The following are the dragons found in the
Harry Potter universe. They
are found either in the Harry Potter books or in the spin-off book
Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them.
Asian Dragons
Antipodean
Opaleye
The
Antipodean Opaleye dragon is
native to New Zealand although it occasionally appears in
Australia. Unlike other dragons, it prefers valleys to mountains.
Its appearance is very beautiful due to its pearly scales and
glittering eyes. Its flame is a striking scarlet. A shy dragon, it
will not attack humans unless it is incredibly hungry. The
Antipodean Opaleye normally eats sheep although it will sometimes
attack larger prey. This dragon's eggs are a pale grey and may be
confused with fossils.
Chinese Fireball
Also known as
Liondragon, the
Chinese Fireball dragon is the
only mainland Asian dragon. Its scales are scarlet and smooth,
golden spikes outline its face, and has protruding eyes. It weighs
in at two to four tons. The Chinese Fireball is known for being
much more tolerant of its own species than other dragons usually
are. Its gold-speckled egg shells are prized in Chinese
wizardry.
British Dragons
Common Welsh Green
The
Common Welsh Green Dragon is found almost
exclusively on a reservation in Wales where preys on sheep. This
dragon avoids humans. It has a melodious roar. Fire is spewed from
its nose in thin jets. Its eggs are brown with green specks.
In
1932, a Welsh Green flew over a beach of sunbathing muggles.
Fatalities were prevented because of the efforts of a wizarding
family that happened to be on holiday there at the time. These
wizards performed one of the biggest batches of memory charms in a
century on the terrified muggles, thus upholding Clause 73 of the
International Code of Wizarding Secrecy (which states that if any
magical creature is notice by muggles in a particular country, that
country will be subject to discipline by the International
Confederation of Wizards.) However, according to the 1972 book by
Blenheim Stalk, there is one muggle who escaped the memory charms.
To quote from his book, "To this day, a Muggle bearing the nickname
'Dodgy Dirk' holds forth in bars along the south coast on the
subject of a 'dirty great flying lizard' that punctured his
lilo."
Hebridean Black
More aggressive than its Welsh
counterpart, the
Hebridean Black dragon is a large
and fiercely territorial species. Requiring up to 100 square miles
per dragon, this species is a threat to all manner of creatures
ranging from deer to cattle. The dragon is up to thirty feet long
and and has razor-sharp ridges on its back. The wizard clan
MacFusty has traditionally taken care of the dragon.
Eastern
European & Scandinavian Dragons
Hungarian
Horntail
The most dangerous of all dragons, the
Hungarian Horntail has black scales and is
lizard-like in appearance. It's eyes are yellow and it has bronze
horns. Its fire can reach up to fifty feet. This dragon feeds of of
large mammals, and enjoys eating humans.
Norwegian
Ridgeback
The
Norwegian Ridgeback happens to
be one of the two species of dragon that
Harry Potter has
encountered during his years at Hogwarts. The book "
Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them" notes several facts about this species,
including the ridges on its back (hence the name), the fact that
the species preys on water-dwelling creatures, which is unusual for
dragons ( probably because fire and water don't mix), and the fact
that this particular species develops its fire-breathing abilities
at the age of 1 to 3 months, which is earlier than other species of
dragon.
Romanian Longhorn
The
Romanian
Longhorn dragon has dark green scales and long, golden
horns. The species' traditional breeding ground is now a major
dragon reservation for all breeds. The Romanian Longhorn is
endangered and is the focus of an intense breeding
programme.
Swedish Short-Snout
The
Swedish
Short-Snout dragon is a silvery-blue dragon whose skin is
used for the creation of protective gloves. Its flame is the same
colour as its skin. This dragon has killed fewer humans than most,
largely because it lives in uninhabited areas.
Ukrainian
Ironbelly
The
Ukranian Ironbelly is a large
and slow dragon, but is still very dangerous. One of the most
common risks associated with the dragon is its ability to land on
dwellings and crush them. Its skin is a metallic grey, its eyes a
deep red, and its talons are long. In 1799, it picked up an entire
sailing boat from the Black Sea.
American
Dragons
Peruvian Vipertooth
The
Peruvian
Vipertooth is a small and swift dragon with
coppor-coloured skin. The dragon has short horns and venomous
fangs. It enjoys preying on humans to the point that the
Ministry
of Magic had to send exterminators once in order to reduce the
threat to the human population.
Sources
Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them