DRAGON FIELD-GUIDE
Dragons have long captured the imagination of humankind. As powerful predators, as symbols of ruin and creation, and as objects of study, it is hard to find someone without at least a passing interest in the draconidae. Though many dragon species are hugely dangerous (and just plain huge), the irresistable draw of their majestic appearances and remarkable behaviours have lead many to take up the hobby of dragon-spotting. Still, there have been precious few guidebooks to the dragons of the world. The most most dragons recieve are cursory mentions in localized wildlife field-guides, or words of caution in trail-books warning hikers of known dragon nesting-sites-a far cry from the variety of literature available on birds or other beasts!
It is for this reason I have decided to put together this book, for the generalized audience of anyone interested in dragons. Whether you are a hobbyist dragon-spotter, a biologist, a student, or someone simply looking to settle an argument over minor dragon trivia, you should be able to find something of worth in this guide.
In less flowery words, this section consists of writing and art depicting a number of fictional dragon species, from a parallel universe in which some archosaurs way, way back in the Triassic figured out how to evolve a third pair of limbs somehow. I guess you could call it 'speculative evolution' but it's not focused on biological accuracy or plausibility so much as it is focused on me wanting to draw cool lizards with wings and horns. (And wanting to bring attention to the indescribable beauty and absurdity of the natural world or something like that.)
This section of the site was heavily inspired by the formatting and overall styles of old birdwatching and wildlife field-guides. Specific books I used as references include A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa by Jean Dorst and Pierre Dandelot, The Birds of Alberta by W. Ray Salt and Jim R. Salt, and Birds of the Rocky Mountains by Chris C. Fisher. The above intro paragraph was particularly inspired by the foreword to David M. Bird's The Bird Almanac. (Talk about nominative determinism!)
The earliest forms of this project included just one extant dragon species, the Greater Seadragons, and focused on their interactions with human scientists and other people. Essentially, I wanted to write a sci-fi first-contact alien story, except the sapient 'aliens' were right here on Earth the whole time.
I still think that's an idea worth exploring. I might return to it with these guys some day.