Dragon Breeding
*Please note: This page is still a work-in-progress and may change!
We are early-releasing this rough information so that people may begin scheming~
Please understand if information/options change at a later date. We are still in the testing phase.
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Dragons are a very… complicated species. Without getting too far into it, recognize that dragons are not one species that developed into several from a single ancestor. Rather, dragons developed multiple times throughout history, similarly enough to be considered a single species with a vast array of subspecies. Therefore, we must consider the future of the species. We have discovered recently that some dragons raised by humans are, in fact, able to captively breed! Therefore, we can take the recovery of the dragon species in our own hands, to a certain level.
This will be a basic guide on dragon breeding. Let’s start with some terminology.
~ Mother: The dragon that “carries” a “clutch”.
~ Carry: There is a short time frame while the “mother” dragon carries a “clutch” of eggs in her reproductive organs before the eggs are ready to be laid.
~ Clutch: This is the term for a group of eggs.
The first thing to note is that dragons have taken very similarly after humans when it comes to perceived gender, especially when considering the Rainbow subspecies. In this light, nearly all genders and sexualities are recognized in some way in the dragon realm. Listen to your dragon to find out what it wants to be called/recognized as.
The second thing is that gender is not considered in breeding. Biological sex is, however, but this is also a rather varied situation. Currently, we recognize four sexes. Male, Female, Hermaphrodite, and Nonsexed. Male and Female are obvious. Hermaphrodite has two variations; Dragons born with male and female reproductive organs or a singular organ that suffices as both (Often similar to XXY genetically), OR dragons that undergo a natural change to their sex in order to facilitate breeding. Both are equally viable for breeding, but one note to the latter is this change generally only occurs once in a dragon’s lifetime and is breed specific. Hermaphrodites are generally from a species that has dualism (heads or tails), or twins that merged perfectly (the latter is extremely rare, this case is more likely to be sterile). There are cases of self fertilization, however rare. Finally, Nonsexed is an umbrella term for dragons that do not have reproductive organs or have unviable ones. This is generally a case of dragons that normally would be able to breed, but can’t for some reason. This could be a deformity, like they were originally twins that merged improperly, or an accident, like two subspecies that don’t cross well hatched an infertile dragon.
As for actively breeding, the only real requirement is to have the ability to carry eggs. A dual female pair are able to accept chromosomal information through other means (not yet fully discovered, research is still under way). A dual male pair does not have the ability to carry eggs, so they are unable to breed. Nonsexed are unable to breed in general, as their genetic code or injury has rendered them infertile. Research is under way as to whether or not a female or hermaphrodite can still accept genetic information from a nonsexed dragon. Some hermaphrodites and females are also able to self-fertilize, but this is extremely rare and generally only done in cases where the mother dragon feels she will not survive long enough to find a partner to reproduce.
Sex-Based Reproductive Visual Reference:
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The visual reference above is a basic representation of what genders can mate to breed. We also have a visual guide of the specific genders and ages that can breed, as seen below.
For reference, dragons can be adopted in these ages: Hatchling (freshly hatched), Whelp (marked by growth and/or sprouting of primary wing tips), Fledgling (sprouting of wings large enough to support flight or similar action, dependant on subspecies), Adolescent (age marked by secondary wing growth and ability to care for itself/ready for release), and Mature (final wing set develops, but dragon has made the choice to stay with owner relatively permanently). However, Hatchling and Whelp are too young to breed. Fledglings are too young to carry a clutch, so while they can inseminate, the dragon carrying the clutch must be an Adolescent or Mature dragon. All Western dragons are considered “Mature”, despite them being able to be released at any point.
As you may have noticed, there are no charts for Male x Male, Nonsexed x Nonsexed, or any combination thereof, as there is no ability to carry a clutch. However, consider this: A male gendered dragon could actually be a Hermaphrodite sexed dragon, in which case, he is able to breed with a male sexed dragon. Other variations of this rule are also possible. As far as genders go, dragons are as limited as our human ability to explain genders to dragons in a way they can decide with. We at PCM regard dragons by their gender in any situation aside from breeding.
Please note that we at PCM are willing to attempt to breed other variants of Chainmaille dragon not established by us. However, at least one dragon of a pairing must be ours, they must adhere to the rules stated here, within reason, and the owner of both dragons, in any case, must be willing to breed their dragons. These requests will be taken on a case-by-case basis, but we wish to stress that it is, in fact, possible! My queen was originally bred to a dragon from outside of PCM successfully.
Sex-Based In-Depth Visual Reference:
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Finally, unnecessarily, I will state that BOTH parents (owners of dragons) MUST give permission per breeding. This means that even if an owner has blanket permission to breed, like mine, they will be notified and asked if they want any eggs from the resulting clutch, but will get second choice as the asker is considered the breeder and gets first choice.
As for clutches themselves, a clutch is generally 2-5 eggs, but has been less/more in the past, depending on subspecies, health, age, and other circumstances. There are two ways I am currently exploring for nesting dragons. You will be asked which you prefer and we will move forward from there. Note that there will always be a fee for breeding dragons on top of the fee for adopting your new eggs. And the best part? After your dragon hatches, you keep the egg!
That’s right, eggs. We at PCM have gotten to a point in which we can ship you Dragon eggs to hatch at home! Alternatively, we also can raise your new baby to the age you desire and then ship them off to you. Just let us know which you prefer! Note that adoption costs will match the age you adopt from a breeding. You also can get a plain egg with no hatchling inside.
Option 1: Outside of my personal fun in writing this, every clutch will be guaranteed to have the minimum for both owners if the amount is a reasonable number to ask for. I may ask to do a “second breeding” if it exceeds a reasonable number. However, some clutches have been known to produce more than asked for. This means you will get exactly what you are asking for in number, but also play roulette on what the hatchlings come out as.
Option 2: Alternatively, the owners may ask for a “small” or “large” clutch, which is 1-3 and 3-6, respectively, but at a flat fee for the middle number. This retains the fun of pretend, and if you get less than you originally ordered, at least one of your new children will have a new mutation, generally one that is normally an upcharge, for free!
So, how about some examples?
Samantha wants to breed her dragon Leutir to my Iadrell using option 1 and wants 2 eggs. My Iadrell is free for everyone to breed, and I am notified. The two can be paired for breeding. I don’t want any eggs from this breeding. So, Samantha will pay the breeding fee and the price for exactly 2 eggs. There is a chance for a free third hatchling, but a very low chance. So, we pretend that Leutir comes back to me and voila! Two eggs arrive safely in Samantha’s mailbox and she hatches two hatchlings, one with a small mutation (rare but can happen). These babies are named and added to the database and everyone is happy!
Next, Alon wants to breed his dragon Chase to Angie’s dragon Seara. Angie is notified and wants to have a baby from the pairing. I handle the back and forth between both owners and no information is exchanged unless said owners are both okay with it. Alon wants to use option 2 for a small nest and Angie wants to use option 1 for a single egg, but wants me to age it up to a fledgling. No problem! Alon pays the breeding fee as he is the one who started the breeding, and the fee for 2 eggs. Angie pays the fee for a fledgling. Angie then receives her fledgling and Alon gets a surprise 3rd egg! (Higher chance than if he took option 1 to get a bonus baby). He can then hatch his 3 new hatchlings. All four are named, added to the database, and enjoyed!
So, while breeding dragons isn’t as cut and dry as adopting a wild one, I personally think it’ll be a grand bit more fun! You’ll have quite the full house, and all the baby pictures you could dream of! Now, all you have to do is get the ball rolling, eh? We are working hard behind the scenes to maintain a full list of all PCM dragons (and a few honorary babies) for you to scour through to find the perfect pair. All you have to do is let us know who you choose, and we can take it from there~
