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Description
THIS IS A WIP AND A CLOSED SPECIES. DO NOT MAKE YOUR OWN.
I would definitely love feedback of any sort, though

lacerta gigans incendium. Also known as the Firetooth.

DESCRIPTION:

The Firetooth is a large reptile, weighing up to 900 lbs and reaching up to 20 feet in length. Fireteeth have five toes on each foot, much like Komodo Dragon (ignore the crappy feet in the drawing, i had no ref at the time xD). The tail is approximately the same length as the rest of the body aside from the head. Short spikes line back of the neck to the shoulders.

Coloration:

The coloration of these lizards is most commonly a dark green over a sandy base. The head and legs tend to be the most solidly dark places on the body. The visibility of the sandy base varies, especially by gender. Striping that ranges from a darker green to a black covers the body from the neck to the end of the tail. The lip teeth are always black. The tongue is usually a shade of yellow/orange.

Eyes:

The eyes are large and round, with vertical slit shaped pupils. The most common coloration is fiery red, yellow and orange. A spiky ridge is set on the brow, with an average of five bumps.

Sexual Dimorphism:

There are a few major differences in the sexes.

Males are larger, reaching up to 4 feet at the withers, 20 feet in length, and up to 900 lbs. Females reach up to 3 and a half feet at the withers, 16 feet in length, and weighing 7-800 lbs.

In coloration, males tend to have a darker body, while females are sandy brown to a dull color. Males have more vibrant markings, females only retaining the bright colors on their nose, around their eyes, and on their chest plates.

Males have a bony ridge on their nose, thought to be used in mating displays and shows of dominance. More dominant males have larger crests, while submissive or juvenile individuals have little to no ridge.

The neck of a male can inflate vertically, and when it does it's color changes from the regular striped green to bright yellow, red and orange. Females can inflate their necks, too, but not as much, and there is no color change. This adaptation is used in multiple ways; dominance displays, mating rituals and warnings to enemies being the major ones.

In juveniles, the way to tell gender is whether or not there is flashy coloration anywhere aside from the nose, eyes and chest plate. If there is, it is likely a male.

BEHAVIOR:

Fireteeth tend to be moderately aggressive in general. They are difficult to tame and require respect.

Reproduction and life cycle:

Male Fireteeth hoard objects of value to build nests for potential mates.The objects range incredibly, and each individual seems to have their own personal taste in nest. When females come around, the males Expand and brighten their necks and dance around, making vocalizations as they do so. Once the female is starting to let the male closer, the male will tap on her nose, chin and chestplates with his crest. During this phase, females often lash out, giving potential injury to the males. However, if the suitor is successful, they will have received a new mate. In the wild, these creatures often mate for life. Especially successful males will build harems with multiple females. In order to do this, though, he must also build multiple nests, as females wouldn't want to share.

Once mating is complete, the gestation period of 8 months. During gestation, the female digs a burrow within the nest, preparing for her young. When ready, she will lay a clutch of up to 7 eggs. However, usually only 1-3 survive past their youth. They spend the first few months staying in the nest, as they are nearly defenseless. At 6 months, they begin to explore the world outside. At 1 year, they leave the nest. These young will then choose to leave or stay. Either way, they build themselves a burrow to live in. At 3 years, they reach sexual maturity. Males at this age begin to build nests, and females begin to search for mates.

Hierarchy:

In a Pyre, there is usually one dominant male. This male will have a large crest on his snout and the brightest color display. The dominant male will likely have multiple mates, but one is generally the top one, who stays in his own personal den. This is most often his first mate. Along with him, his harem and their collective offspring, there will sometimes be other males, and very occasionally females. These males will have smaller crests and display much more submissive behavior. Sub males are much easier to tame than a dominant one.

Females are often aggressive to males, aside from their chosen mate and their own young offspring. They almost never feud with other females, except when searching for a male.

Defense and Fighting:

Despite their fiery name, they do not actually breath flames or anything like that. However, on their upper lips, there is a jagged section of hard, sharp flesh. Inside of those spiky sections are sacs filled with a specialized chemical. When it comes into contact with skin and flesh it causes a severe burning sensation. Without immediate treatment, the affected area can actually get physical burns on it. Obviously, the deeper the bite, the more concerning the burn will be. Not every bite involves chemical release. As with many venomous snakes, it is far more dangerous to be bitten by a juvenile because they almost always release the chemical, and a lot of it. Adults are more discerning and only use the chemical when they feel truly threatened.

Other fighting mechanisms include their long, sharp claws, their teeth (obviously), their necks and heads (bashing), and their extremely powerful tails. The tail has a bony ridge on top, much like that of the crest on the males nose. This ridge is incredibly hard and paired with the muscle of the tail, could easily break bones when swung.

Diet:

Fireteeth will eat all meat, even rotting carcasses. They do prefer to hunt their own food, however, and sometimes will reject something that they did not catch themselves. When hunting, they use their long, forked tongue to sniff out food. They are fast and can run up to 30mph for short distances, but prefer to hunt through ambush. Use of the burning chemical often happens if the prey is particularly large or dangerous.

Fireteeth also quite enjoy a variety of fruit.

Habitat:

Firetooth Lizards are adaptable to any hot climate. Their burrows keep them warm at night, and cooler if a day ever gets too hot. They can handle rain, but not cold for too long.

Other Info:

Firetooth lizards tend to have fairly good eyesight in both light and dark situations.

They are actually able to swim for short distances, using their tail as a rudder.

Fireteeth were first captured and ridden by native tribal people. It was seen as a high honor, a gift from the gods for a person to be able to manage one of these beasts, and very few earned it. In other tribes, the Fireteeth were seen as gods or demons, depending on the interaction.

Fireteeth are actually surprisingly intelligent. They can learn the meanings of basic words, learn their names, and be trained as a steed. This is, however, no easy task. A Firetooth must be treated with a high level of respect. These beasts will not give you their respect if you do not return the favor, and they are likely to lash out at foolish people.

It is easiest to "tame" a Firetooth if they have human interaction from a young age. Those who breed Fireteeth usually have the nest set up in a way that access is possible, both to keep watch over the young and to socialize them as early as possible. Still, interaction with young is quite dangerous as noted before.

Fireteeth can be bred to have other colorations than sandy brown, dark green, and yellow/orange/red markings. These are simply the original colors, and more common

Fireteeth are often solitary, but sometimes there are groups that stay together. These groups are known as a Pyre. A group made up of young before they leave is known as a Charring.

Easiest to tame is a young, submissive male. Females are in the middle, and dominant males are the most difficult. A nesting mother generally will not heed human command, and it is best to leave them be until the young are a few months old. Adult lone Fireteeth are often difficult to tame as they are dominant in their own worlds. Lone females are generally very aggressive and should not be approached. Juveniles who have just left the nest are feisty, but able to be tamed if captured.

Fireteeth can live up to 15 years in captivity, 25 in the wild.

Description
THIS IS A WIP AND A CLOSED SPECIES. DO NOT MAKE YOUR OWN.
I would definitely love feedback of any sort, though

lacerta gigans incendium. Also known as the Firetooth.

DESCRIPTION:

The Firetooth is a large reptile, weighing up to 900 lbs and reaching up to 20 feet in length. Fireteeth have five toes on each foot, much like Komodo Dragon (ignore the crappy feet in the drawing, i had no ref at the time xD). The tail is approximately the same length as the rest of the body aside from the head. Short spikes line back of the neck to the shoulders.

Coloration:

The coloration of these lizards is most commonly a dark green over a sandy base. The head and legs tend to be the most solidly dark places on the body. The visibility of the sandy base varies, especially by gender. Striping that ranges from a darker green to a black covers the body from the neck to the end of the tail. The lip teeth are always black. The tongue is usually a shade of yellow/orange.

Eyes:

The eyes are large and round, with vertical slit shaped pupils. The most common coloration is fiery red, yellow and orange. A spiky ridge is set on the brow, with an average of five bumps.

Sexual Dimorphism:

There are a few major differences in the sexes.

Males are larger, reaching up to 4 feet at the withers, 20 feet in length, and up to 900 lbs. Females reach up to 3 and a half feet at the withers, 16 feet in length, and weighing 7-800 lbs.

In coloration, males tend to have a darker body, while females are sandy brown to a dull color. Males have more vibrant markings, females only retaining the bright colors on their nose, around their eyes, and on their chest plates.

Males have a bony ridge on their nose, thought to be used in mating displays and shows of dominance. More dominant males have larger crests, while submissive or juvenile individuals have little to no ridge.

The neck of a male can inflate vertically, and when it does it's color changes from the regular striped green to bright yellow, red and orange. Females can inflate their necks, too, but not as much, and there is no color change. This adaptation is used in multiple ways; dominance displays, mating rituals and warnings to enemies being the major ones.

In juveniles, the way to tell gender is whether or not there is flashy coloration anywhere aside from the nose, eyes and chest plate. If there is, it is likely a male.

BEHAVIOR:

Fireteeth tend to be moderately aggressive in general. They are difficult to tame and require respect.

Reproduction and life cycle:

Male Fireteeth hoard objects of value to build nests for potential mates.The objects range incredibly, and each individual seems to have their own personal taste in nest. When females come around, the males Expand and brighten their necks and dance around, making vocalizations as they do so. Once the female is starting to let the male closer, the male will tap on her nose, chin and chestplates with his crest. During this phase, females often lash out, giving potential injury to the males. However, if the suitor is successful, they will have received a new mate. In the wild, these creatures often mate for life. Especially successful males will build harems with multiple females. In order to do this, though, he must also build multiple nests, as females wouldn't want to share.

Once mating is complete, the gestation period of 8 months. During gestation, the female digs a burrow within the nest, preparing for her young. When ready, she will lay a clutch of up to 7 eggs. However, usually only 1-3 survive past their youth. They spend the first few months staying in the nest, as they are nearly defenseless. At 6 months, they begin to explore the world outside. At 1 year, they leave the nest. These young will then choose to leave or stay. Either way, they build themselves a burrow to live in. At 3 years, they reach sexual maturity. Males at this age begin to build nests, and females begin to search for mates.

Hierarchy:

In a Pyre, there is usually one dominant male. This male will have a large crest on his snout and the brightest color display. The dominant male will likely have multiple mates, but one is generally the top one, who stays in his own personal den. This is most often his first mate. Along with him, his harem and their collective offspring, there will sometimes be other males, and very occasionally females. These males will have smaller crests and display much more submissive behavior. Sub males are much easier to tame than a dominant one.

Females are often aggressive to males, aside from their chosen mate and their own young offspring. They almost never feud with other females, except when searching for a male.

Defense and Fighting:

Despite their fiery name, they do not actually breath flames or anything like that. However, on their upper lips, there is a jagged section of hard, sharp flesh. Inside of those spiky sections are sacs filled with a specialized chemical. When it comes into contact with skin and flesh it causes a severe burning sensation. Without immediate treatment, the affected area can actually get physical burns on it. Obviously, the deeper the bite, the more concerning the burn will be. Not every bite involves chemical release. As with many venomous snakes, it is far more dangerous to be bitten by a juvenile because they almost always release the chemical, and a lot of it. Adults are more discerning and only use the chemical when they feel truly threatened.

Other fighting mechanisms include their long, sharp claws, their teeth (obviously), their necks and heads (bashing), and their extremely powerful tails. The tail has a bony ridge on top, much like that of the crest on the males nose. This ridge is incredibly hard and paired with the muscle of the tail, could easily break bones when swung.

Diet:

Fireteeth will eat all meat, even rotting carcasses. They do prefer to hunt their own food, however, and sometimes will reject something that they did not catch themselves. When hunting, they use their long, forked tongue to sniff out food. They are fast and can run up to 30mph for short distances, but prefer to hunt through ambush. Use of the burning chemical often happens if the prey is particularly large or dangerous.

Fireteeth also quite enjoy a variety of fruit.

Habitat:

Firetooth Lizards are adaptable to any hot climate. Their burrows keep them warm at night, and cooler if a day ever gets too hot. They can handle rain, but not cold for too long.

Other Info:

Firetooth lizards tend to have fairly good eyesight in both light and dark situations.

They are actually able to swim for short distances, using their tail as a rudder.

Fireteeth were first captured and ridden by native tribal people. It was seen as a high honor, a gift from the gods for a person to be able to manage one of these beasts, and very few earned it. In other tribes, the Fireteeth were seen as gods or demons, depending on the interaction.

Fireteeth are actually surprisingly intelligent. They can learn the meanings of basic words, learn their names, and be trained as a steed. This is, however, no easy task. A Firetooth must be treated with a high level of respect. These beasts will not give you their respect if you do not return the favor, and they are likely to lash out at foolish people.

It is easiest to "tame" a Firetooth if they have human interaction from a young age. Those who breed Fireteeth usually have the nest set up in a way that access is possible, both to keep watch over the young and to socialize them as early as possible. Still, interaction with young is quite dangerous as noted before.

Fireteeth can be bred to have other colorations than sandy brown, dark green, and yellow/orange/red markings. These are simply the original colors, and more common

Fireteeth are often solitary, but sometimes there are groups that stay together. These groups are known as a Pyre. A group made up of young before they leave is known as a Charring.

Easiest to tame is a young, submissive male. Females are in the middle, and dominant males are the most difficult. A nesting mother generally will not heed human command, and it is best to leave them be until the young are a few months old. Adult lone Fireteeth are often difficult to tame as they are dominant in their own worlds. Lone females are generally very aggressive and should not be approached. Juveniles who have just left the nest are feisty, but able to be tamed if captured.

Fireteeth can live up to 15 years in captivity, 25 in the wild.