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FRIC — Viewing Species: Xirotefani

Guest@FRIC:~$ fric detail 'xirotefani'
Loading species file #52

Guest@FRIC:~$ █
Species Info
Grouping: Reptilian, Celestial
Rarity: Common
Time Per Stage: 22 Hours
Wild Caught: 3364
Captive Bred: 184
Total Population: 3548

Wild Caught Acquisition

Galeful Marsh — Found regularly at the Sector's nest.

Common Chroma Breakdown

Red
291 Total
Green
238 Total
Blue
311 Total
Purple
249 Total
Orange
242 Total
Pink
236 Total
White
305 Total
Tan
230 Total

Rare Chroma Breakdown

Obsidian
231 Total
Silver
186 Total
Gold
180 Total
Bronze
159 Total
Rainbow
191 Total
Sapphire
167 Total
Emerald
163 Total
Ruby
169 Total

Baby Stage Notes

This looks like some sort of gem, with a trail of energy and dust following it. The gem is warm to the touch and levitates slightly when disturbed, but seems unable to move or stay airborne for more than a few minutes at a time.

Juvenile Stage Notes

When this happened is hard to say, but the gem is now accompanied by a dragon hatchling. The juvenile seems extremely protective of it and bites whoever tries to take the gem; it can probably be trained to accept its handler, but otherwise it avoids other creatures and people. When left alone, it flaps its wings as if attempting to fly, and the gem floats around it, following the movements.

Adult Stage Notes

Xirotefani are colourful relatives of both Citherae and Lightcatchers. They are highly iridescent, with the exact hues and shades of their scales changing drastically depending on the lighting. They have what is thought to be a symbiotic relationship with the gems that trail around them; both dragon and gem attract one another, and it's not uncommon to see an adult being orbited by several at a time. If a gem is unable to find a Xirotefani itself, it will attract one to it. Xirotefani themselves are unorthodox breeders, and reproduce by shedding the gems that grow on their wings, spines, and tails. It's unclear where the actual hatchlings come from; a current theory is that the dragon is an inorganic creature created by the gem's energy.

Study shows that both the dragon and the floating gems are separate creatures, though the gems still attached to a Xirotefani are not "alive". The relationship between the two seems to be similar to that between colonial organisms, or coral and algae; the gems can therefore be classified as zooids, simply on a more massive scale. Xirotefani are predatory and defensive; outside of hunting, a healthy adult will not attack unprovoked, but will act aggressive when approached by anything it deems a threat. If hand-raised, they will tolerate their handler, but are still extremely wary of strangers and are known to bite. Though they don't glow on their own, the gems are able to give bright flashes that startle or distract other creatures, allowing the Xirotefani to escape or attack as warranted.

Common Chroma

Red
Green
Blue
Purple
Orange
Pink
White
Tan

Rare Chroma

Obsidian
Silver
Gold
Bronze
Rainbow
Sapphire
Emerald
Ruby


Artwork: Keileon