Silk Dragon Hatchling by nezumi

Silk Dragons seem poorly named when you look at the adult of the species. But it’s the first few weeks of life that gave it to them. Hatchling Silk Dragons have long, fine hair growing on their spines that’s similar to the velvet on a deer’s antlers. This hair falls out around the same time that the infant sheds its egg tooth.

Silk woven from this hair is among the most beautiful fabrics that can be made. The demand for it has led to black market harvesting of infant dragons. The hair must be carefully removed to preserve its length, which is very difficult to do in a dragon’s nest hundreds of feet above the ground when there’s a very protective mother dragon somewhere nearby. Most harvesters simply pull out the infant’s spines and remove the hairs when they are back at camp. The loss of spines is a major disfigurement that will make breeding season dangerous later in life. Also, many dragons die when a careless pull breaks a fragile backbone.