I’m not sure who needs to hear this but you should never, ever throw a dragon egg.
Looking at you, Daemon Targaryen. And yes, I’m glaring. The glare is free.
In this post:
- Do dragons hatch from eggs?
- How do dragons hatch?
- What are young dragons called?
- Gasp! Prince Daemon threw a dragon egg.
- Can you throw a dragon egg? No!
Who am I to tell you all this? Why, a modern dragon, of course.
Do dragons hatch from eggs?
Yes, dragons lay eggs. And then they hatch from them. Neato, right?!
There are many kinds of dragons and many kinds of dragon eggs.
If, like most people, you’re interested in learning about dragon eggs, the literature is very helpful. For instance, in her field studies, researcher Holly Hatam has found that “dragon eggs look like sparkly gemstones.”
An artist’s depiction, for instance:
Of course, that’s just one kind of dragon egg. Dragon eggs come in many varieties. Some dragon eggs are scaly, and may even grow moss.
If you ever encounter a dragon egg in the wild, count yourself lucky!
And, I really hope I don’t have to say this, but if you encounter a dragon egg in the wild, please be respectful and leave the dragon egg alone.
Not only is leaving the dragon egg alone the right thing to do, but following this advice will increase your chances of returning home that day.
After all, if you see a dragon egg, chances are excellent that someone scaly sees you and is watching with great interest.
How do dragon eggs hatch?
Not only do dragon eggs look awesome, but one of the coolest things about dragon eggs is how they hatch.
It takes an enormous amount of energy to hatch a dragon egg; examples below.
People sometimes ask me: how long does it take a dragon egg to hatch? The answer depends on the type of dragon. And there are really two components of this question. First is how long the egg incubates. And second is how long the hatching process takes.
Dragon eggs can be flexible when it comes to incubation periods. Incubation periods can range from mere months to a century and a half.
Once the dragon egg has spent enough time incubating, there are several methods to supply the needed power to initiate the hatching sequence.
One particularly flashy method is lightening!
And of course, there’s always good old trusty, fire, which Daenerys Targaryen used to hatch her three dragon eggs.
And although the lightning and fire methods are great, modern dragons can rely on modern medicine and increased stability at the lair for an assist.
For instance, fewer lair raids these days, along with the ability to telework, make it much easier for the mother or father dragon (or both!) to keep the egg sufficiently hot throughout the incubation period. This facilitates a relatively low-power hatching experience.
Not only does low-power hatching save energy, but it also is better for the environment and is less likely to attract the county fire department. Win-win!
What are young dragons called?
The baby dragon freshly emerged from the egg is called a dragonet.
Dragonets are so dang cute!
Do not underestimate dragonets. Although small, they are fully formed dragons!
And they are hungry.
Read more about dragon hatching and egg teeth!
Gasp! Prince Daemon threw a dragon egg
Against this backdrop, I hope you will agree with me that it is especially distressing to imagine anyone throwing a dragon egg.
And yet, that is what a certain prince who will not remain nameless once did.
There was a certain confrontation on the path to Dragonstone in which a certain princess confronted her uncle the prince about having, and please brace yourselves, dear readers, stolen a dragon egg. If you can believe that.
Luckily our hero the princess prevailed upon her dearest uncle to return the egg. But the manner in which he did so left much to be desired. He tossed it to her.
You can watch a reenactment below; viewer discretion is advised, as the subject matter is very troubling. The following is from the documentary House of the Dragon series, season 1 episode 2, entitled The Rogue Prince. See Daemon holding the egg? Good. What he does next is . . . suboptimal.
Can you throw a dragon egg? No!
Some humans have already started to research the physics of throwing a dragon egg, based on an assumption that a dragon egg is sort of like a reptile’s egg and sort of like a bird’s egg.
That’s some fine analysis, but what I’m more concerned with are the social implications on the community (and on the thrower) when someone throws a dragon egg.
As a modern dragon, I have the unique opportunity to see the perspectives of both humans and dragons. And I think I have a helpful analogy. This is what it feels like to a dragon when someone throws a dragon egg. Viewer discretion advised:
For the humans reading this, would you ever take a newborn and toss it around like a basketball free throw shot?
If your answer is “yes,” then please send me your contact information so I can report you to the City Watch.
And then there’s the question of what happens to the thrower of the egg. If a dragon catches you throwing a dragon egg, beware!
I should acknowledge that as depicted in #HOTD after Prince Daemon threw a dragon egg to Princess Rhaenyra, neither of the two nearby dragons (Caraxes and Syrax) devoured him on the spot.
This is called mercy.
This is probably also due to the special relationship Rhaenyra and Daemon have with dragons; they are, after all, dragon riders of House Targaryen. And so I have to assume that Caraxes and Syrax gave Daemon a pass.
But if I can give you one piece of advice: do not expect similar mercy if you throw a dragon egg.
Transport dragon eggs in an incubator
But sure, let’s say you somehow come into the possession of a dragon egg and manage not to get eaten. Kinda unlikely, if you ask me, but sure. In that scenario, how do you transport the dragon egg?
If you must transport a dragon egg, use an incubator, or other safe carrying method. For instance, you can always clutch the egg in your fores, as pictured below.
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So there we have it. And I appreciate you bearing with me on my rant into this sensitive topic.
Finally, a thought question: if you were a dragon egg, would you prefer to hatch by lightening, fire, or some other method and why?
You can let me know in the comments below or by contacting me.
-A MODERN DRAGON
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