch Dragon,
gets it’s name from the striking pattern that adorns it’s inflated
vocal sac. This pattern can come in any number of different “facial
patterns” and is used both as a defense mechanism as well as to
attract females.While not a danger to adult humans, small children and pets can be easily taken down by adult females. These dragons possess quite the sweet tooth and have been known to sit amongst Halloween jack I lanterns to snatch unsuspecting trick or treater’s candy bags.
*Far smaller than it’s larger cousin, the Jack O’ Lantern Drake, the
Candy Corn Dragon also utilizes the jack o lantern patten in it’s
vocal pouch, but for a different reason. Called Batesian mimicry the Candy Corn dragon uses it’s throat pouch to mimic it’s larger cousin as a way to intimidate and scare larger predators. Far less aggressive than the Jack O’ Lantern drake It’s first line of defense is to trick the potential threat giving it time to escape.
*The Jack O'lantern Hydra possesses the striking pattern of its cousin the Jack O’ lantern drake but 7 fold. While it’s cousin posses one impressive vocal sac the Hydra has 7. 2 larger sacs flank either side of it’s head with 5 smaller sacs on it’s throat. When dilated and contracted the Jack O’ lantern hydra can create unique songs. These complex sounds are believed to be primarily used for sexual selection and communication, though song for enjoyment sake is not entirely out of the question. Though less likely to be seen in urban settings, unlike the Jack-o-lantern Drake, the Hydra also has a taste for sweets and are known to actively pursue trick-or-treaters for their candy.
*The Skull Face Drake is the smallest of the Jack-O-Lantern genus.
While most of this genus display their jack-o-lantern pattern’s via their inflated throat pouches, aside from the Pumpkin King Drake, the Skull Face must inflate it’s entire body to reveal the trademark smile.
Despite the impressive defense of a Jack-O-Lantern smile, the first line of defense is to be as in inconspicuous as possible. The Skull Face will release a foul odor, should provoked, and remain still to give the impression that it is a decomposing corpse. Should this not deter a predator it will then inflate as a last ditch effort.
While quite buoyant when inflated, flight can become quite cumbersome do to the distended underbelly.
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