5. Dragons' anatomy
By: Amie Granger

When it comes to the anatomy of a dragon, there are a couple different types. They are divided into Western and Eastern dragons. This chapter will show characteristics of each.

Starting from the inside out, the Western dragon has a skeletal structure consisting of a large head, long neck, broad shoulders, thick legs, strong tail and very large wings. Their bones are very strong, yet since they are hollow, they are surprisingly light. The Eastern dragon, however, has an extremely long, thin skeletal structure. It has a medium-sized head, very long neck, short legs, small hips and a long tail. The skeleton of the Eastern dragon allows it to act much like a snake. It can twist and turn in many different ways. The bones of an Eastern are not hollow, but they are thin, so as not to add a lot of extra weight. It doesn't need the extra bulk to accommodate its flight muscles, because Eastern dragons do not have wings. They use the powers of magic to fly.

All dragons are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plants. Because of this, dragons have two sets of teeth. They have canines and incisors that are long and razor sharp, for tearing and ripping meat. They also have molars for chewing, instead of just swallowing its food whole.

When it comes to the muscular system, Western dragons have stronger, more powerful muscles. They have two large muscles near the chest area, known as the Supraspinatus and Flexor alae major. These are the flight muscles. There aren't actual muscles in the wings themselves, so this is the only muscle group that helps them fly. Both Eastern and Western dragons have strong, large muscles in the tail, as well as the masseter muscle in the jaw that can easily crush bones to bits.

The exterior of the body of a dragon differs from breed to breed, but all dragons are covered with scales. They range in size from 15 to 60 feet in length, and some have horns or spikes on their heads and running down the spine. The female of the breed is normally larger than the male. The eyes of the dragon also vary according to breed. For example, the Antipodeon Opeleye has a pupil-less eye, while the Hebridean Black has vivid purple eyes complete with pupils. The eye of the Hungarian Horntail is that most commonly associated with dragons. It has the bright yellow eye with a serpent-like slit for a pupil.
The scales, horns and claws of a dragon are made up of densely packed cells of a fibrous protein called keratin. When hatched, dragon scales are soft and thin. As they grow to maturity at about one year of age, their scales harden from the iron in the blood and the nutrients absorbed from the meats and vegetables that are consumed. Dragons inherit scale color from their parents in much the same way that humans inherit hair color and texture. The scales can also tell if a dragon is healthy or no. When a dragon is ill, the scales turn dull and muted, rather than the normal shine of a healthy dragon. Some breeds have the ability to change scale color to camouflage themselves. It may also change colors when agitated or during mating season. This is possible due to the pigment cells in the scales, or chromatophore. The scales work as an armor, to protect the soft skin underneath. The scales are 4 to 6 inches wide and 7 to 9 inches long. They are teardrop shaped, and lay staggered and overlapping all over the body. The chest scales are at least a foot wide, easily the largest on the body. They have more of a square shape, and lay in "flaps". They run overlapping in a pattern from the throat, down the belly, to the tail. The overlapping of the scales makes a slight scraping sound when the dragon walks. The dragon can make the scales stand up for washing, or as a heat releasing mechanism. They can also flare out the scales when in danger, to make it appear bigger and more intimidating than it already is.
The wing is a huge, leathery appendage that is found on many different breeds of the Western dragon. The wing is usually bigger than the dragon's body, to accommodate it's mass. The bone structure of the wing is similar to the hand. It has a humerus, elbow joint, wrist, and phalanx, or fingers.

The way a winged dragon actually flies is by scooping the air with the wings, and forcing itself upward. Baby dragons learn to fly in much the same way as baby birds. They jump from high spots, and first learn to control themselves in flight. Once they accomplish that, and strengthen the flight muscles, they begin practicing vertical takeoff. Of course muscle isn't the only thing that enables them to fly. All dragons use just a touch of magic to help keep them soaring high.
The wings can also be used as weapons, but since they aren't as tough and rugged as the rest of the body, this is only a last resort. If the membranes of the wing are severed, the dragon may never fly again.
When it comes to the senses of a dragon, they have the same five as a human, but some possess a sixth sense that enables them to "read" the emotions of its victim or attacker. The only difference between the senses of a dragon and those of a human are that the dragon's five senses are about 100 times more acute than ours.
Contrary to popular belief, not all dragons are fire-breathers. Only certain breeds have the ability to breathe fire. Yet some other breeds have the ability to breathe freezing breath, and others can spray acid. The way this is possible is this. When dragons eat, they have a stomach that digests it. From there, it moves on to a second stomach where it is broken down even further. Once all the nutrients from the second digestion are absorbed, what remains is an acidic chemical by-product that is turned into hydrogen. The hydrogen is then stored in large glands. This enables the dragon to bring it up whenever it is needed. When it needs to breathe fire, it releases some of the hydrogen into it's lungs, where it will be mixed with other chemicals in the body. When this mixture is exhaled, it mixes with the oxygen in the air and turns to a very hot flame. The average dragon can produce enough hydrogen for three short flame bursts. The process is essentially the same for other breath weapons. The only difference is the chemical mixture produced by the body.