Hello everyone!

So, @kristyglas's Dragon Art Contest has ended! Unfortunately I forgot to finish up my dragon in time, but I still want to show it off for fun! Definitely check out the CONTEST RESULTS though to see all the fantastic entries, and go see Kristy's art herself!

My Creation

I was not able to get as in-depth as I wanted to, based on time constraints. I ended up just shading very quickly after the results were out! But here we go!

The Design

I always really liked the structure of beetles, especially the ones with the large pinchers in front. And I love fantasy worlds such as in Avatar: The Last Airbender in which they essentially fuse animals together (such as the Komodo-Rhino, Boar-Q-Pine, Buzzard-Wasp)

A Buzzard Wasp in the desert of the Avatar world, a fusion of a vulture and a wasp.
Source

komodo rhino.png

Popular mounts for the Fire Nation in combat, these are based on Komodo Dragons and Rhinos.
Source

So I decided for my dragon I'd design it so that it was a mix of characters. Obviously, one half would be a dragon/reptile. And the 2nd, a beetle!

Source

This is a stag beetle, with the pincers in front, and three body parts - the abdomen, thorax, and the head area. I also used the three legs on each side to base the design around.

Biology

Dragonbeetles are generally pretty small. The average reaches 11" tall, with a weight of 9.4lbs. That being said there have been certain ones recorded as small as 4" and as tall as 14".

They begin much like a traditional stag beetle as worm-like larvae, growing over time and getting their wings, limbs, spines, and tendrils.

They can be aggressive to each other, and feast on smaller animals such as rats and mice, though they are generally cautious around humans and would rather avoid confrontation.

Environment

Dragonbeetles are generally around more of a colder environment, in caves and mountains. The spines and fur-like coat on their backs protect them from predators and the cold